I am still contemplating between and Evo VIII and the Subaru STI. I read the STI only used 14 pounds of turbo boost and the Evo 19 pounds. I'm concerned a bit about the durability of the Evo? I also was told by the Dealer that the 2004 Evo will likely have a 6-speed. I like the body design and colors of the Evo. Really like the yellow. Locally, the Dealer will sell me an Evo for $30,812 which is MSRP. Their price posted on the Evo was $40,812 but I got the markup scratched off. I haven't driven either car because they don't want miles on them or someone to trash the car before it's broken in properly. All the Evo's on the lot (5 cars) have less than 4 miles on them. So they are really new.

Advice? Read some post here about transaxle issues and odd noises. A lot of coin to put down on a risk or is it?

 

Ok, you're way off base on a lot of issues here....

1) 14 vs 19 lbs of boost. Guess who has the engine which has been around the longest? 4g63 mean anything to you? Mitsu has been using that engine for years, and years, and years... Reliability (if taken care of) is definitely 's on this one. Compare that to a brand new Subbie engine, which is untested and is having tons of problems. (read the subbie forums)

2) It's actually highly unlikely that the 2004 Evo will have a 6 speed. Most likely, that'll be a 2005 addition. Also, people are complaining already about the STi's lack of durability on the new 6 speed.

3) The problems you read on here are a SUPER small amount of isolated issues. Working at a dealership, I can say that we haven't had a single Evo come in with a problem yet, nor almost any Evo's in the area.

Did you know the STi doesn't even come with a radio? So, you'll pony up $32,000 for a car, then need to add $500-$1000 for a basic radio. If you're worried about "coinage", that should be a strong consideration....

Also, that's assuming you'll find an STi at sticker. They're pretty much marking them up bigger than they did the Evo's, and they're not budging on the price at all.

 

first of all.. the sti looks almost identical to the regular wrx.. minus and plus minor things which can be easily added on.. Second the sti engines pings all day all night at 4k rpm so i've read... HAnds down Mitsu Busted the subaru in the nuts this round!!! But sometimes when i don't go fast, or taking the corners hard, i wish i was in a 330ci or a G35c

 

Don't forget as much as these may be comfort comparisons they were important to me in my decision.

Evo has No Cruise Control
Sti has no Sunroof and no Rear Wiper

Evo won long before these items but I wanted the sunroof way more than cruise.

 

And...

The STi's hood scoop blocks a TON of your front vision and it and the rear wing both vibrate drastically at speeds above 50mph.

 

The Evo hasn't had many issues. Decel noise is normal and not even noticable unless you listen for it. The Sti on the other hand has had some bad problems such as detonation. I have also read about the Sti triggering cel and cruise light for unknown reson and the stearing wheels being off aligned pointing an inch one way when the wheels are straight. Not to mention the weak flexing rear wing and flapping hood. I like the Sti but it has some things that need worked out. It seems to have more issues than the Evo right now..although you will never hear a Subaru loyalist admit it.
If you want cruise..shops can add it for around $200.
One other thing that is interesting about the Sti: People have reported the boost being as high as 16.5 psi stock.

 

Hi, Im new here and Im also debating on trading in my car for an evo or sti. My question is this: Have any of the evo's in CA running 91 octane gas had any problems with pinging? Its a big concern for me with 19 psi boost and 91 octane gas. Thanks. Great forum

 

Nope. Unlike the Sti the Evo's ecu detects knock and retards timing instead of just driving through it and continuing to detonate like the Sti. You will likely make about 10hp less than other Evo's around the country running 93-94 octane though. But that is easy to get back.

 

Any links to who can install factory or after market cruise control??

 

Here is one place that sells them.: http://www.rostra.com/cruise-control.htm
Do a google search for aftermarket cruise control and you'll see more places. There are usually cruise/speedometer shops in most cities that do installation. A friend had a complete cruise setup installed at a local shop in his car (Delorean) for a total of $300.

 

Thanks

 

Just drove the STi today- feels just like an Evo...on Prozac. Against any other car , the STi would be awesome, but it felt dulled compared to the Evo. I was worried when I saw it that I may have made a bad decision (the Sti is beautiful, and the gauges are awesome), but the overall feel of the Evo is better, and it is not a subtle difference. The Evo is much sharper overall (but damn, that six speed is nice!). Regardless, I am now even happier I got an Evo.

 

You know wahts funny? You probebly wouldnt have gotten a straight answer on the subbie forums.. they would probebly be so biast, but ya, i was reading people who were putting in exhaust systems were getting the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT comming on. As far as bugs go... the evo is well worked out wheras the sti, no doubt a kick *** car, has got alot of things that need fixing...and who the heck decided NOT to put a radio!? COME ON! Common sense man.. lol. The Evo has a great feal, and it is really sharp, i love the new design such as the front that some people say takes time to get used to, NO way.. i loved it the second i saw it. The seats are really comfortable, the only drawback i thought was the pretty standard console, but i mean... who cares! At least its got a radio and a rather good standard sound system :-) hehehe. Plus like the other guy posted ... these subbie dealers arent budging on prices, it will be hard to get a deal. The boycott that alot of memebers have participated in for the evo turned out to work! A lot are getting for lower than msrp.. some places had 10,000 $$ markup.. my god thats RAPE brotha.

Sean GO! -->

P.S. But the last thing you are going to do is worry bout the console when you are smoking other cars :-P

 

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either car. They are both amazing. Both will have issues (knocking in STi, tranny in EVO).
I had a deposit on the STi for six months and within 2 weeks of my delivery, changed my mind and bought the EVO. Later on I test drove 2 Stis belonging to my friends to get a comparison and a "sanity check"

Here are some of my comments:

Interior
The Sti’s gauges are simply amazing. Almost perfect. I shouldn't even begin to compare the EVO ones here. I really like the shift light/buzzer function - it's a cool gadget. The seats are ok, but EVOs are clearly superior. The Sti’s steering wheel - the best thing about it is that it is thick (reminds me of my RSX), but unfortunately it is larger than EVOs. Also the shifter in the Sti feels loose and vibrates a bit.

Exterior
Its been discussed enough already, so I will just confirm that the scoop is huge and it shakes when u drive. This is without a doubt my least favorite thing about this car. The wing also shakes, but that doesn't bother me as much.

Power
Both cars where in the break-in period, so I had to stay under 5k. The Sti is faster (in a straight line) than EVO, but EVO "feels" faster. Maybe it's because the EVO just looks and feels "lighter" and also since there is no turbo lag in the STi you don't feel that "rush" when the turbo spools up.

Handling
Since it wasn't my car I was driving, I obviously didn't want to push it hard, so I can't really comment here. I will say though, that there is less body roll in the EVO and there is very noticeable difference in the steering.

 

Things I like about the EVO:

Sharper handling
Sportier exterior
Super nice front seats
$2k cheaper then the STi

Things I like about the STi

Much nicer gauge cluster and dash
Cruise control
Semi auto A/C
Does not come with a crappy factory radio with paper cone speakers
Nice tranny
Front LSD
Adjustable center diff


I think, If I'm buying the car mainly for track use, I'd probably buy the EVO. For both daily usage and track use, I'd probably buy the STi. Hope this helps.