[Szumita]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

The Used STi Buyer's Guide

[chargedvette02]

Originally Posted by 1loudsti

dont know about 06+ but i know the 04 05s have trans problems if your "spirited" in your driving and dont change the fluid like your supposed to

I thought all gens have the exact same transmissions.

BTW 05 is the best year.

[subie_34]

Originally Posted by reeksti

The best year!!! 06 FTMFW!!!!

+1

[1loudsti]

Originally Posted by chargedvette02

I thought all gens have the exact same transmissions.

BTW 05 is the best year.

+1 on the 05 being the best

i dont know if they do or not...i just know the 04 and 05s have issues and im ALMOST positive they changed the sycno in 06 to solve the problem

[07STILimited]

Originally Posted by chargedvette02

I thought all gens have the exact same transmissions.

BTW 05 is the best year.

I think they are pretty similar, but not identical. I know the 07s have different gear ratios and a different drain plug and maybe some changes to the sychos in 06 or 07. Other than these minor changes I think they are the same.

[funSTi]

07 STi FTW!!! Longer gears and turbo's not prone to wastegate cracking.

[chargedvette02]

Originally Posted by funSTi

07 STi FTW!!! Longer gears and turbo's not prone to wastegate cracking.

Just prone to blowing up.

[SD 05 STi]

buy a 22B if you can get your hands on it, jk.

Just from reading a few threads on here, I really don't think you can go wrong with either an '05 or an '06.

I am not claiming the following issues; they are only ones that I have seen through reading on the forum, so please don't come after me asking how I came up with these:
2004 - problems with the wheel bearings if you plan on tracking the car...
wheel bearings?

2007 - something about the stock tune causing issues...
Purchasing 2007 sti??

In any case, good luck with whatever you purchase.

[blindfold]

all the years have its supporters, they are pretty much the same with minor things. Please read a bit through the site as there are plenty of information regarding your questions

oh, by the way 04s are the BEST

[Evan]

04-06 STi's have the least amount of problems but the 05 and 06 have a nice list of upgrades that the 04 lacks. Even though we all know the 04-05 body style is the best. Therefore, by simple deduction, the 05 is the best MY STi!

[futurestiguy]

it all depends which front end you like most and how much your gona spend...

if you like the hawkeyed get an 06, ive had mine for almost two years and i havent had any problems with it yet(knock on wood)

iuno about the 07s but it seems that I would stay away from any used ones due to the ecu probs and piston failures they keep having.

if you into the older front end, get an 05, its got better interior than the 04s and its 5x114 for the bbs....

the fastests ones are 07s and up due to the longer gearing...but then again shorter gearing makes the driving experience MUCH better

[STiSpeed]

IMO the 05's are the best ones. The new 08 is growing on me, it needs a taillight change, a JDM 2.0 and a twin scroll though.

[mutha_ucka]

from what i`m reading in the Used STI Buyers Guide and others on this thread, the 05`s seem to be the best because according to the "Guide" they seem to have no issues at all, that any of us are aware of anyways. with that being said some of the issues even with the other years/models don`t seem to be too bad at all, especially if there was a TSB out for them. another question is if I get one from the U.S.(I live in Canada), is the existing warranty or the remainder of the warranty transferrable to Canada? so, if i got one and something goes wrong with it and the part in question just happens to be for example had a TSB on it, will this warranty cover it?

oh yeah no one answered my other question or maybve they did and i missed it. but why does the specs for the 07`s lower than the rest. 293hp?

[RC311]

I think on the 07's they did different calculations for the HP. They have the same power as any other year STI, Basically all STI's are the same stock with very minor differences. It's really in what front end you want or the New 08. I have an 07 and love it. People say the 07 has a bad tune and piston rings, I think that was a very few of them, I have tracked mine now and run it hard from time to time and have had no problems at all. Good luck with your find.

[07STILimited]

Originally Posted by RC311

I think on the 07's they did different calculations for the HP. They have the same power as any other year STI, Basically all STI's are the same stock with very minor differences. It's really in what front end you want or the New 08. I have an 07 and love it. People say the 07 has a bad tune and piston rings, I think that was a very few of them, I have tracked mine now and run it hard from time to time and have had no problems at all. Good luck with your find.

That is exactly what they did. The actually output should be the same for all 4 years. The 07's get a bad rap on forums, but they also have clear advantages. They have the best gearing and best rear diff of any year. There are also various changes to the engine. Most of these changes are looked at as upgrades. Just know that if you do get an 07 you shouldn't mess with it unless you know exactly what you are doing. The 07 is less understood and less mod friendly than past years. I'm very happy with mine.