Zeffy94
Senior Member
- First Name
- Matt
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2017
- Threads
- 77
- Messages
- 1,850
- Reaction score
- 1,486
- Location
- Doylestown, PA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2017 Mazda3 GT Hatch 6AT, 2018 Honda Civic Type R (traded in)
- Vehicle Showcase
- 1
- Thread starter
- #1
My friend is in the market for a new car, after he got some income coming in and his old car is 13 years old and is starting to develop problems slowly. So he wanted to test out a new WRX STI. He's not too experienced with driving stick, but thankfully, I accompanied him because hanging out with him is fun and test driving cars with him is even more fun.
The WRX STI is a fucking beast. Let me get that right out of the way first. This car is ferocious. In sport sharp mode, the throttle response is downright violent. It feels so mechanical and old school. When they say it's a rally car built for the streets, they aren't joking. The shifter is so much notchier compared to my Type R was. The clutch is brutally heavy, and the engagement point is unforgiving. I didn't stall which is a complete shock, but my friend couldn't even get the poor thing off the line. One shocking thing I will say is the ride didn't feel as bad as people said it was. Maybe it was the seats, I dunno.
The Type R is, objectively, a much better car. And I can say that as a daily driver, the Type R kicks the STIs ass. The Subaru is just a much harder car to drive when you aren't pounding it around. And when you pound it around, your fuel economy is downright abysmal.
HOWEVER...
After driving the STI, and this is hard to admit, I think that, if this was a purely secondary car, I would prefer the Subaru. Here's why. The way the STI drives is downright mental. When you are driving it like it was meant to be, it is the most adrenaline filled experience I've had. The way the car puts down power is intoxicating. You mash the throttle and the engine violently responds, and you feel it. The car doesn't do anything for you. It's unforgiving. The people who daily this thing gain a respect point from me, because I would not do it.
The Type R is far, far, FAR better as a daily and so much easier to live with. The clutch is far more forgiving, and a lot of the violentness of the Subaru is tuned out which makes the drive way more relaxing. However, the Type R still rips around corners with authority. The only thing the Subaru can do better is throw power down. If you mash the gas at low speed in the Type R, the only thing you'll succeed at doing is spinning the wheels. The STI has none of those issues. Hit the gas and so long as you are driving it like a maniac, it will take off.
What this made me realize is that the Type R is such a well rounded car, and it's so much easier to live with than some of the alternatives. However, that AWD system in the Subaru is just hilarious when you are driving it hard and for that, if I already had a reasonable daily driver... I'd take the Subaru.
But since I'm dirt poor as is, between this two cars as a daily I'd take the Type R because driving the STI daily would be the most miserable experience in my eyes.
My friend enjoyed me struggling in the STI BTW. Needless to say I don't think he will buy this one.
tldr: Type R for a daily, STI for a secondary fun car
The WRX STI is a fucking beast. Let me get that right out of the way first. This car is ferocious. In sport sharp mode, the throttle response is downright violent. It feels so mechanical and old school. When they say it's a rally car built for the streets, they aren't joking. The shifter is so much notchier compared to my Type R was. The clutch is brutally heavy, and the engagement point is unforgiving. I didn't stall which is a complete shock, but my friend couldn't even get the poor thing off the line. One shocking thing I will say is the ride didn't feel as bad as people said it was. Maybe it was the seats, I dunno.
The Type R is, objectively, a much better car. And I can say that as a daily driver, the Type R kicks the STIs ass. The Subaru is just a much harder car to drive when you aren't pounding it around. And when you pound it around, your fuel economy is downright abysmal.
HOWEVER...
After driving the STI, and this is hard to admit, I think that, if this was a purely secondary car, I would prefer the Subaru. Here's why. The way the STI drives is downright mental. When you are driving it like it was meant to be, it is the most adrenaline filled experience I've had. The way the car puts down power is intoxicating. You mash the throttle and the engine violently responds, and you feel it. The car doesn't do anything for you. It's unforgiving. The people who daily this thing gain a respect point from me, because I would not do it.
The Type R is far, far, FAR better as a daily and so much easier to live with. The clutch is far more forgiving, and a lot of the violentness of the Subaru is tuned out which makes the drive way more relaxing. However, the Type R still rips around corners with authority. The only thing the Subaru can do better is throw power down. If you mash the gas at low speed in the Type R, the only thing you'll succeed at doing is spinning the wheels. The STI has none of those issues. Hit the gas and so long as you are driving it like a maniac, it will take off.
What this made me realize is that the Type R is such a well rounded car, and it's so much easier to live with than some of the alternatives. However, that AWD system in the Subaru is just hilarious when you are driving it hard and for that, if I already had a reasonable daily driver... I'd take the Subaru.
But since I'm dirt poor as is, between this two cars as a daily I'd take the Type R because driving the STI daily would be the most miserable experience in my eyes.
My friend enjoyed me struggling in the STI BTW. Needless to say I don't think he will buy this one.
tldr: Type R for a daily, STI for a secondary fun car
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