STI or Wrx as first Scooby
10 September 2020, 12:17 PM
#1
Scooby Newbie
Thread Starter
STI or Wrx as first Scooby
So my scenario is that I have a budget of £7500 and I'm looking to buy a Scooby for the first time. Once I buy it I won't be modifying it. I will be driving it mainly on weekends as I will be at university.
I have found a WRX for around my budget and its very clean (no rust) and looks brilliant and has got some modifications. I can't make up my mind whether to buy this car or buy an STI.
Would appreciate any advice. Thank you
I have found a WRX for around my budget and its very clean (no rust) and looks brilliant and has got some modifications. I can't make up my mind whether to buy this car or buy an STI.
Would appreciate any advice. Thank you
10 September 2020, 01:50 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Mate its insurance dependant. Find out how much it will cost first. Then its down to what model you want. That budget should be able to fetch STIs too depending on year. So then its down to preference and future mods. You say no modding but that changes lol.
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10 September 2020, 01:52 PM
#3
Scooby Regular
Buy an STI mate
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10 September 2020, 06:10 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
budget is plenty for a wrx with change, budgets pretty tight for an sti if enough at all.
After running both other than insurance and tax there is sod all cost difference in runnign costs between them.
After running both other than insurance and tax there is sod all cost difference in runnign costs between them.
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11 September 2020, 08:37 AM
#10
Scooby Regular
Wrx as a daily
STI as a toy/weapon or a hobby imo
STI as a toy/weapon or a hobby imo
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11 September 2020, 12:47 PM
#12
Scooby Regular
Both good cars but the STI is a better car out of the box and more likely to entertain you, especially if you plan on keeping it standard too. Will also have higher resale values if that's something that concerns you. Ultimately you have to ask yourself if you buy a WRX, will you always be thinking "I wish I had bought an STI"
11 September 2020, 12:57 PM
#13
Scooby Regular
Actualy its not, it depends how far your going to mod it.
If your going full shebang all your going to keep is the 6 speed then wrx will work out cheaper to mod overall.
If your not planning to mod heavily then the higher general spec is worth the extra cost of an sti.
If your going full shebang all your going to keep is the 6 speed then wrx will work out cheaper to mod overall.
If your not planning to mod heavily then the higher general spec is worth the extra cost of an sti.
11 September 2020, 01:20 PM
#14
Scooby Regular
so from your advice if your planning on modding a subaru then by the lowest spec you can get ?? ,, that makes no sense to me at all lol (no offence intended) surly if your planning on modding the car you will want to start with the most bang for your buck so to speak ,, if you want a standard car and power isnt a worry then the wrx is a good car ,,, from a modding point of view we all know wrx owners use sti parts as there first step or at least that what iv sen over the last 20 years ,,, so why pay for the labour to get it to sti level when you can just buy it at that level to start with and then if you want more you have better resale value for stuff you dont use
Last edited by domino46; 11 September 2020 at 01:23 PM.
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11 September 2020, 03:05 PM
#15
An STi costs twice as much to buy over a similar WRX. So you have ~ £5k to play with straight away. Second hand STi parts are not expensive. Aftermarket parts are the same regardless of model. Depends where you are trying to get to. You could build a WRX that outperforms a stock STi for far less than the cost of a stock STi, for example. Or if you plan to upgrade a lot of the stock STi parts, why pay a premium for them in the first place?
Ultimately it's budget dependant and whether you enjoy doing the work yourself. If you have to pay someone else to do everything, then the best stock car you can afford is a better idea.
With a £7500 budget, you'd be better looking at clean WRX over a leggy STi. Suspension, tyres, alignment, brakes etc all need to be in good condition to truly appreciate the cars. You could easily spend a couple of grand bringing a tired example up to spec, if you have to pay someone to do the work. It's not a great idea to blow all your budget on the purchase price. That's how so many performance cars end up as snotters with multiple owners. People just see the sale price and think they can afford that, without considering the maintenance costs. That's not to say that Imprezas are expensive to run but the £7500 is the bottom of the STi market, so you'd have to expect further outlay once acquired. A £5k WRX with a £2k maintenance fund is a more sensible proposition and will be a better drive than a tired STi, especially if you've never owned one before.
Ultimately it's budget dependant and whether you enjoy doing the work yourself. If you have to pay someone else to do everything, then the best stock car you can afford is a better idea.
With a £7500 budget, you'd be better looking at clean WRX over a leggy STi. Suspension, tyres, alignment, brakes etc all need to be in good condition to truly appreciate the cars. You could easily spend a couple of grand bringing a tired example up to spec, if you have to pay someone to do the work. It's not a great idea to blow all your budget on the purchase price. That's how so many performance cars end up as snotters with multiple owners. People just see the sale price and think they can afford that, without considering the maintenance costs. That's not to say that Imprezas are expensive to run but the £7500 is the bottom of the STi market, so you'd have to expect further outlay once acquired. A £5k WRX with a £2k maintenance fund is a more sensible proposition and will be a better drive than a tired STi, especially if you've never owned one before.
Last edited by TECHNOPUG; 11 September 2020 at 03:06 PM.
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11 September 2020, 04:05 PM
#16
Scooby Regular
An STi costs twice as much to buy over a similar WRX. So you have ~ £5k to play with straight away. Second hand STi parts are not expensive. Aftermarket parts are the same regardless of model. Depends where you are trying to get to. You could build a WRX that outperforms a stock STi for far less than the cost of a stock STi, for example. Or if you plan to upgrade a lot of the stock STi parts, why pay a premium for them in the first place?
Ultimately it's budget dependant and whether you enjoy doing the work yourself. If you have to pay someone else to do everything, then the best stock car you can afford is a better idea.
With a £7500 budget, you'd be better looking at clean WRX over a leggy STi. Suspension, tyres, alignment, brakes etc all need to be in good condition to truly appreciate the cars. You could easily spend a couple of grand bringing a tired example up to spec, if you have to pay someone to do the work. It's not a great idea to blow all your budget on the purchase price. That's how so many performance cars end up as snotters with multiple owners. People just see the sale price and think they can afford that, without considering the maintenance costs. That's not to say that Imprezas are expensive to run but the £7500 is the bottom of the STi market, so you'd have to expect further outlay once acquired. A £5k WRX with a £2k maintenance fund is a more sensible proposition and will be a better drive than a tired STi, especially if you've never owned one before.
Ultimately it's budget dependant and whether you enjoy doing the work yourself. If you have to pay someone else to do everything, then the best stock car you can afford is a better idea.
With a £7500 budget, you'd be better looking at clean WRX over a leggy STi. Suspension, tyres, alignment, brakes etc all need to be in good condition to truly appreciate the cars. You could easily spend a couple of grand bringing a tired example up to spec, if you have to pay someone to do the work. It's not a great idea to blow all your budget on the purchase price. That's how so many performance cars end up as snotters with multiple owners. People just see the sale price and think they can afford that, without considering the maintenance costs. That's not to say that Imprezas are expensive to run but the £7500 is the bottom of the STi market, so you'd have to expect further outlay once acquired. A £5k WRX with a £2k maintenance fund is a more sensible proposition and will be a better drive than a tired STi, especially if you've never owned one before.
I would have to disagree a bit as iv recently brought quite a few newage STI's for around that budget and wouldn't consider them to be snotters lol,,, granted you have to be very careful and know what your looking for with regard to problems but they are still out there to be had if you look in the right places and are willing to wait ,, recently looked at a bugeye sti for 6500 on a well known social media site and apart from a rust bubble on the arch it was a very nice car
this is coming from someone who has spent the cost of a house on a WRX mind you lol,, but yes I still wish id started with a sti even though there isnt anything left of the original car ,, even the shell is now altered beyond its original shell ,, but its still always going to be a wrx lol
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11 September 2020, 05:11 PM
#17
Scooby Regular
My first scooby was a m reg wrx import for 2 grand and I had no idea about Subarus. The next one was a remapped spec d which I wrote off after a month. I can understand buying a wrx first if you plan on having Subarus for a long time as I guess it’s a good start. It might not be a good idea getting a 300bhp Subaru with no experience of fast cars if you get me. If you’ve had experience of fast cars then I’d definitely get an sti. In today’s climate I bet there are some bargains to be had. Your looking at a narrow track for 7500 though. Good luck mate 👍
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11 September 2020, 06:01 PM
#18
Scooby Regular
Assuming you are looking at newage cars, if your budget is at all tight I would just buy the cleanest WRX you can afford. I have a JDM Blob WRX Wagon and, once mapped, it goes really nicely if you appreciate it for what it is. If you really do not want to spend on mapping then keep a look out for one that has already been mapped (by someone reputable) or a car with the Prodrive Performance Pack. By modern standards a standard 220-odd bhp WRX is a bit lacking but with 260-280bhp (either with the PPP or a custom map) they really are brought alive. Bear in mind that the WRX is lighter than the STi by c.100kg so will feel relatively sprightly for the power. IF you think that you MAY change your mind re modifications and end up wanting 300bhp+ then you are far better plumping for the STi initially.
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12 September 2020, 12:30 AM
#19
so from your advice if your planning on modding a subaru then by the lowest spec you can get ?? ,, that makes no sense to me at all lol (no offence intended) surly if your planning on modding the car you will want to start with the most bang for your buck so to speak ,, if you want a standard car and power isnt a worry then the wrx is a good car ,,, from a modding point of view we all know wrx owners use sti parts as there first step or at least that what iv sen over the last 20 years ,,, so why pay for the labour to get it to sti level when you can just buy it at that level to start with and then if you want more you have better resale value for stuff you dont use
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12 September 2020, 09:26 AM
#20
Scooby Regular
so from your advice if your planning on modding a subaru then by the lowest spec you can get ?? ,, that makes no sense to me at all lol (no offence intended) surly if your planning on modding the car you will want to start with the most bang for your buck so to speak ,, if you want a standard car and power isnt a worry then the wrx is a good car ,,, from a modding point of view we all know wrx owners use sti parts as there first step or at least that what iv sen over the last 20 years ,,, so why pay for the labour to get it to sti level when you can just buy it at that level to start with and then if you want more you have better resale value for stuff you dont use
You will see there are two points to my post, 2nd point i said was if doing basic modding then a sti is the way to go, the first point i said was if you are extensivly modifying a wrx is prob the way to go.
If you are heavily modifying you arn't going to be using or upgrading to STI parts, brakes, engine, suspension will all be put in the scrap heap and replaced with higher spec components, such as AP brakes front and back, including lines, closed deck 2.35 engine, adjustable coilovers, roll bars, all bush's, clutch, ecu, cooling system, fuel system etc etc etc. very little of the oem sti parts will remain.
So again why spend 5-6k more for a car that you are effectily scrapping when all your actualy wanting from it is the running gear that you can pick up a full set for 2-3k?
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12 September 2020, 09:49 AM
#21
Scooby Regular
a lot of people who mod will keep a lot of the sti parts like brakes gearbox engine etc , suspension will more than likely get changed , so you are better off with an sti to start with , rather than a wrx with it’s not as good brakes weaker gearbox etc , a used 6 speed box plus diff plus prop is expensive plus it needs some one to fit it £ , brembos are around 600£ to a 1000£ for a set , so buy a car with it done as it will work out cheaper in the long run and mod from there , i’ve had a few wrx cars over my time which were great cars , but much prefer the sti , plus it’s longer gearing and other benefits
12 September 2020, 10:32 AM
#22
Scooby Regular
a lot of people who mod will keep a lot of the sti parts like brakes gearbox engine etc , suspension will more than likely get changed , so you are better off with an sti to start with , rather than a wrx with it’s not as good brakes weaker gearbox etc , a used 6 speed box plus diff plus prop is expensive plus it needs some one to fit it £ , brembos are around 600£ to a 1000£ for a set , so buy a car with it done as it will work out cheaper in the long run and mod from there , i’ve had a few wrx cars over my time which were great cars , but much prefer the sti , plus it’s longer gearing and other benefits
I think you'll find alot more people sack off the sti parts than you think when they start to mod alot, brakes especialy. The only parts that typicly stay sti are the gearbox/running gear (hubs, drive shafts etc).
.
12 September 2020, 11:27 AM
#23
Scooby Regular
Let me explain,
You will see there are two points to my post, 2nd point i said was if doing basic modding then a sti is the way to go, the first point i said was if you are extensivly modifying a wrx is prob the way to go.
If you are heavily modifying you arn't going to be using or upgrading to STI parts, brakes, engine, suspension will all be put in the scrap heap and replaced with higher spec components, such as AP brakes front and back, including lines, closed deck 2.35 engine, adjustable coilovers, roll bars, all bush's, clutch, ecu, cooling system, fuel system etc etc etc. very little of the oem sti parts will remain.
So again why spend 5-6k more for a car that you are effectily scrapping when all your actualy wanting from it is the running gear that you can pick up a full set for 2-3k?
You will see there are two points to my post, 2nd point i said was if doing basic modding then a sti is the way to go, the first point i said was if you are extensivly modifying a wrx is prob the way to go.
If you are heavily modifying you arn't going to be using or upgrading to STI parts, brakes, engine, suspension will all be put in the scrap heap and replaced with higher spec components, such as AP brakes front and back, including lines, closed deck 2.35 engine, adjustable coilovers, roll bars, all bush's, clutch, ecu, cooling system, fuel system etc etc etc. very little of the oem sti parts will remain.
So again why spend 5-6k more for a car that you are effectily scrapping when all your actualy wanting from it is the running gear that you can pick up a full set for 2-3k?
12 September 2020, 12:47 PM
#24
Scooby Regular
i've done uit multiple times and if your spending 60k and using sti parts then your paying waaay over the odds
12 September 2020, 02:04 PM
#25
12 September 2020, 03:37 PM
#26
Scooby Regular
I didn't say I was using sti parts ,, I said I wish I had started with a sti lol as I had to buy lots of bits the sti already came with , heads , wiring , box , diff , hubs, it all added up lol ,, its actually a WRC car now but I still wish it had the STI on the log book as it would be worth more if I ever do decide to sell
12 September 2020, 04:37 PM
#28
Scooby Regular
I didn't say I was using sti parts ,, I said I wish I had started with a sti lol as I had to buy lots of bits the sti already came with , heads , wiring , box , diff , hubs, it all added up lol ,, its actually a WRC car now but I still wish it had the STI on the log book as it would be worth more if I ever do decide to sell
no spec c big port heads?
12 September 2020, 06:51 PM
#29
Scooby Regular
Assuming you are looking at newage cars, if your budget is at all tight I would just buy the cleanest WRX you can afford. I have a JDM Blob WRX Wagon and, once mapped, it goes really nicely if you appreciate it for what it is. If you really do not want to spend on mapping then keep a look out for one that has already been mapped (by someone reputable) or a car with the Prodrive Performance Pack. By modern standards a standard 220-odd bhp WRX is a bit lacking but with 260-280bhp (either with the PPP or a custom map) they really are brought alive. Bear in mind that the WRX is lighter than the STi by c.100kg so will feel relatively sprightly for the power. IF you think that you MAY change your mind re modifications and end up wanting 300bhp+ then you are far better plumping for the STi initially.