STI guy here.
I spent most of last year trying to deceide whether to buy and evo or an STI.
Managed to test drive an Evo, and I must say I was well impressed.

Long story short, I ended up with and STI and to be honest there was not much between them.
I looked at it this way - If I won 30grand I would have gotten the evo, if I saved the money the STI made more sence.

Well, having one of these crazy machine for 5 months now, I am finding it very hard to find places to actually use the car as it was supposed to be used.

I was wondering does anyone else find that as a daily driver these cars are just frustrating. 99% of the time I find that I am stuck in traffic, stuck on a highway behind cars, but never getting to actually use them.

I have spend time in Home Depot car parks trying to wait until the coast is clear, the do a quick donut and move on, before I am reported, or the fuzz come.
Drug dealers have more subtlty, and no 1ft high spoiler.

The autocross season is over, and ice racing wont start for a month, so my poor baby sits outside waiting for me to drive her.

Problem is, living in a big city, I have to drive 50 miles to find roads that I can use her properly.
My girlfriend is getting browned off of me saying no to the cinema and driving 100 miles to drive a trail/park with no traffic, and feigning an interest in wildlife, so I can try an drive hard.......

The question I have (eventually) is do many of you find that these days, these cars are jsut too fast. their limits are well beyond what 99% of us can use on a daily basis.
I used to have a .9ltr Fiat Uno van, and that little thing was so much fun, as it's limits were achievable at speeds that would not result in a major accident if it all went wrong.
With talks of the new evo and sti having a basic 340hp in the near future, do you find that these cars limits are well beyond what is useful for the majority of people.

there will come a stage that throwing more power at a car will detract for the pleasure - New M5 for example.

I drove a miata there recently and was impressed at who much fun you can have with it as a daily driver.

So basically, do you thing there is a limit of HP you can throw at these cars where it becomes no fun.

I found with both the evo and sti that these cars are just insane for normal driving.

then I autocrossed it and realised why all those japaneese engineers spend their nights making these cars better, evolution, by evolution.......
Peace out.........

 

You answered your own question right there :P I personally don't think the cars are over powered for the road. You can break the law in any car no matter what, the key is to not go wot all the time... you can't tell me that when you take your car on a back road and open it up it doesn't make you uncontrolably smile

 

Having had two Subaru's and going to buy an Evo...
yes they are frustrating...but it worth it for the once in a blue moon chance you get to drive it like they intended

Andy

 

I picked up my new EVO last night and after spending over 3 hours in stop and go traffic on the 495 turnpike in D.C. I vowed to never move close to anything like that. I enjoy my simple traffic back in KY or here in DE

 

If i lived in the city i would have not bought an sti or an evo, I live in the suburbs and there are so many country roads and twisties, i would have it no other way. As far as potential my sti needs a lot of suspension work, cause we all got dicked on the usmd version. My brother has the Mr edition and my boy as an s2000 and all they talk about is handling and they try to ragg on me because my car is a bit sloppy eventhough the 05sti handling was improved. I already did my research on suspension work and if our car just came with jdm pinks, hardened tops, tighter bars and nice 235 tires like the evo did we would be killing. Thats how you ruin the sti's handling image in the US. Only thing im worried about to much power is then you have to balance that power with braking and most importantly handling. If i was interested in just power i would have bought an american car. Balance is the most important thing for me in a car.

 

You should have thought first what kind of daily driving you will do. If you do alot of stop and go traffic, buy an automatic. I have a few cars. One auto and two manual. I plan where I am going and if it's during rush hour time, I take my automatic.

 

Yeah... the 495 Beltway sucks during traffic (90% of the day ). The other 10 percent of the day, it's like my own personal Indy track . But seriously, I've found I actually prefer my Evo in moderate traffic because I'm able to pass and merge without the mental and physical hesitation that is omnipresent in a less capable car. It's all in how you use your tool!

I'm lucky also to live near civilization, but far enough away to really have space. Plus I go to work at 10a, so traffic's usually done by then. I am very anxious for the springtime, though, to be able to get out to the track.

 

I can relate to you post. Many other cars I have owned offerred more was to feel like I am using 10/10ths of the car.

Hardcores probably wont relate, because to many more car is more of a challenge.

When I had a 95 Civic SI, I felt more challenged to make that car fast. The EVO doesn't give that feel.

The flip side is that the EVO is crazy fast and I bet eventually I will learn to drive this car at 10/10ths.

Only advice I can give: Find your favorite curves and on ramps and enjoy those few moments you get with them.

 

sounds you like you need to sell your car and get an automatic

 

in traffic it can get frustrating in my evo. The scary thing is that I am stock and the car doesn't feel fast anymore. So even when I get a chance to drive fast I don't feel impressed lol. I am hoping when I do a few mods maybe it will help. I have the mall spoiler so I am more stealthy which is real nice but I am considering trading with someone for the high wing because I'm only going to be young for so long lol.

 

the high wing will definitely make you look faster

 

look at the wing - must be fast car

 

Time to move out to the country. I agree these cars are overkill for city driving in heavy traffic, I can't imagine having another 100hp. Just make time to get away to the twisties, that is all you can do. I still come into work with a grin on my face. I am lucky to live just a few miles from the California redwoods, a fantastic playground for the Evo and you can keep the speed safe and still be thrilled. Just stay off boost when in heavy traffic and you won't get as frustrated.

 

i totally agree, mine will sit in the garage for a few days, and then i am like okay its time i am taking the evo, but once i pull out on the highway, there is way to much traffic to let it go, and there is always my wife in the background telling me she is going to kill me if i get a ticket. as far as really getting the car to strech its legs, i have only done it once or twice, it is super comfortable going 75-80 MPH. you dont get the thrill sense so much because you arent pushing the car much. dont get me wrong i love the hell out of it, but i need track days to start again...... soon.