# Which Subaru WRX STi is best?



## basketball

I am looking to buy a car. I really like the WRX STi. Which year of them do you like best?
 I really like the "04 and "05. They look sweet, and the exhaust note is bliss.
 Its the ideal car for Canadian winters 
 If any of you guys own one, please comment, let me know what you think and if you have had any problems with them in terms of engine and transmission.


----------



## alv4426

I am an ex WRX owner and I have driven a few STis and an Evo and I wouldn't recommend buying a used WRX/STi/Evo. I drove mine about as "nice" as anyone ever will and I still beat on that car more than I would an average car. So imagine how beat all the cars owned by 16 year olds trying to impress their friends by doing horrible clutch dumps and pretending to be rally drivers down residential streets. The cars are great at what they were meant to do, its pretty much impossible to not look like a great driver in one, its very good in bad weather, and if you put an exhaust on it is great at scaring grandmas and pissing off your neighbors. But its also not that good at other stuff such as their interiors are very sparse and uncomfortable, not very reliable, get terrible gas mileage, only quick when it comes to acceleration not much on the highway, and don't have much room in them. I bought mine brand new had it for about 2.5 years and by the time I sold it with only 21K mi the transmission/synchros were already giving out. My dealer actually told me that it was a very common issue and that it happens under any driving conditions. If you want a car that is fun and still good in the snow I would recommend a Legacy that way at least there is a better chance it wasn't beat up as much.


----------



## basketball

Lol thanks for the response.
 I like the legacy, but it
Seems more of a car for old people, while the sti is more
or younger people. What mpg are you talking when you say terrible? 
So you would avoid sti's with high mileage right?


----------



## alv4426

I was getting low 20s on the highway, but then again speed limits are more like guidelines to me. I wouldn't recommend any used Sti unless you found one with only one owner and that owner was a grandma who only drove it to church on Sundays. Honestly they are not worth the money. If you are just buying one because of looks buy a regular Impreza and buy a shopping cart wing, flame stickers (that add 500hp), a giant boost gauge (even though you'd  have no turbo) and be done with it. 


basketball said:


> Lol thanks for the response.
> I like the legacy, but it
> Seems more of a car for old people, while the sti is more
> or younger people. What mpg are you talking when you say terrible?
> So you would avoid sti's with high mileage right?


----------



## basketball

alv4426 said:


> I was getting low 20s on the highway, but then again speed limits are more like guidelines to me. I wouldn't recommend any used Sti unless you found one with only one owner and that owner was a grandma who only drove it to church on Sundays. Honestly they are not worth the money. If you are just buying one because of looks buy a regular Impreza and buy a shopping cart wing, flame stickers (that add 500hp), a giant boost gauge (even though you'd  have no turbo) and be done with it.




Well low 20's isn't that bad. I will definitely look into the number of owner and I will do a carfax, that is if I decide on buying one.


----------



## OmarCCX

In the long run you'd probably save more money getting a new STI instead of a used one. And to be fair, the STI hasn't changed much over the last decade.


----------



## basketball

omarccx said:


> In the long run you'd probably save more money getting a new STI instead of a used one. And to be fair, the STI hasn't changed much over the last decade.




Well if I get into price of new sti's then I can get a BMW 335i which is substantially better than an sti


----------



## OmarCCX

Yeah, but you'd be looking at 335s with the N54 engine which from what I've seen have had some issues. I wouldn't have the balls to get a BMW out of warranty.


----------



## alv4426

Id be a lot more worried about a Sti than a BMW. Not really sure about turbo models thou
   
  Quote: 





omarccx said:


> Yeah, but you'd be looking at 335s with the N54 engine which from what I've seen have had some issues. I wouldn't have the balls to get a BMW out of warranty.


----------



## basketball

Well it's about how hard you would drive either. I think the wrx sti would be driven harder. The sti is also more suitable for Canadian winters since its AWD against the 335i's. I guess you can also get the 335i in AWD but it'll be extra $$. 
Which cars have longer warrentys?


----------



## g0dM@n

I almost bought the WRX 2012 and ordered it in October.  I went with my younger brother to see if we can cut a deal on 2 cars.  After leaving the dealership and deciding to try another Subaru dealership, my mother found out... she was cool with the younger one buying a new car, but not me (30 yrs old, married, and still living in a co-op). She persuaded me to look into a house down the street and lo and behold I bought that house just a few weeks ago... instead of the car.
   
  Well, I'm jealous (sounds girlie, but I am)... my little brother bought the car in the color I wanted, and exactly how I wanted it.  His car... ROCKS!!
   
  In the summer of 2008 I looked for a WRX, for the older (~2006) model b/c that was my favorite.  Now, I've taken a liking for the new design.
   
  After my brother put in a good chunk of change into straight pipes, intake, boost gauges (he did it all himself) - and he had the boost adjusted at a shop.  The difference was substantial.
  His car as just as fast, if not faster than the STi... of course the STi has better suspension, brakes, etc, but his WRX really man handles the road.  It sounds awesome, looks awesome, performs awesome.
   
  The STi is the car I've always wanted, but if I'm to buy a car again, I think I will do what my brother did... since I'd have the car as my daily car and wouldn't want a suspension too tight likt the STi anyway.  2 of my buddies let me ride their STis a few years back and I remember it being uncomfortable if we had to take a long ride (speed limit) anywhere... too stiff for a daily car.


----------



## OmarCCX

The transmission is the biggest difference between the WRX/STi. Some say the 5-speed is quite fragile.


----------



## g0dM@n

True... my brother definitely wishes it were 6-speed, but fragile I haven't heard about... I assume the people who say it's fragile are the ones that have added horsepower?


----------



## froster2006

driving a 2011 one white 4 door one now, loving it!


----------



## basketball

froster2006 said:


> driving a 2011 one white 4 door one now, loving it!



Have you had any problems yet? 
Do you have the sedan or hatchback?


----------



## Zulkr9

IMO the 22B, The newer ones understeer as far as I know.


----------



## basketball

Actually the evo's look good to.


----------



## OmarCCX

Quote: 





basketball said:


> Actually the evo's look good to.


 
   
  I'm not a massive Evo fan, but I like the GSR Evo X. Too bad it only has 5-speeds. It's got to suck on the highway.  And I don't really care about automatics, even if they have dual-clutches.
  I also never liked Evos engine notes compared to Subarus.


----------



## basketball

Anyone?


----------



## choka

I have a 07 WRX and I agree with what alv4426 has to say. I won't buy a used one, knowing how I drive it, and how most people drive these cars.
   
  That being said, it's been 6 years and I have zero major issues with mine so far, so obviously I drive like a grandma.


----------



## basketball

Quote: 





choka said:


> I have a 07 WRX and I agree with what alv4426 has to say. I won't buy a used one, knowing how I drive it, and how most people drive these cars.
> 
> That being said, it's been 6 years and I have zero major issues with mine so far, so obviously I drive like a grandma.


 
  I heard the 2006-2007 have lots of problems, is that true? Unfortunately, the model I am with love is the 2004-2005 WRX STi. Alot of them have high milage but there are also ones with lower milage. Hopefully within 2 years I will be able to buy one. I will be looking for original owner only. And must be fully stock of course. 
   
  The problem is though when ever you buy a used car you never really know how is what driven by the previous owner(s). I mean you could buy a Mazda 3 2.3L and it could have been driven hard. Right, So most WRX STi are driven hard but thats why i will be looking for original owner, low milage. And I live in Canada so under 100xxx Kilometers for sure. 
   
  Do you ever street race? Do you keep up with SRT's and GTI's?


----------



## Elberoth

2004-2005 WRX STi, aka blob eye, are the least problematic. And the most pretty. I bet they will become a classic. The Hawk Eye models (the ones with 2.5l engines) had a lot of problems with those engines.
   
  And never/ever buy a WRX - I have went through 3 gearboxes. 5-speed gearboxes suck. 6-speed is almost unbreakable (unless you decide to triple the car power that is).
   
  STi is such a cool car. I get much more looks driving my Scooby than my Audi S5.


----------



## basketball

Quote: 





elberoth said:


> 2004-2005 WRX STi, aka blob eye, are the least problematic. And the most pretty. I bet they will become a classic. The Hawk Eye models (the ones with 2.5l engines) had a lot of problems with those engines.
> 
> And never/ever buy a WRX - I have went through 3 gearboxes. 5-speed gearboxes suck. 6-speed is almost unbreakable (unless you decide to triple the car power that is).
> 
> STi is such a cool car. I get much more looks driving my Scooby than my Audi S5.


 
  You get more looks because of the sound the STi makes! I want to buy a 2004-2005 STi within 3 years or less. Or a BRZ STi if they ever come out.


----------



## choka

I must be lucky because my hawkeye still have zero problems.
   
  From what I've heard so far, all the rumors say the BRZ STi will not have turbo.


----------



## basketball

choka said:


> I must be lucky because my hawkeye still have zero problems.
> 
> From what I've heard so far, all the rumors say the BRZ STi will not have turbo.




Looks like an upgrade to 230 horsepower and some other upgrades such as 4 piston brakes. I think 250-260hp would be ideal. I think the want to keep the BRZ STi very balanced.


----------



## basketball

:mad:Any one


----------



## mvrk10256

So I just figured i would throw this out there. 
  
 I have wrenched on a few, and dont particularly care for them, however i have never owned one. 
  
 word of warning - AWD helps you get going, helps you go around turns, but it doesnt help you stop. This is something the wrx/STI fan boys do not seem to understand. you slap some RS-3 on your car, and think you can rally cross.


----------



## basketball

Man oh man the new 2.5rs rsti video on drive channel on youtube is amazing


----------



## GearMe

The one with the best Audio system!


----------



## basketball

gearme said:


> The one with the best Audio system!


 
 If you are referring to the drive video. The jdm one sounds way better.


----------



## Randall DZM

The JDM one definitely sounded better. I like the EJ257 motor more though. Currently, I'm driving a 1994 Impreza L and have done a ton of suspension work to it (mainly). Plans are eventually to swap in an 05 WRX STI everything (as much as I can). Having been in and around Subaru community the last couple years of my life, my advice is definitely look for a lightly used 04-05 WRX/STI (Won't be easy by any means, most have been driven hard or are at a point where major problems are gonna happen soon. Also avoid the "returned to stock" cars IMO) OR get a Legacy 2.5GT. They're very comfortable for daily driving and are bigger than the impreza while still being really fun cars. Definitely not an old person's car. haha


----------



## basketball

randall dzm said:


> The JDM one definitely sounded better. I like the EJ257 motor more though. Currently, I'm driving a 1994 Impreza L and have done a ton of suspension work to it (mainly). Plans are eventually to swap in an 05 WRX STI everything (as much as I can). Having been in and around Subaru community the last couple years of my life, my advice is definitely look for a lightly used 04-05 WRX/STI (Won't be easy by any means, most have been driven hard or are at a point where major problems are gonna happen soon. Also avoid the "returned to stock" cars IMO) OR get a Legacy 2.5GT. They're very comfortable for daily driving and are bigger than the impreza while still being really fun cars. Definitely not an old person's car. haha


 

 Problem is the reliability. A lot of these Sti's need motor rebuilds because they are driven so hard. you know?


----------



## Shaffer

alv4426 said:


> I am an ex WRX owner and I have driven a few STis and an Evo and I wouldn't recommend buying a used WRX/STi/Evo. I drove mine about as "nice" as anyone ever will and I still beat on that car more than I would an average car. So imagine how beat all the cars owned by 16 year olds trying to impress their friends by doing horrible clutch dumps and pretending to be rally drivers down residential streets. The cars are great at what they were meant to do, its pretty much impossible to not look like a great driver in one, its very good in bad weather, and if you put an exhaust on it is great at scaring grandmas and pissing off your neighbors. But its also not that good at other stuff such as their interiors are very sparse and uncomfortable, not very reliable, get terrible gas mileage, only quick when it comes to acceleration not much on the highway, and don't have much room in them. I bought mine brand new had it for about 2.5 years and by the time I sold it with only 21K mi the transmission/synchros were already giving out. My dealer actually told me that it was a very common issue and that it happens under any driving conditions. If you want a car that is fun and still good in the snow I would recommend a Legacy that way at least there is a better chance it wasn't beat up as much.




FWIW. I've owned/own two Evolutions; drive a IX on the street. The most reliable car I've had in 35 years behind the wheel. The car is tuned and I drive hard. This being said, I'm the original owner and no bolt has been turned that didn't have to be. Compare that to the typical 5-owner beat-to-crap Evo, modded and de-modded by each one, launched at every opportunity. Sure things will break, especially with +500awhp on tap. I wouldn't buy a used one, either.


----------



## basketball

shaffer said:


> FWIW. I've owned/own two Evolutions; drive a IX on the street. The most reliable car I've had in 35 years behind the wheel. The car is tuned and I drive hard. This being said, I'm the original owner and no bolt has been turned that didn't have to be. Compare that to the typical 5-owner beat-to-crap Evo, modded and de-modded by each one, launched at every opportunity. Sure things will break, especially with +500awhp on tap. I wouldn't buy a used one, either.


 

 Really? i know evo's have reliable motors, but their transmission's are another story


----------



## CZ4A

basketball said:


> Really? i know evo's have reliable motors, but their transmission's are another story


 
  
 Depends on the transmission. The 5-speed manual in the VIII/IX/X GSR and RS models is _very_ stout. The 6-speed in the VIII/IX MR is more fragile. The 6-speed SST (dual-clutch) in the X MR has beefy gears but the clutch packs aren't good for more than 300-350whp. Repair and replacement costs are crazy on the SST as well.
  
 My daily driver is a lightly-modded 2008 Evo X MR. I bought it used with low miles and a great service history. Yes, it has the SST, but if I do more than bolt-ons then upgraded clutch packs or a 5-speed swap will be on order. I haven't had any problems and I've put 10,000 miles on it in the 7 months I've owned it.


----------



## basketball

cz4a said:


> Depends on the transmission. The 5-speed manual in the VIII/IX/X GSR and RS models is _very_ stout. The 6-speed in the VIII/IX MR is more fragile. The 6-speed SST (dual-clutch) in the X MR has beefy gears but the clutch packs aren't good for more than 300-350whp. Repair and replacement costs are crazy on the SST as well.
> 
> My daily driver is a lightly-modded 2008 Evo X MR. I bought it used with low miles and a great service history. Yes, it has the SST, but if I do more than bolt-ons then upgraded clutch packs or a 5-speed swap will be on order. I haven't had any problems and I've put 10,000 miles on it in the 7 months I've owned it.


 

 Nice. So Evo's are more reliable then sit's its safe to say?
  
 Since originally commenting in this thread I've owned a 2002 WRX. It had top end mods: injectors, intercooler,turbo,tune, AP racing BBK and suspension components. I bought this car on my 18th birthday, 6 months later the main bearing spun. It really did suck. It was my dream car, wish It would of lasted longer. 
  
 Point being Im thinking bout buying an Evo X in the next few years possibly. I;ve driven them before. I live in Northern Canada so we have like 7-8 months of winter with lots of snow. So AWD and a turbo is always an amazing time.


----------



## 1SlowSTI

So I'll chime in. First of all, wow this post has been around a while.... So, mines my daily driver, sitting at 373 WHP on a VERY conservative tune! (25 out of 55 lbs). And I have had not one prob with my Blob eye. Now at 145K. I love it. Of corse normal mx items come up, but that's ANY sports car that's driven like a sports car, and every turbo car has its boosted problems the same... As for BMW comparison, I'm your guy. I just sold my fully set up 135 with N54. Yes, problematic. Great motor capabilities though. I had 809WHP on stock internals with my single turbo upgrade and meth. Not getting that out of a Sub's stock motor. LoL but these cars are great even if driven sporty as long as maintained. The STI is build to be run. Did you not decide yet?????? Come on


----------



## basketball

1slowsti said:


> So I'll chime in. First of all, wow this post has been around a while.... So, mines my daily driver, sitting at 373 WHP on a VERY conservative tune! (25 out of 55 lbs). And I have had not one prob with my Blob eye. Now at 145K. I love it. Of corse normal mx items come up, but that's ANY sports car that's driven like a sports car, and every turbo car has its boosted problems the same... As for BMW comparison, I'm your guy. I just sold my fully set up 135 with N54. Yes, problematic. Great motor capabilities though. I had 809WHP on stock internals with my single turbo upgrade and meth. Not getting that out of a Sub's stock motor. LoL but these cars are great even if driven sporty as long as maintained. The STI is build to be run. Did you not decide yet?????? Come on


 

 Yeah. I started thus thread back when I was in high school. I have since bought a 2002 bug eye wrx with top end mods, that motor has since spun a rod bearing. So right now I'm driving a fully loaded accord. Im in school right now. I'm thinking once I graduate Ill buy a newer lower milage eve 10 gsr. I live up north in Canada, so the Subaru are like the funnest cars ever to drive when it snows 1 feet of fresh snow. But I'm not trying to loose 5 grand with another blown motor on my hard earned money.


----------



## Shaffer

...deleted


----------



## basketball

ok


----------



## Rotsen

Its hard to find sti's that are low mileage you just have to dig deep in the US. Its better to go to japan, and buy it overseas. I know its a lot of saving its worth it.


----------



## MermaidMan




----------



## Shaffer

rotsen said:


> Its hard to find sti's that are low mileage you just have to dig deep in the US. Its better to go to japan, and buy it overseas. I know its a lot of saving its worth it.




AFAIK, a car has to be more than 25 years old to be imported into the US without having to go through extensive modifications and a subsequent certification.


----------



## CZ4A

shaffer said:


> AFAIK, a car has to be more than 25 years old to be imported into the US without having to go through extensive modifications and a subsequent certification.


 
  
 OP says he lives in Northern Canada, so he can legally import 15 year old cars from outside the country.


----------



## Shaffer

cz4a said:


> OP says he lives in Northern Canada, so he can legally import 15 year old cars from outside the country.




I wasn't responding to the OP. The relevant text and its author were quoted in the post.

Edit: I see what you were talking about now. Yes, the Canadians are subject to different constraints.


----------



## basketball

shaffer said:


> I wasn't responding to the OP. The relevant text and its author were quoted in the post.
> 
> Edit: I see what you were talking about now. Yes, the Canadians are subject to different constraints.


 

 Yah its 15 years here in Canada. We already has 2000 Subaru wrx Sti Bug eyes being imported. Ive driven a few right hand drive cars, it's definitely unique but I wouldn't want it all the time. 
  
 I do live in Northern Canada, so a turbo AWD car is pure bliss.


----------



## bigx5murf

basketball said:


> Problem is the reliability. A lot of these Sti's need motor rebuilds because they are driven so hard. you know?


 
 I'm not sure the reliability issues are simply from lack of mechanical empathy. Most of the subbie owners I know from autox and track days, so they're all driven hard, and are maintained well since they're owned by enthusiasts. Some of these just take a beating and keep on ticking. Others are plagued by trans and motor issues. The ringlands blowing is a real issue. But some just never experience it. My guess is, it's more a roll of the dice, likely it's an issue with quality control, or manufacturing differences.


----------



## GoldieLax

Hey, I realize its quite a few years later from the start of this thread, maybe there is a chance it't still active?
  
 Anyways, I'm 17 and busting my chops to hopefully purchase a wrx sti hatch for my own 18th birthday next march. 
  
 I am-as much as I hate to say it-in that fanboy/honeymoon phase where everything about the car sounds awesome.
  
 I'm looking to gather insight into the risks of getting "married", would like to see what the housework is like beforehand.
  
 I do have an affection for the "blob eye" sti's but am looking for a 2014ish hawk-eye model
  
 I plan to use it as my daily, *think* i want to upgrade it, will get lots of use on the roads but not racing sort of stuff so no real heavy, stupid use. 
  
 main question is: which engine of the sti hatchback's is the most reliable? and does anyone thing they will make the sti hatches again?
  
 also, what's with the sgp chassis stuff? seems odd that they're using the same chassis layout for multiple models etc. 
  
 that's all i have for now, thank you for your future response! 
  
 -Schuyler


----------



## bigx5murf

goldielax said:


> Hey, I realize its quite a few years later from the start of this thread, maybe there is a chance it't still active?
> 
> Anyways, I'm 17 and busting my chops to hopefully purchase a wrx sti hatch for my own 18th birthday next march.
> 
> ...


 
 As I mentioned, the biggest issue with these EJ25 motors is ringland failure. There's simply no agreed upon accepted answer on why it happens. If by "upgrade" you mean you want to modify for performance. You'll increase the risk of having ringland failure. Cobb access port + a competent tuner can minimize the risks. But there are many other factors that could cause ringland failure. One is oil blow by, you'll need to install a quality oil catch can, and monitor it's levels, and empty as needed. Next is the fact the factory pistons aren't forged like the EVO, so if you go playing with increasing boost, they'll give sooner.
  
 I highly recommend getting a compression test on any you're considering on buying. If any cylinder is too much lower than the others, move on. When you find one, I recommend not doing any engine modifications, not even intake/exhaust. Do all the recommended maintenance first. New brakes and tires if possible, and learn the car's limits. First performance mod should be a cobb AP. Don't use it to tune right away, use it to monitor, so you know what normal operating parameters are, so you can spot when something's wrong.
  
 Also, the 1st gen bug eyes are known for weak transmissions. I have a friend with one who's on his 4th transmission, and can do the swap by himself on jack stands in 3 hours. No matter which generation you get, repeated awd launches are going to break a transmission sooner or later. I'd take care to avoid them, even though that seat sucking awd launch feeling can be addicting.


----------



## GoldieLax

bigx5murf said:


> As I mentioned, the biggest issue with these EJ25 motors is ringland failure. There's simply no agreed upon accepted answer on why it happens. If by "upgrade" you mean you want to modify for performance. You'll increase the risk of having ringland failure. Cobb access port + a competent tuner can minimize the risks. But there are many other factors that could cause ringland failure. One is oil blow by, you'll need to install a quality oil catch can, and monitor it's levels, and empty as needed. Next is the fact the factory pistons aren't forged like the EVO, so if you go playing with increasing boost, they'll give sooner.
> 
> I highly recommend getting a compression test on any you're considering on buying. If any cylinder is too much lower than the others, move on. When you find one, I recommend not doing any engine modifications, not even intake/exhaust. Do all the recommended maintenance first. New brakes and tires if possible, and learn the car's limits. First performance mod should be a cobb AP. Don't use it to tune right away, use it to monitor, so you know what normal operating parameters are, so you can spot when something's wrong.
> 
> Also, the 1st gen bug eyes are known for weak transmissions. I have a friend with one who's on his 4th transmission, and can do the swap by himself on jack stands in 3 hours. No matter which generation you get, repeated awd launches are going to break a transmission sooner or later. I'd take care to avoid them, even though that seat sucking awd launch feeling can be addicting.


 
  
  
 Thanks for the immediate response, I apologize it's taken me two weeks!  
  
 I did some research on everything you mentioned, and only came up with the stuff you mentioned  thanks for summarizing it so well! i did find a website that basically elaborated on your points-  https://www.maperformance.com/blogs/maperformance-blog/77034371-how-to-avoid-piston-failure-subaru-performance-tips
  
 so the whole ringland failure thing is kinda caused by the alloy pistons, and the third ringland, but can be almost prevented by an oil catch and the ap. pretty neat stuff to me, those are definitely the types of upgrades id rather do to my car, ones that will help it last. so the ap can help fix the detonation timing, which is basically the whole lean vs rich gas/air combo, right? i never understood mapping/ how that was done, though it seems like the reflash thing on the ram could be solved by just adjusting the actual ecu and not having to technically bypass it with another ecu.. also the heavy load thing about the rpms, i guess thats what you were saying about no awd launches huh. cant believe the evo has forged pistons, you'd think subaru would have taken note of at least their own engine failure and fixed it over the last ten years or so? they've barely updated their engines it seems, or their interior.. 
  
 so you say not to tune the access port, do you mean to stage 1,2 stuff or the base remapping too? ive read that the stock factory tune isnt all that great in the first place. with the reflash thing, so if your battery dies, you need to reset it? im probably not making sense, i just got off work. ill try and rewrite my questions another day when im thinking straight and comprehending the information better 
 thanks!


----------



## GoldieLax

ive been reading up on a FA20 engine with the avcs vvt, and the direct ports, sounds much better then the ej motors? though i guess it doesn't come in the impreza's. so this is the next evolution, is the vvt gimmicky?


----------



## bigx5murf

goldielax said:


> so the whole ringland failure thing is kinda caused by the alloy pistons, and the third ringland, but can be almost prevented by an oil catch and the ap. pretty neat stuff to me, those are definitely the types of upgrades id rather do to my car, ones that will help it last. so the ap can help fix the detonation timing, which is basically the whole lean vs rich gas/air combo, right? i never understood mapping/ how that was done, though it seems like the reflash thing on the ram could be solved by just adjusting the actual ecu and not having to technically bypass it with another ecu.. also the heavy load thing about the rpms, i guess thats what you were saying about no awd launches huh. cant believe the evo has forged pistons, you'd think subaru would have taken note of at least their own engine failure and fixed it over the last ten years or so? they've barely updated their engines it seems, or their interior..
> 
> so you say not to tune the access port, do you mean to stage 1,2 stuff or the base remapping too? ive read that the stock factory tune isnt all that great in the first place. with the reflash thing, so if your battery dies, you need to reset it? im probably not making sense, i just got off work. ill try and rewrite my questions another day when im thinking straight and comprehending the information better
> thanks!


 
 I'm not an expert with tuning, just know the basics. But basically an optimum complete burn of gasoline happens at a ratio of 14.7 units of air to 1 unit of gas.This is called "Stoich", lower than this is a rich condition, higher is a lean condition. The saying is "richer is safer and leaner is meaner", self explanatory. Turbo cars tend to need to run rich to avoid pre-detonation 10-11 is considered optimal. Be advised, running rich might prevent pre-detonation, but it also increase exhaust gas temps, and could kill a catalyst converter, as well as create heat issues after the exhaust system. The subaru ecu are modern, and well understood, which is why the cobb ap is even available. It'll flash fuel map changes, as well as pull monitoring data from the factory ecu. Fuel maps should only be modified by someone who has a firm grasp. Definitely don't attempt to modify the base map yourself without learning it thoroughly, and if paying someone, research them, and previous customers fully. But yes, I'm saying avoid the stage1/2 upgrade/tune packages until you really learn the car inside and out.
  
 Biggest problem with these types of platforms IMO, are the vast aftermarket parts available, which tempts new owners to chase easy HP, and other performance enhancements soon as they get one. Then start street racing, doing highway pulls, and blowing up motors/transmissions, and/or wrecking. It's a terrible order to do things for a newbie. The proper order should be to get maintenance things done first, despite not having issues yet. Then upgrading the car from the ground up as you learn to handle it's limits. Starting with tires, brakes, suspension, then maybe power modifications. Learning a car's limits should start with low speed, high technical racing like autocross, then moving up to higher speed track days.
  


goldielax said:


> ive been reading up on a FA20 engine with the avcs vvt, and the direct ports, sounds much better then the ej motors? though i guess it doesn't come in the impreza's. so this is the next evolution, is the vvt gimmicky?


 
 vvt is basically what the popular "V-tec" is. I believe some subaru models, especially the turbo ones only have it on the exhaust cams, I'm not sure which though. It's not a gimmick. Direct port injection is exactly what it sounds like. Injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber, and not in the intake manifold. It definitely provides more potential for power and fuel economy. But it comes with issues of it's own. Primarily carbon buildup in the intake manifold (injecting fuel into the IM actually cleans it), which requires removing the IM and blasting the insides to clean the carbon buildup, not a simple or fun maintenance job. Another issue are the special fuel pumps required, which often aren't the best quality, especially when fuel demands are increased (more boost). DI requires fuel pressures well over 1000psi at stock boost, which is a big strain on the fuel pumps, and the fuel pump internals. I believe cobb offers upgraded DI fuel pumps and internals for a number of platforms. Lastly, DI doesn't have many options for increasing injector size for higher fuel needs (big boost + turbo upgrades). Last I checked, people were getting around this my drilling and tapping the IM, and installing a 5th injector, which complicates tuning further.


----------

