OK guys, you may have seen my thread in the wanted section, offing a swap for my VX220. I am over excited as a) I am going to be a dad and b) I love looking for new cars.....

I have a few newbie style questions (and yes, I've tried searching first....).

1) I want an STi, however I decided this yesterday, and heave never even some much as spend 5 minutes researching (bar pouring over page after page of road tests when I was 17 (1993, like everyone did...). Whats the quickest way to tell a real STI over a 'pretend' one (seem to be loads of WRX's on autotrader as STi's, that arent...)

2) I cant find a definitive answer on STi service intervals. I know at some point they increased by 2/3k, but to what I dont know....

I've also never driven one in anger (have driven a bigeye prodrive number, and that was fun, but I couldnt get the hang of the clutch in the 3 miles I drove it....). I dont expect it to handle like a VX, but woudl be interested in peoples experiences about understeer/oversteer/general user friendliness. I am a pretty proficient driver (done trackdays/driver training etc) but frankly I'm not good enough to be confident in getting more than 6/10's out of the VX in most situations. Call me a softy, but the snap oversteer terrifies me.

Thanks

 

check out sidc faq's on model numbers, this is on a plate on the car, should tell you what it is.

oh, I found it...
http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm#2.1.1

you didn't say what year you wanted though....I presume younger than those on that link????

 

Sorry, yeah younger, around a couple of years old. The model after the bugeye (ie the latest incarnation).

 

If you're talking blobeye which is MY03-present then the STi has the following differences....

Big rear wing
Very big bonnet scoop
Corner "aero" extensions (front bumper)
Foglight covers (with no foglights)
Black/blue alcantara interior
Alloy gear shift surround
Gear shift change light and buzzer
6 speed 'box
Brembo's
Gold alloys in slightly different twin 5 spoke design
Red intake manifold (top of engine) indicated uprated STi internals
Red turbo induction pipe
Quicker steering rack
Better suspension
Extra diff
Single 3" exhaust pipe (4" on PPP I think)

I'm sure I've missed something, but there's a start. Welcome to SNet, and WRX's ain't to be sniffed at you know.....just look at this beauty

 

Thats for all that. Yeah I know, always a pain when picking cars. I've always gone for what I like best, not what is most popular (hence driving a non turbo VX, which IMHO is miles better than a turbo VX!)

Anyway, I will have to drive one back to back, and yours does look spot on.