Drive one for yourself and decide.

I'm sure there are some still left in dealers, though I'd wager the markup would be insane.

IMO this would be your last chance to buy an STI. You really don't want to own a used one, I promise.

The STI is a relic of a bygone era. For some, that's worth its weight in gold. For others, that may be a turnoff.

 

I'm sure there are some still left in dealers, though I'd wager the markup would be insane.

What about a '21 with under 10k miles. I haven't found any that are still new.

Used 2021 Subaru WRX STI AWD | White AWD 4Dr. Sedan M9802304 | 21st Century Auto Group Springfield 07081

Used 2021 Subaru WRX STI AWD White AWD 4Dr. Sedan M9802304 For Sale at 21st Century Auto Group Springfield 07081

www.21centuryautogroup.com

This is the dealer I've been looking at. It seems to have a ton of STIs there right now.

The only thing I could see myself liking less about the STi is if there is substantially more turbo lag or something like that. I think I will have to go and test drive one though.

 

I would NOT buy a used STI. For the last decade, the marque has attracted the f***boi crowd more than just about any other vehicle. You can see the problems here on the forums -- people that have no clue about how an engine works modifying their vehicles.... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In my experience, people that are signing up for forums are far more open to learning than the vast majority that circle-jerk in Facebook groups and on Reddit. There is an easy 90% chance that a used turbo Subaru has been owned by an idiot.

 

Where are you located?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Somerset County NJ

 

I get the allure of an STi. I really do. But honestly I'd take the WRX for the quicker spooling twin-scroll setup and newer FA platform. Especially for a daily, and especially in the city in stop and go traffic.

But let's be real, deep down I want the STi anyway As suggested I'd drive one and see for yourself. Thinking and reading about it will just drive you crazy.

 

Yeah I think I need to try one regardless of if I swap or not. I just need peace of mind and to be happy with my car. I had no big interest in the STi until I heard they would be going away. My thought was that I'd drive my car for a chunk of years and then if the next gen STi was amazing I would upgrade to that. Now that this isn't an option, and they announced the cancellation AFTER they stopped selling current gen STis, I feel like I'm cut for time.

 

I just want to give my impression to you after driving a few of the cars trying to decide for myself before scrapping the idea for now.

I come from a GR hatch. EJ 255 slightly modified. I've test driven a handful of VA cars including an STI.

The STI is every bit what you would expect. It's a little solid feeling and not as comfort compliant. Steering is hard and crisp compared to the VA WRX. It has a solid feedback as well. The six speed shifts nice and the out of boost torque improvement makes lower speed driving feel more robust. I can't compare stock brakes on the VA because the ones I've driven had ss lines installed and it changed the feel quite a bit.

None of that is huge, but at something like autox it would be things that pay dividends.

The WRX is just a nicer drive. It's not low on power, it just doesn't surge. It seemed to build boost much better and earlier giving it a better response when I was on the highway. The steering doesn't tire you out as much but doesn't feel washy.

 

The STI is every bit what you would expect. It's a little solid feeling and not as comfort compliant. Steering is hard and crisp compared to the VA WRX. It has a solid feedback as well. The six speed shifts nice and the out of boost torque improvement makes lower speed driving feel more robust. I can't compare stock brakes on the VA because the ones I've driven had ss lines installed and it changed the feel quite a bit.

None of that is huge, but at something like autox it would be things that pay dividends.

The WRX is just a nicer drive. It's not low on power, it just doesn't surge. It seemed to build boost much better and earlier giving it a better response when I was on the highway. The steering doesn't tire you out as much but doesn't feel washy.

Thank you. I guess I won't know for certain until I drive it in person, but this and the other responses are largely convincing me that I made the right choice already. I am pretty happy with the power of my car and I wouldn't want to increase it at the expense of smoothness/response.

 

grass is always green on the other side my friend

 

Judging by the popularity of BC BR coilovers, I'd argue that the average enthusiast has no idea what constitutes good cornering performance.

The STI WILL perform better in the corners compared to the WRX thanks to the DCCD, diffs, and suspension. That said, the gulf narrowed significantly in 2015. I've not driven a VB chassis WRX, but the prior generation was no slouch out of the box. I set better AutoX times in my buddy's 2015 WRX with mild suspension mods (springs, sway bars, tires, and cusco rear LSD) than I did in my own 2015 STI. The WRX was also Stage 2 compared to my stock STI so figure similar horsepower but better powerband. At least back in 2014-2016, the WRX was in a lower performance class according to SCCA so I'd argue it was the BETTER choice for competitive autox.

If you want a good upgrade path for the existing WRX, the Cusco rear LSD Limited Slip Differential | CUSCO USA Inc. is nothing short of transformative. For dry pavement, a front LSD will not provide much value.

 

A year ago I bought my '21 wrx. I love the car though I have a few complaints.

When I'm out driving, I can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy when I see an STi rolling around. The sound and the increased power are two things that appeal to me a lot.

I daily my wrx and I would do the same with an STi. I've never really considered going to a track.

What am I truly missing out on? Is it worth the swap? Part of me sees this as my last opportunity to pick one up since there won't be another one in the future.

Does the STi feel much better to drive? Is it worth the extra dosh? I feel like it's not worth it, and it's just a "the grass is always greener" situation but I don't have a lot of people IRL to bounce this off of. What do y'all think?

Why not mod up ur wrx? That’s what I did. Faster than an sti now and I put the time and work into it. So there’s some pride in it. Just my opinion.

 

There are a number of performance enhancements that an STI has that a modified WRX does not. That is why I have one and that is the appeal to many others including those building their cars for HPDE or AutoX.

 

The transmission alone is worth the upgrade . Add in the extra power and brakes and center diff , it’s a no brainer . Plus everybody is jealous of the wing , adding one to a WRX would not be the same . I have no turbo lag and consistently get 23mpg .

 

I would like to make everyone jealous with a wing. It's tough now because I can't seem to find any new STis at the moment. They are all used and I am very wary of getting a used one. I'm pissed that Subaru only announced the cancellation of the new STi after they stopped selling the old one. I think they would have sold a ton in the following months if they just kept it available for a while. I would have had an easier time making the swap then, but I think now I'd be spending over 10k more for a used car. It's tough to justify.

 

The bean counters will always prevail. I'm glad I got to buy my STI, love everything about it, except the mpg, lol.

 

If you decide to go with STI and, say, you don't like it, you always have a fallback option - it seems 2022 WRX is not any worse than 2021, you can even testdrive one to make sure that there is a plan B and it's good enough. So in case of mistake, it's costly but not irreversible mistake.

But if you don't get STI, you may regret about that, now it's really last chance to get it in near new condition. If you get STI you may also regret btw, this car is very controversial, I had many complains about mine, but every ride was like a drama - turbine whistles, engine rumbles, transmission whines, all plastic rattle, suspensions beats, engine bogs or pulls and that's a pure random.

I can complain almost about every component of this car - engine bogs and its helpless, you never have torque when you need it, downshifting does not help you to go faster as most likely that will cause engine bogging, regular wrx is probably even faster, I couldn't keep up with wrx that looked stock. Transmission is known to be robust and connected but shifting is slow it takes eternity to put it on gear. Steering is uncomfortably heavy, connected, but the car doesn't corner well. Recaro seats are torture devices (maybe that's about my back, not about seats). All funny noises turn to headache in the evening when you feel tired. Highway ride is bouncy and suspension is uncomfortably stiff (but that's probably identical to regular WRX). And many other complains.

Despite of all these flaws it was interesting to drive STI. Wing is great, no, it's absolutely amazing, and you can see it and enjoy it all the time when you are driving. No other engine sounds like EJ, though on highway you cannot hear it because of road noises. It's interesting to explore car limits, and its limits are not as close as car makes you think.

So what's my conslusion, STI is neither good nor comfortable car, but what makes car good and comfortable often makes it also boring. Fun cars are not good and good cars are not fun, that's kinda automotive tragedy. And sti is very controversial, that's why there are so many argues about it on internet, and only you may decide if it's good for you.

 

If you decide to go with STI and, say, you don't like it, you always have a fallback option - it seems 2022 WRX is not any worse than 2021, you can even testdrive one to make sure that there is a plan B and it's good enough. So in case of mistake, it's costly but not irreversible mistake.

But if you don't get STI, you may regret about that, now it's really last chance to get it in near new condition. If you get STI you may also regret btw, this car is very controversial, I had many complains about mine, but every ride was like a drama - turbine whistles, engine rumbles, transmission whines, all plastic rattle, suspensions beats, engine bogs or pulls and that's a pure random.

I can complain almost about every component of this car - engine bogs and its helpless, you never have torque when you need it, downshifting does not help you to go faster as most likely that will cause engine bogging, regular wrx is probably even faster, I couldn't keep up with wrx that looked stock. Transmission is known to be robust and connected but shifting is slow it takes eternity to put it on gear. Steering is uncomfortably heavy, connected, but the car doesn't corner well. Recaro seats are torture devices (maybe that's about my back, not about seats). All funny noises turn to headache in the evening when you feel tired. Highway ride is bouncy and suspension is uncomfortably stiff (but that's probably identical to regular WRX). And many other complains.

Despite of all these flaws it was interesting to drive STI. Wing is great, no, it's absolutely amazing, and you can see it and enjoy it all the time when you are driving. No other engine sounds like EJ, though on highway you cannot hear it because of road noises. It's interesting to explore car limits, and its limits are not as close as car makes you think.

So what's my conslusion, STI is neither good nor comfortable car, but what makes car good and comfortable often makes it also boring. Fun cars are not good and good cars are not fun, that's kinda automotive tragedy. And sti is very controversial, that's why there are so many argues about it on internet, and only you may decide if it's good for you.

Thank you, I appreciate such an in depth reply. It sounds like the STi essentially increases all of the issues I have with the WRX, the one exception being the sound. I definitely wish my car had more of a rumble but I do love how it sounds as is. It is seeming more and more likely that I will not make the swap. If I really want a bigger engine down the line, I will look to the fa24. I will be interested to see if they give it a facelift after a few years.

 

Quirky cars make enthusiasts.

I would be perfectly happy with my STI if it weren't for the terrible fuel economy. Then again, it only has 58k miles in 8 years so I really don't drive it.

 

Do you still feel it was worth buying it after using it so little? I don't think I could ever buy a car and not daily drive it. I put 30k on my wrx in the first year. Do you do work on yours or anything to get enjoyment out of it or is it only when you take it out for occasional drives?