Blobeye WRX Buying Advice/Facts
Discussion
TEKNOPUG said:
Running costs are not massivley different bewteen either (assuming both in good condition when bought). Initial purchase price is the big, big difference.
Yes spot on. Remember though that you'll get that money back on resale, which you won't for a modded WRX.TEKNOPUG said:
If I was spending £10k on a car, I wouldn't be looking at 10 year old Subarus!
Curious - what better proposition is there at this price point than a Scoob?
plenty said:
TEKNOPUG said:
Running costs are not massivley different bewteen either (assuming both in good condition when bought). Initial purchase price is the big, big difference.
Yes spot on. Remember though that you'll get that money back on resale, which you won't for a modded WRX.TEKNOPUG said:
If I was spending £10k on a car, I wouldn't be looking at 10 year old Subarus!
Curious - what better proposition is there at this price point than a Scoob?As for what other cars in that bracket, an E46 M3! I'd love one of those so we'll see what happens. However after owning the E46 330ci currently I think I'd want a change.
Can save £500 a month at the moment so it will take me 20 months to save up for one. Then I can use whatever I get for my E46 as a bork/mod fund.
Which spec Sti is the one to go for? What's the difference between the Jdm and UK spec?
AB57 said:
Yeah Tek if that's the case, which you've already mentioned at the start, I'm going to go for the Sti. The price point however is a real kicker but as plenty said you'll get a lot of that back, hopefully! I can imagine if I went for the sought after jdm spec sti it would hold better on depreciation.
As for what other cars in that bracket, an E46 M3! I'd love one of those so we'll see what happens. However after owning the E46 330ci currently I think I'd want a change.
Can save £500 a month at the moment so it will take me 20 months to save up for one. Then I can use whatever I get for my E46 as a bork/mod fund.
Which spec Sti is the one to go for? What's the difference between the Jdm and UK spec?
This is clearly a big investment for you and equally clearly means a lot to you. You owe it to yourself to get on the forums, go to local meets (most enthusiasts love showing off their cars) but most importantly get out and test drive them. Each one: STi, WRX and everything in between. I'd also reckon you can get a significantly lower price on an STi by keeping a shrewd eye on the forums. Keep a knowledgeable pal on standby in case the right car comes available. I bought my current car from the forums; it had a lot of competing interest.As for what other cars in that bracket, an E46 M3! I'd love one of those so we'll see what happens. However after owning the E46 330ci currently I think I'd want a change.
Can save £500 a month at the moment so it will take me 20 months to save up for one. Then I can use whatever I get for my E46 as a bork/mod fund.
Which spec Sti is the one to go for? What's the difference between the Jdm and UK spec?
Teknopug's advice on suspension is something I'd strongly agree with, unless you plan to track your car. KYB shocks with a modest drop will serve very well for fast road in the UK. That said, I find STi pink suspension to be pretty comfortable too, I don't think there's a huge difference; it's only a bit harder IMO. Avoid cars with cheap coilovers, or at least have money aside to replace with Tek's suggestion or summat similar.
(JDM STis are a little bit more 'Gucci', a bit more focused, a bit quicker to spool and have some nicer bits. But you lose the burble
If you're going JDM, go the whole hog and get a Spec-C: the differences between base JDM STi and UK STi are not huge.)
Differences between a JDM and UK aren't massive. The JDM car has a twin scroll turbo and (I think) slightly different inlet. As a rule fresh imports are much higher quality than cars that have been in the UK.
WRX and STI can't be compared. The only people that do are the ones that couldn't afford an STI.
If your budget can't stretch to a blob sti then maybe look at the bug. Mechanically almost identical.
Honestly, I was in the same spot as you. Your just robbing yourself of the full fat experience by scrimping on a WRX.
You can get an STI wagon in all shapes. Theres a few for sale now. They are uber cool
WRX and STI can't be compared. The only people that do are the ones that couldn't afford an STI.
If your budget can't stretch to a blob sti then maybe look at the bug. Mechanically almost identical.
Honestly, I was in the same spot as you. Your just robbing yourself of the full fat experience by scrimping on a WRX.
You can get an STI wagon in all shapes. Theres a few for sale now. They are uber cool
If i was starting out again, id get one of these -
http://www.neweraimports.com/carDetails.jsp?carId=...
Your money would be safe in one of these ( maybe not as a daily drive - but an awesome weekend car ). You really need to get out in an STI and appreciate what they are all about.
http://www.neweraimports.com/carDetails.jsp?carId=...
Your money would be safe in one of these ( maybe not as a daily drive - but an awesome weekend car ). You really need to get out in an STI and appreciate what they are all about.
MurderousCrow said:
If you're going JDM, go the whole hog and get a Spec-C: the differences between base JDM STi and UK STi are not huge.)
Proper PH man maths – we’ve gone from “I can only afford a WRX” to a “you'd might as well get a Spec C” 
The Spec C is a phenomenal machine but as a daily it would be my worst nightmare this side of commuting in a Caterham. No soundproofing whatsoever, and 150 miles usable fuel range.As for JDM vs UK, the twin-scroll makes a tremendous difference to the driving experience, as does the JDM-only quick rack. There are other detail differences but these two things alone make the JDM a far more focused proposition than a UK car (although even less suited to motorway use – 5th and 6th JDM gearing is low and the thirst of a twin-scroll car makes a UK single-scroll look like a Polo diesel).
KarlMac said:
You can get an STI wagon in all shapes.
Sorry, that’s not correct. The only newage STi that was sold in wagon format was the JDM bugeye, which is extremely rare. There are no UK newage STI wagons.rb5er said:
Don't get me wrong, classics are much more fun but the newer the Impreza the better it is as a daily and I've not heard great things about the 2.5.
On a side note, its amazing how much a WR1 costs now.
No I agree. Sorted classics are great fun, and of course it's due to their lower weight. There are penalties for that however; most notable for me was the need to convert to 6-speed for big power, and the relatively flimsy impact protection.On a side note, its amazing how much a WR1 costs now.
MurderousCrow said:
This is clearly a big investment for you and equally clearly means a lot to you. You owe it to yourself to get on the forums, go to local meets (most enthusiasts love showing off their cars) but most importantly get out and test drive them. Each one: STi, WRX and everything in between. I'd also reckon you can get a significantly lower price on an STi by keeping a shrewd eye on the forums. Keep a knowledgeable pal on standby in case the right car comes available. I bought my current car from the forums; it had a lot of competing interest.
Teknopug's advice on suspension is something I'd strongly agree with, unless you plan to track your car. KYB shocks with a modest drop will serve very well for fast road in the UK. That said, I find STi pink suspension to be pretty comfortable too, I don't think there's a huge difference; it's only a bit harder IMO. Avoid cars with cheap coilovers, or at least have money aside to replace with Tek's suggestion or summat similar.
(JDM STis are a little bit more 'Gucci', a bit more focused, a bit quicker to spool and have some nicer bits. But you lose the burble If you're going JDM, go the whole hog and get a Spec-C: the differences between base JDM STi and UK STi are not huge.)
Thanks Crow I'll take that advice on-board! Teknopug's advice on suspension is something I'd strongly agree with, unless you plan to track your car. KYB shocks with a modest drop will serve very well for fast road in the UK. That said, I find STi pink suspension to be pretty comfortable too, I don't think there's a huge difference; it's only a bit harder IMO. Avoid cars with cheap coilovers, or at least have money aside to replace with Tek's suggestion or summat similar.
(JDM STis are a little bit more 'Gucci', a bit more focused, a bit quicker to spool and have some nicer bits. But you lose the burble
If you're going JDM, go the whole hog and get a Spec-C: the differences between base JDM STi and UK STi are not huge.)
plenty said:
MurderousCrow said:
If you're going JDM, go the whole hog and get a Spec-C: the differences between base JDM STi and UK STi are not huge.)
Proper PH man maths – we’ve gone from “I can only afford a WRX” to a “you'd might as well get a Spec C” The Spec C is a phenomenal machine but as a daily it would be my worst nightmare this side of commuting in a Caterham. No soundproofing whatsoever, and 150 miles usable fuel range.As for JDM vs UK, the twin-scroll makes a tremendous difference to the driving experience, as does the JDM-only quick rack. There are other detail differences but these two things alone make the JDM a far more focused proposition than a UK car (although even less suited to motorway use – 5th and 6th JDM gearing is low and the thirst of a twin-scroll car makes a UK single-scroll look like a Polo diesel).
For example if someone's going to track the car (esp. on tighter circuits) they might prefer the JDM STi’s quicker steering, lower spool and shorter gears; it does depend on priorities and preferences to a large degree. The OP’s outlined his, for which a UK STi should fit nicely. If he can find a good JDM STi at an equivalent price to a UK model, it might be a good choice. I did consider them because they had DCCD before the UK STi did; but the UK widetrack blob was the one I wanted most, and I considered that worth more of a premium than an older JDM car. For those going the aftermarket route, there's other ways around the spool issue without losing the sound (AVCS heads and turbo choice for instance).
Luke
@mdma and Karl - Thanks for the input, although I'm not interested in a wagon at all. Don't like the styling what so ever.
@plenty - I won't be using the sti as a daily, just as a weekend car and maybe get involved in some track days. It sounds like that Jdm sti is the one to go for. I noticed that the spec are the same for the 05 but runs for the years 03-05, is this correct?
Also what is the spec C?
Rb5er mentioned about classics being much more fun. Could anyone give me some details on this? What sort of price would a good classic be and what sort of power/torque would make a fun fast roar car? If I did go for a classic I'd treat it as a weekend car.
@plenty - I won't be using the sti as a daily, just as a weekend car and maybe get involved in some track days. It sounds like that Jdm sti is the one to go for. I noticed that the spec are the same for the 05 but runs for the years 03-05, is this correct?
Also what is the spec C?
Rb5er mentioned about classics being much more fun. Could anyone give me some details on this? What sort of price would a good classic be and what sort of power/torque would make a fun fast roar car? If I did go for a classic I'd treat it as a weekend car.
MurderousCrow said:
Hahaha yes, it does look like daft man-logic. To explain, I'm not actually recommending the OP gets one – it's way out of budget – just pointing out that for me at least, the current trend of charging big premiums for base JDM STi models is unjustified. I've driven both; I found the Spec-C much more engaging. Given that I love the burble of the UK models, and am not too bothered about the lower spool from the standard position twin-scroll, the Spec-C is the only one I'd bother with. But everyone's different!
For example if someone's going to track the car (esp. on tighter circuits) they might prefer the JDM STi’s quicker steering, lower spool and shorter gears; it does depend on priorities and preferences to a large degree. The OP’s outlined his, for which a UK STi should fit nicely. If he can find a good JDM STi at an equivalent price to a UK model, it might be a good choice. I did consider them because they had DCCD before the UK STi did; but the UK widetrack blob was the one I wanted most, and I considered that worth more of a premium than an older JDM car. For those going the aftermarket route, there's other ways around the spool issue without losing the sound (AVCS heads and turbo choice for instance).
Luke
Ah ok so I've just read this and it sounds like I'd be quite happy with a 05 widetrack sti. It will be highly unlikely I'll be taking it on track so it seems like the minor differences to the spooling and quicker rack will be negligible for my road use. Is there a significant difference in prices between a Jdm and UK widetrack?For example if someone's going to track the car (esp. on tighter circuits) they might prefer the JDM STi’s quicker steering, lower spool and shorter gears; it does depend on priorities and preferences to a large degree. The OP’s outlined his, for which a UK STi should fit nicely. If he can find a good JDM STi at an equivalent price to a UK model, it might be a good choice. I did consider them because they had DCCD before the UK STi did; but the UK widetrack blob was the one I wanted most, and I considered that worth more of a premium than an older JDM car. For those going the aftermarket route, there's other ways around the spool issue without losing the sound (AVCS heads and turbo choice for instance).
Luke
JDM's are a total different kettle of fish to UK cars, they are very different to drive compared to a UK model, engines still burble ever so slighy on idle but on throttle are more like the rally cars or a motorbike in sound. Pre 05 cars differ mechanically from post 05 cars, they changed all the geometry to that of the spec c (this includes uk sti's) but one of the buggest differences is that the engine is the bigger port version as seen in the 03/04 Spec C. These make for a great compromise rather than getting a Spec C, and as said, suspension (watch out for knocking rear struts) avoid cheap coil overs like BC's which fall apart after 6 months and are not as good as the standard suspension.
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