Collected my STi MY03 Today - Initial Impressions
 

After hardly sleeping a wink last night (how sad am I) I collected the car today (trading in the MY99 I've owned and loved for the last three years).

http://www.larchview.com/photo/scoob/images/scoob1.jpg
(crap 2MP camera - will take some better ones when my proper camera is back from repair)

So, here are some initial impressions after a few hours with the beast :)

1. POWER. Feck me it's bloody awesome :-D It pulls and pulls and pulls. Even though I had a nice long test drive I thought it wasn't much quicker than the MY99. But after only a few hours (and on roads I know) I can say it is quicker, but you have to drive it differently. The low down torque of the MY99 is missing so you need to keep it revving and on boost. The 6-speed is different too of course, but once you realise you have to drive it differently it's incredible!

2. LOOKS. It looks sooo horny! Personal thing, but between the Bug eye, my blob eye and the new "fish" eye, I think the blob-eye looks the best - I would say that though, wouldn't I :)

3. GRIP. The car is higher than the old one, the fact that it doesn't ground going into my garage is proof (if any were needed). It feels a bigger car too. Not quite been chucking it in yet, but already very confident in it. Feels even more "pointy" at the front, superb. I had a hectic amount of torque steer twice tonight while booting it, is this normal? Front tyres on order as they are nearly finished (18").

4. RIDE. My wife and kids have commented already that it's much more "bumpy" that the old car.

5. BUILD QUALITY. The new car is a country mile above the standard of the classic. Just closing the door of the two cars pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Biggest improvement (for me) is probably Aircon :)

6. SOUNDTRACK. After having a Scoobysport backbox on my MY99 I got the garage to put on the Hayward and Scott bb. I heard the car starting up in the workshop from the showroom and it sounded superb! Deep and not too loud, just what I wanted. However, from inside the car it really does sound much quieter than the old car. maybe it sounds OK from outside and the new has better soundproofing?

7. BRAKES. I had EBC disks and Red pads on the old car, and unless you were horsing the crap out of it, the brakes were awful. The new Brembos are superb. Lots of "feel", not over servo'd, but plenty of power. Noticed a bit of a rough sound braking at slow sppeds (round town in traffic for example), is this typical or sign of low pads?

I've noticed a "drone" coming from the rear - same sort of sound you get when a wheel bearing is on its way out. Is this the noisy diff syndrome I've read about here? The car is going in next week to get a new rear shock fitted under warranty too.

So, hopefully I'll sleep tonight, now that Santa has been :) I hope this car can live up to the joy the last 3 years have been with the Classic.

Thanks

M.

Coming from a MY99 WRX jap, same boat as you mate... now got an MY03 STiUK ppp
Its as quick as my more or less standard WRX, although it is much smoother and less 'raw'
Mines on prodrive springs and whiteline mods.... grip absouletly wipes the floor with the classic WRX, which is much better than the std uk model
agreed 100%, nearly hitting 40 with a mrs and 2 kids in tow... they ALL fell asleep driving home from a day out today, never seen in the classic.... I had a chance to boot it, and they still didn't wake... this car is a class act in comparison to the classicagreed on all the above... as regards to the diffs, it feels they are working harder and much better than the early models.

The only thing im pissed off about is the mpg, 27-30 out of the classic (280-290bhp WRX) when normal driving.... the new car, I am afraid to work it out !!

I must say I love the MY03 Sti, but saying that I miss the classic MY99 wrx....the classic is so honest and raw ;)

I always seemed to get low 20s only out of my MY99. Don't expect the new car to be any different, but then you don't buy them for that :)

Thanks

M.

My MY04 makes the same noise mate, it's the rear shocks. Parts are on order and dealer is replacing under warranty

Enjoy the car

:)

Thanks Hanley, that's good to hear.

M.

had my 03 for for 3 weeks now and concur completely with your comments had a my99 till some drunken w£$%^r decided to park his astra in me bonnet while i was at a mates house .Got written off but got a touch with the ins and got a good price.. My 03 has only 9k on it and it feels as tight as a new motor...and is pristine has been treated to some anthracite replicas and some ice ( original gold 17's pristine 4 sale 350ono). I do miss the mania of my ppp my99 but can anyone tell me weteher ppp on an 03 does the same as it did to me beloved classic

by the way the shocks have been replaced before i got it too

Interesting write-up O-M

I remember when I swapped my 99 (Rb5) for an 03STi PPP.

On the drive home,I thought 'what the hell have I done!!',I really,really hated it.:cry:

I just couldn't adapt to it,the power delievery,the 6 speed box,the bouncy bouncy suspension.

In fact I was glad to see the back of it:(

Don't let me put you off tho;)

A few sheep will have that lawn sorted out in no time at all! ;)

Who did you buy from and are local dealers offering good deals to shift cars at the mo?

LOL, it was a field until a couple of months ago, we have to let it grow until the weeds we have are "leafy" before it's sprayed.

Bought from my local dealer that serviced my MY99. They were very keen to sell me a new car, but I didn't have that knid of money and preffered an STi to a WRX 300.

I did a deal for a second year warranty which gives good peace of mind.

M.