Quote:
Originally Posted by 414bhp
The most recent STI I drove was a 2016. Are they still using hydraulic steering?
I drove the 2016 STI when I owned an E90 M3 and Ford Focus RS. The E90 was lovely, but felt pretty isolating and sedate in town. (This was both a plus and a minus, depending on what you wanted out of your daily.) The Focus RS, on the other hand, was raw and rowdy, but had a paint-shaker ride and slightly rubbery steering and shifter. Compared to those two cars, the STI was alive and brimming with feel and feedback at all speeds. You could drive it 500 feet in a parking lot and already appreciate that lovely steering and gearshift.
I got to drive the 2016 STI back to back with the Focus RS, Golf R, and Mitsubishi Evo X. (I wrote the story of that day on my blog here.) Of all the competitors, the STI seriously made me doubt my Focus RS ownership. The STI delivered 90% of the Focus RS's performance, yet felt like those analog cars I grew up on in the 2000s. I know many people make fun of the old engine and steering technology, but for the guy that wants the classic car feel with a new car warranty, I think the STI could be a gem. To me the F80 M3s feel like the new way, while the STIs feel like the old way. |
The WRX STI still have hydraulic steering. The new upcoming 2022 ones may change this but the current ones still have it.