[RastaD]

I have not checked an STi out yet, but one concern I had with the normal WRX was that the doors feel a bit light/flimsy when closing them. I know this doesn't have anything to do with the car's performance but the Evo has a more solid door feel from what I have seen. It's a minor concern, but I was curious.. Do you think anything like Dynamat under the door panels would make the doors feel more solid or is the STi better that the WRX in this regard?

I am looking at both cars and while I like the layout and options (sunroof, radio)of the Evo better, I feel that the Subaru engine will be more reliable and I don't want an insane steering ratio (plus I like cruise control). There are aspects of each car that I like. I think the Subaru is the better buy overall. BTW, I have read about the STi hood flexing at high speeds... is this a valid concern?

 

[evoklr]

Solid door feeling usually implies weight. That is why the WRX seems "flimsy". Obviously Subaru wants to keep weight down, so things like solid door feeling, reduce cabin noise, etc are not all that important. If you add dynamat, you will be adding weight to the car. That stuff is not light either let me tell you from experience. I assume you the door feeling speaks nothing of the quality of the car. But, if this is something that is really important to you I might advise you to look at a different class of sports car, like Audi's or BMW's. Both the Subaru and EVO are going to have qualities like wing flex, noise, etc. It's what happens when you use lightweight components.

 

[CloNeGTS]

The door on the STi didn't strike me as odd in any way. It felt like it had a light touch to it, but it closed nicely.

Don't worry about the hood. This flexing.....it's more or less the hood just moving a little at speed. There is nothing you can do about it....my Celica's hood does it and I've just come to terms with the fact it is a light unit for a reason.

 

[orthojoe]

When the windows are up, the door closing feels nice and solid on the STi... when the windows are down, it feels flimsy.

I remember the EVOs doors were solid too when the windows were up, but I never tried it with the windows down

like evoklr said though, door sound shouldnt be an issue with either of those cars

 

[mistkerl]

Also remember the Evo doors are framed, while the STi's are frameless.

Some people don't care either way, and some people have a preference. You may just be accustomed to full framed doors and interpreting the feel of the STi's as weaker because of that.

PS: don't choose your new car on the doors man!

 

[SFRinNJ]

Hopefully you are going to be buying the car for what is under the hood, and what the car can do with the power that engine delivers. The hood scoop and the wing flex in the wind=so what, you learn to ignore it because it doesn't do it much. Since it is the engine and the wheels and the steering etc. that does matter, yep the ride is a little rough and a little loud. BUT add dynamat when you put in the STI sound system and you have the 110% perfect car. SFRinNJ

 

[RedBean]

Any one have luck connecting to an STI w/ OBDII scan tool

If it really matters that much to you, go nuts with Dynamat on the doors and you should get a nice sounding THUD when closing the doors.

 

[RastaD]

I agree, its a bad idea to buy a car based on the door feel. My current car is a 90' Legacy that I've had for a long time. I trust Subaru way more than Mitsubishi. The Evo engine seems like its really being pushed a lot harder than the Subaru engine and thats probably the best reason for me to go with the STi. I plan on keeping it for quite awhile. Thanks for the input. I didn't think about the framed vs. unframed window...