Subaru WRX STi questions

[JHatta]

Hello everyone

Im planning to buy a 2004/2005 Subaru WRX STi, and I would like to hear the pros and cons on the vehicle. Few other questions are.... What are the major differences between 04 and 05?? How much is insurance monthly or yearly (I have 30% discount). What octane should be used and what kind of mileage do they get.

Thanks for your help!!

[DC5-S]

05 is a lot better then 04.. id never get a 04 if i was in the market for an STi.. interior is better and a lot of other revisions on the car.. they use 91 octane and if u mod it they get horrible gas mileage.. but thats expected

[What_the?]

i think the 04's don't come with factory immobilisers, which made them one of ICBC's most stolen vehicles i believe

[jungle168]

Grab a 05+ STI if you can. 04 models don't have an immobilizer and, therefore, easier to steal. Also, 05+ come with a 5x114.3 instead of 5x100 which makes it waaaayyyy easier to find wheels. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Jungle

[Truenosan]

05's had some nice upgrades. the HVAC system was changed. Nicer interior, 5 x 114.3 bolt pattern, the rear flare if you care about that.

[thumper]

http://www.nasioc.com is your friend

[Truenosan]

Originally Posted by thumper

http://www.nasioc.com is your friend

If he posts a question like that on nasioc, hes going to get butt raped, tortured, butt raped some more then repeat

[thumper]

Originally Posted by Truenosan

If he posts a question like that on nasioc, hes going to get butt raped, tortured, butt raped some more then repeat

true, but he would have more success with the search option than he would here...

[Truenosan]

Originally Posted by thumper

true, but he would have more success with the search option than he would here...

yes, that is true.

But from what I see on nasioc, its the same damn questions asked over and over and over again.

Search on nasioc !

just don't post a new thread asking your question, or else get your lube ready

[toyota86]

get either a 05 or a 06. 05 got a major upgrade over 04. dont get a 07 cuz subaru cheaped out and watered down the car a bit. all sti have bad fuel economy. its expected.

[BrendanS]

+1, the 04s don't have immobilizers, get an 05/06 if you can. IMO 06/07 is the best looking year. Anyways, good luck with the hunt!

[J-Chow]

stay away from 04', and move upward
Gas mileage for the STi isn't the best, but what's new? lol

[Vancouver240sx]

Originally Posted by toyota86

get either a 05 or a 06. 05 got a major upgrade over 04. dont get a 07 cuz subaru cheaped out and watered down the car a bit. all sti have bad fuel economy. its expected.

could anyone else comment about the 07 sti? I will be looking for one this month and would love some input.

tia
rich

[TOPEC]

stay with 05 or 06 depending on which body style u like.
05/06 is 99% identical except for the center diff variable rate changed.

06/07 had some minor, or some may conside major changes.
the 07 lost some aluminum parts such as the control arms
the 07 gained thicker braces under the front fender, but this can be replaced with a $80 aftermarket brace that'll make a huge difference
the 07 uses TOP FEED injectors where as alll previous STIs used side feed injectors
the 07 used redesigned pistons where SOME people claim not as good as previous years
the 07 stock ecu maps had major problems where people were blowing engines BONE STOCK, you CAN get arnd this by going with a aftermarket map

pretty much sums up the diff. oh and the 07s gained an electric air pump inside the engine bay for enmission, it'll look funny when u see it.

[death_blossom]

wow, I didn't know there were any differences between the '06 and '07 models. which is a better set up for injectors, top feed or side feed?

as for the '04 STi's, I hear that the way the suspension is setup/tuned makes it a more "raw" car when driving it hard. makes the driving experience more lively, any truth to that?

[TOPEC]

Originally Posted by death_blossom

wow, I didn't know there were any differences between the '06 and '07 models. which is a better set up for injectors, top feed or side feed?

as for the '04 STi's, I hear that the way the suspension is setup/tuned makes it a more "raw" car when driving it hard. makes the driving experience more lively, any truth to that?

no, it's probably because of the way the DCCD is set up thus making it "more raw". alto 04 sti suspension cannot be interchanged with any other years of STI, i'm pretty sure they're the same, just different mounting points.

go search up side feed and top feed injectors on nasioc. if i remember correctly, side feeds are low impedence while the top feed have a high impedence. i forgot whats good and bad about them tho.

[originalhypa]

My 04' was the most fun car I've ever had. It was like driving a Mustang or Camaro, where you could oversteer the car with throttle inputs. It was a fun and rewarding car, but could definately bite you in the ass if you weren't ready for it. The 04's are a handful compared to the later years.

My 06' is awesome. Smooth, powerful, and imho the best year of the STi's. It's virtually the same as the 05', but with the updated aerodynamics. The 07's are pretty, especially of you can secure a Limited, but they tend to be a bit tougher to tune due to the new ECU/Canbus system. Plus they have that silly airpump..... That said, the 07' have the best tranny gearing for drag racing. No more shifting to 5th at the end of the 1/4 mile with the 07'.

Since I've been stung before with a used "roach" STi, I've learned that these cars can and probably have been abused at some point in their life. The good thing is, the cars are strong as hell, and there are a few checks you can do to keep yourself safe.

First off, look at the history of the car. If it's out of province, or country, it could have a shady history. My old 04' was from Ontario, and shipped to Richmond for some reason. Now I know why, because cylinder #4 was in 15 different pieces. The car still pulled 250whp on Rocket's Dyno, even with 3.5 working cylinders. Like I said, the cars are strong.

Second, spring for a compression test from either a dealer, or a trusted shop. If I had done that, I would have known compression was down, and the piston was broken.

Third, check for the regular things, like previous accident damage, tire wear, brake wear, etc. If you find an STi with brown brakes, a slipping clutch, and no tread left on the tires, walk away.


The bottom line like Renesis said is stick with the 05'/06' if you can. But really, I know of a ton of 04's and 07's that are amazingly fast and fun. Basically if you can get ANY clean STi, you'll enjoy the hell out of it.

[Vancouver240sx]

originalhypa - thanks so much for the reply!!! Very helpful!

rich

[Volvo-brickster]

Originally Posted by originalhypa

No more shifting to 5th at the end of the 1/4 mile with the 07'.

thats an exaggeration right ?

[death_blossom]

Originally Posted by originalhypa

That said, the 07' have the best tranny gearing for drag racing. No more shifting to 5th at the end of the 1/4 mile with the 07'.

sounds like the gearing on the 07's are longer. is that something that is actually desired, assuming we're not making 500hp hehe.

[GFunk]

Here's a useful direction copy and paste from IWSTI

Originally Posted by wdb

[Edit July 13 2005: changes to information in Rumored/Unconfirmed Changes section, with attributions where possible]
[Edit June 10 2005: added Links to More Information section at end]
[Edit June 5 2005: added Rumored/Unconfirmed Changes section at end]

What are the differences between the 2004 and 2005 STi?

I've seen this question asked over and over again, and I have yet to see a truly satisfactory answer given. So here on the eve of the introduction of the 2006 model it seems to me as good a time as any to put together a comprehensive list of the differences between the 2004 and 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi as sold in the US.

My list follows, collected from a variety of sources. I'm not 100% certain about some of them, and I certainly don't claim that the list is complete. Any and all input is welcome, from nitpicks about how the list is laid out to technical foo such as steering rack ratios. I'll revise the list as we go.

Engine/Suspension/Drivetrain

* larger wheel hubs and bearings
* larger wheel bolt circle diameter (from 5x100 in 2004 to 5x114.3 in 2005)
* 17x8 wheels (17x7.5 in 2004)
* 1 inch wider rear track
* revised power steering rack
* power steering fluid cooler
* stiffer steering rack mounts
* 3-point rear suspension crossmember
* aluminum rear suspension lateral links
* helical limited-slip front differential (Suretrac LSD in 2004)
* revised DCCD system
* new Yaw sensor for DCCD (part of the lateral G sensor)
* revised ABS controller
* optional short shift kit

Exterior

* aerodynamic underbody panels
* rear wheel arch flares
* redesigned rear bumper
* revised exterior badging (black instead of chrome STi badges)
* smoked headlight lenses
* new paint color - Crystal Grey Metallic

Interior

* smaller diameter steering wheel with black center area
* redesigned center console
* 2 cupholder indentations in center console (no more dashboard pop-out)
* redesigned center stack with aluminum-look trim
* automatic climate control with automatic vent selection feature
* 80-watt, 6-speaker AM/FM stereo with integral 6-CD changer standard
* revised seat cushions with new side bolster material
* revised interior door trim
* side mirror controls moved to driver's door (from center console)
* DCCD controls relocated on center console
* upgraded sunvisor material
* redesigned anti-glare finish on windshield behind mirror (no more center visor)
* Immobilizer key
* redesigned keyless remote keyfob
* cruise control standard
* air filtration system standard
* rear passenger cupholders standard
* optional auto-dimming mirror with Homelink

Rumored/Unconfirmed Changes

* redesigned pistons to fix problem with ring lands breaking? This rumor has been pretty well debunked by experts. See this post by Crawford and the associated thread for more information.
* faster steering rack ratio? Nothing has been found to substantiate this claim. It may have gotten started due to considerably improved steering respone from redesigned rack bushings on '05's.

Links to More Information

* http://www.imprezawrxsti.com/forums/...3237#post93237



Cheers,
-wdb