RicerX

I'll go ahead and post my mini review here.

What I drove: 2015 Subaru WRX STI Limited in HOLY CRAP IT'S BLINDINGLY RED (I don't know what their red is called, but it's super red.)

Initial impression at dealership upon startup: "I can see things around me!" "I'm sitting high."

The one I drove had everything in it. The keyfob (the equivalent to intelligent key for us to facilitate push button start and stuff) is the size of a brick. Probably the most disappointing part about the car is the fact that I would want a pair of cargo pants to carry around the key. I used to complain about having two Nissan key fobs on my ring... but now I know better.

Anyway - it's relatively quiet compared to the Z. There are really cool storage compartments and usable cupholders in the center. The infotainment clobbers the Z with navi, but that's not hard as it's 7 years newer in design, and I don't discredit the Z for that. Didn't get any time in with the Harmon Kardon audio, but the Nav was snappy and touch screen was pretty responsive. There's a bit more room for the driver as well, and the seat was adjusted a bit high in height and I didn't play with it.

Visibility is nicer than the Z simply because you're in a sedan and not a sports coupe. The biggest surprise was that the giant rear wing was not intrusive to rear visibility for me. There's a bump in the crossbar of the wing that basically keeps it slightly above the horizon line you see in the rear, and it's clear they engineered that so it wouldn't be intrusive.

Now the fun part - driving.

Steering is lighter than the Z. I found it to be the perfect blend of "connected" in feel, yet not too heavy. The wheel itself is very nice. Looks great and feels good. The suspension setup is pretty freakin awesome. The car is pretty well planted, has tons of grip, doesn't beat you around too much, but you know you're in the "nismo version" of the WRX. Took a couple onramps/offramps with it and there's a minimal amount of body roll in the corners. I expected to feel a bit with a car that is relatively taller than my Z, but not so much. I imagine I would grind some out on the track, but as it sat, it was a tighter car than my Z with my HKS Hipermax IV GT coilovers on it. (I don't like my coilovers for performance - but that's another thread).

Low end torque is nice, but the car is nothing like the Z past 5000 RPMs, and the Z is nothing like the STI below 4000 RPMs. It stops making power around 6k yet redlines around 7k. I have experienced how easily this is fixed via Cobb with a Stage 1+ tune (cobb intake plus their OTS map - makes the car completely different) and it doesn't deter me. I think many Z guys would jump into an STI if it was a Cobb Stage 1+ straight out of the factory - it's that much improved. However, from the factory, the power band leaves a little to be desired coming from a Z. If you want to keep the car bone stock, you might be disappointed, and you'll really appreciate just how good the VQ37 is at delivering power, and you'll appreciate a good NA car versus a good boosted car.

The location of the shifter is fantastic - I found the lever to be the perfect height and in the perfect location for my seating position, yet I experienced a bit of the slop in the factory shifter bushings the car is known for. The action of the shifter can be rectified with aftermarket parts (yep - Cobb), but stock for stock, the Z's shifter is far superior to the STI in every single way.

Clutch - a bit different story. The STI was easier to clutch and the clutch is probably less aggressive than the Z's setup. I really can't say which I prefer over the other and honestly need more time with the STI to make a decision. I can say there is significantly less travel in the clutch of the Subaru, which is cool, but you don't get the same feel for engagement that you do with the Z. At the same time, you don't get as much of a window for sloppy engagement with less travel. Maybe this is a case of apples and oranges.

Braking - the STI is equipped with Brembos like the Z is with Akebonos with the Sport Package (my car). On the street - I will take the Z all day. The Akebonos have significantly more bite - this STI had 250 miles on it, and my 23,000 mile-old pads and rotors (all stock with stock fluids) walked all over this car. I found the STI to have too much pedal travel before the brakes actually grabbed, so I researched it, and I drove my buddy's 2011 STI and found the exact same problem even with SS lines, carbotech pads, and motul RBF600 fluids. Apparently there is flex where the BMC mounts on the car, and Perrin makes a part to stiffen it, and subsequently reducing the extra "slop" in the brake pedal. This mod is essential coming from my Z, and the one area where I was almost irritated about the car. I didn't feel confident in the braking during the test drive at any point. If you have only ever driven one of the Subarus, you wouldn't know the difference.
It's not a matter of weight, because, surprisingly, there is a negligible difference in weight between the two cars if memory serves me correctly.

Despite some of the things I nitpicked up there, I found it to be a fantastic car overall. The interior is much improved over the previous generation. Visibility is great. The trunk has pretty decent room (doesn't have the hump in the rear that the outgoing gen has). Styling looks better in person than in pictures, especially on a dark blue or dark gray color. AWD is freakin awesome, and is definitely an upgrade from a Z for the winter months - I would be confident in this car during inclement weather conditions in a way that I'm not in the Z. It's a more well rounded car that offers similar performance to a Z. There are plenty of things the Z does better, but the tuning platform to the STI is a bit more cost effective (it's factory boosted and has great adoption in the aftermarket) and you can have a 400whp base STI for the price of a new Nismo Z fairly easily.

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