besides about 5K to 7K in price

the 04 St-i compared to the 04 WRX has a 6 speed transmission with a DCCD(driver controlled center differential), which is much stronger than the WRX 5 speed. The ST-i also has .5 more litres of displacement and larger injectors(550cc vs 420cc). The ST-i also runs a cat-less up-pipe and a VF39 turbocharger. The WRX use smaller TD04 mitsubishi turbocharger. The top mount interdcoolers of the ST-i's are a little more large than the WRX, as well as the hood scoops. The St-i also has a water-spray system for the intercooler. Cosmetically the ST-i has different, flared side skirts paint matched the color of the vechile, st-i fog light covers and the "Side-splitters" on the front bumper and the bigger spoiler. The interior is very similar except for the blue seats/trim and the "st-i" logo's stitched into the seats. The steering wheel and shift knob are also different. The knob and e-brake use a red stiching and the gauges all glow red. 17" BBS wheels over Brembos are also much better than the WRX's 16" stock wheels and "generic" subaru brakes.

 

NEO's the man......

i'm deffinently a little hesitant because i've heard the tranny in the base is weak... and insurance is gonna kill me on a STi.... ooohhh, decisions decisions....

 

the shift from 1st to second on the base WRX 5 speed is the weak link. I know a few people who have been running stage 4's(upgraded turbochargers) and have never had tranny problems because they don't shift hard. I also know people who were simply running an exhaust and UTEC and completely destroyed their tranny's because they were launching off the rev limiter and slamming the shit out of second gear .

So if you really concerned about the tranny on your WRX you can always look into an RA gear set. They are much stronger and i believe come off the Version 6 ST-i. usually they are between 1200-1400 which is great compared to the 5000$ Casey Imports wanted for a new OEM 5sp.

 

It's a question of money for a lot of people. On one hand, you have the more expensive STi with crazy insurance, and on the other hand you have the cheaper but ultimately power limited WRX. I chose a WRX because it's cheaper and I don't do stoplight battles on the way to school and back. It's not hard to match or beat the handling of a stock STi with a WRX, but the power game is different. If you've got the cash, get an STi. What platform you start with depends on where you want to take it.
I'd take a used STi instead of an new WRX, (there are tons of Subys here in CO) but the insurance is still the kicker.

 

i understand what you mean, and your exactly right about where you start determines where you end up but with the price difference you can still make a very capable WRX for the same price as buying the ST-i. So, it depends on where you want to take the modification of the vehicle. If you want a mild car thats just fun to drive, the ST-i might be the better of the two choices. If you are looking for something that will be highly modified, replacing the entire exhaust, upgrading the turbocharger and the intercooler set up you might just want to look into a WRX since your going to replace the majority of the parts anyway. So why pay for a VF39, a bigger turbo, and possibly a more agressive ECU when your going to replace most of those parts with aftermarket products.

do you see what i mean? Since the ST-i is a factory tuned WRX why pay the extra money just to "re-tune" it with even more money and aftermarket parts.

 

Yeah, i see what you mean. I was actually focused almost purely on the power potential of the EJ257 in the STi over the EJ205 in the WRX, but if you're just looking for power, taking a WRX and dropping a STi lump in it is still cheaper than buying an STi new. Don't forget the drivetrain..
We're on the same page though.

 

good stuff.....


hey Neo, gotta link to that gear set you were talking about???

 

http://www.rallispec.com/sub_gear.htm

this was just a quick google search, i'm sure you can find the same thing from a different distributor.

 

appreciate it....

 

1 more..... what's the name of the tranny in the 02 wrx???