Just bought a 2016 STI

[BlackPrince]

I just picked up my first new car: a 2016 Subaru WRX STI. I absolutely love it. Its fully kitted-out with sat nav, and HK radio (though the radio's pretty mediocre tbh), subaru sti performance exhaust and an interior illumination kit that turns my feet blue at night.

Still running it in. I've got another 500miles to go before I can go past 4000 rpm, but there's more than enough sound, power, and character below that, that its no hardship.

The ride is firm but not harsh and it corners flatter and grips harder than anything I've ever driven (including a 997 C4S).

With this exhaust its a bit too loud inside the car for my tastes so I might swap back to the standard one, and pop this up for sale on Ebay, but am going to stick it out for another few months then decide.

Its certainly less well-equipped than other £30 000/$55 000 cars with just the driver's window being one-touch, and the passenger seat being entirely manually-adjusted, but frankly I would have bought the car even if all four windows still used winders so its no bother at all.
The interior is no Mercedes, but I'd say its about on par with a base 3-series BMW, and everyone that's gotten in my car has thought the interior was quite nice (even if they think the rear wing, the front hood scoop ,and the noise are stupid).

This is the first car I've owned where I look back at it when I walk away and stare at it when I approach it, and I hope that never changes - I've loved the STI ever since I saw my first WRC race with McRae at the wheel

I'm not sure if PHers will like the front number plate placement (my cousin in London didn't), but I think it gives it a meaner more bad-ass look, and ever since the Mitsu Evo I've thought that side-plate-mounts look good. Sorry for the horrible iPhone pics but it was all I had at the time.

[BlackPrince]

paulmoonraker said:

Awesome... I surprised the exhaust is too loud, especially since it's from Subaru...

I think I'm just being a pansy (those are my cousin's words, but he has a tubi-piped Ferrari 360 so what does he know?!). I think its just a bit boomy between around 2500-3500rpm, and with the windows up, or with music on, I don't really notice it; its when passengers are in the car that the exhaust can be disruptive to conversation, but then I've never owned a performance car or any car with a non-standard exhaust (have owned bikes with noisy exhausts though) so perhaps my reference points are off

[BlackPrince]

paulmoonraker said:

So drive a bit quicker and make extra conversation effort when one arrives at thier destination... you'll regrret changing the exhaust, the standard one will be way too quiet... My set up sounds ridiculous

Just read about your setup in your Garage. I dont think I will change the exhaust but am thinking of getting one (eventually) that has remotely moveable butterfly valves. Would you happen to know if this is possible while retaining the STI Performance exhaust? Or will I have to buy a whole new exhaust? (the STIP exhaust cost just under the equiv of £600, which is not bad but would hate to have to completely get rid of it and sell on Ebay for nothing)

Perhaps its because I'm restricted to 4000 rpm, but IMO the exhaust makes the car more droney but not necessarily sound better. My only comparison really is when I switched the standard exhaust on my old Ducati Monster to slip-on Termignoni pipes - it made an ungodly roar that was also musical. Anyway, around town by myself its actually totally fine and I rarely carry passengers anyway. And how does your Hawkeye compare with your old Blobeye? There aren't many Blobeye or Hawkeyes available here but there were a lot of the last-gen model, both hatch and saloon. Was seriously considering it but reliability concerns given how the last owners probably drove them scared me away, and there wasn't a huge price diff b/w a 2012 model and the new one anyway

[BlackPrince]

Brilliant thanks Paulmoonraker.

And Coopervisor, this is the first car or bike I've ever owned that has me not just taking a second look as I walk away or smiling as I walk up to it, but taking photos of it just for me to look at later (I don't post them to facebook or instagram or any such thing).

Hope to be smiling the way you are 2.5 years into my ownership of it too

[BlackPrince]

RB5Bird said:

Nice car! I want those wheels on mine, but in gold, would look good I reckon. Going to get the performance exhaust on mine when I get around to it.
Love the colour, seems everyone got more options than us. I quite like the number plate position on the front, looks mean.
More pictures please.

Cheers mate! Will defo get more pics up on here. My cousin who lives in London says the plate looks tw@ttish, and points out that the Evo couldn't have had the plate in the centre cos of the intercooler, and the Mercedes SLR couldn't because of the nose, and that any other car with a side front number plate looks chavvy. Anyway, personally I like it so will leave it there.

Yes I just checked the British Subaru site and its just WRBlue, white, grey, black. N America has those plus my (lapis) blue pearl, red, and silver. The USA gets Hyperblue this year, very similar to Yas Marina blue of the M3/4.



Here in Canada, gold wheels aren't an option but in the USA they were available on the "Launch Edition" which was limited to 1000 units I believe.

[BlackPrince]

The standard pipe is v quiet indeed so I got the STI Performance exhaust from the dealer. Getting used to the occasionally droney-sound at motorway speeds now (and so are my passengers).

Running in was advised by dealer and by the manual.
thanks for all the positive compliments on the colour. I've been in love with the faster Imprezas for over half my life, and really wanted the classic Subaru colour. This is a good compromise between an anonymous dark blue seen on anything, and the somewhat lairy WRB. It actually has purple overtones in bright sunlight and looks gorgeous.

I have found low-speed manoeuvring to be a bit tricky as I feel like I'm 17 again and learning to drive with this clutch. Definitely different to a Ford Fiesta in terms of clutch feel.