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Review 2 of 268
Price Paid:
$344000.00
from Private Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Sedan Summary:
Having never owned a WRX i had to see what all the fuss was about, so i purchased the STI version of the base model (jap spec). The jap spec sti comes standard with 208 kw of power which equates to a blistering 5.45sec 0-100km/h sprint, a 0.25sec gain - and costs $16,000 more than the standard, however i found that if you launch the car properly you could clock 0 - 100 in less then 5 seconds averaging about 4.6 seconds 0 to 100. The STI also comes with brembo brakes, stiffer suspension and a more rigid body which makes the STI a true track weapon. Visually when you see one of these on the roads, its unmistakably a WRX and with a closer look the STI badge is clearly visible. I simply fell in love with the exterior design from the get-go. The interior however wont win any awards for luxury and style but it does suit a model which is suited to being run on the track. Inside, the STi gets the standard WRX interior look, with brushed aluminum-look console and drilled aluminium pedals, but in addition adds color to the seat and door inserts, a new STi wheel, dials and a new stick to go with its short-ratio 6-speed transmission. The 6 speed close ratio gear box might equate to the quick 0 to 200 time which was suppressing. Other things to go into mind, and i must say this im particuarly proud of, The pincode security for the car. This basically disables the fuel pump if the code is not punched in on the pad. The standard semi bucket seats were noticeable and definitely a plus for most people.
Now to the practical, driving the car. I did a quick run on the track and noticed quite alot on the first run. First thing i noticed is the stabilty of the car being able to full foot the corner exit, COMPLETELY stability even in the rain. Theres also the addition of a driver control centre differential (DCCD), which means that the dreaded understeer, a problem with front- and all-wheel-drive cars, is eliminated. If the car senses that you're going through that hairpin a little quick, it will throw up to two-thirds of the torque split to the rear wheels to get you around. Though a 4wd turbo as sophisticated as this is not without its weaknesses.
Even with the DCCD the front end of the car is abit dull and unresponsive, straight when the nose is turned in, it didn't have as good a response as i thought it would. Though understeer is unavoidable for a 4wd, the STI has massive amounts of understeer, the car still turns in relatively well but not as well as i expected to be for a light weight car. Understeer at such a amount has more negatives, over 10 or more laps i found my tyres burning faster than expected, and replacing tyres on this car is a pain in the wallet. In the end i had the pleasure of enjoying the corner exit and 4wd traction.
The brakes however over a long period on the track was superb, shown no major signs of brake wear, unlike that of its rival Lancer evolution, which when i drove shown a slight brake wear towards the 9th lap. The straight line speed of this machine was truly amazing for a 4 cylinder. The Subaru WRX STi engine is the only block in the Impreza range that features AVCS, or Active Valve Control System, essentially the company's variable valve timing system. This equates to the awesome straight line speed which the Subaru is known for. In my personal opinion I think the biggest difference from the base model WRX was the straight line speed, The petrol-powered engine has a 8.0:1 compression ratio, compared to the standard WRX's 9.0:1 comp. ratio, Subaru recommends minimum of 98 RON unleaded petrol when filling the 60 litre fuel tank for maximum performance. Because of these figures the STI has much higher fuel consumption even by driving normally.
The slick 6 speed transmission was very comfortable and controllable. As for daily driving this car might pick up a bit more negatives. The 2.5 liter block was a lot easier to drive then its previous 2 Liter, but still turbo lag was huge, and the stiff suspension does not win anything on the public roads which of course being extremely bumpy. Road noise is accountable but in my opinion not a big issue. Strangely enough on the luxury/practical side of things, the STI has a poor sound system, after hearing the sound quality i was forced to put subs in my car to get more out of it. On the plus the WRX was still a practical car having decent boot space, and of course being a 4 door 4 seat sedan would certainly bring more fans to the area. In my opinion the car was great to drive on the public road minusing out the stiff suspension and other small things. The cars engine exhaust note, Steering feel, exterior looks makes this car a real killer and certainly a must for any die-hard fan. However people that don't need so much performance on a racy platform and looking for a less pricy machine that still delivers should settle with the base model WRX. Die hard, should i say richer fans need only apply for the STI
Strengths:
-High power and good bang for buck
-4wd Traction and stability in all weather conditions, Wet and dry. Bridgestone tyres play a big role here too
-5 Star safety rating
-Smooth 6 speed close ratio transmission
-4 Door sedan which still practical for most people
-Aggressive looks
-Standard with bucket seats (could also be a negative for comfort) Found that over long periods my lower back started to ache a little, but it might be due to the fact that i have weak back muscles.
-High speed cornering with 4wd traction.
-Engine exhaust note. Just change to a 3 inch turbo - back exhaust and it'll make the engine exhaust note a lot sweeter
-Shift feel, although changing 1st to second was not the best the shift feel was still smooth
-Brembo brakes deffinetly a plus
-Although expensive to modify there’s a lot of potential for this car.
-Runs extremely well overall on the track, supreme driving with good tyres will equate to quick lap times
-Extremely reliable engine, i was able to push this engine to the limit in hot weather without having to worry.
-DCCD
-Capable of blowing away Holden commodres and most other cars in its class using half the juice. Weaknesses:
-Monster turbo lag. About the worst case of turbo lag.
-Though the transmission is smooth and comfortable the WRX does not have the most durable gear box, many WRX owners are ussualy extreamly rough with their car, constantly launching it they end up with blown gearboxes. Easy to get around if you dont abuse the car
- Although it looks good the Shift knob i had is the optional one which is aluminum and it gets really pretty hot in summer
-Maintenance wise, Spark plug location is just about the worse I can think of, Subaru of course would recommend they take your cars to them, and they take your money so you have to take it to a Subaru dealer if you want them changed. Speaking of which on the maintenance area Subaru charged me a whopping 1400 for a full 100 000 k service so that something to take into mind. Other big issues is tyres, Bridgestone’s don’t come cheap.
-Well not a huge negative, you'll find a lot of hoons wanting to race you.
-Handling at the expensive of ride comfort Similar Products Used:
Lancer evolution 8
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