just to let you know, the praxis system that scc installed on their sti, although pricey and nice, is very complicated itself, and definately not just another aftermarket coilover. it's an air-adjustable one, with i believe three presets, which is what caused it to be so 'complicated'. i think that improving the handling of the sti would be just as easy as for the evo. i've heard that whiteline makes a great set of coilovers for the sti, and if i were scc, i woulda probably gone with that.

that being said, i do believe that of the two cars, stock for stock, the evo has superior handling. it's obviously stiffer and more responsive than the sti out of the box (and the nice tight steering rack helps out a lot too...). but once you start modding these cars, i think the advantage will grow much smaller.

now, myself, i'd take the evo, and actually plan on trading in my wrx (now stock) for one in the near future!

 

Tak555 that SCC article was definitely quite interesting. Even after they installed such an expensive system in the STI, it fell out of alignment at the end.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the Evo looks like the better choice. The engine in the STI just keeps calling me though...

I talked about it with my wife today and she prefers the Evo as well. Thing is she rode in an STI the other day, and loves the interior so much more... As you can see, this'll be a tough decision.

 

i know, that sux... you'd think they wouldn't have to worry about mishaps with the alignment after all the time and money that went into the praxis system

anyhow, definately a tough decision.... i remember about a month ago i had it set in my mind that i would be getting an sti. then there was some buzz about how some people were getting the evo at invoice and *gasp* even lower than invoice, so i decided to check them out. well the dealership let me take a testdrive, and ever since that day i was sold on the evo. i'm planning on waiting until the end of this month...

 

I was in your exact same shoes... I was convinced I was buying an Sti and went to test drive one. After leaving the dealership, I was still convinced to buy the Sti. My friend suggested driving the Evo so I would have a back to back comparison. The Mitsu dealership was 2-3 minutes away... When I got to the dealership, I looked at the Evo and it looked cheap inside in comparison. However, once I drove the car, I knew that I had to buy the Evo... The Sti was floaty in comparison. The turbo didn't sound nearly as good as the Evo eaither.

When test driving the Sti, I was shifting all the time.. Anytime I felt like I was in a powerband, it was time to shift... The gears are way to close together. The Evo feels just as strong in the Sti down low because the Sti's first gear is totally useless...

If you want luxury buy the Sti... If you want hard core driving fun, buy the Evo...

Power is a wash because the Sti is stronger initially, but the aftermarket is much better for the Evo... Also Keep in mind, the Sti turbo is maxed out at 16psi!

I am driving a Blue by You Evo...!!!!

 

Tak555 I'm with you on purchsing an Evo at the end of this month. I'm talking to a dealer with an Apex Silver w/ carbon spoiler and sunroof that's going for $200 under invoice. I'm sure that $500+ under invoice will be possible by the end of this month.

xstang great post. What you said convinced me alot. I've been pouring over all of my magazines w/ articles comparing the two, and that constant shifting w/ the STI is lamented by several road test editors...almost to the point of detracting from the overall experience.

Thanks guys. I'm going to be a new Evo owner in about 3 weeks.

 

price made my decision for me. and since the oppressors deleted my other post i will say it again. last week my bone stock Evo on 94 octane beat an STi in a 20-70 mph race. it was a real pleasure to see the STi driver quit because he couldn't win.

 

One word....EVO

 

Sounds like the difference there is the driver and slightly better juice. Was the STI running the same fuel?

 

State farm figured out what an evo was It had the right vin number and first was listed as a OZ Rally....

Got revised policy and cards from them.

Went from $430 every 6 months to $549.

43 yrs old.

What gets me is the IRG rating of the evo is 23 and my '89 Audi 200TQ is rated as a 26.

 

What is an IRG rating? I think a lot of the younger folks smashing up the Evo is giving it a certain perception to the insurance companies. Now that they are getting some history behind it.. With only a few thousand units sold and atleast 50 or so reported wrecks on here alone, that's not a good ratio..

 

Probably not. 92 is the best available unless you use race gas. The 94 i get is a 15 mile drive, not a big deal considering its actually cheaper than 92.

 

Amen, brotha...this was one of several deciding factors for me as well...

 

Why do you say he quit.....did you set up a 20 - 70 race ahead of time?

I believe an evo could beat an STI from 0-60 because the STI has the extra shift. But 20 70 really favors the STI which has less lag at 20, and a short 3rd gear perfectly suited to 70 mph runs.
Then again, I guess anything can happen on the streets.

 

hey man! i recognize you from nasioc!
anyhow, i hope you're right... $500 under would be great, plus i'm a college grad, so i'm thinking that might be in my favor. i'm just pissed that no one in my family has a mitsu! that loyalty thing woulda come in handy!

 

There is a thread on NASIOC saying the STi has cast pistons and not forged as advertised...it seems pretty solidly researched and not just internet rumor...

Clicky For Link

"The engine in the STi" definitely loses points there...