I drove a JDM STI when looking for my next car, it had 370bhp & drove very much like a sports bike, very revvy & responsive. The 2.5 is a different beast, much more lazy to drive with loads of low down grunt, where you really need it.

All that said, I still think the JDM car is a better car, just for the fact that it comes with so much more equipment as standard, the problem is I personally wouldn't have one as a daily driver due to the gear ratios, been there & done that, drove me nuts!

 

Nothing wrong with the gear ratio's, my type R has lower gear ratio's than the Spec C, quite happily does 3k at 70mph, very nice, leaves me 5k of rev range left
Dunno about missing the low down grunt, mine has plenty of that hence why I can drive round town in 5th gear at 25mph

Tony

 

Agreed...........absolutely nothing wrong with the gear ratio's....and as for 'low down grunt'.......please come for a drive in my car and I will demonstrate severe low down grunt, instantaneous power in any gear, even at very low revs.

Greg

PS: I have owned both Type UK and JDM STi's so all my comments are based on experience!

 

Seems like everyone goes out to defend their own car.

Do you find it difficult to get parts from main stealers? I take it none of them have a service history? JDMs seem like hen's teeth!

 

Was it not a 2.0 Sti?

Wish you were nearer - I'd love a shot! You can try out my old bug if you like!

 

They are all great cars with engines & gearboxes to suit all tastes.

 

Yes, well said.

 

No real issues with parts tbh, well unless you go through IM that is as they dont even hold the basics in stock, easier to get it direct from japan or import car parts, atleast they hold stock.

Tony

 

Give us a shout whenever you're in London and I'll gladly take you for a spin! I'm also about to buy a classic car, the one I always wanted but could never afford back in the day......a Rover Vitesse 3500 auto

 

Cheers! Always liked the Vitesse - that famous block is originally American isn't it (Chevvy?)?

Well, it was that or a 2.8i Capri that warmed my cockles as a lad!

 

Nice to have both

 

Yup! I was gobsmacked at how the JDM's perform at such low revs in 5th/6th.

It is also easy to think "I need to change gear" because it sounds like you do, but then you realise you're only at 4k RPM and there is a whole load left

 

Thought i give my 2 cents worth.

Before i start, let me set the record straight, everything is based on what i feel and yes, I've owned a 2.5L hatch STI and a hawkeye Spec C and have driven a hawkeye STI uk on a regular basis. All in stock condition, so i can't really comment on how well they respond to upgrades.

First, lets look at their gear ratios

JDM 3.636, 2.375, 1.761, 1.346, 1.062, 0.842 FD - 3.900
UK 3.636, 2.235, 1.521, 1.137, 0.891, 0.707 FD - 3.900

From 3rd gear onwards, the JDM ratios are very much shorter (JDM 6th is almost as short as UK 5th) I believe part of this low end pull-ability from the JDM cars are due to the short ratios. As far as i can tell, where all things constant, in 1st gear where the ratios are identical, i definitely feel that the 2.5 spools up a alittle quicker than the JDM. Though i have to say, from then on to the redline, it's quite a different story.

So probably a more accurate comparison on a 2.5 single scroll vs a 2.0 twin scroll engine would be to use the JDM 6th against the UK 5th? Which i believe will not be much between them. which is still mighty impressive if you ask me, considering the 0.5L deficit.

My point is although the UK 2.5 is inferior in some aspects, it claws back in appeal in the way it requires fewer revs to get them going and with bags of torque on tap. A well remapped 2.5 would make a very quick road car i believe.

Having said that, i still won't trade my 2.0 for a 2.5 as it i prefer the top end scream and pull of the 2.0L, It feels like a pukka race engine too and best of all, it's JDM

 

Suberman, yes the ratio's are different, then also think the ammout of rev range you have is also different so the first 4 gears are very very similar, its the 5th and 6th (which ratio's about 12mph lower at the red line on the JDM over a UK car) so your not losing as much as you think
Plus its also where the power comes in, so the ratio's are only for the drivability, and considering that subaru japan even say that the JDM's pull 80% of their torque at 2.5k rpm.... still pretty impressive and your flying by then if you start 1k lower on the rev range

Tony

 

Good insightful post. Cheers.

Do you miss the burble? Tony mentioned parts - are there a couple of specialists in the Uk that can supply any part, or could you be left waiting weeks for a part while your car was off the road (say after an accident). Still not sure which dealers sell them. Do they cost more than a UK STi?

Sounds like if you Milltek & remap both you'll end up with similar cars but for the JDM's higher rev range and lack of burble (apart from the wiper etc). My concern would be getting parts and, yes, I'll be honest, I would miss that burble! Both great as all say (well, apart from Tony - eh Tony? )

Andy the genuinely interested Scooby fan!

 

To be honest Andy i don't think they're similar cars at all imho, standard or simple exhaust/remap type power. While i've never had a 2.5l, i had a 2.0l 05 type uk, and although it wouldn't have the big torque number that the 2.5l lump can produce, the difference between it and my spec c is considerable in my opinion. Admittedly the spec c is a different beast again, but it would maul my old car and i never thought it was slow. The jdm feels like it constantly wants to race, so eager to rev, and you can't help but let it, nevermind the other jdm parts like the quick ratio rack etc. It feels really sharp to drive, and pretty aggressive i think.

You would need to drive both as always, i agree on the burble, it is a big part of a subaru, but i don't really miss it at all.

I almost used to take offence when people use to harp on about JDM cars and all their "advantages" when i owned my uk car. Now i see what all the fuss is about.

They're all great cars though.

 

The scooby burble. Without a doubt a great noise, something we can all relate to. And best of all, it reminds us of where these cars originated from - Group A rally . But over the years, it seems to have gotten abit too common IMO. Everytime i see a scooby belting pass, it's almost certain that the soundtrack that accompanies is that all too farmiliar scooby burble. Too much of a good thing isn't always good eh?

So, no i don't miss it Andy. At least for now. For me the high pitched scream sounds more racy, more special. More like a race car if you ask me. Have you guys heard an RA-R or S204 flyby at full chat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxSA-iGarYM - RA-R flyby 0:05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2RaYHH_1Uo - S204 flyby 1:16

That muffler sounds very nice IMO. It's not overly loud, but sounds great when you giving it some.

I'm sure specialist like Litchfield or RCM could supply any JDM parts you need, although i think you may need to wait? Most of the body parts are shared with the UK model unless you are talking a Spec C. So i'd assume it wouldn't be much trouble sourcing for parts for a JDM STI?

Errol

 

I like it on full chat certainly. Cheers for the links.

I liked the sound of my old 2.2 VTec Prelude for the same reason. Still think the UK STi will sound better at idle and low speeds and to be honest I do have to do a fair bit of town driving. Do you reckon there's any difference between the exhaust note on an Evo and a JDM STi ( have driven Evo 8)?

Lack of availability seems an issue too. I rarely see any for sale (ie looking for a Hawk). Are the JDMs more expensive? Could a Hawk JDM be sourced from a dealer for £12 to £13k? Maybe tony will know the answer to these questions as he appers to be Scobbynets Newage JDM expert.

 

Yes, the 2.0L STI UK is certainly not a match for the 2.0L JDM STI IMO. I've driven the 2.0L STI UK as well, and stock to stock the JDM 2.0L will outpull, outspool, outhandle the uk variant any time of the day. No offence to the 2.0L type uk guys.

The 2.5L drives quite differently to the 2.0L STI UK. It has a full 51Nm of torque more and it feels it. The powerband is also fuller from way down low.

By the way, i think Andy was referring to the 2.5L STI UK as a comparison to the JDM 2.0L

 

Hawk jdm 12-13k no chance the import duties are now crazy pound vs yen so they wont be coming many coming over as often as say 04-05..

 

Won't there be some JDM Hawk STi' already over here though?

 

You are welcome Andy. To be honest, I've never thought that Evos sounded good. Even with aftermarket exhausts, i've yet heard something that got me "Wow!" I'm not sure why, but i think they sound abit clinical. I'm not sure if you'll understand what i mean, but you are left wondering if you've just heard the engine roar, or the exhaust? the turbo whoosh? Or a combination of everything. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Evos, in fact in think they are quite brilliant cars, but the same can't be said for their exhaust notes.

 

Indeed. A pal of mine argued that you could get a burble on an Evo by fitting the right exhaust and that he'd heard Evos with a good burble. I disagreed and did make the point about the flat 4/ unequal length headers creating the Scooby sound!

Anyway, let's keep this a Newage Sti thread!