Hi guys,

My 02 wrx is getting up there in miles and looking to trade it in and get into either an 05 EVO VIII or an 05STI.

I realize that theres gonna be biased opinions being a mitsubishi forum, but i would like honest opinions about power potential, costs, tranny strength is a BIG concern, and overall handling. Comparing the stock turbo potential, snow driving, etc.

Goals are, daily driver with probably around 350-380whp.

 

The subie is more diffucult to work on and mod. The evo is easier and cheaper to mod. Sti's tranny is bulletproof compared to the evo's tranny, you will find many people unhappy with how notchy the shifting is. I for one am one of them. Even the newer evo X's have the same problem.

 

I have a 06 evo. I 100 percent agree with the above post about the shifter. I had an 05 sti which I traded for the evo. The tranny in the sti is alot better than the evos.

I have upgraded the shifter and various bushings which have helped.


as far as working on the 2. If your not gonna dig into the motor(ie upgrade cams,stroker etc) they are really about the same to work on.

I will say the evo is alot faster in bolt on form as well.

Good Luck.

Really cant go wrong with either one.

Joe

 

Why only 2005?

If you want power potential most people on here will tell you to go with the Evo. 350whp-380whp is EASILY achievable especially on an Evo 9 and it won't cost too much either.

I used to own a WRX and I know those transmissions always had a reputation of being like glass but people have always said that the STI 6 speed is a very strong transmission.

 

i heard the opposite about the sti tranny when shopping for a car, that the 6-speed was fragile like the evo mr's

my guess is he wants 05 because the 04 was "raw" like the like 03-04 evo's; not a lot of comfort but a good amount of potential. the 06+ have a different block and they blow ringlands a lot

honestly, you won't find a better sounding 4-cyl car than an sti, no questions asked IMO. evo's sound good, but no 4-cylinder will sound remotely like an STI, it's very unique and amazing.

if you want comfort, go sti. if you want performance, go evo. sti has cruise control, "better" interior (build-wise, i hate the blue though), and is a subaru so it will "last forever" (but so will any car if you take car of it).

IMO it really comes down to looks and features, not performance, both cars will be about the same price to mod, both have a very large aftermarket support, both will handle the same for every-day use and you won't notice the difference unless you're at a track (even then you may not, i dont know). if you want cruise control, go sti. whichever you you choose, take care of it and it will last a long time

 

i know my 02 WRX, with LC only used a few times, held up to 50,000 miles with an 18G, i tuned the car for 21 psi and ran it daily with no problems and it has 165,000 miles on it now and back to stock with 17.5psi and seems to be happy.

I do all my own tuning with opensource, made my own blow through MAF setup with a FMIC, etc on the wrx so im a very capable person when tuning subarus atleast using tactrix and ecuflash which i can use for the evo too.

I just love the look of the EVO 8 so much, the prices are similar, but some things like the STI's DCCD (driver center diff control), extra .5L, and rock solid 6 spd are making it a difficult choice.

I just want a rock solid tranny, lets say 400whp, DD all year round. I know the 4g63 is a closed deck cast iron block vs the EJ257 which is an aluminum semi closed deck block, so this too comes into play for power potential/RELIABILTY.

 

I did have the same problem last November. can't decide either EVO or STI, I found a 06 STI with 45000 miles, look at it & test drove, unfortunately they want arm & a leg for it.. 3 days later I found a 05 EVO with 26000 with exhaust & Some Goodies done to it already. Test drove & took it home... Both Car are nice but EVO all the way.

Good luck!!!!

 

ultimately it comes down to what you want and what your future plans are for the car. take mine and everyone elses advice with a grain of salt. but me, much like you an a lot of other people looked at both cars before buying one or the other.

Sti pros: more comfortable interior, boxer rumble, subie reliability, stout tranny, awd system.

Evo pros: cheaper to mod, more power for the money, beefy engine, better on the track, more raw of a car.

i could go more in depth because there is many many more things to consider.

basically if you want a comfy DD all year round, go subie. you want a raw performance car with more power potential for less $$ that you can drive hard to and from the track year round, go evo.

 

I, like many of us here, was in a similiar situation not too long ago. I test drove both and decided to go with the evo. Its really personal preference. Just choose which one makes you happier.

 

I have had the following

2005 sti
2006 evo ix mr
2010 evo x gsr
2003 evo viii gsr (current toy)

the 06 ix took the cake

there are only two pluses with the sti

the tranny
the suby rumble

 

I'd second Chaotic's post. I owned an 06 STi for a little over a year and a half. It had issues, mainly because the previous owner de-tuned it down to what he thought would be Stage 2 and left it. Wasn't so great.

For me, I wanted a car that I knew I could mod heavily without something giving out. That was an 06 Evo IX.

The seats in the Evo didn't fit me very well and the SE seats in the Evo snugged me up very nicely. It comes down to personal preference. If I had to do it again, I'd get another Evo.

 

if i had to do it over
04 evo8 RS
06 evo9 RS
06 evo9 SE

those would be my top three evos

 

I was in the same situation... coming from built DSMs I'm a huge fan of mitsu. I'm considering something different and a STi would be great... my eclipse is a built 2.4l and having the extra displacement is awesome, butnthe evo makes the power on 1/2 a liter less, which makes you ask questions...the tranny debate is another issue.

But this is how I see it:

If you're going to build a race car, that's what evos do best. If you want to drive around in a car that's designed to be an inexpensive midlife crisis answer, get an STi.

 

lets talk about the engine strengths and weaknesses. I know the 4g63t is a cast iron closed deck block which is better for higher boost applications and the EJ257 is an aluminum semi closed deck block. Piston differences? rods? crank? I want this thing to last quite a long time as a DD, and im kinda leaning toward the STI mostly for the interior comfort now, but the motor and tranny, i need more info if anyone can fill me in on them who have owned or tuned/built either.

 

Both awesome cars, I had a 2006 STi and - well the DP alone is a lot of money compared to the gains per dollar you can get for an Evo. A lot of different factors to consider like Subie is to Cobb as an Evo can be flashed, for very minimal money.
Trannies are the same IMO, are you going to be launching everyday at the stoplight?If you are, get ready to buy a spare tranny for the STi, get my point?