1 Year Update:
I’ve had over a year on the Cobb Stage 1 tune to evaluate and really compare it to the stock tune. During this time I have removed the Big SF Intake and just ran the OTS stage 1 tune, removed the tune and went back to OEM tune, and added back the Big SF intake and Stage 1+ tune. Each time I made a change I daily drove it for a 4-month period so I could get used to it.
The OEM tune is good on the 2019+, whatever changes they made compared to the previous models makes the power delivery fun. I drove my friends 2015 STI and the tune feels different, maybe’s it’s in my head, but I can tell the difference.
Sport mode on the OEM tune provides the perfect throttle sensitivity for how I drive, making hell/toe blips easy. I would say that Cobb’s throttle sensitivity feels in between “I” and “S”. Overall, with the Stage 1 OTS, you really can feel the torque difference at lower speeds and power delivery is smoother. As you get into the higher RPM range the Stage 1 feels like it keeps the power going where the OEM seems to dip slightly.
The biggest difference is the intake noise of course, while initially annoyed with the sucking sound, after I removed the intake I started to miss it and found that the sound did add to the fun of driving the STI.
The AP has become invaluable item as I like knowing what going on with STI. The ability to real time monitor, log, and read codes is fantastic. Overall the Stage 1+ is a good purchase and I would do it again, but I stand by my initial assessment that it’s not really needed as the OEM tune is good.
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Really bored tonight so I wrote a book, for those that won't read it, here are the cliff notes:
- Cobb’s throttle mapping isn’t great at low speed.
- Is this worth voiding your warranty? No.
- What’s my thoughts on the Cobb Intake? It makes cool whooshing sounds.
- Does it change how the STI drives? Yes, but not much.
- Is it worth $1200 bucks? Not really, but it depends.
- The 2018 RA/2019+ is great in stock form. Stage 1+ OTS makes it better, but not much.
I went into doing the Stage 1+ not looking to improve anything, just to experience how a tune could change the driving experience. Having little experience with modifying performance cars, or even driving other types of performance cars, trying to interpret people’s online reviews or translating a dyno chart into something tangible was difficult for me. My attempt here to convey the change won’t be much better.
This is just my uneducated and unexperienced newb opinion, I have little background in this stuff.
So what changed?
The first noticeable change is the throttle input. It’s “I-” mode all the time. The minus after the “I” is because to me it feels even less sensitive than the normal “I” mode at low speeds. I don’t really like it while driving in stop and go traffic, it’s like I’m not giving it enough gas and it’s on the verge of stalling. I didn’t have this issue in stock “I” mode, but maybe I’ll get used to Cobb’s throttle mapping overtime. Outside of low speed driving scenarios, Cobb’s throttle is just fine and it’s nice knowing you’re getting consistent pedal feel in all the modes.
How does it feel?
Have you ever had one those good days with your STI? Maybe it’s a nice cool fall day and temperature is just right and you got a good batch of 93…your car just feels better for some reason, boost is there when you want it to be. If someone were to do the Cobb Stage 1 tune without telling me (and kept the drive modes the same of course), that’s how I would best describe it. The change is not profound, but power delivery is smoother, you feel more torque, and the engine feels peppier. I’ve also noticed that on the highway or at higher speeds 50+ mph, their seems to be more available power.
What about that Intake?
The Cobb Big SF intake is a well designed product. It makes great whooshing noises and looks ok (I like the look of the stock air box better) or if the Redline Intake wasn’t all carbon fiber I would have went with that design. I think the community is in a consensus that at low power levels exhaust and intakes are just noise makers, but fun noise makers. To me, like the exhaust, the intake increases the “experience”. The intake noise is noticeable but not obnoxious and sounds great during “spirited” driving sessions.
Is this worth voiding your warranty? No.
I’m getting closer to the end of my 60K powertrain. After 45K without any issues, I felt like the risk was low, if things go south than I won’t be too heart broken and it will just accelerate my long term goal for this car. I logged with the AccessPort for a couple days, all looked good, so I put the AccessPort away in my sock drawer.
Is it worth the $1200?
Well, that depends. If you still have lots of Warranty time left, no. If you’re expecting a big change with a Stage 1+, than no. If you want a little better driving experience, plan on getting a protune, or plan on going for a more intensive build down the road, then yes. Beyond tuning, the AccessPort’s ability to log, reset codes, monitor sensors, and interface with the cars ECU is a great tool to have. The Cobb Big SF Intake at $475 is a bit steep. Worth it for whooshing sounds? No. If your goals are beyond these low power levels than they both make more sense.
At $1200 I’m sure the money could be better spent on lighter wheels, better tires, driving lessons or track time. I have some longer-term goals with my STI after I retire it from daily driving duty where the AccessPort and Intake will come into play, so I figured I’d experience what this car is like with a simple OTS tune, plus I have fun tinkering. The stock STI is great driver in stock form and if it checks all the boxes for you than just enjoy it!
