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      10-10-2019, 11:13 PM   #67
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Originally Posted by ntgarage44 View Post
Car enthusiasts are so funny. We recognize that every car has compromises, so we come up with the solution of owning multiple cars. Then, we complain that we're compromising our time between the multiple vehicles, which is an entirely self-introduced problem, so we justify trading in multiple cars for yet another car in an attempt to fix said compromise.

At least we make sense to each other, right?
127 cars owned later and over 55 since I got married in 2006, my wife sees thru my BS Every time I say this is the ideal car she just laughs. Where my current plan is to trade in the WRX for a M3 as my DD and sell the 1LE for a GTR. Ive owned so many cars its just a shame, too many I shoulda kept and even more I wanna buy
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      10-11-2019, 06:15 AM   #68
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Originally Posted by JamesGames View Post
we ONLY make sense to each other. To everyone else that doesn't care about cars, we are irrational, make piss poor financial decisions, and are highly irresponsible.

...But ill still pay a markup on that GT3.. with a high deductible on that insurance plan to save money of course to right some wrongs..

Yeah, they b*tch and moan about our financial decisions, but fail to disclose how 1 freaking round of golf costs them $200+, adding up to over $5-6k throughout the year. Or how many tens of thousands they've spent on vacations and travel. In the end, they don't understand that their leisure activities are no different than ours, because they just don't "get it."

And yet, I find that in my group of friends, I'm usually the one driving because everyone wants to be in my cars, since they're the most fun and interesting. Go figure.


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Originally Posted by TheBasicGentlemen View Post
127 cars owned later and over 55 since I got married in 2006, my wife sees thru my BS Every time I say this is the ideal car she just laughs. Where my current plan is to trade in the WRX for a M3 as my DD and sell the 1LE for a GTR. Ive owned so many cars its just a shame, too many I shoulda kept and even more I wanna buy
Bless your wife, she's a saint. My wife would have left me after the 5th car She refused to endorse the STI purchase when I almost bought it, but only let it slide since the money was already spent on the M3 and I'd be getting a check back with the Subaru, so no additional funds would be taken out.
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      10-14-2019, 09:06 AM   #69
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Originally Posted by TheBasicGentlemen View Post
Ive owned so many cars its just a shame, too many I shoulda kept and even more I wanna buy

THIS!!
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      10-14-2019, 03:25 PM   #70
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Originally Posted by Humdizzle View Post
^ I feel you with the 3 car setup

its a pain sometimes to show all the cars some love and maintain them. (I know... first world problems). But I drive my civic every day to work. Then when I want to have fun its either 458, or if I want to shift gears I grab the M3. Most of the time i'm so busy I only have 3 days a week to enjoy the two. The M3 has seen 3k miles in 6 months. The Ferrari about half that. and my civic gets 25k miles a year.

But I've thought about just selling the m3 and civic and getting something inbetween… STi / type r / golf r to take the place of both.
Why don’t you just daily the m3? It’s reason for existing is pretty much to be a daily drivable but capable “dual purpose” car

Do you need a car with a mainstream badge for your commuter for some reason?
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      10-14-2019, 04:03 PM   #71
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Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post
Why don’t you just daily the m3? It’s reason for existing is pretty much to be a daily drivable but capable “dual purpose” car

Do you need a car with a mainstream badge for your commuter for some reason?
There's a few reasons.

1) windows are tinted and there is no front plate. Cops where I live don't mind, but my work is 40 miles away and in a small town. I got like 3-4 tickets in my 335 for those reasons just in 1 year. I feel like even putting a tow hook bracket plate on the car ruins the look.

2) my drive is pretty much straight highway. in the civic I don't have to worry about rock chips, being too low (im lowered on spacers), a shredded tire on the road, road kill, semi trucks kicking up stuff, bug splattered on my car or rain right after its washed.

3) I mean really I don't think i'd have any more fun driving that route in my m3. it just feels like wasted mileage/depreciation doing the speed limit for 30-40 minutes straight each way. would rather just save the m3 for fun drives after I get home from work where I can actually enjoy the manual transmission.
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      10-14-2019, 04:56 PM   #72
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Originally Posted by Humdizzle View Post
There's a few reasons.

1) windows are tinted and there is no front plate. Cops where I live don't mind, but my work is 40 miles away and in a small town. I got like 3-4 tickets in my 335 for those reasons just in 1 year. I feel like even putting a tow hook bracket plate on the car ruins the look.

2) my drive is pretty much straight highway. in the civic I don't have to worry about rock chips, being too low (im lowered on spacers), a shredded tire on the road, road kill, semi trucks kicking up stuff, bug splattered on my car or rain right after its washed.

3) I mean really I don't think i'd have any more fun driving that route in my m3. it just feels like wasted mileage/depreciation doing the speed limit for 30-40 minutes straight each way. would rather just save the m3 for fun drives after I get home from work where I can actually enjoy the manual transmission.

Reason #2 resonates with me so much. I get that cars are meant to be driven, but sometimes you need an appliance so you don't go insane trying to keep your nice cars clean like my previous S4. After 39000 miles I couldn't take it anymore and sold it. I'll never own a black car again. And I'll also never get a car that I care that much about as a DD. If I ever change companies, it's a silver STI with big ass mud flaps and dgaf attitude.

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      10-14-2019, 05:25 PM   #73
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Originally Posted by ntgarage44 View Post
Reason #2 resonates with me so much. I just got a new company Tacoma in April. After 8000 miles in Chicago area BS construction, I have specs of asphalt sprayed all over the sides of my truck. The wheel wells are caked with it. I've owned it for 5 months and already need a full clay bar, polish, and wax. I'd cry if it was one of my personal cars.

I get that cars are meant to be driven, but sometimes you need an appliance so you don't go insane trying to keep your nice cars clean like my previous S4. After 39000 miles I couldn't take it anymore and sold it. I'll never own a black car again. And I'll also never get a car that I care that much about as a DD. If I ever change companies, it's a silver STI with big ass mud flaps and dgaf attitude.
exactly. I care too much about my nice car to put through the grinder like that.

my 458 is for sale. looking to get a newer 6mt gt3 to replace it. I don't know if i'll have much use for the m3 when that happens.. but even if I replace it another similar price car I think i'll still be in the same scenario.

Even if I got a model 3p i'd still care too much about banging it up with 25k miles of annual daily driving, parking it near fatties who swing their doors wide open lol, or being at work with a hail / tornado watch.
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      10-14-2019, 06:25 PM   #74
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Originally Posted by Humdizzle View Post
exactly. I care too much about my nice car to put through the grinder like that.

my 458 is for sale. looking to get a newer 6mt gt3 to replace it. I don't know if i'll have much use for the m3 when that happens.. but even if I replace it another similar price car I think i'll still be in the same scenario.

Even if I got a model 3p i'd still care too much about banging it up with 25k miles of annual daily driving, parking it near fatties who swing their doors wide open lol, or being at work with a hail / tornado watch.
I totally get keeping your 458 as a garage queen, but it isn't clear to me an F80 needs to be babied like that.

I hope you can get over how you feel about having to keep your cars 'pristine'. It takes a lot of enjoyment out of having them. I personally felt so free after I stopped caring to that OCD degree.

And, I hope you don't get a model 3P and not daily it. I think you'll really be dissatisfied keeping it as a "fun only" weekend car. Daily the model 3, keep GT3 or 458 for the fun duty.... my $0.02
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      12-22-2020, 07:09 AM   #75
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So I figured since I started this thread way back when, may as well provide an update.

Sold my M3 back in June, was a good time to let it go for personal reasons unique to my lifestyle and situation. When the time was right, I decided what the heck, let's give the STI another whirl. And I ended up buying one!

It's a 2020 base model with alcantara Recaros and that's pretty much it. I've only had it for a week, but here are my impressions so far.

- I really miss having this much grip, it's great to stomp on it everywhere and never have TC intervene. Sure, it's way down on power compared to the M3, but the amount of tangibly accessible power is fun in its own right. Even on RE-71Rs, my M3's grip was just never where I wanted it to be when compared to other RWD sports cars I've driven. So this is a big win for me.

- The car could use about another 60 HP. However, the close gearing combined with the power delivery have made this the most N/A feeling turbocharged experience I've ever had. Subaru really refined and tuned it about as good as it can get. The car never feels super quick, but it never feels like you're waiting for power either, unlike my 09 WRX which I was waiting on boost for seconds depending on the RPM. However, this refinement is only in Intelligent mode, which is the least aggressive throttle setting. As far as I'm concerned, Sport and Sport# are undriveable. The tip in is way too aggressive and makes takeoffs and shifts annoying.

- Other misc. things: I don't like the stock wheels, both the design and 19 inch size, but I also don't want to buy 2 sets of 18s, so I'm putting snow tires on these and will find a summer set for the stock tires in a few months. Power will be addressed very soon, so I'm not as worried about that. About the only thing I think I miss from the M3 is the clutch feedback. The Subaru has almost none, and it makes takeoffs a little inconsistent. But I haven't stalled yet, and I'm assuming I will just get accustomed to it with time.

Oh, and the wing. Idk, something about it looks off to me. I don't think it works on this generation with the pointier nose from side view unless lowered. In person, it makes the car look really big to me. Will most likely remove and put on a lip spoiler when the time is right.

But at the end of the day, I think this was a good purchase for me, and I'm pretty darn happy so far. I don't miss my M3, which is the most important thing. I know this is not a popular move for anyone really, but it was the right move for me at this time, and I'm excited for what's to come with this car.

Anyways, here are some photos
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      12-22-2020, 04:50 PM   #76
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Originally Posted by ntg44 View Post
So I figured since I started this thread way back when, may as well provide an update.

Sold my M3 back in June, was a good time to let it go for personal reasons unique to my lifestyle and situation. When the time was right, I decided what the heck, let's give the STI another whirl. And I ended up buying one!

It's a 2020 base model with alcantara Recaros and that's pretty much it. I've only had it for a week, but here are my impressions so far.

- I really miss having this much grip, it's great to stomp on it everywhere and never have TC intervene. Sure, it's way down on power compared to the M3, but the amount of tangibly accessible power is fun in its own right. Even on RE-71Rs, my M3's grip was just never where I wanted it to be when compared to other RWD sports cars I've driven. So this is a big win for me.

- The car could use about another 60 HP. However, the close gearing combined with the power delivery have made this the most N/A feeling turbocharged experience I've ever had. Subaru really refined and tuned it about as good as it can get. The car never feels super quick, but it never feels like you're waiting for power either, unlike my 09 WRX which I was waiting on boost for seconds depending on the RPM. However, this refinement is only in Intelligent mode, which is the least aggressive throttle setting. As far as I'm concerned, Sport and Sport# are undriveable. The tip in is way too aggressive and makes takeoffs and shifts annoying.

- Other misc. things: I don't like the stock wheels, both the design and 19 inch size, but I also don't want to buy 2 sets of 18s, so I'm putting snow tires on these and will find a summer set for the stock tires in a few months. Power will be addressed very soon, so I'm not as worried about that. About the only thing I think I miss from the M3 is the clutch feedback. The Subaru has almost none, and it makes takeoffs a little inconsistent. But I haven't stalled yet, and I'm assuming I will just get accustomed to it with time.

Oh, and the wing. Idk, something about it looks off to me. I don't think it works on this generation with the pointier nose from side view unless lowered. In person, it makes the car look really big to me. Will most likely remove and put on a lip spoiler when the time is right.

But at the end of the day, I think this was a good purchase for me, and I'm pretty darn happy so far. I don't miss my M3, which is the most important thing. I know this is not a popular move for anyone really, but it was the right move for me at this time, and I'm excited for what's to come with this car.

Anyways, here are some photos
Enjoy in good health! Looks sweet and must be nice to have a car that can go anywhere without issue!

I personally love the 2018 wheels. Maybe someone could swap? NASIOC time!
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      12-22-2020, 04:58 PM   #77
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Near car! I think it’s still a unique car and I really like the neon calipers, the wing is pretty dope too! That car still gives me a mid to late 90s JDM vibe, I miss those days and wish they’d come back. I know this car is far more advanced than that, but to me it’s really the last holdout from those glory days. I’d take that car over a G8x any day, enjoy!
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      12-22-2020, 05:07 PM   #78
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Near car! I think it’s still a unique car and I really like the neon calipers, the wing is pretty dope too! That car still gives me a mid to late 90s JDM vibe, I miss those days and wish they’d come back. I know this car is far more advanced than that, but to me it’s really the last holdout from those glory days. I’d take that car over a G8x any day, enjoy!
Thank you, this pretty much exactly sums up why I got this car. I honestly believe it's the last of the breed. Just happy that I finally have the opportunity to experience the last iteration of the type of cars that made me the car enthusiast I am today. I usually hold onto my cars for 3-4 years, except the R8, but I did a lot of research and couldn't think of one car I'd rather own than this. I imagine this will only get worse with time, so I'm thinking this will be a bit longer. Modern cars in general just suck in my opinion.
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      12-22-2020, 05:11 PM   #79
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Congratulations man, I've spent too much time on NASIOC before entering the bmw world but do miss it a bit, especially the (1) unlimited modding potential (and bang for your buck) and the (2) awd, a gentle reminder with the most recent snow storm we just had on how indestructible those cars are with winter tires.

Enjoy it in good health. All my subarus have been WRB in color but if I were ever to get one again, it would be the silver like you chose. Low-key, and looks great with some mods.

Also, might as well cut subispeed a blank check
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      05-30-2021, 08:54 AM   #80
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Thank you, this pretty much exactly sums up why I got this car. I honestly believe it's the last of the breed. Just happy that I finally have the opportunity to experience the last iteration of the type of cars that made me the car enthusiast I am today. I usually hold onto my cars for 3-4 years, except the R8, but I did a lot of research and couldn't think of one car I'd rather own than this. I imagine this will only get worse with time, so I'm thinking this will be a bit longer. Modern cars in general just suck in my opinion.

How are you liking the STi now? I actually did the opposite, and even after reading this thread, I sold my 2020 STi with 8k miles, and purchased a 2017 M3 ZCP for a steal. As much as I loved that STi, even stock and having plans in modding the suspension and power, I couldn't rest thinking that the car could blow up on me after being tuned and being denied warranty. With the M3, I learned there were some trade offs, that being AWD and the 6 speed transmission, the analog feel, and the fun factor of being able to drive it in the street. With the M3, I feel like most of the fun is on the open road, track, and canyons while pushing it higher in the RPM range. My wife can drive the DCT too, so that is a plus, and the perfect family sedan to have fun in.
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      05-30-2021, 12:27 PM   #81
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Originally Posted by MikePOWER85 View Post
How are you liking the STi now? I actually did the opposite, and even after reading this thread, I sold my 2020 STi with 8k miles, and purchased a 2017 M3 ZCP for a steal. As much as I loved that STi, even stock and having plans in modding the suspension and power, I couldn't rest thinking that the car could blow up on me after being tuned and being denied warranty. With the M3, I learned there were some trade offs, that being AWD and the 6 speed transmission, the analog feel, and the fun factor of being able to drive it in the street. With the M3, I feel like most of the fun is on the open road, track, and canyons while pushing it higher in the RPM range. My wife can drive the DCT too, so that is a plus, and the perfect family sedan to have fun in.

So I've had mine for about 6 months now, and have had some time for a few modifications. Here's my take on it:

I still love the "feeling" of driving the STI. It feels solid, I love the shifter feel in this transmission, and with the modifications I've done, each one has made a substantial difference in the direction I was aiming to take with each specific modification.

- The stock ride is much too stiff, and the stock 19s at 29 lbs are too heavy for my liking, so I threw on a set of previous generation 21 lb BBS 18s with Michelin PS4S tires. The ride is so much more comfortable that I question why Subaru even bothered with 19s in the first place. The ride quality trade off is just not worth it. This is only my opinion, but as a street car on 18s, the STI rides exactly how I wanted my M3 to ride, with the perfect balance of compliance and rigidity. For whatever reason, I changed the suspension out on my M3 three times, and could never get it to behave how I wanted to, so it's refreshing to be in a car with the suspension so well sorted out from the factory. I love it so much that I am absolutely not touching the suspension on the STI. It's perfect for what I'm looking for - a fun street car.

- Stock power does leave a little bit to be desired, but I was very impressed with even just the Cobb OTS stage 1 tune. In addition, I had a custom valved exhaust fabricated by Top Gear Motorworks, and it's droneless with valve closed and screams like hell with valve open with no rasp. I was already scheduled for a custom dyno tune by the time I installed the Cobb OTS tune, so I had that done this week. Threw on a catted downpipe and larger intercooler and while the gains were not as drastic as from stock to Cobb stage 1, it still feels good and is getting closer to the right amount of power in my opinion.

As a street car, the M3 was too fast for me that I never could really use all of it and it made it a little boring. I agree with you that it really needs to stretch its legs on longer stretches or the track to really appreciate it. But I spend 99.9% of my time in 0-80 and don't have time for the track at this point in my life, so for me in my situation, the STI is just more fun with the aggressive gearing and laggy top end type of power delivery. And that EJ rumble

I can see your concerns about modding and warranty, but in my opinion, the M3 is an even bigger headache if you modify. If the crank hub spins you may get it fixed and get lucky, otherwise a new motor with labor is a wallet crushing number. And that just wasn't worth it to me. But for me the stock M3 power was more than enough so I never really worried about it. There is something to be said about having a stock car that's already fast. But I wanted more of a project that I could mess with, and the STI is at the price point that I'm comfortable with blowing something up if it comes to it. Was not the case with the M3.

Lastly, I LOVE having grip again. All the time. In any situation. Straight, mid turn, elevation change. NO hiccups. My M3 was interrupting me all the time with its overly intrusive traction control, no matter which tires I threw on it. I hated it. It may work wonders on the track but on the street it's limiting and aggravating. In the STI I just mash the throttle and it GOES. The hell with precision and learning throttle modulation on the street. That's not fun to me. Ripping through corners while boosting with a lead foot is very fun for me. And the STI delivers in that respect.

I'm not saying the STI is a better car than the M3. It absolutely isn't. But for what I want out of a fun street car, I can access so much more of the STI's capability than the M3 so for me it ends up being more fun. And that's what is important to me. I'm not trying to break records or win races. I'm out there to make the most of my 30-60 minute drives with a smile and that's kind of where the STI shines for me. It's the turbocharged experience I'm looking for at an affordable price point for when I'm looking for something different than the R8. And I absolutely freaking love it.
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      06-02-2021, 12:47 AM   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ntg44 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePOWER85 View Post
How are you liking the STi now? I actually did the opposite, and even after reading this thread, I sold my 2020 STi with 8k miles, and purchased a 2017 M3 ZCP for a steal. As much as I loved that STi, even stock and having plans in modding the suspension and power, I couldn't rest thinking that the car could blow up on me after being tuned and being denied warranty. With the M3, I learned there were some trade offs, that being AWD and the 6 speed transmission, the analog feel, and the fun factor of being able to drive it in the street. With the M3, I feel like most of the fun is on the open road, track, and canyons while pushing it higher in the RPM range. My wife can drive the DCT too, so that is a plus, and the perfect family sedan to have fun in.

So I've had mine for about 6 months now, and have had some time for a few modifications. Here's my take on it:

I still love the "feeling" of driving the STI. It feels solid, I love the shifter feel in this transmission, and with the modifications I've done, each one has made a substantial difference in the direction I was aiming to take with each specific modification.

- The stock ride is much too stiff, and the stock 19s at 29 lbs are too heavy for my liking, so I threw on a set of previous generation 21 lb BBS 18s with Michelin PS4S tires. The ride is so much more comfortable that I question why Subaru even bothered with 19s in the first place. The ride quality trade off is just not worth it. This is only my opinion, but as a street car on 18s, the STI rides exactly how I wanted my M3 to ride, with the perfect balance of compliance and rigidity. For whatever reason, I changed the suspension out on my M3 three times, and could never get it to behave how I wanted to, so it's refreshing to be in a car with the suspension so well sorted out from the factory. I love it so much that I am absolutely not touching the suspension on the STI. It's perfect for what I'm looking for - a fun street car.

- Stock power does leave a little bit to be desired, but I was very impressed with even just the Cobb OTS stage 1 tune. In addition, I had a custom valved exhaust fabricated by Top Gear Motorworks, and it's droneless with valve closed and screams like hell with valve open with no rasp. I was already scheduled for a custom dyno tune by the time I installed the Cobb OTS tune, so I had that done this week. Threw on a catted downpipe and larger intercooler and while the gains were not as drastic as from stock to Cobb stage 1, it still feels good and is getting closer to the right amount of power in my opinion.

As a street car, the M3 was too fast for me that I never could really use all of it and it made it a little boring. I agree with you that it really needs to stretch its legs on longer stretches or the track to really appreciate it. But I spend 99.9% of my time in 0-80 and don't have time for the track at this point in my life, so for me in my situation, the STI is just more fun with the aggressive gearing and laggy top end type of power delivery. And that EJ rumble

I can see your concerns about modding and warranty, but in my opinion, the M3 is an even bigger headache if you modify. If the crank hub spins you may get it fixed and get lucky, otherwise a new motor with labor is a wallet crushing number. And that just wasn't worth it to me. But for me the stock M3 power was more than enough so I never really worried about it. There is something to be said about having a stock car that's already fast. But I wanted more of a project that I could mess with, and the STI is at the price point that I'm comfortable with blowing something up if it comes to it. Was not the case with the M3.

Lastly, I LOVE having grip again. All the time. In any situation. Straight, mid turn, elevation change. NO hiccups. My M3 was interrupting me all the time with its overly intrusive traction control, no matter which tires I threw on it. I hated it. It may work wonders on the track but on the street it's limiting and aggravating. In the STI I just mash the throttle and it GOES. The hell with precision and learning throttle modulation on the street. That's not fun to me. Ripping through corners while boosting with a lead foot is very fun for me. And the STI delivers in that respect.

I'm not saying the STI is a better car than the M3. It absolutely isn't. But for what I want out of a fun street car, I can access so much more of the STI's capability than the M3 so for me it ends up being more fun. And that's what is important to me. I'm not trying to break records or win races. I'm out there to make the most of my 30-60 minute drives with a smile and that's kind of where the STI shines for me. It's the turbocharged experience I'm looking for at an affordable price point for when I'm looking for something different than the R8. And I absolutely freaking love it.

You are right about the M3. I got the DCT so my wife can drive it in case I got tired and it still serves it's purpose as a good family car that can be driven hard every now and then. I'm currently looking for a good suspension set-up that'll be good for daily driving and canyons runs, and track it once or twice so if you have any recommendations that'll be great. I just wanted that planted feeling and confidence with comfortabity. Other than that, I did get good deal on the M and wanted that experience.

I may move back to the STi again. I had plans in 20k of mod but I didn't want to drive it out of warranty and risk blowing up the engine, but the 19-21' STi have stonger internals and have many handling 400whp to even 600whp on a conservative tune! But it would still be a risk. I did appreciate it's suspension straight from the factory also. I do regret selling it, but I could always get it later down the line. I agree that it's very fun on the street. But the 6-speed is something I had to sacrifice for my family. I even bought HKS Spec-A coilovers and an exhaust. I may keep these parts in case I get back into one again. I appeciate the reply back.
I still like the M3 and the looks of car. It had always been my dream car. I'll enjoy it stock for now with warranty bc the power is already enough.

Glad the STi is working out for you! I seriously miss mine's and I just bought my M3 and will enjoy this car for now. Thanks for you reply back.
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      06-02-2021, 07:49 AM   #83
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Originally Posted by MikePOWER85 View Post
You are right about the M3. I got the DCT so my wife can drive it in case I got tired and it still serves it's purpose as a good family car that can be driven hard every now and then. I'm currently looking for a good suspension set-up that'll be good for daily driving and canyons runs, and track it once or twice so if you have any recommendations that'll be great. I just wanted that planted feeling and confidence with comfortabity. Other than that, I did get good deal on the M and wanted that experience.

I may move back to the STi again. I had plans in 20k of mod but I didn't want to drive it out of warranty and risk blowing up the engine, but the 19-21' STi have stonger internals and have many handling 400whp to even 600whp on a conservative tune! But it would still be a risk. I did appreciate it's suspension straight from the factory also. I do regret selling it, but I could always get it later down the line. I agree that it's very fun on the street. But the 6-speed is something I had to sacrifice for my family. I even bought HKS Spec-A coilovers and an exhaust. I may keep these parts in case I get back into one again. I appeciate the reply back.
I still like the M3 and the looks of car. It had always been my dream car. I'll enjoy it stock for now with warranty bc the power is already enough.

Glad the STi is working out for you! I seriously miss mine's and I just bought my M3 and will enjoy this car for now. Thanks for you reply back.

I'll try to address all your points.

The DCT is an awesome transmission, and if it was available on the STI, I'd certainly have optioned it. As good as the manual is, I think a DCT would have better suited the STI and my preferences.

As far as M3 suspension, in my opinion the best is M Performance HAS kit until you spend quite a bit more money, like 4k+ on hardware. If I have any advice, I do not recommend the Bilstein B16 Damptronic. The ride is nausea inducing.

I also hear good things about the 19+/RA block, but personally, I'm not comfortable pushing 400 wheel on an EJ. I sold my M3 because it was 400 wheel stock and I couldn't use it. I made 290/306 at my dyno tune last week. I think with bigger injectors and a new fuel pump, I'll be right where I want to be on 93 octane.

And yes, the M3 was also a bucket list car for me. I'm glad I owned it, and I enjoyed the time I had with it. But many things were going on at the time that it made more sense for me to sell it than keep it. And once I eventually had time for another car again, I couldn't find any other 4/5 door besides the STI that I was willing to pay for. Anything else on the market is pretty "meh" in comparison, the hell with the numbers. Making the car quick is half of the fun anyways.
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      07-01-2021, 02:44 PM   #84
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I'll throw my 2 cents on STI / F8X as well. I too picked up a 2016 STI early 2020 and so far I've loved the car, but haven't done any modifications to it because I can't decide if I want to keep this car for the long run. It doesn't help that I paid 25k for it and trade in value is sitting at 30k - so for now it'll stay stock.

The STI like ntg44 stated is probably more fun when driving in slow traffic, daily driving etc. Part of that is what he stated already - the boost lag , lower power, short gears (almost horribly short) all allow for an experience that requires;
1) more shifting
2) more accelerating
3) more time with foot on the gas
4) higher rpms
On the F8X, the car gets up to speed too fast in every gear (in relation to the STi) and has monstrous low end torque which makes downshifting unnecessary most of the time. In the STI i am constantly downshifting to be above 2500 rpms just to be able to accelerate without bogging the EJ motor down. Some may find this annoying but if you enjoy shifting and driving, getting groceries becomes a fun chore as well.

The thing is when you start driving these cars at their upper limits, the F8X starts to shine. The power difference is not even close. The issue with the F8X is it is too much torque to enjoy in comparison to the STI for a daily driver, it lacks the emotional excitement of constantly getting on the gas. The F8X constantly is going way too fast and so throttle inputs are seldomly used compared to the STi. Make no mistake, the STI is no where near the car the F8X in terms of performance, but having to wind out gears and accelerate harder in every gear is more "fun" when your commute to work is filled with cars anyway.

The STI suspension I also agree rides like sh1t. I can say this because my M4 is on KW Clubsport 3 way and set at medium stiff - stiff all the way around, and it rides better than the stock STI. Go figure.

I live in Socal, so the usefulness of AWD is basically never. The heat here also makes the STI motor seem extra lethargic with the a/c on - but as a daily driver, if you can stand driving manual everyday, I love it. It's perfect in that sense for me.

With that said - the STI has one MAJOR thing going for.. the blistering resale value! I've never bought a car and had the value of it go up (yes I know this market is off) but I am used to losing value every year at a pace that slaps me to remind me of my poor financial decisions. So for a car to go up or track sideways in value is new to me. When you think about it, the STi is a financially sound decision for a sports car that still has 4 doors and for that alone I recommend it.
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      07-02-2021, 07:41 AM   #85
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I'll throw my 2 cents on STI / F8X as well.
JamesGames, thanks for your perspective. I think we are kind of saying the same thing but from 2 completely different angles.

I think the biggest takeaway is that the M3 and STI really shouldn't be compared (even though I started this thread ), but use case is the most important factor in determining which is more fun for how you plan to use it. And in my use case, street driving in Midwest climate with crappy roads, I don't think I had the opportunity to really appreciate what the M3 had to offer enough to keep it. In my opinion, it's a fine street car up to 7/10, but at 8/10 and up, I think it applies its abilities better on the track than the street. I think the STI is kind of the opposite in that regard, where I can get up to 9/10 on the street and have a blast no matter the surface or road condition, at the expense of track performance (not that it's terrible, it's just no M3 and never will be).

However, I disagree about the suspension tuning. On 19s it's definitely rough, but 18s fixed that entirely for me. Rides firm but far from unbearable, and it's so much more stable than the M3 was over imperfect roads, at least with stock suspension. No floatiness, just one down, one up, and gets on with its business. Maybe the earlier model years were stiffer? I think I remember reading Subaru revised the suspension in MY2019 to be more street friendly.

I hear you on staying stock, but if there was one modification I'd recommend, it's the Cobb Accessport and throw on the OTS Stage 1 tune. I know "everyone" recommends it, but it really is fantastic, REALLY cranks up the mid range. For me it was probably the best single modification I've done so far. It honestly feels like a 30-50 ft-lb difference. But maybe on ACN91 it wouldn't be as big of a difference, not sure.
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      07-31-2021, 05:07 PM   #86
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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.
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      07-31-2021, 05:19 PM   #87
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Originally Posted by 414bhp View Post
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.
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      07-31-2021, 11:25 PM   #88
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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.
Couldn't agree more. The STI appeals to a very specific type of customer that looks beyond the numbers to experience the car for what it is. It isn't for everyone, I'm willing to admit that, and at high 30s it isn't the most bang for the buck if you look at the spec sheets, but it's the "oldest" new car currently for sale as far as I'm aware, and that matters if it's what you're looking for. In my opinion, those that "get" it need to have it, and those that don't never will. And I don't blame them for it either. I've just been in my fair share of very quick cars and have a much better understanding of what I like now.
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