The WRX grass isn't greener, well most of it isn't

Valenzx

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I had a 2016 STI that I had to get rid of for work related reasons. That car handled so well and the awd system was amazing and I really do miss it. I will buy another in the future because it was that much fun and also had full boltons and flex tune, so it was a rocket when I nailed the pedal. Final numbers were 359/363.I do love my SI and it's a different kinda car, the interior feels better and it's a nice smooth ride and I love how light and nimble the car feels in turns but I miss AWD a lot.
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turbo lover

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I tested WRX and wasn't a fan. It felt heavy and laggy, that's not a fun car for me. Plus they're pretty bad on gas.
 
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punkwrock

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For you guys who have never driven a WRX, but are considering 1, I went to my local Subaru dealership to test drive a 2018 WRX to see how those cars compare to our Si. Here is what I took away from driving 1 for the first time:

- The WRX was quite a bit quicker off the line and taking off from downshifts
- The clutch pedal was much heavier than in the Si, like seriously 4 or 5 times heavier. I really liked that
- The shifter in the WRX had shortish feeling throws, but it was very notchy. There was nothing smooth about shifting that car
- It is a very different feeling driving AWD as the power feels more immediate and to the ground
- The interior didn't feel as "cheap" as ppl often make it out to be, but it lacked a lot of features the Si has. Why would there not be push button start or android auto in a 2018 car that is that expensive?
- The WRX was quite a bit noisier in the cabin. It was like I could hear every sound that the engine made. The Si with an aftermarket exhaust would have a quieter cabin.
- The clutch grabbed about an inch or 2 from the floor
- Subaru salespeople and sales managers believe that their cars are some kind of unicorns

And that is about it. I really loved how the power felt in that car; however, when I got back into my Si, it was like stepping back into a premium automobile again.

After driving the subie for a while it really made me realize how nice the Si is to drive. While stock for stock the power of the Si is considerably less, the overall feel of the drive is a lot better.

The Si also feels so much "easier" to drive than the subie, if that makes any sense to you. Shifting is way smoother and engaging. Additionally, the Si is fun to keep wringing out to the redline and pushing to its limits

The WRX is a lot more of a raw and has more potential for additional power. Tuned Si vs tuned WRX, the WRX will most often have the advantage.

But I feel like ppl who have been Honda enthusiasts for years like myself can relate when I say that there is something special about driving a Honda that you do not experience in other cars.
I had a 2016 WRX Sport-Tech with Cobb Stage 1 tune. Car was great in snow, seats were hard, ride was rough. Torque on the bottom end was great but fell flat on its face after 4k. With the tune it helped smooth out the power curb. In my opinion, the WRX is a slow car. It felt heavy and lazy. After a few years I traded it for a 2018 Civic Hatchback sport which i k-tuned stage 1. That civic with the tune felt quite a bit faster than the WRX. I now have a Type-R and the WRX isn't even close in any way shape or form. The type-R will gap the STI on a roll substantially (i've done it a few times with friends)
 

xbbnx

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I have test driven a WRX, it was a 2016 back when I was in the market for a manual fun car. And honestly, even though it has substantially more HP than the Si, from a roll it didnt feel that much faster. I predict that with a capable driver, a roll race between the two would be very close. Now I must admit, off the line it pulled much better. Still the interior quality, space, drivability, utility, gas mileage, braking, handling, shifting, steering preciseness, and overall driver engagement goes to the Si.
 

mtlsi

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we should not forget the civic si sedan weight 2906lbs vs 3400lbs .......500 lbs more for the wrx and the greater drive train loss that goes whit the awd
 


rr1443

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raced a fa20 STI from a thirty roll and it was tied.
tsp stage 1 on map 3, prl dp/fp, intake
 

stevessvt

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I work with a girl ... She has an STI with Cobb tuning and all the goodies ... I asked her how's the car? She goes ... it's in the shop. Then she goes into this Shakespeare type thespian soliloquy about how " there is a specific bond all subi owners share". " We even have a special wave we give each other". I was like ....eh um okay .. drink the Kool aid!
Should have said “At the repair shop, or out around town?”
 

suhhh

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Wanted a WRX so bad out of college once I got a full time job but then I drove my friends for the first time and changed my mine real quick lol. So glad I ended up with the civic si, so much money for the value and the confidence when driving is unmatchable in this price range imo.
 

Paprocjo

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I went from a fully built 2015 WRX to a 2019 SI and I must say the only thing I miss is the power. The WRX had a new issue every 6 months at one point. The only thing I miss is the AWD and power. SI is hands down better at everything else.
 


suhhh

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I went from a fully built 2015 WRX to a 2019 SI and I must say the only thing I miss is the power. The WRX had a new issue every 6 months at one point. The only thing I miss is the AWD and power. SI is hands down better at everything else.
Yeah this was the one thing that really made me think about actually picking up a WRX. Bit out of my price range to get a new one and I feel like all the manual WRX's are beaten to death
 

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When I was shopping for cars I went to the local auto show. I sat in a bunch of different cars from BMW to Buick to Volvo to Jeep to Ford, like everything. I was interested in several different Subarus until I got in. The entire dashboard felt like I'd taken a step back in time. Flat, boring and sparse.

Honda continues to be one of the only brands that I can get into and everything kind of falls into place. I'm sure part of that is growing up with Hondas but I've driven several different brands and Honda always amazes me with the layout of everything, it's always right where it should be.
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