1flysti

Ok heres the deal. I have a 2012 Dark grey STI limited. Went and looked at some evos today and really liked what I saw. I know they are better performance wise, and are also pretty cheap used. Im kinda wanting out of a payment and a more raw performing car. Think an evo is for me?

MercuryMR

That would just be preference pretty similiar cars if your wanting a GSR stick with the subie imo 6 gears is better than 5 if your wanting an MR i'd take that over a subie anytime,and that is what i drive

Sev

iTrader: (10)

My brother made the switch from a 300/315 2012 WRX and hasn't looked back. The X makes better power for way less money. Ringland Failures = No Good.

1flysti

Im fine with a 5 speed. I know the sti trans is superior but im mainly wanting out of a payment. My car books for 35k$ and ive seen 2008 model evos go for low 20's. And they seem to be more mod friendly. My car has basic bolt ons but im wanting more power. And I'm sure my stock ringlands hate that idea. lol

TrogdorWBL

Getting out of your payment on a 2 year old car, in to an equally expensive car...

First off, it depends on how much money you put down when you first got your STi. Yeah, they hold their value fairly well, but that doesn't mean you're going to get out of your payment and in to a $25k (if you're lucky enough to find one) Evo for tons less money.

Kendogg

I dont know if i could go from a 2012 (assuming you bought it new or used with low miles), to a 2008 Evo. If you are leaning more towards a 08 because of the price, you will be taking a risk when it comes to reliability (assuming the 08 has high miles and you dont know the previous owner).

I would definitely take an Evo over a sti, just dont know if i could accept the high mile risk to a lower priced Evo.

Also it doesnt matter what your sti books at, it just depends on how much a dealer is willing to give you or how much someone is willing to pay via private sell.

1flysti

I know im taking a risk. Im just bored with the sti now. And the evo has the same traits but in a different package. Im capable of doing the research on a used car. And Im wanting the miles blow 50k.

ambystom01

iTrader: (7)

It depends entirely on what you want in a car. Given that you only want to spend enough for an Evo 8, I think it really boils down to how much you intend to mod. For a street car, I think a 2012 STI is better than an Evo 8. The 6-speed transmission is better for highway travel, if that's a factor, it's makes good torque down low, and until you get into big mods, the STI is more or less the same as the Evo. This is confirmed by shops like Cobb, AMS, Buschur, etc, even if Evo owners like to talk about the Evo being better mod for mod. A stage 2 STI is a whole different beast and is plenty for a daily. The STI will likely be more comfortable , have a slightly nicer interior and you won't have issues associated with a much older used car. If you can get a newer Evo, an X, it's a very different question.

Edit:Oops, for some reason I thought I saw Evo 8 mentioned. Unless you're looking at an MR, I still think a 2012 STI is a better street car because of the 6-speed again and softer ride. The MR is a lot nicer though. The Evo does produce more power with mods. It's about deciding what you want. If you'll be happy with stage 2 power, or maybe stage 2 with equal length headers and a stock location turbo, you should be fine. I know plenty of guys with modded STIs that have no reliability issues at that point.

crzywhiteman01

I came from a 06wrx to a 2013 evo X GSR. The evo is a better performance car all around than a subie due to many factors.

main pros for evo over sti:

Forged motor internals
better suspension geometry
Better seats ( for performance driving)
Better gear ratios ( for performance driving)
MUCH easier to work on ( especially spark plugs )
Better balance
Twin Scroll Turbo
Better Brakes (larger rotor diameter same calipers)
Better wheel wells , can fit larger wheels with ease without rubbing.

Cons vs sti: ( for DD oriented driver)

Interior is not as nice
Seats are not height adjustable
Symmetrical AWD is a better system but not really a deal breaker
No sound dampening , Gear ratios lead to higher RPMs at highway speeds louder car
MPG not as good

After seeing countless STI's getting motor builds after ringland failures and such I got to the point of 105k on my 06 wrx which was stage 2. It was going to be me spend about 1500 bucks on everything i needed for the 105k service or I could buy a new car. I weighed all my options and thought about what my goals in driving were. After tallying everything I came to the decision that the EVO X GSR would give me everything I wanted; cheaper, better and more cost efficient than the STi. I just don't have the cash flow to have 10k sitting around on the side when not IF motor blows. I want to do as many HPDE events with my car I can as well as have it as a DD. This car has done both extremely well. Anything I listed above as a con is why I think the Sti is a better DD only car but for my purposes I would have had to spend more money on the car , then buy sway bars and end-links and tune the car to achieve the same performance as my current EVO X GSR.

Just my two cents. Hope this helps.

Kendogg

Would you trade a 2012 STI Limited for a 08ish Evo?

370zforme

iTrader: (1)

I'm actually in the same boat as you except I have a full bolt-on 2013 STI with E85 and my motor is about to go out after 3 and a half months of that set up making 362AWHP and 411AWTQ on COBB Tuning SoCal's Mustang Dyno. I am very seriously considering a 2014 EVO X GSR because it is much easier to mod and make power versus the STI at that power level. I am just not sure if I am down to spend $7,700 just to get the car running right thne spend another ~$5,000 to get in the 400's. Some creature comforts that the STI has that the EVO does not are things like the homelink mirror, heated seats, bigger trunk with foldable rear seats, softer ride, and 6spd manual gear box. The only big downs with the EVO for me are the homelink mirror not being an option and smaller trunk space. I don't know what mods you have on your STI but if I wasn't so far into my car, it would be super easy to choose the EVO X and start over.

Kendogg

The Evo has heated seats if you get the SL (sun and leather) package. You can also soften the ride by changing out the springs. You will also get 6 speeds if you get a MR. But you are correct about the homelink and fold-able seats.

I almost bought a sti because of the fold-able seats and the space available if you get a hatch. But after hearing horror stories like yours about the engines, I am glad I made the choice to go Evo.

ambystom01

iTrader: (7)

Food for thought, if you're going new, why not consider a Mercedes CLA45 AMG? Pretty much an Evo/STI made by Mercedes and early indications are with just a tune you're at 450 HP.

http://www.autoevolution.com/mercede...son-66810.html

Kendogg

Not sure if that would work for the OP. He originally posted that one of the reasons why he wants to trade-in is because "Im kinda wanting out of a payment."

Thats why he was considering a 2008ish model. Im not sure if that mercedes would help him with that issue.

ambystom01

iTrader: (7)

I'm secretly hoping I can convince him to buy one and give a review . If I was going to replace my STI, that's one of the cars I'd consider.