WRX Owners - Do you wish you had got an STi ?
 

It struck me that in a number of various threads I have seen WRX owners saying that they wish they had waited a bit longer / spent a bit more / got a slightly older car and basically wish they had got an Sti instead of a WRX.

Without getting into a big debate about the virtues of each car I thought it would be interested to see how many WRX owners felt this way.

With my personal experience I was convinced I didn't want an Sti. That was based on my usage ie lots of commuting in traffic and motorway driving and from an overal day to day living with the car. Also the overall image and package felt more in line with what I wanted.

Now four months later / many pounds spent on mods / far too many hours spent on here and I can't help thinking that I should have got an Sti.

Perhaps I've got used to the power ? Perhaps it's just human nature to always desire the next level up ? Perhaps it's just me ? ;) :D :D

Post away !! :)

No quite happy with my WRX, had an STI, got rid of the gold wheels, got a low level spoiler on it, (more expense) attracted a lot less attention that way. Unfortunely that car got written off. Replaced it (after a brief period away from Scoobies) with a MY05 WRX with PPP. IMHO better ride, more subtle, easier to live with. Now a STI with PPP, Anthraite (SP??) wheels, leather and low level spoiler would be very nice !
Richard

Only kept for my WRX for 6 months - had to upgrade to an STi :)

The only thing I miss about the WRX is the better mpg and it seemed to have a louder growl (must have been the WR sports exhaust!) :)

Quite happy with my wrx, but at the time of purchace might have got an sti if the funds allowed.
Might try an EVO next but thats not for a while.

If i could have really afforded the STi then great...but at £5000ish more plus 50% bigger premium and higher running costs it was never going to happen. Now though i can afford the WRX easy and slowly mod it up to (and beyond?) STi spec, which will be a fun journey...so i'm happy!!!

Understand what you're saying, but it seems that people are coming to this conclusion on the basis of power and there is more to distinguish the WRX and Sti than power alone. The Sti feels like a different car altogether, it's much harsher, less refined, more aggressive in its delivery, has a much "louder" presence. Great if -like me- that's what you're into. But, it might get tiring if you spend most of your time in traffic!

There is a convincing argument that for many people a WRX with PPP is an ideal compromise, you get the easier going, softer character, but still get the kick in the back when you put your foot down.

Another way of looking at it is: If you'd got an STi, given your typical journey type, would you now be wishing that you'd gone for the WRX?

Best,

NS04

P.S. Even if you had the Sti, you'd still get used to the power and want more!

No way... i love it! Although love the look of the STI more. for me it was the best choice (age at 25) and fuel costs etc. I am starting to get used to car and and kinda after more power but I know the insurance would wipe me out on a STI.

Plus... going from a ZR160 into this is a dream!

V.Happy... only had it 3 weeks.

Glad I bought my WRX over a STi as I couldnt afford the STi and the insurance is much cheaper(me being 22) And when Im finished with it, it would look better and be much faster with better handling then a STi all cheaper then what a brand new Sti would cost. :)

Also I like to mod my cars so the WRX is perfect as if I bought a STi the things the STi has over the normal WRX would of been in the parts bin, like Turbo, Intercooler, Fuel pump, new Ecu, wheels, exhaust system, brakes, it would have been a shame to removed all them from the car to replace them with uprated things, so all the crap stuff on the WRX, like the turbo and the intercooler etc can all be changed to a bigger turbo and front mounted intercooler etc. :)

I've heard that some people prefer the 5 speed in the WRX as opposed to the six speeder in the STi - i.e. higer speeds in 3rd etc. dont know if this is true!!!

wrx or sti
 

There are times I wish I'd waited a bit longer for a second hand sti, particularly as I intend to bung various sti parts in my '03 blob eye wrx. Nevertheless my wrx looks pretty cool as it has WRC bonnet vent, sti scoop, scoobysport zorst and spoiler and lots of grillwork. A big part of the fun is modding your "basic" car and getting the fun out of each improvement. Brakes next.....

i agree with the price hike to buy a sti but 50% premium hike ?? where the hell are you insured ? as for modding the car isn't that going to cause more expensive premiums anyway ?? i had a wrx for a year bought a sti and love it ! wish i had done it before !

Happy with mine
 

More than happy with my WRX.
Cheaper to run and quick enough.
With more funds available who knows ???????

When the time came to change my MY00 I always intended looking at Sti's, however a very nice WRX PPP came along which I couldn’t walk away from. I've not regretted the decision yet.

Allan

Nah, I had a brand new Sti 3 yeas ago, hated it from the moment I drove it out the showroom, kept it 6 months and sold it, bought a Merc. Now I have a 05WRX PPP and love it.

Only thing I hate is being lumped in with the boy racers at insurance renewal time because of the PPP. I could have insured a WR1 cheaper!!!!!

WRX great every day car - STi, quicker but harder and I don't think very 'interesting' on trackdays so little point in owning one really..

Traded my STi Type R for a bog standard 04 WRX and loving it:D

Saw pictures of your WRX and its a very nice 04 WRX may I say. :)

Cheers:thumb:

"Red is the new blue" :D:D:D:D

Had MY 01 WRX for just over three years and always wanted an STi and have now got an 05 STi - in one word it's FANTASTIC, bigger spoiler and bigger smile on my face :D :D :D

Who cares about the MPG :lol1:

i went for a Sti over the WRX for the idea of not having to mod it and the fact i'll allwasy be kicking myself for not doing it. So i bought an sti....



now i want to mod it

I bought my MY02 WRX literally just before they brought out the MY03 STi - with all the extras I had on it (-PPP) I payed 22.5k :) Unfortunately at the time nobody knew what the price of STi was gonna be when it came out and rumours were something like 27k!!!

2 months later they release the STi @ 25k!!!

Don't get me wrong I love the WRX otherwise I wouldn't still have it, but everytime I see an STi my right eye starts twitching so I don't think it'll be long :D

i have only owned 1 scooby so i'm really happy at the moment. that's not to say that the next one won't be an sti.

Would have loved an sti, but as my job requires me to take people out I think the spoiler and gold wheels would have frightened the s*** out of them!!. Also I love leather interiors so went for an 04 WRX SL, and gained a sunroof!. Great car, like everything, you get used to the performance and I imagine that would be the same with an sti. Just about to get a WR Sport rear box. Has anyone else got one and is it worth the money?...

Yes and went one better and bought a Evo MR 300 !!

Don't kid yourself. Drove my mates MY02 STI and compared to MY03 WRX they are in different leagues. Dropping down to third at 40mph doesn't seem enough in mine - in the STI 3rd is perfect...

I was all settled with my WRX until reading this...mmm how much are STIs these days? :D

Had one on my old WRX - nice sounding exhausts (without being so loud as to wake the whole street up). I think it sounds a lot better than the standard exhaut on my STi... (until I get the PPP done) :)

It comes down to usage and cost.

For me, looking for a family car & doing 200 miles+ per week (which the wife would need to drive as much as me..!) to replace a clio 172, the £16k for an 05 WRX EU import fitted the bill exactly.

Don't get me wrong I'd love an 05 STi (very focused car), in the same way I'd love an M3 or the new Audi RS4, but money is obviously an issue and we can't afford another 'every day car' for the wife..! (which let's face it with these cars you'd need).

There's always something better if that's how you think (ie 'the glass is half empty')..! ;)

Jason

In short, yes! However, at the time funds were limited and her indoors was not to keen on us overstretching ourselves. Have had my MY01 WRX for just over a year now, and after using it quite a bit, her indoors now fancies upgrading to an STi. ;)

Doesn’t help that my brother has just had a ‘fettled’ MY04 STi Import. As soon as I had a go in that I just *knew* I had to have one. Hopefully this time next year.

That said; I’ve been extremely happy with my WRX and love every minute I spend in it.

Julian

I had an 02 WRX for ten months before I traded up to an 02 WRX. There were various reasons, so I can't really consider it a case of "I wish I'd bought an STI". But I'm glad I did trade up.


M

Started off with a MY00 Classic UK Turbo (UK WRX). Especially when coming from a MY99 Pug 206 8V XS with 80 BHP to a 215BHP Classic Turbo was totally blown away by the power and bought the car. The car had Leather seats, Air Con and tilt slide eleccy sunroof. Kept it for 2 Years. Only extra mods were 17" Milli Wheels and news tires, EBC Discs and Greenstuff Pads (this was 2003), Magnex system with 6x4 oval backbox and centre de-catt. COuldn't get the PPP for it at the time as the dealers weren't doing them any longer on the classic at the time. Anyhow after 2 years took the plunge and got an 03 STi (Blobeye) in Black Mica without PPP (261BHP). The only thing is I thought at the time it roughly had the same power as the Classic I had but had 6 gears, watercooler and better seats. In the end I have now got the PPP and the car is phenominal. Moral of the story... Try different types of car first before buying. In preference I should of held on and bought a PPP STi.