TBH I'm still in the market for both. I want to make a good informed decision for the one I buy with my intentions rather than jump into it because of preconceptions like I did with the STI. So pros and con's of both are welcome.

I'm hearing generally that the GSR tranny is good for high whp while the SST is more what you'd get if you have modest power goals. In truth I probably wont be going over stage 2.

 

All that really matters GSR VS MR is whether or you want a true manual or not. Mods are fine on a MR as long as you watch the temp on the SST's and are willing to spend the money on a clutch pack. South Side has a couple different one's I'd recommend if you're going that route
http://www.sspperformance.com/sub-ca...nsmission----/

 

^^^ I agree. It really comes down to wanting a manual or not. Some people go with the SST and don't miss shifting at all and worship the new tranny. Some people end up trading the car in after a year because they miss shifting for themselves and the "connection" with the car. It's all up to you man. Both are great cars and have their own pros and cons.. Either one is still an upgrade over a Subaru tho. hahahaha

 

Nope, not at all.. Keep in mind, 6th gear in the STI is not overdrive I personally like the Evo's 5 speed gearing a lot more than STI's 6th speed gearing.. it's a perfect match for the car's engine and characteristics imo,.. I think it's another reason why my bone stock Evo X was a lot faster than my previous Stage 1 STI.. also my stage 1 Evo was faster than my buddy's 08 STI with Stage 2..power delivery is also a lot more linear with the Evo, with the STI power comes little quicker but it dies A LOT faster whereas with an EVO it it pulls hard all the way to the 7k rpm...Handling and steering response are also light years ahead of an STI (thanks to the torque vectoring AWD system -same system used in GTRs-) and like someone else mentioned whatever suspension mod you do to your STI will never change that simple fact ..one last thing to mention, car also feels a lot more refined and quiet in the cabin, boxer engine with the UEL headers is too noisy at times..

 

I love my '11 WW GSR. If I can be honest, though, I have always been an STI fan (I really like the look of the hatchback). The Evo rides very stiff; however, I don't think it is as bad as all the car magazines made it out to be. I have been on 7 hour trips in my Evo with no major issues. Sure, it is not a Cadillac, but then again, I did not buy the Evo for its posh comfort. Also, going 80 at 4,000 rpm can get annoying and loud after a few hours. I have never ridden in an STI, but I think the general consensus is that it is a more comfortable ride than the Evo.

Pros of the Evo: Probably the best handling car for an amateur driver before you get to the GTR. Relatively easy to get to 330-350 whp. Decent stock exhaust note (2011+). And it is a head turner

Cons: Head turner, mostly from guys (would be a good thing if you are a girl). Stiff ride. Noisy cabin. Weak stock clutch (does not like to be driven hard at all). No trunk or storage space at all. Currently my coolant thermostat is throwing a code, but that could just be my car.

Other wise I love my Evo. I would consider the possibility of trading it for a black STI hatch (only because I could really use the storage space). I will probably get a lot of hate for this last comment.

-My 2 cents.

 

come to the Evo side! it's not a question of if your rings will pop on you, it's a question of when! I recommend GSR if you want reliablility in the long run

 

I traded in my 2011 STi sedan for a 2012 Evo MR. I relate to you when speaking of the ringland failures. I drove the **** out of the STi with a Cobb AP OTS Stage 1 tune and intake with no problems, but the possibility or likelyhood always bothered me. STi was noisier on the highways, seats didn't hold you as well, the god aweful stereo, and the 6-speed was murder in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway.

I looked at the Evo MR touring and found all the things the STi didn't have. The touring package gave me the extra sound deadening, sunroof, much improved stereo, and I was very happy with the capabilities of the MR transmission. Ease of maintenance is improved, you don't have to remove parts of the car to change the spark plugs and it already comes with a front mount I/C. I also like how the styling of the Evo MR was subdued. It didn't punch you in the face and yell "STI!" at every angle. I think I counted how many STi emblems or logos were on the car... I think 18 all together, lol. (2) front fenders, (4) on calipers, (4) each wheel, (2) front and rear clip, (2) both front seats, (1) gauge cluster, (1) steering wheel, (1) shifter, (1) console.. hahah I know what kind of car it is, don't need to remind me every time I look at the damn car, lol. The Evo only has 1 and its on the trunk.

I do miss some things about the STi... I do miss banging away on a 6speed... the sound of the boxer motor... and the new NAV I had just put into it.

 

just my 2 cents but as a former owner of a 2002 wrx and a 2005 sti would get the evo9 gsr 5 speed its nice and long winded. and just drives better. i have a friend with a 2006 evo RS with only 22k on it. last time it talked with him he was only asking $24k for it oh and its white with black door handles and mirrors with only very minimal modding done to it. these cars are really rare..

 

Drove my MR very hard over the weekend, it is an amazing transmission, I think the number of failures on the SST are overall low, and touch wood, mine seems good.

It is a poor mans GTR


the ringland issue would bother the hell out of me, hence why i didn't buy another Subaru (and I live only a couple blocks from local Subaru dealer)

I think whatever EVO you choose, you will be very pleased

 

That's one way to look at it. I prefer to think of an Evo as the way that a GTR owner gets home when the roads aren't paved.

 

nothing beats recaros........and obviously ppl here will say get the evo.....it sounds like u know what u want....but if seats were ur biggest concern those are easy to change

 

...except for seats that weigh half as much, don't make it impossible to wear a helmet and be both comfortable and upright, and/or don't cause your right leg to go numb after twenty minutes.

 

sounds like you need to lose some weight LOL

 

if your STi is stock, why are you worried about the ringland issues? You have a warranty for a reason. If you're 100% stock, it would be easier to deal with Subaru on a legit warranty repair than deal with Mitsu on any work.

 

Because some ppl (including me) don't wanna spend their valuable time by going back and forth to dealerships,make hundreds of phone calls, deal with all that hassle and down times (months)especially when paying almost $40k for a car even all that's is covered.. also keep in mind, you would be basically paying monthly for an STI and driving a POS loaner car (I highly doubt they provide STIs as loaner cars)..

Another thing to mention, I know people blowing their 3rd motor after the replacement so all that hassle multiplied by 3, is it really worth taking any chance..just my .02