[linkbeat]

Welcome to the Linkbeat's Aspen White '08 STi - Gold BBS journal.

Some Background:

After about 4 years of driving an '05 wrx wagon (great for hauling my drums, but not so good with performance) it was time to do some test driving. I originally planned on buying the '08 Mitsubishi Evo X or the BMW 135i. After looking around at the BMW lots, I decided that the 1-series was wayyy too small, and I like having 4 doors. I test drove the 335xi and while I liked the smooth power, I didn't like the handling or the lack of feeling. I like feeling the road, and the Bimmer just didn't have it. So I was pretty set on a white Evo X GSR.

Then I drove the Evo X and the STi back to back... twice. I was set on the Evo, but had the slight desire to see what this new hatchback STi had to offer. I'm really glad I drove both.

The Evo was a great ride, but the car felt cheap. The new valve cover is unpolished aluminum with a plastic red shroud instead of that nice anodized red aluminum cover. The interior feels really flimsy, and if you think you're getting storage in that trunk, think again. It's tiny. I was hoping for more in the Evo since it was supposed to be a more "upscale" car this round. Alas, it is focused on performance and so outside of performance it can be a little lacking.

Now, to be fair, the Evo felt smoother in the corners than the STi. It was smoother in the tight turns and it felt like it really pulled me through. The STi has a little more body roll, which was disappointing but at least it sticks. I never worried about losing grip in the corners, but it wasn't as flat as my Integra Type R. For some reason the Evo's transmission didn't feel very confident compared to the STi. The STi's transmission felt really strong (how ironic, I had to pamper my wrx transmission) and the 6-speed is exactly what I wanted. I think Mitsubishi is doing it's fans a disservice by putting a 5-speed in the GSR and no option for a 6-speed manual in the MR. [Edit: Apparantly the 6-spd transmission in the IX was not as strong as the 5-spd due to space limitations. So perhaps the 5-spd isn't so bad, if not for the really high rpm highway cruising. :-\

I also didn't like the poorer visibility in the Evo. It felt like I was sitting lower and had lesser visibility all around than with the STi. Something just felt very solid and confident with the STi as well. Add in those gorgeous fender flares, standard HID headlights, and beautiful BBS wheels and I was sold on the Subaru. In the previous generation I was an Evo fan over the STi, but with this generation I think the STi is the one to beat.

STi vs. Evo X Summary:

Evo X:
-------
Negatives:

Cheap interior plastic including the trunk area. What's up with that criss-cross dash trim?
The WTF split instrument cluster hood
Cheap cost-cutting plastic valve cover shroud (where's the red anodized cover of old???)
Poor feeling notchy/weak feeling 5 spd. transmission
Noticeably more body roll than the Evo 8 or 9
Non-existent fender flares (rear quarter panels look like a Hyundai design)
No real external appearance differences from the other Lancers.
Stock wheels are fugly, I miss the Enkei Evo IX MR wheels!

Positives:

Awesome Recaro seats with supportive bolsters (I'm not fat Subaru!)
Spools early and power is smooth
Twin scroll 2.0 liter engine is nice, WTF Subaru...
Handling is nicer, predictable

STi:
----

Negatives:

More body roll than I expected, more than the Evo X.
The stock head unit (non-navigation radio) has extremely poor sound quality
Tail lights of the Altezza variety = lame
Wish we had the Recaros the rest of the world gets, the seats aren't supportive enough in bolsters

Positives:

Interior is very well put together, good quality compared to the Evo X
Transmission is very solid, confident shifting, 6-spd is soooooo nice, great gear ratios, hwy driving is great too
Excellent torque down low, pulls well up high. It pulls stronger than the Evo X.
Exterior appearance is excellent. All lines come together well. STi chrome side markings remind me of 50's sports cars.
The hood and fender flares are beefy and masculine. Much different from the standard WRX.
The sound of the stock exhaust is beautiful. Not too loud, but enough to get the natural rumble. Engine sounds so nice and throaty for a stock exhaust.

Both cars perform relatively similar on the track so the decision was easy based on my personal observations of both cars. If you are interested in either car, I STRONGLY suggest that you test drive both cars and compare them for yourself. I hear of magazine reviews that state how they strongly prefer the Evo and it just boggles my mind. It was so black and white to me, I pulled a complete 180 degree turn and bought the STi when I was dead set on an Evo X. If it can change my mind, it might change yours.


The Pics:

[linkbeat]

The Mods:

A short list right now:

- Aluminum "STi" Front license plate delete
- Subaru All-weather rubber floor mats
- OEM Titanium weighted shift knob
- UPDATED 6/3/08: Clearbra on full bumper, hood and fenders, rear view mirrors, and hatch lip area.

[grober01]

Very nice. AW is the color I will most likely be getting, except the wife is really putting her foot down on the gold wheels, so I'm going to have to try and finagle a dealer trade for some silver BBS ones (I REALLY like the BBS look).

So was just wondering if the drivetrain loss in the Suby was obvious in comparison to the 135, or was the power pretty similar?

[linkbeat]

Originally Posted by grober01

Very nice. AW is the color I will most likely be getting, except the wife is really putting her foot down on the gold wheels, so I'm going to have to try and finagle a dealer trade for some silver BBS ones (I REALLY like the BBS look).

So was just wondering if the drivetrain loss in the Suby was obvious in comparison to the 135, or was the power pretty similar?

My wife also didn't like the gold wheels, but the dealer wasn't willing to swap them. In the end I'm glad I kept the gold wheels, and the wife has gotten used to them. I plan on getting another set of wheels with some all-season tires for winter and I'll probably do a dark silver/charcoal color for those.

Also, I didn't take the 135i out for a drive because it was just too small. I took the 335xi out which is AWD so it was an apples to apples comparison as much as possible. Here in Denver, it's next to impossible to find RWD bimmers, and it's equally hard to resell them. I really preferred the STi to the 335. The 335 was smooth and classy, but it just didn't do it for me. So I save a bit of cash and got the car that I liked. If you're seriously considering the 135, you should check out the 335. There's not much of a price difference there.

[SubaruRally555]

the clear bra is a must and rally armor help alot (and look cool )
thought about a cobb ap?

[Dirty TR]

Looks damn good!

[bklynpanman]

Get the AP and flash stage 1.. Totally different car.. it's a must!! good luck

[linkbeat]

Originally Posted by bklynpanman

Get the AP and flash stage 1.. Totally different car.. it's a must!! good luck

Definitely thinking about that. OpenECU is another alternative however, and certainly cheaper. I'm concerned about the CEL codes that some are getting with the AP, and I don't mind waiting while these things get sorted out.

I'm leaning towards going with Cobb swaybars as the first performance mod. The car sticks great, but the body roll needs to be addressed.