Forester STi - 'better' all-round package...?
 

After owning more Impreza's than sense bares thinking about (including my current, and favourite of them all, 330 bhp Type R - as well as many other petrolhead cars), I recently bought a 2004, 2.5l Forester STi (320/340) and have to conclude it is something rather special, to the point where I think it edges out, over and above the Impreza as the better all-rounder...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v...-S255034-1.jpg

I say better all rounder, for all the following reasons as a whole package, a sort of synergy:

First & foremost, A/B-road blasting. With a combination of long travel and a well sorted and perhaps better OE STi tuned chassis, the Foz simply eats everything a typical rough & tumble UK B-road can throw at it. Hidden dips & high speed compressions are walkovers. Off camber drop offs, anything most other shorter travel or lowered suspension would need backing off from is a breeze, whilst also maintaining workable traction. With the Forester there's simply no drama (my car has OE shocks & dampers and these work just fine), no clunks, knocks, crashing, banging, wheels lifting or spinning, it just does it.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C...-S255034-5.jpg

The suspension set-up is spot-on. I say spot on, although I did fit a stronger rear arb (Whiteline 22mm adjustable, set on middle) to trim the car's handling and dial out the factory set understeer. This has balanced the rotation beautifully, and other than that everything works just fine. I usually go to town on my Impreza's suspension - arb's, D/L's, bushings etc... but the Foz with all it's OE bits intact is plenty sharp and capable enough whilst holding composure regardless of how tough the going gets. Yes you get a higher CoG and what comes with that, but what you also get is broad, predictable & safe limits which are not snappy – on/off grip - but useable, fun & safe. Think of the Type R as a tarmac terror, and the Foz as gravel rally car, with fun weight transfer and chuckable too. OK it wont be as lightweight & nimble, certainly as a Type R for direction changes, but boy you can pedal it along quickly and as quickly as almost any other Impreza. 4Th & 5th are immense

There's an increased sense of the AWD system working, more so than the Impreza. I put this down to the extra torque level in the Foz (I haven't driven a 2.5 Impreza). And with great palpable feedback you can place the car wherever you like. I have just fitted Potenza S001's from some softer winter tyres and the Bridgestones have a very stiff carcass and sidewall. The extra grip makes keeping the car on its toes and loosing its weight easy

As the car sits a bit higher the driving position gives a good sense of road command and feedback and field of view is good with extra vision into & around bends

Comfort - the seats are great. Same as the Spec C. With long travel dampers the ride is very comfortable

Trim levels. inside is pretty decent for Subaru. There are some nice extras too: power points in the centre box, and one in the rear boot area, a sub-woofer (again in the rear). The rear seats are reclinable/split and w/ arm rest

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X...-S255034-9.jpg

The room inside is bigger than the Impreza wagon as it has a higher roof (same wheelbase length though)

The Forester STi seems to have all the best of STi goodies. A bespoke 6 speed gearbox (14% extended ratio so better mpg motorways), Brembo's, 18" alloys, the suspension is very well sorted with alloy rear arms, extended ball joints up front, and perhaps a few other bits I have left out. I'm not sure what the engine compared to the Impreza, or indeed if it's the same, so maybe it has the asocciated HG/piston/ringland issues. I don't see many stories around of this happeneing with the Forester, but then again there aren't to many FSTi's around

So, an immensely capable Subaru, and I would say a very polished STi, which gives comfort with real world UK specific road performance

A better all-rounder than the Impreza... maybe so :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0.../IMAG0394e.jpg

VBH sure approves, and must admit, I'd love a go in one.

Have to say that it did look very good at the island when we saw you the other weekend :thumb: I was in the passenger seat of the prodrive bug in the wmi convoy

Cheers :thumb:

Ah, that was you - you just caught my eye enough for me to give the nod as I was somewhat taken aback and trying to keep looking at the plethora of very nice looking scoobies being chucked around the island :D

Yeah, anytime you want a blast give me a shout

Really nice looking car :thumb:

Have to agree with you, as an all rounder they are tops ! I was lucky enough to borrow one for a week a while back and was very impressed :notworthy

love these

Sounds good to me although I think I'd get a few funny looks if I went on an impreza drive in my evo 7 :lol1: hence the reason I normally jump in with my mate

I love the look of these, and yours looks as sweet as they get, very nice.:thumb:

Often wondered what the STI fozey was like when i had my forester turbo, mine was not quite focused enough for me, and the STI's i looked at were either dogs with loads of miles or more than i wanted to spend, they are so difficult to find too, so i plumped for the Wagon PPP that i have now, with a few choice mods, easier to find, cheaper and enough room for me.

But have to agree as an all-round package they are top draw.:thumb:

Top draw that one, love it, nice write up as well

I love them (have never owned one like yours but have driven a mates in anger)

My 1997 stb is cracking :)

Think we both got crossed there - I was offering you a blast IN the motor :)

I love the look of these, and yours looks as sweet as they get, very nice.

Cheers DM. Wagon DD still going strong then. The PPP wagons are like gold now - esp since Hammond has been driving like a loon in Africa

Cheers - I bought the car from your neck of the woods - Hindley :thumb:

:thumb:

I woukd love to have one, a lot of car for the money.

I'll happily take you up on that :thumb: will you be at the wmi vs mlr meet?

Great write up Nigel (as per usual:D). To be honest on the basis of your evaluation I'd be sorely tempted by one of these if I was in the market for an Impreza. Just to clarify are you saying you can push on in one of these where in your type r you would be backing off when the going gets a bit bumpy?

Lovely looking car. I had a normal UK turbo version. Can fit loads in and extra gadgets that the Impreza didn't have were useful. However, the MPG was truly horrendous, much worse than Impreza. It was the only drawback of the car.

Yeah it's fine, although i think it needs a new rad after i holed it on the A1 outside Peterborough on new years eve, but not had chance to look at it properly as i flew out the same day, back in a couple of weeks, just hope i don't miss the ally rad group buy.

So is hammond driving a blob then, i can't get bbc iplayer here so missing it.:(

I'd love a go at her. :D

I seriously considered one of these, there was someone selling one on here around the time I bought my current car. If I had been able to sell mine quickly, I would have been bloody well tempted. :cry:

Yeah, should be doing it in a Forester I reckon

Great cars yours looks nice ,you say it standard suspension but it looks lower than usual

Well spotted :thumb:

- those pics were taken with some daft Impreza damper/spring combo - it's back to OE now and higher.

I'll post up some pics

Are you local to kiddy then?

I am

I deliver round kiddy quite regular for work. I'm not too far from there, I live by merry hill

Did you ever find out about the 2.5 being the same in the forester Sti to that in Impreza 2.5 Sti's?? I am weighing up one of these next...

Pretty sure it is

Forester STis use the EJ255 block as opposed to the EJ257 that ISTIs use.

https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...i-type-uk.html

Thanks for coming there Fivos

Would you know what that means to a layman like me?

My old Litcho Spec Foggy STi MY 2004 is now past 100k miles from new with an LPG conversion and still going well.

So the engine in the fozzie isn't prone to ringland and HG failure like the Impreza 2.5 then or is it because the Forrester is pretty rare that the failure rate isn't as obvious?

'fraid not - they have their fair share

Great car though. Mine's storming along. Extremely solid performer, especially in the recent bad weather

Was 4 & a dog up last Saturday right after that hail/ice storm - great stuff :)

Last summer was good fun too with frequent trips across Snowdonia to the Welsh sea-side :) :)