2015 STI own review after owning 4 Evos
 

Folks,

When I say believe the hype I really mean it. The guys at Subaru have done it and very well done by the way. Back in Sep 2004 I was privilege to pick one of the true first ever sold Evo 8 MRs in the country, the car put the bar very high in every aspect (steering, brakes, seats, suspension and off course motor). Subarus STI were very good but always a step behind. The seats were never like the Recaros from Mitsubishi , the steering wasn't as direct as the one found on the Evo and the engine as you know was behind(it is still behind).

The new 2015 STI chasis, steering and suspension is flat out bad ass. The factory tune(even if you call it lean) makes the 2015 STI significantly quicker than the previous GR model which by the way I also owned one(new 2012 STI sedan back in 2012). The current model STI is boosting about 2.5psi more than the previous one so that might explain why it feels quicker..

The new STI with the factory optional short throw shifter reminds me so much of one of my two Evo 8 MR that owned, it is very precise and has very little play. I readed every magazines launched about Evo 8, Evo 9 and Evo X and it seems that the new STI best matches the current Evo X . The new STI pulls nearly a G(I believe the Evo X does slightly better).

The brakes are excellent, you would expect that from the Brembo set up. The suspension is very firm but the car is still comfortable and the steering is nuts, just like an Evo steering.

The interior space is noticeably larger than on a Evo. If I have to summerize, I would describe the newest STI as close to a Evo X as far is handling but with a much better interior. If you are tired of your Evo and you think that you want a new change I would encourage you to take a spin on a new STI.

I know ahead of time that the looks of the ar is not your cup of tea, I am aware, it wasn't my cup of tea either but after a mere one minute driving the car I totally forgot about the exterior looks which by the way, it is a very subjective topic. All I am saying is please have someone give you a ride or go to the dealer for a spin, you wouldn't be disappointed at all

The downside of the car is that they are still using the same EJ25 engine which seems to be prone to the ringland failure but the actually reported fails are very minimal though.

As far is bang for the buck?, you are getting a lot of good things with this car. I want to pint it out that they did an excellent job on the interior quality, specifically on the dash which is now soft to the touch. The array of gauges and on board computer on the center of the dash is amazing, it is a multiple gauges in one. You also get things that were unthinkable on a Evo 8-9 like rear view camera, bluetooth, heated seats, cruise control, dual climatizer, etc.

Here is my list of critics:

1) Gas mileage is mediocre
2) Engine could be prone to ringland
3) Wheels are ugliers than ever
4) Stereo is similar to the Evo 8-9 from factory(plain Jane speakers, not too loud)
5) Center console/arm rest positioned virtually"in the back seat", it is useless
6) The engine layout has the most bizarre design, still a big PITA to work on.

Anyways, I only wanted to share with you guys. I still come here and write some reviews and provide some feedback for the community. It has been over 10 years of loyalty to this forum and still counting. Take care guys!


### UPDATE ON PAGE 3### 313whp/396lb-tq (mustang dyno after retuning on e-85)

Carlos

Nice review. I hope you enjoy the car. I think it will be a great platform in the future as I think JR Tuned got his STI already in the 10s.

^^ Thanks. The STI aren't really that god for the dragstrip. The amount of money that you have to put on then in order to make them quick is ridiculous. The current platform STI still carries the EJ25 although is rumored that the direct injection version will arrive on the next STI.

I had the first wrx back in 02 and that was garbage, soft suspension, poor brakes , weak transmission, mediocre. I got the 2012 STI sedan and it was a good looking car, not bad but the interior quality wasn't as good as the new one. I am firmly saying that this new STI is a benchmark in performance and quality built, it really and finally rivals an evo (except the seats). The current simple bolts on this EJ25 engine are yielding great torque and hp but the old school 4G63 or 4B11 are ahead..

Going to do a site feature on this soon with a friend's car, stay tuned. SAYC trumps brake biased torque "transfer". Don't limit power, Subie; put it where it needs to be!

^^^ I am telling you.. I don't know all the details on what they did to this car but it is very impressive on how it handles. There are a few thing that I want to point out like the looks not being everyone's cup of coffee or reusing the same EJ25 engine, etc but there are other bigger upgrades that made a big difference(handling, steering, interior). Another plus on the car is that they kept the price the same from last year although they added more safety features and more equipment at no cost.

Having owned the previous model(2012 sedan STI) I can attest that this newer 2015 STI model feels quicker. Not only this newer model is getting excellent acceleration and trap speeds but it is also boosting approximately 2.5 psi more from factory.

I only went for a test drive to test the WRX(which I never ended up testing ) but instead they gave me the keys of an STI and it was love at the first sight. Within the first minute I knew it was my type of car. This vehicle is truly the closest thing to a good handling Evo X... I encourage people to go for a test drive.

Just like I said, it is not the hype, this car lives to its name. With that being said, YES, an Evo will run circles once you mod the engine but with basic bolt ons(exhaust, air filter, tune) they are in the same league...

thanks for the review. i could probably live with the confused appearance if it had a good motor.

Very nice review of the new STi. I definitely like the looks of the interior and gauges but, have a hardtime with the front/fascia of the new 2015. Its very unusual and not my favorite. I Really dig the new interior thought and see that they spent alot of R&D on that unlike the Evo that is subratacting things from the latest model like Recaros..why??. It's looking more like a base model lancer.

Carlos I saw your new STi on AZAWD...very nice purchase. I like the Silver color. {thumbup}

Barry

I hate to say I don't like the looks of STi but sadly we can start calling it our evo XI or 2016 evo X:beer:

I like the look of the new WRX. and it looks like the best deal by far for an AWD turbo car.

Untill the Focus RS comes out :)

If it has AWD. Is this confirmed for NA yet?

So true!!

Nice review OP!

the wrx sug list is just over 26k.
the focus rs may actually be FWD, but FWD or AWD it will not be 26k. more like 36k.

Folks,

I have a significant update as far is engine mods but before I say anything I would like to wish everyone a happy new year. I want to share some significant data that you would love to read.

This is the summary, I purchased a new 2015 STI and the same day I ordered a Cobb AP which arrived two days later. With less than 200 miles I was running the Stage I(Cobb AP) which felt great. Within a week I installed a Cobb DP and updated the Off- the- shelf Cobb map to a basic Stage II.

So, I decided to install some 1100 cc injectors, some Perrin headers, a fuel pump and a Cobb air filter . The car was custom tuned on a Mustang Dyno and made an additional 18whp and 37lb-tq over the stage II (ACN 91 oct gas). We then switched to E-85 and the car picked an additional 32whp/66lb-tq for a gran total of 50whp/103lb-tq over the stage II.

1) Custom tuned on 91oct yielded 281whp/330lb-tq @19psi
2) Custom tuned on E-85 yielded 313whp/396 lb-tq@20.5 psi

My car was tuned very conservatively, running a high 10 to flat 11 AFRs and with some margin of running higher boost but rememebr, I am at 2600ft levation and there is only 91oct(ACN) available.

This engine is very torquey folks!!! you get nearly 400lb-tq at 3000rms but unfortunately it starts to fade over 5500 rpms as the stock turbo strugles to maintain 14 psi.

Now more than ever I have the absolute big picture on why the Evos always dominate the 1/4 mile over the STI. The STI power and torque fade out after shifting to higher hears, the eficciency falls but that is exactly where the Evos shines. The Evo Engine maintains boost, torque and HP higher in the power band right after you shift(opposite of the STI).

On an autocross or tight road course the midrange torque on the STI makes it very competitive.

In the past I have had 3 evos, a 09WRX and then a 10 STI SE. How is the road/steering feel on the new STI? Evo with some race rubber you can feel the road with an accurate steering like high end sports car. My STI's steering and friends 04STI I've driven many years back always feels numb when comparing to the evo.

I'm more interested in the driving feel. The evo is very reactive and nimble feel which I like very much. It's one of the reason I've picked up a Fiesta ST as a beater.

I've heard the new 2015 Golf R is much improved over last gen and also a terrific car. I did test drive the S3 and was very impressed but still 75% to Evo in terms of driving feel. I am interested in the torque vectoring on the STI and I do need to test drive one.

My friends 2010 WRX.

(Quote)

So I take the WRX into the dealer for oil change and what I think might be a rattle caused by a loose heat shield or something. They take a lot longer than usual, and come back with the bad news that they think my turbo is failing. They said that in most cases, it would require a new turbo and (due to some metal in the oil pan) new bottom half of the engine. Ballpark is ~ $7,000.
I called Subaru because the car has a 5 year or 60,000 mile power train warranty, and I'm only at a little over 4 years but over on the miles (74,000). Subaru rep took my info, and said he would be contacting the dealership that did the diagnosis. They said they would contact me some time tomorrow.
Needless to say I'm in a bad mood. I really do hope Subaru can do something for me. Engine is stock, no mods. I take it to the dealer for regular maintenance.


Turned out to be....



Banjo bolt screen on the turbo gets clogged and starves turbo of oil leading to failure.

Has the been remedied in the new models?

Nice review!

Two questions

1) Have you pushed it for long amounts of time? I've heard from some fairly respectable Subaru resources that it is very difficult to push with the brake bias as it will boil the brake fluid after x amount of time.

2) From my point of view, ringland gap seems to be a bit more common than the other boards are letting on. 3 of 4 of my friends with newer subbies have had it happen. Maybe bad luck in the northwest? But seems to be a bit common around these parts.

i've heard this STi is the best ever, pretty much. i've compared it's dimensions the only one i ever liked, being the '05. it's about the same size. i think it's even smaller than an Evo X? i don't really remember. i do remember thinking "wow, it's a lot smaller than it looks".
if i ever went Subaru, it would be the new one. i mean. if i had to LOL. at least there is an alternative, now that the Evo is soon-to-be no more.
as for that engine.. it's a pain to work on (i owned an '05 WRX). everything was a pain in the butt except the timing belt. <- that was the easiest one i've EVER done.

ditto to everyone else's comments. have heard this thing is amazing, but i've already been seeing people with ringland issues. i don't get why they would develop such an amazing chassis and throw in the same old problematic motor...

on top of that subaru flat out has been denying this problem for years, basically their way of saying you're not covered if the engine goes because it's not our fault

as far as brake biased torque vectoring goes, i'm not an expert but i believe the braking action does send more power to the other side - so it isn't limiting power though it may seem that way. in that sense, ayc and other systems "limit" power to the inside wheel. could be wrong though

^--- from my same sources as before, supposedly 2016 is the year for the new engine. It makes sense judging from all of the attention the rex got.

Oops. Never mind.

Just got my evo x tuned yesterday. Bolt ons only. 368HP & 357TQ. That's why I'm glad I went with the Evo.

Cool story, bro, the Evo forums are over there. This is about a different car.

good luck with your spark plug change:lol:

The difficulty of changing the spark plugs is wildly overblown.

really? lol

I've done it. Unless you're mechanically incompetent, or have the busiest life in the world, it's not a big deal. It does take longer than an inline four, but it's not the 10/10 job people make it out to be.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1423780

So what? I've actually done it. It's not that bad. You're not going to convince me it's a horrible job when my personal experience says otherwise.

you always lived in denial. LOL

I dont want to convince you anything. You personally i dont care, but those who reads it, they might get misguided. So they can judge it by themselves .

This videos are not for you.

What even is this?

I own a Subaru. My second. I've actually done the infamous spark plug change, and helped others with theirs. It's not that bad. Is it more work than on an inline four? Absolutely. It is a hard job? No, it's just more time consuming.

For those that read it, you have the personal experience of a Subaru owner vs. the biased opinion of someone who has to link to NASIOC and Youtube videos to make a point on something he apparently has no experience with. Take that as you will.

who told you i dont have an experience with Subaru? LOL
I safely can say , at least i have as much as you do.

I might even drove and raced more then you did so far. Am i right on that?

short family video of mine, now this is for you, i hope you know what is this....
BIAS opinion :)

Yet you've said nothing about changing the spark plugs, and can only link to Youtube and NASIOC. Hell, those links don't even show that it's difficult, just that it's time consuming, as I said. It isn't a hard job, it just takes more time than on an inline four.

I don't give the slightest of ****s what your racing experience is. That doesn't mean you know what the **** you're talking about on all things cars. In seemingly every thread involving Subaru, all you do is show up and **** in the punch bowl. Maybe you should learn to stay out of these threads if all you can do is talk about how the Evo is better or make derisive comments about the car because it isn't an Evo.

Lol

Ambystom01 and Robevo RS arguing with each other on the internet is almost better than watching a good comedian.

I'm amazed the internet hasn't imploded over the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

and you barely missed a chance too :D

how. how did i miss all of this? LOL. thanks for the morning entertainment, guys.

the new STi still seems like a great car, compared to the older ones. but it's still in a different class (i.e. different purpose) than the Evo VIII & IX, but close to the X. that's not necessarily a bad thing. it looks to be a really, really good DD, if you ask me.
:thumbup:

i agree with this.

I work on my friend's 04 Sti and absolutely hate it. Its not a bad car otherwise, it pulls decent, rides good(not as firm as my RS), better highway cruising, but working on it is absolutely frustrating. Pulling the intake off on it was aggravating:lol:

however, IMO, they have the world's EASIEST timing belt replacement procedure. i hated doing everything else.
installing a set of ELH made me want to punch babies.

Not a fan of working on these due to the spark plug issue.

There is no "spark plug issue"

Put socket in hole
Put 3" extension in hole
Attach ratchet
Loosen plug
Remove tools from hole.

It's really easy.

Agreed. I dreaded changing the plugs in our WRX after reading all the interweb horror stories. But once I dug in, it really wasn't bad.

Our FR-S is about due and I'm dreading changing the plugs on that now. Remove injector covers, remove header, remove motor mounts, jack up engine, remove coils....

But guise, Evo owners on the interwebs say it's a really difficult maintenance item to perform. Your personal experience is great and all, but they have links to Youtube videos and NASIOC threads that clearly mean you're delusional and nothing but Subaru fanbois.

Guys, don't listen to them, I tried the spark plugs on my sti swapped FXT and now i am missing 3 toes, 4 teeth, my grandma, and my exhaust. it is literal hitler.








:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

drat. i've been busted! :updown:

Thought you might be joking, so I did a Google sear. You're not joking!

f that.

I actually did the exact opposite. After 1 WRX and 2 STIs, I actually switched to a an EVO. The STIs have always had nicer interiors, but lets be honest, they are still econo-car interiors. If you really want luxury car quality you have to go with the Golf R. It's good to hear that they improved the handling. I had a 2013 STI and it definitely had pronounced understeer and definitely felt much looser than the Evo. In the end, I just couldn't really bring myself to buy a third STI that was mechanically basically the same as my 2004 STI. Did the 2015 solve the issue with the 2000rpm power dip? That was actually really annoying for daily driving. The one thing I do miss is the 6 speed transmission. In addition to the extra gear, it is a very enjoyable transmission where the GSR 5 speed is very notchy.

i <3 my 6spd. i'm also not a fan of how the 5spd feels. maybe my imagination, i don't know.

Why are you driving at 2000 rpm in a turbo 4 cylinder and expecting power?

I didn't say I expected power at 2000rpm, I said there is a "power dip" issue (you might want to google "comprehensive reading"). This means that as you get going from a dead stop, at some point below 3000rpm the car feels as if you had just let go of the accelerator for a moment while you are just trying to come up to driving speed. It is very annoying for daily driving because you have to stop and go lots of times unlike in a R4CEC4R. I suppose you might be H4RDCOR3 and launch above 3000rpm at every stop light so this wouldn't affect you, but the average driver does not. This is a known issue with the GR STI, and I am curious if it is gone from the new model since it uses an all new direct injection system. If you have an actual question about the differences between the STI and the EVO from a person who has actually owned both cars I will be more than happy to answer them, otherwise I will just assume you are trolling.

I'm an ex subaru owner. Worked on them plenty of times. The spark plug replacement on a wrx or sti is not at all difficult, the forester xt on the other hand is quite difficult. The forester xt literally has almost no room between the valve cover and the frame rail, now what makes replacing spark plugs difficult to replace is that the coil packs are really bulky and there is no wiggle room to get them out. That being said its not impossible but a lot worse than a wrx or sti.

I've owned many subaru's (10 sec wrx, fxt, turbo legacy's etc.) They are not that hard to work on, with the exception being cams. Cam swap requires pulling the motor, so the EVO owns it in that department. But otherwise, plugs aren't that bad, pulling the trans is 5x easier than it is on an evo. The turbo definitely takes longer than an evo.. But the timing belt/water/pump/intake manifold/alternator/ac etc. is a lot easier on a saboobaru

we know. that's why we're poking fun the "dreaded spark plug" myth :)

Thank you, I'm well aware what you wrote. What I was getting at is why you care about a power dip at 2000 rpm in a car that is designed to be driven above 3000 rpm. I have not experienced this power dip in my 2006 STI or my 2007 WRX.

Perhaps you need to exercise some comprehensive reading since you apparently missed the part where I said I owned a Subaru.

The quote in your signature immediately comes to mind. :D

:D:D:D

You can be sure there will be always someone will say its not that hard . And that , that means very different for selected subaru / STI owners. I always wondered what is that , that means for them ... lol
They just denying ( the guys who argue against this fact) to see we actually compere to the spark plug change the STI vs the evo spark plug change, and it is harder and a lot more time consuming :D:D:D:D:D

But end of the day hard to argue with facts... specially when you even timing it. Let say at the service area( where you have 10 or 30 minutes) , or side of the road...
When you come in 3 cylinders and leave 3 cylinders with a Subaru and you leave with 4 running cylinders with an Evo :D:D:D

Amby is the best troller ever. I dont think he ever owned an Evo, but he def. has a strong opinion on it, which is at least weird from his side, because he is the one who fight the strongest against those opinions who doesnt have a Subaru and make comments on it. I never really got it why he is in the Evo forum though, specially when he has such a hard wired connection with Subaru in his heart and mind. ( which i however appreciated it ) Always makes me wonder; why would you torture your self on the "dark side "

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...2.gif~original

Based on his comments he doesn't even know , if you actually do racing over period of time, that means and involves a lot more then just steering a car. :p

Which many of you actually already knows.{thumbup}

he is def. a quite of character .

I thought he explained it pretty well…?

I hear ya. Depends on what someone’s level of “harder” is. In my opinion, It’s harder and more time consuming in the way that changing a 5-lug wheel is harder and more time consuming than a 4-lug.

yes pretty much.

This exactly! My buddy has a '15 STI and it's nicer than my 05 STI was for sure. I think they are still using the exact same ****ty seats they did in 05 though, why won't SOA just bring Recaros to the USDM STI's?

Why are people even arguing about spark plug changes being harder on an STI? They are, it's a fact and I personally hated doing them with a passion. Just like it's a fact that Serpentine belt replacements are harder on an Evo but they are not nearly as rage inducing.

Neither a 2006 STI or a 2007 WRX are a "GR STI", so your argument is irrelevant. Once again you either have not comprehensively read my post, or you are just being a troll. I understand at this point you are just going to keep arguing even though I have already explained the reason for my question in plenty of detail, so I am done feeding the troll. Have a nice day.

To the OP, sorry for getting off topic...

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

wait, not one pic of the STI....fail.

Get to drive my friend's 2015 STI in a couple hours. Excited! :headbang:

Great little review.

I wonder if they'll release a facelifted version in the near future with an updated engine, or if they're just committed to the EJ25 for the duration of this generation.

i'll be interested to hear once they updated the engine.

i talked to a buddy who owns a shop that works on stis etc. he said the chassis is very very similar to the gr sedan sti, but with a lot more reinforcements to make it stiffer. not sure how true that is or not.

Just noticed this thread. I have a 15 as well, and I had a IX MR. I loved the IX, and I kick myself often for selling it (I didn't have room, and was building a Spec E30). The Sti is more tail-happy (if you set it one click off locked) but the IX had a far superior motor. Sti has too much sound deadening, steering doesn't have as much feel, it feels heavier. I also was one of those seemingly rare Evo owners who never had any issues with the car, despite running it on the track a lot. Just regular maintenance. The Sti has been in the shop I think 8 times, for 3 different issues that took multiple trips each. Leaky diff, loose trunk banging and chipping, backup screen all wavy. I also found 1/4 of a hamburger patty under the e-brake lever one time when I picked it up but that is probably a one-off issue :lol:

I wish I'd kept the IX. I like the Sti a lot, but it is too mature. The IX was more playful. I liked that it felt like it was going to blow apart at any moment, kind of like my Spec car. By mature I mean everything feels a little softer, a little slower, a little muted. Less raw. As a DD, Sti hands down. As a toy, the IX.

Also if ambients hit 95ish and drive over 75ish mph the car goes to ****, knocks like crazy (logger showed 8s, 2 is normally where people start to worry from what I've ready, and it was loud). On CA 91 pisstane, but I suspect that isn't the only issue. The guy who ran the 15 at the isle of Mann said they had to pull boost significantly at high speeds because the design of the scoop sucks and stalls at high speed...combine that with high temps and you get a butter-pistoned motor knocking like it is trying to intrude on Little Richard.

Oh and the torque vectoring is garbage, I always use all-off mode to disable it. It is inconsistent and lurchy.

I used to have some Subarus. Last one was a 99 Legacy GT. Camshaft decided to destroy itself while my wife was driving it. After 6 or 7 of them over a few years, they just had a lot of problems. All were used, I never bought new, but yah, I'm done with Subaru. enjoy your car, sir, but I don't think i'll ever get one.

Good 1 month bump.

Bump

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...l-quality.html

interesting , but usually i dont believe magazines. Anyway, something to read a mean time... crickets...

Cool, that's relevant in a personal review thread.

I've had a '15 STI for a few months now and in terms of handling, fit and finish it is much better than my previous 3 Subies. I still have a '10 STI hatch so I sometimes get back-to-back comparisons and the new car is so much nicer. The OEM handling is much improved.

Obviously engine performance is pretty similar except the '15 has a slightly larger turbo so it does make slightly more power up top. My only disappointment is that it still uses the EJ25 and the perceived problems that go with it. This is my 4th EJ25 and I didn't have any issues with the first 3 but obviously there are people out there who have had problems for a vaiety of reasons.

I read a magazine that the next gen sti is going to look like the BRZ and not the base model impreza. Maybe it means a new engine ect.

Took my sweet time on this. Job change.
https://www.evolutionm.net/articles/evo-x-vs-2015-sti/

I hear the newest Sti is very good. I know a guy running one in B Stock at local autox. He is faster than most cars out there.

Nice review Noize. I'd agree with pretty much everything, except for that (personally) the X is just unownably ugly. I drove them a few times trying to force myself to like it, but I just can't.

I'll reiterate what I posted before about the Sti, as I did a track day in 95ish degree heat and I could do about 1/2 hot lap before the gauge started climbing. Brakes are much better with new pads.

Noize mentioned that the pseudo yaw control can be turned off, but only if you completely turn off traction control. The "Trac" mode still has it.

Also, messing around with center diff settings seems to have a more pronounced affect than it did on my IX. At lower speeds, setting it one step off locked makes it more tail happy. I didn't get to test it at high speeds yet as the car has gone to **** at both my track days.

Do the WRX/STI's still not have an external oil cooler???

I'm not sure, but they get really hot really fast. I'm looking into easy mods, like retrofitting the old IC sprayer and adding one for the radiator, turbo blanket (supposedly requires removing the IC to install), try removing the undertray, and some other things like cutting out the holes in the fender vents bigger, but it is so bad that I doubt any quick fixes will cure it.

This last track day, I ran the tank down on the way in and filled it with 100 octane (since it was knocking last time on regular CA premium) and it still knocked really bad once it got hot, and as I said it only got about 1/2 lap before the temp gauge started moving. 95ish degree day. This time, we were running 30 min sessions alternating cars/bikes so it probably wouldn't have been as bad if it got to sit longer, but the first time I opened it up (2nd session, first I bed new pads and just took it easy) it started popping overheat warnings. Then once it was hot, it started to knock.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has tracked these or even hooned them on a 95+ degree day to see if they have had issues too, but from looking at the logs everything looks good other than the heat creeping up.

Adding a real external oil cooler will do wonders. If it is just like the older EJ25's then it just has that lame little finned oil filter mount to cool things.

Do you still have a top mount intercooler? Because there really isn't any way to avoid heat soak.
I would do three back-to-back pulls to data log. I could see the whp drop after each.
Maybe that's part of your detonation issue?

Did you do this on a chassis dyno or on the road and one of them datalog virtual dyno things? Not saying your findings are false, but top mount intercoolers work a lot better when actually moving than can be replicated on a dyno... Unless you strap one of them blower fans on to the intercooler

I do all my data logs on the road. It consisted of a pull, u-turn, pull, u-turn, pull. Less and less power on each run.
Maybe a top-mount can resist all that rising heat coming from the turbo and engine, but I'm not sure how. I do know the car did this every time.
I can't think of a better explanation.

An intercooler bolted on top of a heat source never made sense to me.

I'm not ready to really start modding, as it only has 4k miles. Waiting to see if the butter pistons blow. If they do, then it is party time. Also trying to decide if I want to keep this car long term. I like it a lot...other than the motor and it being a little too refined. If they go with the DI motor and it is more tunable then I might swap cars. I really miss the IX, but I searched for a while and couldn't find a good one for reasonable money.

I did order some heat shielding material to wrap the intake box and sleeves for some of the hoses. If they arrive in time, I'll test it at the track next week. I added a Cobb SF intake/box since the last track day, but it is pretty poorly sealed and probably will make soak worse as-is. I just wanted some turbo sounds, and everyone says not to go with a drop in filter (which made my IX a lot louder) for some reason. Also trying to figure out a water mister system for the IC and radiator, but I'll look into oil cooler. I rather not install anything that can't be popped off for warranty work at this point, though my dealer so far has been really cool. With other brands, I've had the dealer install coolers and other bits and they'd roll it into the warranty, but idk if Subaru will do it.

The only reason I could see not using a drop-in filter is if it's foam. Is that what they meant? Weird.

Cobb said not to use one. I've seen people on the scooby forums say it too. Cobb didn't give me a definite answer as to why other than it messes with the tune (stock or their tunes), so it might partially be marketing, but they have been pretty straight up in my dealings with them over the years.

Interesting. Cobb tunes are usually "off the shelf". Maybe that's why. I dunno

Their off the shelf tunes worked fine with a drop in on the IX from what I'd heard, though mine in particular did not like the tune even when it was completely stock. I had to get it pro-tuned. Usually drop ins are ok since they don't change the maf at all, just a tad more flow. I'm getting really high idle fueling adjustment with the SF, axle back, and OTS SF tune, but once it's off idle it is knocking less than it did stock. I have only had it out on the highway since the install though, been busy at work. I'm looking into local pro-tuners too, but I haven't decided if I'm keeping the SF yet. It is really just a noise maker.

Hehe. I'm still getting used to the terms "pro tune" and "protuner".

2015 STI own review after owning 4 Evos
 

The dealer by me is both Subaru and Mitsubishi in one. I test drove both of them. Liked the sti a lot but loved the evo. The salesman said before you make your final decision I want to show you something. Went back to service to find....wait for it......a 2015 sti on a lift with no engine in it. Gone at 3k miles stock. Talked to mechanic for a while. Said he has seen 3 of these happen. And never has evos in for anything other than oil changes and alignments. Hearing that straight from the source had me leave in an Evo. The sti is really nice inside though. Just too nervous about that old engine and its well documented problems.

One of the bike guys at the track today had an Sti and blew up the motor, now he is looking for an Evo. His was running almost 400 whp though, and it was about 10 years old.

The track was relatively cool today at 90 degrees ambient, and the coolant never went over 230. It mostly was in the 220s. The temp reading at the MAF is much better now after insulating the airbox, stayed within 3 degrees of ambient while the car was at speed. Unfortunately no temp readings post IC, but I had no knock other than at light throttle and it always does that a little.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.evo...27b6585656.jpg

Brakes got a little squishy and one time the pedal almost hit the floor, but that was after 2 hot laps, and I'm using XP10s front and XP8s rear, dot4, and all else stock. I was not being super aggressive on the brakes since I was on stock tires.

Was being the operative word.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.evo...27b6585656.jpg

That happened mid-corner and the sudden loss of traction put me in a spin. So time to find better tires. And detail the interior :lol: Also I might have had it set one click off of locked on the center diff and been drifting...I was the only car that showed up so I figured I'd experiment a bit. In that setting and the TC off, the rear will move a lot. Especially if you do a little lift to get it started then mash the throttle.

what fluid?

Ate amber 200. I like that it doesn't need to be changed more than regular fluid for street use, though it isn't the best track fluid. It works great in my E30 which is basically a spec car, and I usually bleed before every event and flush once a year. I'm going to try adding ducts after I get tires.

Hopefully I haven't taken this thread too far off track, but I figured if anyone is interested in an Sti they'd be interested in how it does on track in near stock form.

I will chime in as I owned 2 Subarus... an 07 STi and an 05 WRX... and of course 2 Evos, 8 GSR and 9 MR.

I will start with the Subies as that was my first of the 4. The 07 STi was notorious for hesitation issues and the one I had was bad. Even after running a Cobb AP with an OTS map, it was still there. I sold it and picked up a 9 MR. My first Evo was like night and day compared to the 07 STi. I realized that the GD was even further behind compared to any Evo. I kept the Evo for almost 3 years.. wished I would of kept it but I was buying a place at the time so it had to go. Sold it then picked up an 05 WRX about 9 months later. I got the car fairly cheap and even with bolt ons, there was no comparison but I loved the car. It was reliable and and never had problems with it. Was slow though like I mentioned.
About a year later I came across another Evo and picked it up. Sold the WRX and focused on the Evo. This 8 came with some issues but it was due to the previous owner. I sold the car as I started itching for a X but I never did pick one up.

my point of this rant is I considered a new STi(test drove one and the WRX) but the fact of the matter is the engine is what scares me the most. Until Subaru changes the engine like it did the WRX I wont buy another STI. Not saying the new engine is better since it hasn't been around long enough to prove itself, but it cannot be worst the the current STI engine.

I have decided on a X MR and being that the EVO is no more (for the foreseeable future) makes me want one even more. I know the car is already dated but I really cannot find another else out there that I really want. Even now approaching my 40s and owning a couple of BMWs, my heart is still with the EVO... so I applaud the OP for making the jump... but it is a risky one.

WORD :cool::D:lol:

2015 STI own review after owning 4 Evos
 

Dude there is a story on the Subaru forums about a guy who's couple year old Sti motor blew up on him. He traded it in (read gave it away) on a new Sti and THAT one blew up on him too LOL. He was so embarrassed because his friends and family told him not to get another one and he did anyway. It's hard not to laugh at that but honestly any and all cars can and do have major problems. Some just have a whole heck of a lot more than others. And then don't fix them for 10 years...
I drove a 15 Sti and it still had that terrible hesitation and it felt like the tune was complete garbage with literally less than 10 miles on it. Sounded damn good though and the steering feel was almost as good as the evo. I just don't want to wonder if my engine will blow up every time I drive my car.

Highly recommend Torque RT700. Best fluid I have used to date and I've used almost all.

Works great and track and lasts a long time, which is good because it costs a good amount.

I am the OP and here is my update:

I traded the STI with all the mods and got a Audi S3. The STI was a great car, I wouldn't mind getting another one in the future but the engine is ancient and the gas mileage sucks!

The S3 that I have now runs significantly faster and quicker than my STI with all the stuf done(E-85 ,headers, tune, exhaust, CF driveshaft). In my opinion and despite not having the STI anymore I can say that is a very fine car, too bad the car sucks for gas mileage though.

What was your average STI gas mileage? What year Audi S3?

edit: nevermind, you answered/continued in another thread.