aaronhinch

I think a lot of people would disagree with this statement. As an automotive enthusiast I respect both cars in what they do, even though they do them quite differently. Driving either car for a day would put a smile on my face. I started this thread to compare the Evo 9 (which is a car I've never driven) to an STI which I've driven on 3 separate occassions. I'm trying to find out which car I'd like to drive everyday.

aaronhinch

Good to know about the ~200 rpm difference. Not gonna make a huge impact on mpg's. And I'll be honest- mpg's are not even in the top 10 of why I'm buying this car lol. So I think the 5-speed is looking better and better. Thanks for the reply.

barneyb

I've been told that the 6-speed is prone to overheating when driven oval track. I know the 6-speed transmission case has fins on it so it appears the maker knew they had a problem - probably why the MR was the model that got it. The MR is supposed to be the touring model

Turndown

iTrader: (2)

The way it was explained to me, in laymans terms, they basically shoved a 6th gear into the 5 speed gearbox so there's less space for oil, but I'm sure there is a much more technical explanation...

kaj

iTrader: (60)

I track and autox my 6spd at 450/350. Nothing has broken and I change fluids regularly.
I believe fourth gear is slightly narrower than 4th in the 5spd but the trans also uses .5 less quarts of fluid.
none of this means anything for daily driving though.
"MR" stands for "Mitsubishi Racing". The car got an aluminum roof, gauges, etc. so not sure about it being a touring model. Maybe...?
I've had a Subaru and Evo and can appreciate them both. So also not sure about having to be all about one or the other.

DatEvoKid

I own a 2004 STi and a 2005 Evo VIII...
Just for driving around and cruising, I enjoy the STi way more, nothing beats the subaru rumble.
Now my Evo is fully built so it is more fun to drive. The handling in the evo is way tighter but the overall drivability of my STi is what makes me love it!

kaj

iTrader: (60)

To me, the rumble sounds like when my Honda broke ring lands on a cylinder lol
EL headers helped, but I could still here it. Not a fan.
Fwiw I like "efficient" sounds. An i4 street bike, F1 (pre turbo v6), etc. Pretty much anything that revs. Harley, Ducati, Subaru, not so much.

Ferp

Wow this is different. I see threads pop up on NASIOC now and then and it's typically just a ton of bias towards the STI. "Who cares if they can make more reliable power you can just build your motor" and "Lol Evos suck no 6 speed" or "Who cares if they're faster on tarmac? STI is a way better rally car". As someone who has a ton of time with GC and GD STIs/WRXs as well as 2nd gen Evos this is one of the most fair threads I have ever seen. Awesome.

kaj

iTrader: (60)

There are Evo fanboys too, that's for sure lol. I frequent both forums and know lots of owners... the Subaru camp seems to have a higher percentage of them. I'm not sure why but I suspect it's the demographics.
also, there seems to be a progression: Honda -> Subaru -> Evo. Quite a few Mitsu owners have owned a Subbie and still appreciate them. Not many Subbie owners have owned an Evo.

RallySport9

iTrader: (20)

It's all price, age and maturity. I find younger people are into the Subarus because they're more affordable. Evos also cost a lot more to maintain and keep on the road reliably. especially if you get into modifying them. Most if not all Evo 8/9 guys I know are above 35 with steady careers.

I haven't really seen a Honda or Subaru guy make the jump to an evo where I'm at but whenever I see it on the forums it's usually an '03 with racked up miles. This isn't a low blow it's just an observation. Sorry if that sounded arrogant.

llDemonll

iTrader: (21)

Evo's dont cost any more to maintain and keep on the road than an STI. if you start modding, the evo gets cheaper and responds better. they're virtually the same in stock form

kaj

iTrader: (60)

There are a few evo owners in my town that I can only assume came from the Honda world. They definitely don't act like adults LOL

aaronhinch

To be honest, I've only ever seen one Evo 9 in my entire life. It was WW in Rochester, Michigan a few years ago. The rarity of these cars is another reasons why I like them so much. They're not a dime a dozen, and a lot of people don't even know what they are if they've been debadged. The Evo X on the other hand are all over the place here in Michigan.

So I can't really add much to the conversation of how evo owners drive around here. I've seen a few STI's around Ann Arbor (college town) and they've all driven like asshats.

aaronhinch

I wasn't expecting to hear that the evo gets cheaper after modifications. Could you explain this a little bit more please? Are you saying maintenance/reliability/monitoring modifications like a catch can, bushings, guages, etc. make the evo cheaper to maintain, or that full bolt-ons for power will make an evo easier to maintain? Thanks.

iLLevo_

Suggestion... watch the "best motoring" dvds on YouTube.. they compare both the sti and the evo every year.. you will find that the evo is better