Martin Walker

Ok campers,

What does anyone think ?
If you were going to pay the same money for a UK Sti (PPP) or an imported Forester Sti, modified to help keep up with an Impreza, what would you buy, and why ?

I'm going through this just now while I await appropriate test drives, and any opinions welcome :-)
Im thinking about warranty being remote for a Forester Sti (me being in Scotland and this will be an imported model with warranty remote), but then the Forester has practicality advantages and is somewhat a 'Q' car which is a nice concept after 11 years of Scoobs. What does the community think ?
Debate :-)

pappasmurf

get a Forester sti...you know you want too.
It's rare...it's quick enough...it will be different........and the one VBH was driving around Anglesey sounded rather nice.

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

And it was only a second slower than the Impreza, pretty impressive I'd say.

z80

Martin,

As am a few days away from taking delivery of a new 06 Blue Forester STi from Iain Litchfield, my views are biased somewhat.

However the choice was made after owning several Impreza’s in the past and the thinking that the current 06 model is uninspiring and not radically different enough from the previous throng.

Horses for courses but a re-mapped Forester pushing nearly 340bhp must be close or better performance, straight-line-wise, than a PPP’d 06 Impreza STi. Perhaps if the boost hose on the one Vicki BH test drove hadn’t come off, the 5th gear Anglesey test times would have been closer. Dunno. Track work in a Forester is pretty daft anyway and hence straight-line shove rules ok for the trips to Tesco & B&Q.

I’m hoping the AST coilover suspension that’s being fitted will improve the handling, not that it’s particularly bad in the 06 model anyway.

The Forester certainly has Q car kudos (although admittedly blue isn’t very Q) and it’s more of a practical proposition too. My wife and 3 growing daughters, 11, 13 & 14, along with their entire garb they insist on carrying around are a better fit in the Forester.

Hope this helps in some kind of way.

Simon

Bartop

There's a few Forester Sti owners on here - tbh at the end of the day it comes down to what you need from the car, the obvious difference being the space and practicality of the Forester.

With a Miltek and remap the FSti will certainly keep up with if not be slightly faster than an Sti PPP in a straight line. 330/330 'ish, but although the handling is suprisingly good it's not as good as the impreza Sti although the ride quality and comfort level is higher.

Plus as you say the Q factor, rarity value and overall perfomance, handling and practicality are pretty unique and if you value those things then the FSti is a great choice.

ps Litchfields have at least one used one I know of - what year are you after ?

pappasmurf

I pressume you can't push the forester sti around the corners anything like the Impreza.....as VBH showed? But 340bhp in a machine that weighs only 70kg more then the Impreza sounds good.
I would definetely consider one if i could afford to change.

Bartop

For even more Q factor and poss to do cheaper you could get a Forester FXT and mod it as I've done as it's essentially the same 2.5 engine.

With a turbo change, exhaust and remap, intercooler - you'll be at the same power levels. Would need to change upgrade the brakes, wheels, tyres and suspension as well..

Even then you won't have the six speed, steering, sti badge and kudos..


....come to think of it, why didn't I just get a FSti myself !

Great fun though !!

stilover

Must admit, I really like the FSTi. If I had a family I'd probably get one. Also, I was hoping the Forester on 5th gear had got the better time, as I'd have deffo phoned up to try & win it.

I do think the Impreza's best days are behind it now. I love my car (05 STI PPP) but they have a bad image now (Thanks to Chavs) while the Forester STI is where the Impreza was years ago. i.e. not many people knew about it.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Oooooooooooooh the pain . Wifey would sell my kidneys for the FSTi. Saw Litcho's one at Japfest last year on the track.....awesome! Last I looked there were four 2nd hand

http://www.litchfieldimports.co.uk/

GazTheHat

If it was a decision between an 06 STi and a FSTi, i would probably now go for a FSTi. It was an 04/05 STi vs FSTi, i would choose the impreza. I'm not a fan of the SEAT front end and other styling.

Do the FSTi's come in any other colour than blue though?

Bartop

Yep - latest ones come in Black, grey and white at least that I know of..

GazTheHat

Mmmm, FSTi in black.

That would definitely beat the impreza round the track then.

ricardo

Pros of the Forester:
stealthy, much less likely to be stopped
insurance-friendly
family-friendly, much more practical, can put bikes in the back
rarity - you don't lose it in the car park
as fast or faster in acceleration
not much in it round corners - Vicky using the Impreza DCCD to hang the back out to get round the hairpins faster isn't that likely on a public road
can get to B&Q just as fast - and back with a load of decking
you don't have to deal with Subaru UK (compared to a UK car)
blue (least stealthy) black (stealthier) grey (very stealthy) and white (dunno about white, not sure if anyone has got a white one)
higher driving position, easier to get in and out of if you've reached advanced age
nicer noise compared to UK Impreza
children and yoofs don't gather round asking to hear the dump valve
much better speakers as standard

Cons of the Forester:
slightly higher centre of mass if on standard suspension
nobody expects it to accelerate like it does, so they look at you and pull out in front of you
no rev beep
servicing is at Powerstation, so the car has a magnetic attraction for other mods.
JDM head-unit as standard.

Did I say my first one is for sale ? (The grey one in the Litchfield list...)

Martin Walker

And the answer was ..............

Crystal Grey Impreza Sti PPP - ordered today :-))

Advantages being I can get one in a week or two, handiness of dealer (I'm in Scotland - Wiltshire is a looooooong way away), full test drive of the new 06 and I'm happy now with it's slightly lighter steering - will get used to it. And in the end it's simply better for us just now as we don't quite need Forester space yet
We (wife and I) are saying this is the last saloon though - family might be bigger in a few years so then the Forester will kick in one suspects.
I have to say I'm still really keen - David Hendry was very helpful re setup possibilities for one of the Foresters - they were great down there. And I have a feeling I'll have one .... just not this time ...

I agree,esp with a few Zero Sports add-ons (I did spec. one up) it would be some machine too.
Shame I couldn't have both .... hahahahaha.

XRS

But Gloucestershire (where Litcho operates from) is closer than Wiltshire

Martin Walker

Heh heh - very true ... but nae much closer :-)
I did contact both the guys, and I got a reply from David, so that sorted that :-) The spec we'd come p with was worth going to Wiltshire too, don't get me wrong, but the lure of a car inside two weeks ... resale in a few years ... and so on.
One day I'll be there ....

pappasmurf

Had a good look at the Litchfields web site and all the write ups and info on the FSTi and i have to say this is one mighty...stealthy and rare beast of a machine. 4.8 secs to 60mph. 330lbs torque. 330 bhp.
tempting.

HotRod

Martin - pictures when you get it please... I'm considering a silver FSti too and would be interested how you find it

Are you going for the Miltek exhaust option? Anyone know if this releases much more lovely Scooby noise? - standard Scoobs just too quiet these days!

WRX Blues

I would have always said Impreza STi over Forester STi....until I saw Simon Jarvis's car!

Martin Walker

Hi HotRod,

Went for an Impreza Sti in the end - see notes further down

I was (if I got the FSti),going to put a ZeroSports exhaust on it

ricardo

The Forester STi with the OEM STi exhaust is very quiet.
The Forester STi with the Milltek downpipe and centre section but the OEM back box is still pretty quiet, I've tried it. It is the OEM back box that is losing all the noise.

Switch to the Milltek back box and the noise level goes up considerably, lots of burble. You won't be disappointed !