Doberzus

So since 2011 I had these four cars, here is my overall review. Kind of long...sorry

I January 2011 I picked up my WRB base STI sedan. The car was definitely a fun car. It was an incredibly flashy car, mostly due to the fact that the 11+ sedan with big wing just hit the streets. I hated the attention, actually not really attention but harassment everywhere I went. Constant stares, ricer fly bys, red light revving, tailgating, etc.

2011 STI
PROS: -The STI in itself has a lot of character/high fun to drive factor
- Bulletproof 6 speed, no lie I launched my STI about 100 times/sold with 14k miles on stock clutch/tranny.
- Boxer grumble
- One of the hardest launching cars, period. 0-30 is instantaneous
- Amazing AWD system, car was a beast in the snow
- Roomy/lots of cargo room
- Insane resale value. Bought for $33.5k new, sold a year and 14k miles later for $34k.

CONS: -Horrible gearing/need to hit 5th in the 1/4 which = slower time
- Was a dog from anything but a launch
- Difficult to launch perfectly/consistently
- Faint and very light steering
- WEAK motor/rod bearing & ringland issues
- Cheaper feeling interior than my Evo X(no matter what someone says about STI's having better interior)
- Overplayed, and attract ALL the idiots

Sold to because I wanted a hatch, and something a bit cheaper.

In December 2012 I purchased a 2012 DGM WRX premium hatchback. The car felt better acceleration wise, compared to the STI. The gearing was SO much better. Although the 5 speed is complete JUNK!! I drove the car just as hard as the STI, lets just say I purchased a new clutch at 4400 miles. Also I felt like the STI launched harder, handled a lot better, and felt a lot more connected to the road. Had the WRX dyno tuned with full bolt ons(TBE,TMIC,SRI,BPV,3 port EBC, 91 pump) Made 288/343 on a MD.

2012 WRX
PROS: - Lighter than STI & Evo @ 3300lbs
- Awesome gearing for the 1/4 mile runs
- Relatively cheap performance bargain
- Hatchback cargo space/practicality
- No ringland issues like the STI
- Looks exactly the same as an STI
- Honestly...that is all I got for pros

CONS: - WEAK! p o s 5 speed transmission/ good luck launching and driving it like an STI!
- Cheap, very cheap interior. Garbage
- Terrible body roll/handling
- For some reason it drove worse in the snow than the STI
- Overall just felt like a cheap knockoff STI. Although most people assumed it was an STI.
- Crappy stock intercooler, that blows its plastic end tanks on stock boost levels
- Didn't feel as tight and connected to the road like the STI.
- Subaru paint is junk, swirls on top of swirls. Also my front bumper was basically made of plastic. The front bumper would come off with a simple push of your hand.

I was very disappointed with this car overall. When people say "why buy the STI, when the WRX is just as good"...umm no, no it's not

October 2012 I traded the WRX in for a 2009 BMW 135I M sport coupe with a 6 speed manual. I have read amazing things about the N54 twin turbo 135I.

I am a car ***** I know

Let me tell you the 135I and the N54 in general is amazing! I cannot say enough about this car. Mods are dirt cheap! Most people assume since it's a BMW that mods are insanely priced. Not true. Full torque at 1500rpms. Made my FBO WRX feel slowwww. I can honestly say this car is STUPID FAST with FBO's. 400whp/450wtq on stock turbo, stock trans, stock clutch, stock block?? No problem! Running a 20%, 30% or even 50% mix of E85 on stock fuel pump, and stock injectors?? No problem! At our Utah DA of 4000-7500ft(depending on weather) I could pull on most NA big V8/V10's.

Sold my 135I because my wife and I wanted a more practical, 4 door, AWD car that can handle Utah winters. Oh and it had to be an "automatic" this time

BMW 135I
PROS: - With $3000 worth of mods; FMIC/TBE/DCI/CP/BOV/JB4 G5 ISO(Tune) with a 50/50% mix of E85 and Shell 91 pump it made 404/453 on the MD! All STOCK drivetrain
- Very exotic/unique exhaust note
- Very tunable and mod friendly/responds like crazy to mods
- The HPFP and turbo wastegate rattle warranty/recall issues are taken care of under BMW extended warranty up to 10yr/100,000
- Pretty nice steering feel, especially with the fat M sport wheel
- BMW is a lot more lax with mods than both Subaru & Mitsu
- Total sleeper, no harassment by strangers
- The 135I is incredibly rare and unique(I had a lot of people confuse it for a 1M)

CONS: - Kind of ugly looking(subjective)
- Very small interior and trunk
- RWD(subjective) No traction with 450+wtq
- So smooth, that it doesn't "feel" as if you are going fast/linear acceleration=boring
- Dare I say this car felt numb and boring to me, even though it was insanely fast
- High upkeep/maintenance costs
- Carbon buildup in the intake valves
- If you don't DIY on your cars, then it may get pretty ugly...although these cars are pretty reliable all in all.
- N54 motors are known to run very hot, so tracking without proper cooling is not wise.

So now for the 2013 WW Evo X MR T

I have test driven 2 other MR's in the past and loved them. Wanted to give the Evo a shot. So here it goes.

Right off the bat the Evo feels almost slow after the 135, however it still feels like it pulls nicer than the Subies. The car is just SO focused. The steering feel is perfect, the brakes are very touchy and stop you on a dime. The seats look amazing and hug you tight. Although for a 5'10 200lb guy they can get quite cramped on longer trips...I am still on my "honeymoon" period with the car so everything "seems' perfect for now.

EVO X MR
PROS: - Handling and feel...I never thought an Evo can feel so quality and connected
- SST Trans is pretty fun and the shifts are insanely quick
- The Recaros...need I say more?
- The RF sound system sounds better than the BMW's and Subaru's horrendous systems
- MR Touring package. Makes a hell of difference on the interior. Worth it to me
- Sleeper compared to the STI, haven't had it get any negative attention yet.
- Consistent shifts/Launch control
- Mod potential/cheap mods

CONS: - SST trans can't handle too much torque( not a problem for me, car is a DD with no serious thoughts of heavy modding in the future) Just FBO and a conservative tune to 300/320
- Doesn't launch as hard as the STI(haven't actually launched yet) should be better once my 1st gear boost limiter is removed after tune
- Isn't as radically designed as the STI...sometimes seems plain
- NO trunk space! Nor do the rear seats fold down...I knew that coming in though
- Exhaust note sounds kind of sounds like a blender..
- Heavy at almost 3600lbs
- 1st gear boost limiter makes it feel slower off the line than my old 4 cylinder Camry
- Seems to have less "personality" or character than the STI. It's still a fun car though


PICS

acidtonic

iTrader: (1)

Nice review. Thanks for sharing

evo unknown

iTrader: (25)

You came up with a lot of great input. I too, was imterested in the 135i when it came out, but decided on AWD and more overall room. I would like to see more pics of your bmw. Best of luck with your new purchase!

Kendogg

I'm a little surprised with this. I know the subies can hold some value, but selling the car for more than what it cost new (even with mods) seems pretty unusual.

Boost3dxEvO

iTrader: (135)

I was actually in the market for a newer body STI and the price that he listed is actually right on par with the ones that I was looking at. It was weird because the brand new '14 STI Base was only $35k.

They just hold their value extremely well.. Even my '13 WRX I just sold, I traded in for the same amount of money as when I bought it.

Boost3dxEvO

iTrader: (135)

I actually owned a '13 WRX, '09 N54 135i, and was planning on getting a newer STI... After hearing all of the horror stories about the ringland issue, I ended up getting an EVO X SSS. I wanted the MR because of the wingless look and BBS wheels, but really wanted a 5 speed man. trans.

We will see how well I like the EVO X compared to the 135i, WRX, and my '05 EVO MR in the next coming months. So far, I'm in love, especially compared to the other cars .

jstalford

I didn't know the wastegate rattle was also covered under extended warranty.

Thanks for sharing!

k3k0a

nice, i just came from a 11' STi and no regrets.. btw the wrx still has ringland issues, it still has the same block

Kendogg

You should have got a GSR. You can usually find someone willing to do a trunk swap. There are a number of MR owners who want the high spoiler. And you could also find someone selling the BBS rims.

The only reason why I would have bought a MR is if I wanted the auto.

edit***Nevermind. I see you bought a GSR?

Alpha X

iTrader: (9)

Woah whoah all that and no pics of the MR?? jk

Nice write up and I agree with the MR sounding like a blender lol.

moladin

I enjoy the read of your brief review, thanks doberzus.

Grape Juice

iTrader: (4)

I'd have to agree with his review on the 135i. Coming from a FBO 335i it is insanely quick for cheap, but the high cost maintenance out of warranty is enough reason to dump her!

Finally getting started on my newly acquired MR...Great review!

acm_evo

Nice pictures, man...Love the snowy mountains in the background...

ImEv0

iTrader: (3)

if you think the sti's awd system was impressive, check out the evo.

Iowa999

iTrader: (1)

Hm. It seems like the OP did "ckeck out" an Evo and still only said good things about the STi on snow. And there's a good reason for this: the AYC in the Evo is not at all helpful and actually quite a problem on gravel and snow. The last thing you want is the rear diff swapping side-to-side as you slide into a counter-steer drift. The STi, in contrast, has a more conventional rear diif, with no side-to-side action, plus a center that locks harder than the ACD of an Evo on stock programming, so the STi ends up being much better on snow.