Former STI owners

tinyman392 · Feb 7, 2019

Pharaoh said:
So I was scummed by the dealership, had a deposit on the car, was going to pick it up on Saturday. Received a call today, that they decided to sell the car and I’ll have my deposit returned to me. Back to searching for another Type R.

That's a shitty dealership. Were you required to sign a purchase sale agreement, invoice, or bill of sale? If so, that's a contract and you may be able to sue if you want to stick it to them. Obviously talk to a lawyer if you decide to go this route. Good luck finding a Type R though.

ez12a · Feb 8, 2019

Pharaoh said:
So I was scummed by the dealership, had a deposit on the car, was going to pick it up on Saturday. Received a call today, that they decided to sell the car and I’ll have my deposit returned to me. Back to searching for another Type R.

Wow that sucks man. I'm betting the dude offered more money. Only reason why I can think they'd ignore the deposit.

IWD · Feb 11, 2019

Sounds like you have no clue what the EJ25x is like to mod.

Yes the Subaru community calls them headers, and it’s because they are not simple manifolds. They are long and complicated and changing them can add quite a bit of power and torque.

Here is just one of the many companies that refer to them as headers.

https://www.perrin.com/shop/exhaust/equal-length-header-02-14-wrx-sti

.grimace said:
Ummm what? Sounds like a ricer told you his STI was modded but it just had a fart can and had no idea what he's talking about.

NA cars have headers, turbo cars have turbo manifold/ exhaust manifolds. You don't change those out typically unless changing the turbo. He was likely talking about a downpipe but who knows

.grimace · Feb 11, 2019

IWD said:
Sounds like you have no clue what the EJ25x is like to mod.

Yes the Subaru community calls them headers, and it’s because they are not simple manifolds. They are long and complicated and changing them can add quite a bit of power and torque.

Here is just one of the many companies that refer to them as headers.

https://www.perrin.com/shop/exhaust/equal-length-header-02-14-wrx-sti

Even a header yes, he called them headers. Good effort though

IWD · Feb 11, 2019

Considering the EJ255 and 257 are very similar (255 has more compression and 257 has dual avcs) both make about the same power and torque at various mod levels.

I currently own a 13 WRX with a protuned downpipe, intercooler, and ebcs EJ255 and a 2019 Civic Si. I’m getting rid of the WRX because of reliability concerns and nothing else.

Your friends car must be tuned very poorly. My WRX makes way more torque off or on boost. It just goes without drama. If anything it feels like a rocket ship compared to the Si.

The Si has less turbo lag, but only an idiot tries to drive a car hard out of its power band. Above 3,500 rpm even the stock EJ doesn’t have lag. Anything above 2,700 rpm and mine rips. Rain or shine it rips 4.3 second 0-60s easily with launch control set to 4,200 rpm.

Now everything else on the Si feels nicer. Seats are more supportive, suspension is dramatically better in turns, brakes are very responsive instead of pillowy soft, and the steering feels quicker and heavier. They’re really polar opposites in every way I can imagine.

I’ve had an 06 sti before the 13 wrx and couldn’t justify buying another sti because I never used the dccd and having softer suspension was nice.

These cars easily sell because they sound good and move. I’m not biased either way. I absolutely love my Si. But there is a clear reason as to why the Civic doesn’t hold resale nearly as well as the WRX/STi.

d1zguy said:
I drove a stage 2 2017 STI Base with full catback and headers. Got to say was not impressed. Really heavy, lots of turbo lag, horrible MPG's, and horrible car to daily drive in. My SI felt like a jet plane after getting out of his car.

I helped him sell it and put it back to stock. IT WAS EVEN WORSE! More turbo lag and a turd. Can't believe these cars actually sell lol

IWD · Feb 11, 2019

Hey troll,

Try reading. He explicitly stated that NA cars have headers and Turbo cars have manifolds.

Nice try though. We’ll work on your reading comprehension next week.

.grimace said:
Even a header yes, he called them headers. Good effort though

.grimace · Feb 11, 2019

I don’t think you understand what a s means. Plural as in more than one. V8s have headers, Subaru’s have a header aka singular. Maybe just bad grammar and he does know what mods he’s talking about.

Calm down it’s just a car forum lol

todda · Feb 11, 2019

Pharaoh said:
I currently have a 2016 STI. Around me there is a 2018 Aegean Blue with 800 miles on it for sale. I was thinking of trading my STI in for the vehicle, but i wanted to get some previous STI owners opinion on how the transition was, what you currently miss, hate and love about the new Type R.

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

I came from a 2011 WRX Limited, which I thought was better than my 2003 RSX-S. My love for the WRX went away in about 5 minutes once I got my CTR. As stated below, it feels like a car that was designed recently, and the WRX feels and drives old in comparison--old, creaky sound of the engine and transmission, mushy brakes and gearshift, vague clutch, and soft ride. The CTR makes you a better driver and can be driven really fast without seeming like it, which says a lot about its engineering. You knew when you were driving fast in the WRX, because of the rough ride and just lack of refinement.
And as far as the sound or lack thereof of the CTR, I am kinda over loud rumbles from the engine or exhaust to be honest. It is really annoying and think about it--it tells others of your presence--the CTR is conspicuous as it is, and does it really need a loud exhaust? I don't think so.
I would only consider the STI, and the 2020 model, if you had to drive in rain and snow which I do not think the CTR is designed for.
Overall, you really can't lose with either car, but for fun factor, the CTR surpasses the STI!

chandlervt · Feb 12, 2019

Personally, if you are staying in Northeast I would prefer the STI or WRX over Type R. Anywhere in south, Type R is definitely a better buy than STI.

todda said:
I came from a 2011 WRX Limited,....old, creaky sound of the engine and transmission, mushy brakes and gearshift, vague clutch, and soft ride...!

I have 2019 WRX, its nothing like you said (except for body rattles - but everyone gives the response "hey its a subaru" *smh*). In fact Civic Si clutch is lot mushier, I haven't driven Type R but I did post a question about clutch and feedback I received was its tighter than Si but not the same as previous generation Si. I don't think I would describe WRX as having soft ride at all. STI is even worse. Gearshifts are not as smooth as my previous Generation si but then I bought the Si used - so may be after some time gears will be become smoother. I for sure felt new gen Si had a much worse clutch feel (again - no experience with Type R).

What I don't like about WRX is the stupid decisions Subaru makes. No push button start - its 2019 and even corolla has it but Subaru gives it in only on top level trim. Lack of padding in weird places causing rattles etc. I would say Civic Si and Type R as a whole, are definitely lot more refined. If you go from WRX/STi to those cars, it feels like you bought a luxury car.

Pharaoh · Feb 12, 2019

as i search for another CTR, there are things that i love about my STI, but truthfully i haven't tapped fully into it, i'm still stage 1, which is basically stock in my eyes. i don't have any real plans on modding the car, which is another reason i was looking to move away from the vehicle. As much as i like the STI, i know that Subaru can do better than what they have with the STI. I'm trying to measure the pros and cons of the CTR, and reading through all the people's comments who own one, makes it seem to me that it's better buy, in terms of fun, reliability, daily drive, space. I'd have one if the dealership didn't scum me, but it gives me time to wait to see if Subaru does put out something better, or, if the CTR is the route to go if i can find one at MSRP, since every dealer in the tri state area is raising the price 5K to 10K.

jayevo23 · Feb 12, 2019

Pharaoh said:
as i search for another CTR, there are things that i love about my STI, but truthfully i haven't tapped fully into it, i'm still stage 1, which is basically stock in my eyes. i don't have any real plans on modding the car, which is another reason i was looking to move away from the vehicle. As much as i like the STI, i know that Subaru can do better than what they have with the STI. I'm trying to measure the pros and cons of the CTR, and reading through all the people's comments who own one, makes it seem to me that it's better buy, in terms of fun, reliability, daily drive, space. I'd have one if the dealership didn't scum me, but it gives me time to wait to see if Subaru does put out something better, or, if the CTR is the route to go if i can find one at MSRP, since every dealer in the tri state area is raising the price 5K to 10K.

It’s gonna be kinda of bias since you’re on a CTR forum. I say try to get a test drive to make sure it’s what you want. Hamilton might let you test drive one or try to test drive a used one. If you go on a Subaru forum there's gonna be a bunch of people that tell you they prefer the Sti or wrx over the CTR. It seems like you had your mind made up before you made this post. Seeing that you live in philly like I do you already know the potholes are a wheel killer so be prepared to shell out another 1k or so on wheels immediately. Cause the stock wheels wont last unless its a second car.

d1zguy · Feb 12, 2019

IWD said:
Considering the EJ255 and 257 are very similar (255 has more compression and 257 has dual avcs) both make about the same power and torque at various mod levels.

I currently own a 13 WRX with a protuned downpipe, intercooler, and ebcs EJ255 and a 2019 Civic Si. I’m getting rid of the WRX because of reliability concerns and nothing else.

Your friends car must be tuned very poorly. My WRX makes way more torque off or on boost. It just goes without drama. If anything it feels like a rocket ship compared to the Si.

The Si has less turbo lag, but only an idiot tries to drive a car hard out of its power band. Above 3,500 rpm even the stock EJ doesn’t have lag. Anything above 2,700 rpm and mine rips. Rain or shine it rips 4.3 second 0-60s easily with launch control set to 4,200 rpm.

Now everything else on the Si feels nicer. Seats are more supportive, suspension is dramatically better in turns, brakes are very responsive instead of pillowy soft, and the steering feels quicker and heavier. They’re really polar opposites in every way I can imagine.

I’ve had an 06 sti before the 13 wrx and couldn’t justify buying another sti because I never used the dccd and having softer suspension was nice.

These cars easily sell because they sound good and move. I’m not biased either way. I absolutely love my Si. But there is a clear reason as to why the Civic doesn’t hold resale nearly as well as the WRX/STi.

It may have been. Even back to factory stock tune the car felt terrible to me and certifiably not worth the MPG penalty for everyday use. Just not much performance to value there. The same friend wants to buy another one. I told him to forget about the STI and just get the WRX if he's dead set on Subaru. That EJ25 belongs in a junkyard by today's standards.

Subaru themselves don't even race with this dinousaur engine. They use the EJ20 as the base in races for example.

Rumor has it that they will be upgrading the FA24 they are putting into the Ascent on next gen STI. About damn time EJ25 hit the trash bin,.

scottjua · Feb 12, 2019

I still have a 2006 Sti (heavily modded and sees a lot of daily and track mileage), had a 2002 WRX wagon, and we were shopping a 2019 STi alongside the CTR until Friday, where we opted for the CTR. I would say it's a wash honestly. The hatchability is what won my wife over (her car). She just likes hatch backs, and we both got real tired of the AWD replace all 4 tires at once if you get an unrepairable tire puncture thing. We got bit by about 4 sets in a year and it was wearing thin on that. OTHERWISE, really there are pros and cons to each. I'll lay out the MAIN few that were a consideration for us:

Pros:

CTR:
- FWD (easy and predictable to handle for anyone. No AWD tire issues with the diffs.)
- Resale Value (shouldn't drop like a rock in comparison to many other things)
- Hatch: (you can fit a ton of stuff very easily in it)
- Fuel Economy: (it's a daily driver, so this matters... Much better than the STi)
- Seats: For us, the CTR seats blow most OEM seats out of the water. My own Sti, I hated the seats so much I daily drive a Recaro Pole Position.
- Handling: Steering feel and handling response Stock, is much better than the Sti. Amazing chassis setup.
- Comfort: Better seats, better suspension... more comfortable daily driving. But the gap isn't as far away as you'd think. Sti is within reason.

STi:
- AWD: Confidence and traction all the time, any weather
- Visibility: The 2019 Has outstanding visibility out of the car. Feels much easier to just live with and see out of.
- Transmission: Very mechanical feeling and with bushing upgrades feels so good.
- Subie Wave (it's a real thing and feels good to have a rolling family)
- Infotainment and gauges (WAYYYYY better than CTR/Honda setup. Everything works and isn't laggy as hell like the CTR/Honda setup. the gauges are located, and well equipped. Overall a much nicer experience
- Wheels/Tires: @ 19" they are much more liveable and you don't worry about them all the time like the 20" CTR nonsense. Forged BBS from factory... beats cast softies the CTR has.
- Standard rear Seat with middle seat belt. This is a huge deal for some people.
- Pedal setup: Perfect for heel/toe and driving.

Cons:

CTR:
- FWD (limiting to dynamic ability with higher horsepower seekers)
- Outward Visibility. It's fine overall, but in comparison loses to the STi. The Large C pillar looks good for styling but sucks for seeing out.
- No center rear seat or seat belt. This is my biggest personal gripe aside from the gas pedal setup. We definitely would love to have the utility of having a middle rear seat and belt
- 20" wheels/tires: (limited selection of tire options, and thin sidewalls and softer cast wheels from factory make for a pothole disaster). So if this bothers you, you're immediately looking for new wheels and tires like me.
- Gas pedal placement: So far away from brake makes heel/toe very difficult (luckily there is an adapter on the market, btu wish I didn't have to buy a part to make the awesome car more awesome)
- infotainment and gauges: Very laggy, funky Android auto quirks and glitches, and no useable oil pressure, temp, etc. gauges.
- Dealerships: They think the car is made of gold and won't sell at MSRP... but once you get it... and service it... it gets treated like any other ol' Civic.

STi:
- Fuel Economy: Can't hold a candle in comparison to the CTR
- Possible motor issues: Factory Tune may cause ring land failures... which means you're gonna want to get an accessport and a tune asap... which leads you down the rabbit hole of... well, might as well get a downpipe, etc. Fine if you want more... but shouldn't have to worry about it from the factory.
- Not in optimal spec: What I mean is; everything is a good base, but to get to CTR level driving dynamics, you have to start modding suspension and tweaking the car right away.... so throwing money at a chassis that needs work to get to the CTR level.
- Will lose more value over term compared to CTR. Unless opting for the Special models like Type RA or S209 coming out... Which are MUCH more expensive... your STi won't be worth as much as your CTR of comparable year when something new and awesome comes out and you need equity to trade up.
- Seats: Even the Recaro, which only really gets a new upright section, are just too fat and flat. They don't hold you as well, or sit as low. On the plus side, they are heated (available) but the CTR has miles better seats.
- AWD and TIRES: this is the main complaint for daily driving and living with symmetrical AWD and Subarus. Due to the prohibitively expensive to fix/replace diffs... you must live by the rule of replacing all four tires if one can't be repaired. Unless you have a local place that can shave tires, or you get lucky and have a fairly new tire go... you're doomed to having it be a $1k+ nail experience. The tires must be within 2/32nds difference in tread depth to be able to be ok... this is usually unlikely given murphy's law.

In the end, both cars are awesome, and you can't really go too wrong with either choice. Pick whichever you like and be happy. I'd say whichever you can get a better deal on financially... that's the one to get.

tinyman392 · Feb 12, 2019

scottjua said:
I still have a 2006 Sti (heavily modded and sees a lot of daily and track mileage), had a 2002 WRX wagon, and we were shopping a 2019 STi alongside the CTR until Friday, where we opted for the CTR. I would say it's a wash honestly. The hatchability is what won my wife over (her car). She just likes hatch backs, and we both got real tired of the AWD replace all 4 tires at once if you get an unrepairable tire puncture thing. We got bit by about 4 sets in a year and it was wearing thin on that. OTHERWISE, really there are pros and cons to each. I'll lay out the MAIN few that were a consideration for us:

Pros:

CTR:
- FWD (easy and predictable to handle for anyone. No AWD tire issues with the diffs.)
- Resale Value (shouldn't drop like a rock in comparison to many other things)
- Hatch: (you can fit a ton of stuff very easily in it)
- Fuel Economy: (it's a daily driver, so this matters... Much better than the STi)
- Seats: For us, the CTR seats blow most OEM seats out of the water. My own Sti, I hated the seats so much I daily drive a Recaro Pole Position.
- Handling: Steering feel and handling response Stock, is much better than the Sti. Amazing chassis setup.
- Comfort: Better seats, better suspension... more comfortable daily driving. But the gap isn't as far away as you'd think. Sti is within reason.

STi:
- AWD: Confidence and traction all the time, any weather
- Visibility: The 2019 Has outstanding visibility out of the car. Feels much easier to just live with and see out of.
- Transmission: Very mechanical feeling and with bushing upgrades feels so good.
- Subie Wave (it's a real thing and feels good to have a rolling family)
- Infotainment and gauges (WAYYYYY better than CTR/Honda setup. Everything works and isn't laggy as hell like the CTR/Honda setup. the gauges are located, and well equipped. Overall a much nicer experience
- Wheels/Tires: @ 19" they are much more liveable and you don't worry about them all the time like the 20" CTR nonsense. Forged BBS from factory... beats cast softies the CTR has.
- Standard rear Seat with middle seat belt. This is a huge deal for some people.
- Pedal setup: Perfect for heel/toe and driving.

Cons:

CTR:
- FWD (limiting to dynamic ability with higher horsepower seekers)
- Outward Visibility. It's fine overall, but in comparison loses to the STi. The Large C pillar looks good for styling but sucks for seeing out.
- No center rear seat or seat belt. This is my biggest personal gripe aside from the gas pedal setup. We definitely would love to have the utility of having a middle rear seat and belt
- 20" wheels/tires: (limited selection of tire options, and thin sidewalls and softer cast wheels from factory make for a pothole disaster). So if this bothers you, you're immediately looking for new wheels and tires like me.
- Gas pedal placement: So far away from brake makes heel/toe very difficult (luckily there is an adapter on the market, btu wish I didn't have to buy a part to make the awesome car more awesome)
- infotainment and gauges: Very laggy, funky Android auto quirks and glitches, and no useable oil pressure, temp, etc. gauges.
- Dealerships: They think the car is made of gold and won't sell at MSRP... but once you get it... and service it... it gets treated like any other ol' Civic.

STi:
- Fuel Economy: Can't hold a candle in comparison to the CTR
- Possible motor issues: Factory Tune may cause ring land failures... which means you're gonna want to get an accessport and a tune asap... which leads you down the rabbit hole of... well, might as well get a downpipe, etc. Fine if you want more... but shouldn't have to worry about it from the factory.
- Not in optimal spec: What I mean is; everything is a good base, but to get to CTR level driving dynamics, you have to start modding suspension and tweaking the car right away.... so throwing money at a chassis that needs work to get to the CTR level.
- Will lose more value over term compared to CTR. Unless opting for the Special models like Type RA or S209 coming out... Which are MUCH more expensive... your STi won't be worth as much as your CTR of comparable year when something new and awesome comes out and you need equity to trade up.
- Seats: Even the Recaro, which only really gets a new upright section, are just too fat and flat. They don't hold you as well, or sit as low. On the plus side, they are heated (available) but the CTR has miles better seats.
- AWD and TIRES: this is the main complaint for daily driving and living with symmetrical AWD and Subarus. Due to the prohibitively expensive to fix/replace diffs... you must live by the rule of replacing all four tires if one can't be repaired. Unless you have a local place that can shave tires, or you get lucky and have a fairly new tire go... you're doomed to having it be a $1k+ nail experience. The tires must be within 2/32nds difference in tread depth to be able to be ok... this is usually unlikely given murphy's law.

In the end, both cars are awesome, and you can't really go too wrong with either choice. Pick whichever you like and be happy. I'd say whichever you can get a better deal on financially... that's the one to get.

If you have 4800 buck to blow, you could get the FD2/FN2 Type R wheels imported. They're 19" ET +60 and there are tires that will keep them the same diameter so you don't change the speedo. They're a little pricey though.

Pharaoh · Feb 13, 2019

for everybody who currently owns an R. How are the headlights at night ? i have gotten spoiled by the LEDs in the STI, was looking for feedback on the ones on the R.

Former STI owners

tinyman392

Senior Member

ez12a

Senior Member

IWD

Member

.grimace

Senior Member

IWD

Member

IWD

Member

.grimace

Senior Member

todda

2018 Aegean blue CTR 14103

chandlervt

Senior Member

Pharaoh

Member

jayevo23

Senior Member

d1zguy

Senior Member

scottjua

Senior Member

tinyman392

Senior Member

Pharaoh

Member

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