As always...drive both and see which one "speaks" to you. Honestly, the new STi's from 2005 up with the revised suspension are great cars. The Evo still has a slight edge in terms of feel (to me), but it's not for everyone. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Emre

 

I went with the evo because the folks at the suby dealership wouldnt even look at me when I went in to talk about buying.

 

exactly right. fanboy. liking a car is one thing, but rejecting all other cars based only on limited encounters and seat time in the other car is plain ignorant. i've read similar fanboy posts on sti forums where someone compared handling of his '05 sti with suspension mods to stock '03 evo driven by a pro on a road course, saying the evo understeered more. well duh, that evo didn't have front LSD and sti had SUSPENSION work done to it. apples to oranges...
personally, when ppl ask me which is better/faster, i always tell them they're pretty much the same performance wise. the true differences r in the FEEL and subtleties that u won't know 'less u drive both cars, that's why i liked evo more. not to mention that judging cars by looks is subjective, and saying that there r fewer numbers of the car on the road is irrelevant. there rn't many supras on the road either, what does that mean? nothing.

 

I think we all get pretty passionate about our Evos because it's one of the few modern cars that actually feels...different. There's something about the razor-sharp handling, buzzy 4-banger, explosive boost, etc. that's simply unlike anything else. In contrast, the STi feels like simply a very fast and capable car.

If you guys read the UK's evo magazine, you'll know they've had an Evo VIII MR FQ-340 on their long-term fleet. In last month's "end of term" report, Bovington said something along the lines of: "like a Caterham, the Evo is one of the last cars that still offers a unique driving experience." I think he's 100% right.

Emre

 

Traded an 04 sti in for an 05 MR after a year of autocrossing the sti and multiple track days, I decided to trade the sti in not because I didn't like it, it is a hell of a car and very competitive in both autocrosses and track days. I just wanted to try something different but wanted to stay in the realm of an awd car since I'm used to autocrossing and tracking one. I was blown away when I autocrssed the evo te very next weekend that I bought it and what I love the most about it was the fact that I had a higher second gear and could get an extra 5 mph on second gear than I could with the sti. I'm sure you know that in autocross terms, 5mph per hour is huge and is a lot better than havng to shift to third in the sti and lose a few 100ths of a sec. Honestly the second gear alone is the reason why I'm on my 3rd evo in a year span. Since I traded in the sti, I went from a silver 05 MR that I traded (with 7k on the clock and autocrossed for every weekend and two track days) to a GG 05 MR that had 15k miles (and saw autocross duty every weekend of this year and sometime three days autocrosses in the same weekend with a co-driver) which I just traded for an 06 GG IX MR.

Tranny issue? I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I found the MR gearbox to be a lot more precise and fluid than the sti and you know what? I was still on the stock clutch with probably another 40k miles left in it.

As everyone else is telling you in this board, go and drive both, find out what is important to you. To me it was only the fact that I can go the extra 5mph on second gear that got me to stick with the evo. Personally I can win in either car but the evo just gave me as tiny as it may sound, that extra edge and time on the autox course. Buy the car that suits your preference(s) not needs.

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...1&page=1&pp=50

They already ripped him apart...

Dan

 

this guy is such an idiot... too easy to oversteer? that's already a clear indication of an idiot. smart awd system... this guy claims to be a driver and complains about an awd system that is not smart enough?

i have no problem believing that a subaru is a superior car albeit it's not, but if you're gonna try to prove it don't be a ****in' idiot.

also subies have been notorious for the cracked and twisted tranny bell housings.

also subies are butterknives evos are scalpels.

also... simlarly tuned evos kinda hurt subies.

also... drag racing is lame cuz anyone can build an umpteenbillion horsepower granny grocery pusher... if you wanna be good at drag racing you can build a 20 year old car wtih 7 liters of displacement and be better than a scoob.

 

kimma, if you read the article closer you will find out that the Big Valley Sti has a upgraded clutch and mega beefier axles from the Drive Shaft Shop, so your conception of it having a stock tranny is seriously warped. Also it is not mentioned but the gears and synchros have most likely been cryo treated, i am not bashin ya, but i have been down the suby tuning trail and it can be an epic nightmare

 

7.7? I've ran that in my '03 with basically a TBE, MBC, and tune. This summer at the tracks there was an '04 STI there with pretty much the same mods as me and his best time was a 12.8 compared to my 12.3. I think that about sums up the gains to be made when you start modding. I do like the STI and almost got a WRX before they brought over the Evo but I would choose an Evo again any day of the week.

 

that is awesome, nice work steve

 

Just wanted to add that the evo's always had 50:50 torque split. The Sti originally had 35:65 (f:r) but for the 06Sti, they've changed it to 41:59.

Mitsu had the vortex generator with the 8MR (say '04). For the 06Sti, Subaru has a small spoiler near the top of the rear windscreen.

Most Sti owners (road use) get FMIC for serious power. Evo's as we all know, come with FMIC.

I'm not dissing the Sti, but there seems to be a trend here...

 

kimma apparently bought a WRX STI on 9-26-05 (according to NASIOC forums), and then she started this thread a few days ago. Am i right? Doesn't really make sense. Is she and her husband having second thoughts on buying the STI?

 

Interesting thread.Must say you Evo guys have kept it pretty tame.Anyway I had intentions of buying my friends 03 Evo with low miles.Drove it for 3 days & loved it.The steering,handling & topend power ruled.Only thing that kept me from buying it was the color(yellow),sunroof & the local Mitsu Dealer is crap.Looked for a non-sunroof 03 Evo in white but never found one somewhat close.

Few months later a Doctor traded his 04 STi at dealer that I work at.Was super clean & average miles.Drove it & was impressed with overall feel of car & the torque.Seats really sucked though.Was gonna pass untill learned I could buy it for 18,500.Done deal.So far have installed JIC Ti exhaust/downpipe,ECUtec,JDM V8 seats,JDM Type C suspension & few odds & ends.In the end I am happy with the purchase.I love the way the boxer engine sounds.Would take either car cause they both rock.Carry on.

 

Boy I am a newbie and right in the middle of this mess.How did I get here


Well I am selling my baby, 1995 Mustang GT, because I need an AWD sedan.
I have two children myself. So after some research I was about 90% STI 10% EVO IX. I got to drive the STI in the rain and pushed it hard with a great recovery. Nice car very fast.

Then I went to Mitsu and saw the EVO IX in person. Great seats...lots more interior room and a much better looking car. So now I have swayed over to the EVO side.
Only problem is I have been to two dealers and cannot get a test drive.

Nice car my biggest concern is reliability and service. I plan on autocrossing and open tracking the car so I hope it lasts.

Hopefully I will get a chance to drive one this weekend and will decide in the next week or so.

 

I wounldn't buy a STI just because of people like the guy who wrote that post being part of their scene. To me in general Suby owners come off as little ricers for some reason. Like the ones who street race and VTA for first mod. I think it's because of the people i used to see first driving WRX's. AGAIN that is just a general vibe i have always had, even before the Evo came out.

I think the Evo not the STI being "The Best Sport Compact Car of The Year" says enough.