wrx vs sti

[osiriskidd]

we know, sti>wrx.

moving on, my brother's about to buy either w wrx or an sti. problem being, he's on a budget of 17k-ish. i was having a discussion about it with a friend and he says wrx's are utter trash.

his argument:
final gears are horrible.
220hp at crank + awd drivetrain loss
test drove the 04/05 wrx and was dissapointed. my rs (used to be his) felt a lot better he said.
horrible trannies on the wrx.
legacyGT = 2.5t and makes more pwr. basically sti block.
basically wrx=giant piece of ****.

im not saying his argument is wrong, i'm just stating it. he's been into cars longer than i have and he knows his stuff.

i don't disagree, but i do factor in:
my brother doesn't drive crazy.
he's a reserved driver.
doesn't attempt to drift, race, clutch dump, impress people, burnout. of the sorts.
he wants an impreza because he likes the looks and the car itself.
i want him to get a car he will be happy with both price and car.
not everything is about power/torque, right? thus, i don't think im going to push an STi on him. However, my friend feels its STi or bust.

right now we're looking at an 03wrx for a very good price, and an 04 STI for a decent price. if the sti is negotiable we'll go to them, but the 03 is what we're probably gonna nab if we decide on it.

i just need opinions. i mean, a car's a big investment and as long as he's happy with it that should be the biggest deciding factor right? besides $. just need some feedback.

[Deke]

1. Post this on WRXatlanta you will get far far far more help than you will over here.

2. I'm just going to go through your friends list of problems.


final gears are horrible.
Personally, I like the gearing of the WRX better than the STi. The STi has pretty short gears. I've driven one and I was just annoyed with how often I had to shift in daily driving situations.


220hp at crank + awd drivetrain loss
227hp at the crank translates to around 170hp at the wheels for this car. I agree, kind of sucky. But it's still quicker down low than most cars <260hp at the crank.


test drove the 04/05 wrx and was dissapointed. my rs (used to be his) felt a lot better he said.
I take it your RS has lots of suspension mods and has just about everything that can be done to the engine in that case. No offense, but I'll almost garuntee you that a stock WRX is faster than your car. Suspension of course is going to depend.


horrible trannies on the wrx.
2002 and early 2003 models are the only ones that have notoriously weak transmissions. That being said, I've known plenty of people that have never had any problems. I drive a later 2003 that was my first manual car and I've had nothing go wrong. If you don't abuse them they'll more than likely be fine. On the flipside, the STi transmission are bulletproof.


legacyGT = 2.5t and makes more pwr. basically sti block.
Hey, one I finally completely agree with. The C6 Corvette has a V8 and makes more power.


basically wrx=giant piece of ****.
I'm going to guess that your friend was expecting to be dissapointed by the WRX when he drove it. The car has it's flaws (what car doesn't), but it is a far cry from a "giant piece of ****." In 2002 and 2003 it was in Car and Driver's top 10.

If you desribe your brother acurately, I don't see him being at all dissapointed in the WRX. Of course, the STi is a better foundation to start from if he's looking to turn it into a beast. But the WRX is no slouch.

Like you said, ultimately it's all about what makes your brother happy.

[IndianStig]

get the STi if he's not gonna mod. then he can take care of it for a few years and i'll buy it off him!

[osiriskidd]

thanks deke. i feel he's gonna be alot happier with an STi, but there's no point to push him into it especially if hes not gonna mod it. i think he'll be happy with an 03wrx. we're currently looking at one that looks very promising.

[Footefan52]

I have an 02 and I still like it even after fixing it's problems. It is an all around fun car to drive (straight, or corners). I have driven an STi and it is actually less powerful than my car with my mods and I still don't have transmission troubles. I also don't launch it often or rag it out at all. Just spirited driving every once in a while

[yungdz]

Deke nailed it.

I have an early 03 wagon with with Stage 2 mods that I've had for about a year now with no tranny issues. Even though stock is 170 to the wheels, with just the Stage 1 flash (with no other mods) I put down 201 hpp, 199 tq. If he doesnt race or fool around in the car, I would recommend the WRX just for the cost (and insurance.) He will still get many compliments on the car regardless if its an STI or not and with minor mods I'm sure it will handle to his liking too. But then again if he just wants all around Badassness without having to get aftermarket stuff, and can afford it, go for the STI. But I hear about just as many STI's have motor problems as I do WRX's have tranny issues. Best of luck!

I'm getting Dyno'd next week so I'll post up my new numbers with STAGE 2 than

[itsnotarex]

Power really depends on how the motor was broken in. The harder it's broken in, the more power it should make. I know some press cars in past years have put down well over 200hp and 200tq to the wheels. In subiesport magazine a bone stock 08 wrx put down 239tq to the wheels. :goodjob:

It's true that the wrx is no slouch. Deke nailed most of it. The thing about the transmissions (post 2002) is that they aren't good at WAY above stock power levels. You can throw an extra 100hp at it and it should hold. Just don't sidestep the clutch on a regular basis. It is also true that the STi six speed is unbreakable. I've seen videos of people launching STIs from redline 10 times in a row. They break an axle before the transmission gives.

The wrx is a great car if you want a really fun daily driver that's faster than most imports, responds very well to mods, and sounds sweet with almost any exhaust you can afford on it. The STI is for those who want track readiness, "porsche owning" capability and the big wing. You won't get REALLY big power out of either without some serious money.

Given his budget, I would look for an unmolested 06-07 wrx. Those have the 2.5 (I believe), one of the nicest noses of the bunch, and are otherwise totally similar to the previous years.

Basically Deke and YungDZ nailed most of it.

However, I know my wrx is pretty damned quick. :goodjob:

[yungdz]

+1 for 06/07 wrx. I forgot those were in his price range. They have the 2.5 block and better gear's so he probably won't have to worry about the tranny

[osiriskidd]

yea i <3 the 06/07's. but if we can find one for 17k we'll probably snag it up.

atm he's looking at an 03wrx with about 60k miles on it going for 12k.

[atlxpat]

yea i <3 the 06/07's. but if we can find one for 17k we'll probably snag it up.

atm he's looking at an 03wrx with about 60k miles on it going for 12k.
i saw a 2006 sti going for 22k on autotrader, and yes sti is a better platform obviously, my tranny is the only thing thats holding me back power wise.

[pankopp]

i have an 02 wrx for sale in the classifieds, tell your brother about it. its modded and more powerfull and looks better than an STi, and it just so happens to be less than his price range... no need for modding. its already done. And yeah any transmission could break if you drive like an idiot..

[yungdz]

i have an 02 wrx for sale in the classifieds, tell your brother about it. its modded and more powerfull and looks better than an STi, and it just so happens to be less than his price range... no need for modding. its already done. And yeah any transmission could break if you drive like an idiot..

not the 6 speed :goodjob:

But it is all on the driver, I know some bugeye owners who have had 400 tq on the stock 5 speed without it breaking

[SloWRX]

i got a 2003 WRX with an STi swap with a stock 5-speed tranny pushing 340bhp and ive NEVER had any problems with the tranny. yes, ive launced it, raced it, etc.. everyone has said my trannys gonna go bad and i still havent had even a slight problem.

Whichever car you choose to buy, WRX or STi, you will definitely be satisfied!

[Jecht]

What exactly is it that breaks in the WRX transmissions that everyone worries about?

[SloWRX]

What exactly is it that breaks in the WRX transmissions that everyone worries about?

gears.

[atlxpat]

i've heard of plenty or wrx's holding out 350whp+ and same amount of tq but you just got to take it easy thats all