Hello everybody,
I am new to the community and I do not own an Evo and that's where I need your opinions, I know opinions can vary but I am looking to get a sense of what I should do for my next purchase.

In December I will be buying a new car and I have a budget of $21k cash, and I can get a loan for the rest of the amount, and I have 3 options to buy.

1) Used 2010-2013 Evo X

2) New 2015 WRX

3) Used 2011-2013 STI

Let me give you guys what I will do on those cars:

1) The car will be DD 300 miles a week
2) I plan on modding and tune the car but only a conservative mod, nothing too fast so roughly around 350-375
3) There is a slim to none chance that I will track the car
4) I do not care about cargo space or such, as I am a single guy with no outdoor activities
5) Insurance, gas, and maintenance cost not a factor here


I love the look of the Evo more than subbies. However, I love the purr and sound of the STI over Evo, and the WRX got a new 6spd tranny with some nice upgrades so I am really torn here. Also, how is the comfort of the ride of Evo compared to Subbie?

What do you guys think would be the better option? I know some will be biased towards the Evo which is understandable

 

Get a 2011+ EVO they are solid proven and won't blow up on you. The 2011-2013 STi should be removed from your list. The 2015 WRX is neat, but it's first year so I would avoid it because it is as yet unproven.

2011+ EVO has all the known issues addressed, such as the stretching timing chain from previous years.

I had a 2008 STi that bought the farm after 120k miles because 'derpa durp the head gaskets go out on these, it's a known issue' but I didn't know that, and when it overheated it warped my shortblock. Game over and too much money spent to fix it twice.

 

Realistically 300 miles a week then you should get the 2015 WRX. Spiritually you only live one so get the EVO.

 

Similar conundrum that I had when I was car shopping.

1) New 2014-2015 EVO X GSR only with sight and sound package
2) New 2015 STi base model
3) New 2015 WRX fully loaded
4) Used Mint S2000 and a workhorse truck/SUV

I ended up with a 2015 GSR with the sight and sound package, premium package, and navigation package. I went a wee bit over but got a banging deal.

But going back to your topic...

By the time you are shopping for your actual car in December, Subaru will have the 2016 models out. Rumors I found when I was car shopping were that:

1) 2016 models might get an exterior redesign that resembles closer to the concept next-gen WRX that was displayed in 2011 car shows and awe'd many car enthusiasts. Lots of people griped that Subaru "watered down" the design when it finally came out in 2015. Which it happens all the time.

2) Subaru will finally retire the EJ257 engine and go for an all new FA25 engine. From researching Subaru forums and such, it seems that the FA20 engine in the 2015 WRX is doing quite well and is VERY responsive to performance parts. So I can only imagine how nice the new FA25 engine will be. (Results from ETS with the new FA motor http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2701044)
BUT if that is the case, the signature beloved rumbly-grumbly engine sound of the EJ boxer engines will likely go away. I believe that the FA-series engines are a bit more "refined" in the sound department.

Now those are all rumors, but you will be able to find out for sure when you shop around come December.


Just for giggles...
The reasons why I struggled with "the decision":

The six speed transmission is tempting but if gas is not an issue then what is the point (other than the EVO's RPM being at 3.5k-4k when cruising at 65-75mph lol).

The LED headlight accents and tail lights were tempting on the 2015 WRX/STi. But I kind of hate the way the tail lights look on the 2015 WRX/STi

The exhaust tone on Subarus are to die for (IMHO). But I had my share of it when I owned a 2011 WRX for 3 years. Additionally, the EJ255-257 have the dreaded ringland failure when you start modding the car, which increases exponentially once you reach that 350whp mark.

I WANT THAT REAR BACK-UP CAMERA. (standard in the Subarus)

IT HAS A DIGITAL BOOST GAUGE STANDARD AS WELL????

But all in all, the EVO is much rarer. I have yet to see a handful of unique EVOs in my area for the past few years.
Back in 2011 when I was shopping for a new car, I settled with a WRX because the EVO, which I wanted more, was quite out of my reach in terms of price point. But now, I'm able to "afford" it. LOL

Anyways, sorry for the long post, but car shopping is so much fun (minus the actually paying for it part) and your dilemma was so similar to mine. All in all, all your options are pretty good and you will be happy with it. Good luck! Hope I didn't make your decision worse... lol

Now, I'll get back to actually working on the job... lol

 

Another good option is the Ralliart as well A one-year-used is ~23K in my area...

A great DD and can be easily modded for moar powah!

 

I'll chime in as I just purchased my 2015 GSR.

Pros - Fast. Reliable motor. Easy to modify. Looks the best.

Cons - AYC pump failure (now covered under warranty for 10 years but still an annoying issue that will occur)
Horrible seats. 15 has the standard seats which are 'ok'. The 14's and older have the Recaros which are great, but have little room to adjust and aren't as comfortable for daily driving.
No telescopic steering wheel (this is a must in my opinion and keeps me from being comfortable driving)
Small trunk
Notchy Transmission (random grinding in 2nd and 3rd)
No Backup Camera
Standard stereo even the new touchscreen model is kind of lame
Cheap interior
Horrible ride height stock
Very dusty brakes
RATTLES!!!


Now you will say I have a long Con list but I am really getting picky and detailed on my complaints.

However, I have owned a '12 WRX and it was worse. Most of the above Cons and more.

I personally will never own a Subaru after the crap they pulled with my old car.

 

Huh i like my rockford stereo that comes with the sight and sound package. Its not bad for stock.

 

Evo looks good. But the car takes waaaay to much fuel. Not worth it for a DD. Rattles like nuts. Stock brake pads are DUSTY! and squeak like a city bus. I own a evo and enjoy it. But i don't DD it. If i DD this car i would certainly return it because my list of cons are long.

 

I wonder why the power curve falls on its face so much up top with that size turbo, must be a restriction somewhere. Really short power curve, like 2k rpms. I'm referring to the English Racing tuned WRX BTW

 

Haha man we are in similar position, but I was never looking into the '15 STI because the is no reason to get one, same engine, same ringland issues and the only improvement was the suspension. I am more interested in the WRX because of 6 speed tranny, new engine and that thing clocks almost as fast as the STI.
However, I just love the looks of Evo X, it's so aggressive and unique, esp the wicked white one. I really do not care that much about sound/stereo, camera or any of the optional features, if I wanted these I would go for a newer 335i bimmer. But you are right, that purrrrrrrr sound from the Ej engines are just pure orgasm.
I could say I am more leaning towards the Evo X than any other option at the moment.

 

Meehhh, I am not that into the Ralliart

I've heard it is a very decent upgrade from the stock stereo.

 

What are we talking about now? 19mpg? even after tuning? Man, you are putting me off the Evo so much lol. I don't mind rattles because I play loud music anyways, but the brake pad thing is just annoying. Not that knowledgeable in the brake department, but does Evo use Brembos same as STI or no?

Do you know if the AYC issue would be covered under warranty if I buy a 2013 one? I've never sat in the Recaro so I can't judge, I need to go see one and sit in them. In regards to the trunk, like I said I am a single guy, and I rarely use the trunk. Camera, stereo and steering wheel I don't even have those things in any of the cars that I owned.
I guess all I need to do is drive the car and see how bad the rattles are.

 

My biggest concern when DD the Evo is not the comfy of the drive, or getting tired of transmission, but how the engine will handle it with a tune without breaking on me every other month!!!! And I really don't want to spend my extra cash on fixing the car. Over the years I've always kept my cars nice and maintain them and do regular weekly checkups and such.

 

The evo will respond well to mods and a tune. Get it done right though.

The brakes are fine just dusty but they are the largest in its class.

Tranny is strong and does not grind but it does not putt putt around town well. For smooth engagement at lower rpm or off boost use the transmission and engine need to be spinning at same speed so it can't be rushed. At full throttle the trans is perfect with tons of feel and no notchy feeling at all. Its really a nice transmission.

At 70mph its at 3450 rpms at 85 ish you get a nice drone from the engine, at 95 its smooth again, any faster its worse. The drone is just exhaust reverb and could vary from car to car but at 70 and under its easy to talk to passengers. Like 23 mpg at 65-70

Don't get scared as the evo x is the best choice but its got some race car needs. The ayc pump is warrented on all years for 10 yrs 100k

 

True. Same reasons why I struggled with the WRX vs. STi decision. The only reason I wanted the STi is because of the DCCD, the Brembo brakes, and the upgraded suspension.

I had a 2011 WRX and it had no problems. Though it was a cheaply made car, I don't remember it being that rattly. A Kartboy short shifter and a set of RCE front and rear sway bars fixed the driveability issues and it was so much fun to throw it around. Oh I had a Greddy Ti-C exhaust (had a killer offer that I couldn't refuse $350 shipped NEW) and a GFB blow off valvle for fun too. haha Loved that thing. If I didn't plan on moving out of the country, I would have kept it. Sold the car and was ready to leave and then the company offered me a job stateside. Darn it. Oh well, I have an EVO now. LOL

It is. For the money we pay for the EVO, even the base model should come with the sight and sound package. I don't see a need to change anything in the sound system for awhile.

For the dusty pads, you guys must have not owned an Audi back in the day. Those brake pads were DUSTY. This is ok. If it really bothers you, and you don't track the car much, you can swap the pads for low dust options but performance may suffer a bit. (i.e. EBC pads). Or get black wheels. lol

The transmission is a bit notchy (3rd gear only for me) when it is cold. But after it warms up, it slides right in. For those of you that have more problems, make sure you lube that thing well and change the transmission fluid.