STI PRODRIVE FAN

Hi Iam thinking about buying a P1 or STI typeuk but iam some what confused as to which to buy.

Obviously there are lots of issues regarding the STI typeUK ie the LAG ,which definately exists,and is quite a problem for me as i own a uk2000 xreg which has none or very little. I test drove the prodrive Sti but became increasingly aware of a lag problem ie flooring it with little or no response until the 4000revs(a kind of numb feeling in accel pedal).

The interior and build quality is very good though and no wind noise was fantastic and the corner handling and brakes are superb.


The P1 is a great car but those brakes just cant handle the rest of the performance making it dangerous as i found out. I was traveling at 120mph and some Mad fool pulled out infront of me so I slammed the brakes and the back end of the car was all over the shop.

So my dilema is both cars are great in their own respects but each have their +`s and -`s.

1.Sti-uk +`s great handling,brakes,acceleration when above 4000,4drs.
-`s Still dont like those headlights,that annoying LAG,price27.5k for april del or 26k for STI(non prodrive)
and lousy part ex for 15k on 5dr x reg turbo2000 19k on clock.

2.Prodrive P1 +`s Absolutely no lag, extremely fast better interior 20-25k for low mileage minter so lvls out the 15k part ex issue

-`s only 2 doors, the usual imp headlight problem,
the brakes, + iam not to keen on the original alloys, need to be gold.


So as you can see all the +`s and -`s are fairly equally spread but deciding is very difficult for me so any advice on your observations or experiences which you feel would help will be much appreciated.

Both are insurance group20 so any good quotes could also help loads. Iam 32 male NCB 8yrs no points(lucky me).
Of course if i get one of the above then points may come thick and fast lol.

Mickle

I had the same decision in december but went for a P1, I just can't get round the new shape. Never looked back. Insurance is about £1400 with Tesco (27 yo, 4 years no claims, no points)

End of the day it's what you can live with...

medders

Me too, don't like bug eyes, even after driving. Bought a P1. Love it.

P1Fanatic

From all the recent opinions it seems that the majority feeling is that the P1 is the faster in a straight line but the Sti makes it up in the corners with improved handling. The P1 is more of a rough and ready package and seems to be easier to throw around and get that smile on your face. Whilst the Sti seems to be able to go faster with less effort, has better brakes, 4 doors and is a lot better build wise i.e. not as many rattles, significantly better interior (not that that is hard). So that makes them very close and is down to your personal circumstances. The P1 is a pretty good buy 2nd hand and has taken a big depreciation hit already. The brakes can easily be sorted out with a decent alcon/ap/brembo upgrade which will match or even exceed the Sti's. Im sure you could find a decent set of Gold OZ's on here without too much trouble and could either sell yours to offset the purchase (maybe even straight swap) to keep them for track days.

legacyPete

The case for a type UK

Goldfinger

Although not as good as the HID projector beams, Philips Vision Plus bulbs should sort out the lousy headlights for £20 - great value for money with free sidelights at the moment ( see www.powerbulbs.com ....

Probably in c. 6 months I'll have a similar dilemma on my hands although at the moment I am swinging towards a P1 - just need to drive an STi now

Cheers
Phil

STI PRODRIVE FAN

mmmmmmmm thx for the replies guys. Yes i Know going 120 means that iam part of the problem as far as driving goes but if the P1 had the Sti brembro brakes it would have stopped in time no problem, but at the time the brakes definately let me down.

+ lets face it if the cars designed to go that fast, it should also have equal stopping power otherwise you know what happens.

It was along a duel carriageway and the bloke didnt indicate or even look in his rear mirror,which if he had, he would have spotted me a mile off as those lights were a blazing in daylight.

Anyway Ive seen a P1 minter for 25k and 5k on the clock so iam tempted to buy it but one thing does worry me.
I live in cornwall and believe it or not there aren`t many Super Unleaded Petrol Pumps close by (LOL) which means ive gotta travel 40-50miles out of my way to get it so can you tell what the petrol consumption is really like in real driving terms.

I spend most of my time driving up the A30 to Exeter so in real terms what mpg iam i likely to get.

thx to all for all your replies and keep them coming as the purchase will be fairly soon.

It would seem that the P1 is the purchase to make but would love to hear from All you STI-TYPEUK owners to make absolutely sure.

Adam M

dont worry about sul, you can easily use NF octane booster which can make up for low ron ratings.

Point taken re brakes though, the standard are not up to it.

I would guess that fuel consumption is a trade off. the newsti having 6 gears, so i assume the sixth is an overdrive. Fuel consumption is affceted on the new car by it being much heavier, but then I know that its inlet manifold promotes tumble of the charge. thsi means it is geared towards charge stratifed ignition or leaner burn. So it should eb relatively frugal at cruise.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Hmmmmm what is this thing about lag and the new STi type uk??
Cosworths suffer from lag, the new STi doesnt suffer any lag what so ever and if you look up the meaning of lag you may see that its when you take your foot off the fast pedal (when your in the turbo) and put your foot back on the fast pedal, the part where you get no response whilst in the turbo is LAG! nothing else is, and i own an MY00 with no lag, the STi type UK suffers from NO lag, and IMHO the thing that people think is lag is actually this thing called the gearbox, they dont know how to use it properly... its different than that 5 speed you normally get you know! Ive driven the new Type UK and its more responsive than my PPP'd turbo low down, but if you want to get her on the boil you have to use the gearbox, simple as that
I remember the first time i opened up my scoob (new and after the first service) she felt dead, really did, and we all know that scoob engines take 7-10k under their belt to loosen up a little so when people say that this car is slow i dont beleive em one bit, the car i drove had 100 miles on the clock and was a stormer! that thing flew but all are different and all will need a little running in to get the best out of em.
So, options between a P1 and an STi type UK... easy choice
The STI type UK wins hands down cos its a much better car than the P1 to start with

Tony

Great~taste~Bloke

I had the choice and bought the P1. Brakes can be upgraded. The lights are much better on main beam than a my00. 2 door not a problem for me!
Matthew

Great~taste~Bloke

btw P1's run happily on 95 ron!

Scott J Davies

Kostas

You are as see through as crystal glass, you did this last year you, ****!

'Shall I buy STi 5 or Evo 6 my friend want to know' bull**** bull****

See through you ringpiece

Scott J Davies

Then again I may be wrong and you should by my car

In for sale

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Great taste Bloke,
UK Sti's run very happily on 95 ron too but the potential is better in the sti7 due to its better handling, even though it may not be as quick in a straight line as the P1 it would leave it in the twisties and the brakes would take some serious beating (335mm front, 300mm rear),
In the end you either want a MY98 car or an MY02 car, the advantages are that the MY02 car is just much better than an MY98, simple fact and with the PPP coming out for the type UK (now just wonder why they never did a PPP for the P1!) and you dont have any performance disadvantage (if not the Type UK will probably be slightly quicker!)
The P1 is a great car but then again so was the cosworth in its day

Tony

medders

If you're not doing any track days all this talk of handling is irrelevant. The P1 and STi are so close handling wise (when comparing all cars). Any STi owner who thinks he's going to fly away from a P1 when a bend comes is sadly mistaken (any more than a P1 is going to leave a MY99 for dead). You are going to have to be going round extremely tight corners very very fast to get any distance.
However the brakes are not up to the job, and are the next upgrade on my list.
At the end of the day the cars are very similar, I prefer My P1, others prefer there STi's. Drive em and buy the one you feel best in.......

wilf

Not having driven UK STi so cant comment. That said just cos its newer it aint necessarily better.... The new WRX is a softer car designed for a wider US market. Its substantially heavier and has to comply with stricter emissions than the P1. It is also cheaper to build than the car it replaces.

Both cars are reputed to handle v well. I am not sure about the STI being better with all that extra weight. The new WRX was supposed to handle better than the old Turbo but most disagree (composure or feedback its your choice). To be honest my P1 is way beyond the capabilities of myself and most other drivers on the road.

The P1 is faster in a straight line is rawer and noisier, has greater low down urge and IMHO looks better. Its also a ltd edition (albeit an STi beneath the skin).

Brake upgrades on P1 easily do the job and from what i have read will be needed on the UK STI as well. P1 lights are usual turbo rubbish on dipped but the full beam driving lights are excellent.

medders

With regard to lights on a P1, just go to your dealer and ask for "more powerful bulbs" they sell them all the time. Problem solved for very little money. I then replaced the P1 driving lights with Cibie Oscar SC's. Perfect.

jamesa

P1 for me........goes quite well too with fuel consumption between 22 and 30mpg. If you can honestly tell the real difference in speed between the two in fast cornering on public roads then I salute your halo !

Remain unimpressed with the new shape, although Pete Croney`s has always stood out above all the other MY01 / 02`s with those of Dave and Carolyn a close second.

A `better` car may not always be better to drive !

Enjoy whatever...

chiark

I can't even see there being a comparison, personally. The P1 was great, whereas the STI is, IMHO, sublime. It is a wonderful package out of the box. To take a P1 to STI-like handling would be difficult (diffs, suspension, brakes)... whereas to up the performance of the STI is arguably a case of removing some of the cats.

Mickle

Removing the Cats and adding a PPP is hardly out of the box!

medders

Maybe it feels like it handles better because it's got less power and weighs more?

medders

Is there a PPP for the STi yet?
If I take the cats off my P1 I'll probably be nearly or at 300 bhp.

Pooder

I think one of the problems with the P1 is the engine is just about at full stretch if you want reliability whereas the STI can take a lot more bhp without coming apart

wilf

Pooder,

True but it does weigh alot more for starters.

They are both nice cars to be honest.

Pooder

Wilf
I agree having driven both they are great cars but the STI build quality is in another dimension

wilf

Hmmm not so sure. But then I own a P1 and wouldnt change it for anything at the moment .

Did you drive a P1 against the new STi?

PS I agree with your decision not to purchase the Prodrive UKSTI I reckon its resale value will be undermined by the lower price of the non-prodrive.

Pooder

I drove the P1 about 6 months ago and loved it but I do prefer the STI.Just personal choice
I agree about the Prodrive version might as well spend the money on a PPP

SiWhite

Its fairly obvious everyone is going to have different opinions on this, so I may as well add mine

For the type of use I have of my car and my driving ability the fact that the new STi may handle slightly better than my P1 makes bugger all difference as I am never going to be able to get the best out of either of them.

Additionally, whether one is a few tenths faster in a straight line than the other is not really here nor there, other than the fact that you can talk about it with your mates in the pub!

Personally, I think the P1 is by far the better looking car and has an X-factor about it that I don't see in the STi (admittedly I have not driven one).

For me, my car, which has a brake upgrade and full decat is the ultimate Impreza! and I would not consider changeing it for a brand new STi or even a 22b, ,

Well maybe a 22b Type UK

Cheers

Si

Mickle

Hey Pooder, you're right, the STI UK is in a new dimension...

It's the bug-eyed-large-oversized-fugly dimension.

Pooder

Mickle
Have you driven an STI ---Who cares what it looks like--Buy a hairdressors car if that concerns you