Drove a 2004 STI
Drove a 2004 STI
I recently received a coupon in the mail for an advertisement that Subaru had going on. If you went in to the local dealership and test drove the new Legacy you would receive a 25$ Visa card. I didnt have that much going on over the weekend so I went down to the local Subaru dealership. I talked to a salesman and he told me he would just sign the paper and I didnt actually have to drive the car if I didnt want to. I told him it was cool if he just signed the paper, and as he was doing this I noticed a 2004 white STI.........as soon as he was done filling out the paper I asked "hey, can I test drive that?" He agreed, and went to get the keys.
It was a slightly used White 2004, with 3500 miles on it. I hopped in and turned it on. The interior has a couple more creature comforts than the evo. It shows the outside temperature in the instrument cluster, and has a compass in the rearview mirror. All the needles in the gauge cluster swing to the full position when the car is turned on which is pretty cool. The seats were somewhat comfy, but I feel more comfortable and supported in the Recaros. The STI seat fabric didnt really grip. I noticed the DCCD button and manual lock control wheel, but of course left it on auto. I wondered if I would actually use it if my evo had it.
As I pulled out of the driveway, the first thing I noticed was the shifter. It felt like it was conneced to a web of rubber bands. It felt rubbery, like it wanted to pop out after being placed in gear. (I believe the 05s come with a short shift kit whichcould correct this.) The steering was solid, and the ride felt a little more damped and compliant then the evo. The 2.5 boxer engine definitely has more beef in the lower rev-range than the evo which would be nice for around town cruising, but does not have the "snap" like the evo. The power delivery is very smooth. But, my absolute favorite part of the car was the sound of that engine. On every lift of the throttle there was a beautiful whoosh sound......almost like the bov was vented into the cabin. I swear the bov must be bolted to the firewall right in front of the driver.
Overall I love the car. In a perfect world my garage would have an evo and an STI. However I am glad I decided on the evo. I feel much more connected to the road, the transmission is awesome, and I love the snappy power delivery. I wish I would have never driven that STI, because now I'm grabbing the credit card to buy a nice recirculating bov. Here are the pros and cons that I found.....
Pros :
1) The sound of that engine
2) More creature comforts
3) Low end torque in the rev-range
4) Smooth power delivery
Cons:
1) Shifter did not have a solid feel. (like the evo)
2) I always felt a little separated from the road, like the car was a
little skittish or uncertain.
3) I found the hood scoop a little distracting......I found myself
staring at the scoop when I should have been focused on the
road.
It was a slightly used White 2004, with 3500 miles on it. I hopped in and turned it on. The interior has a couple more creature comforts than the evo. It shows the outside temperature in the instrument cluster, and has a compass in the rearview mirror. All the needles in the gauge cluster swing to the full position when the car is turned on which is pretty cool. The seats were somewhat comfy, but I feel more comfortable and supported in the Recaros. The STI seat fabric didnt really grip. I noticed the DCCD button and manual lock control wheel, but of course left it on auto. I wondered if I would actually use it if my evo had it.
As I pulled out of the driveway, the first thing I noticed was the shifter. It felt like it was conneced to a web of rubber bands. It felt rubbery, like it wanted to pop out after being placed in gear. (I believe the 05s come with a short shift kit whichcould correct this.) The steering was solid, and the ride felt a little more damped and compliant then the evo. The 2.5 boxer engine definitely has more beef in the lower rev-range than the evo which would be nice for around town cruising, but does not have the "snap" like the evo. The power delivery is very smooth. But, my absolute favorite part of the car was the sound of that engine. On every lift of the throttle there was a beautiful whoosh sound......almost like the bov was vented into the cabin. I swear the bov must be bolted to the firewall right in front of the driver.
Overall I love the car. In a perfect world my garage would have an evo and an STI. However I am glad I decided on the evo. I feel much more connected to the road, the transmission is awesome, and I love the snappy power delivery. I wish I would have never driven that STI, because now I'm grabbing the credit card to buy a nice recirculating bov. Here are the pros and cons that I found.....
Pros :
1) The sound of that engine
2) More creature comforts
3) Low end torque in the rev-range
4) Smooth power delivery
Cons:
1) Shifter did not have a solid feel. (like the evo)
2) I always felt a little separated from the road, like the car was a
little skittish or uncertain.
3) I found the hood scoop a little distracting......I found myself
staring at the scoop when I should have been focused on the
road.
