I am thinking about selling the contour and buying a WRX and more importantly the STI version. I was wondering if anyone had the chance to drive one, or if anyone had any thoughts on the subject. one review stated that it had a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds...True ?
Bryan
Nice car.
Great performance.
So so looks though it has gotten a little better.
Spartan interior.
The price is fairly high as well.
I'd go with an EVO if you want an AWD pocket rocket. Also skip the ricer wing and save over a grand too.
Actually a well optioned (or deleted for that matter) EVO is by far the better bang for the buck.
I drove one that was lightly modifed (17.5 # boost vs. 14.5 stock, 4" exhaust and downpipe). They are damn fast, but to get that 4.7 0-60 you are launching at about 4k rpm. The car has short gears, so you are shifting often, but it pulls really, really hard.
I was seriously debating getting one, but its a bit too "young" for me I think, and I needed a more comfortable riding daily driver. I also didnt like the giant wing, and the pink sti badges all over the car..the ride is also a bit stiff -- you will feel every bump in the road, but with that comes awesome, stomach turning handling.
I traded in my svt saturday for a subaru baja turbo. This has the same 2.5 block as the STi, but with a smaller turbo and 11.6 pounds of boost. There are some minor other differences, intake and exhaust side, but it and the forester XT are rated 210hp/236 lb/tq, and by all accounts (including my seat of the pants feel) they are seriously underated. Just in case you are looking for other options. The manual XT forester runs a 13.7 @ 97 mph quater mile, with a 5.3 second 0-60. The baja is a bit heavier, I dont know what it would run, maybe a mid-low 14? I will probably find out soon
Doesn't a stock EVO run at 19psi,, so if you're into modding,, possibly less room for turning up boost as compared to a sti?
I believe it's same turbo in both cars as well,, also same in srt4,, i think,,, so just different engines limited pressure... though I could be thinking bout regular wrx and srt4 having same turbo,, not sure,, either way, they're all mitsubishi turbos.
Heck, id take 1 of em. oh yea money thats right!
Darn!!!
Think if i had money, id rather invest it into an SVT
Why not invest in all the SVT's?
my dream!!
Well i can keep on dreamin'
Theres the SVT Contour, SVT Cobra, SVT Lighting, SVT Focus (Why not) I wouldnt mind them in my driveway
hes been working his @ss off. got 2 jobs.
bar tender, and works as an auto tech at ford, and has
a kid and a wife 2 take of. I dont know how he does it!
Wow, and I have no job, Contour GL, maybe my problem is not having a job
heck, I work at a chicken far,lol.
i make $5.00 for every 165 chickens
I ship out. not muck at all.
Maybe after I get my A+ Certification, might be able to make some money off that and get a better Contour
Though I got this contour by mowing lawns with a lawn tractor, and it just so happened to be (my big mouth) said the contour was nicer than their Civic as they opened the door, or else id probaly still be lookin into an Escort
hopefully i would love to see it.
Pretty good contour, i was told the headgasket was bad (it overheated over a long period of time of the car running, I think the problem was the wiring harness the whole damn time....) Which is why I only paid $300 for it
Better idea
....save an @ss load of money
and buy an M3!
I like the WRX STi, but I would wait till 2005 till the new Legacy comes out (this spring). It's going to be equipped with the WRX engine.
Info and pics of the 2005 Legacy. It is a sweet looking car.
http://www.need-desire.com/main.html
I would pick the STi over the evo. The STi has a six-speed, as opposed to the evo's 5, right?
If money wasn't important, i would definitely get a lightning, but thats a lot of money including its gas mileage.
I looked very hard at the STi before purchasing my Evo, so I have some perspective on the car:
1. Very nice interior. Seats are marvelous, but the back seat is very tight, much less room than even the Contour. To some this isn't an issue, but my family of four (including two hulking teenagers) could not fit in the STi's back seat when the front was adjusted for proper driving position. This was a big consideration in my decision to go with the Evo
2. Blistering straight line performance -- you can believe those quarter mile and 0-60 numbers published -- but please note that is a rally car and not a drag racer. Those that forget this end up buying new clutches and transmissions. The Evo and STi boards are rife with people burning out their clutches and being denied warranty claims.
3. All wheel drive is wonderful. You feel very secure in high speed turns with the the practically race compound Bridgestones. The auto mags give the nod to the Evo in direct comparisons with respect to handling. The Evo is more composed than the STi at the absolute limits of cornering, or so they say. To me, the Evo is scary fast in the turns, and I suspect the STi will be the same way.
4. The STi's looks are somewhat juvenile, with that enormous hood scoop on the front and the ironing board wing on the back. The Evo isn't much better, though. Both cars epitomize "rice". At speed, the aluminum hood vibrates and the wing flops up and down, too. This high profile car attracts the attention of kids in hopped up Civics that want to race you, law enforcement personnel who seem to automatically add 20 MPH to your speed, and blank stares from non-automotive enthusiasts. The usual question from the great unwashed is "what a stupid-looking car" and "why didn't you buy a BMW?"
5. These are relatively expensive cars to maintain. They require synthetic oil changes, have very soft tires that may only last 10,000 miles, and have brake pads that wear quickly.
6. Subaru dealers and service departments are generally (a gross generalization, I know) well thought of, all things considered. Test driving an STi might be a bit of a challenge, as will getting any kind of discount from list price.
7. The STi of course doesn't come with a stock audio system, supposedly to save a bit of weight. Oh, puh-lease. STi owners have remarked that finding aftermarket equipment to fit the speaker cutouts is limited.
8. The ride is very firm, bordering on the stiff. Not quite bone-jarring, but close. The SVT Contour feels like a Lincoln Town Car compared to the STi. A "floating on air" ride it is not.
Compared to a Contour, even an SVT, the STi is like going from the rookie leagues to the majors. Both are sports sedans, but with very different executions of the concept. The STi has preformance that borders on the super car category, and at about $32, it is an automotive bargain. If you don't mind the ricey looks and the cramped back seat, it is an awesome automobile that anybody who knows about cars can respect.
Lee K
98 SVT, silver
03 Evo, red
I've liked the STi ever since the first pics hit the web. I saw my first one in real life a few weeks ago and I'm in love. I talked with the owner for awhile, he said he chose it over the Evo because he does alot of highway driving and liked the STi better. I've seen Evo's in person, and I hate the styling. they absolutely killed the front end of that car. They are both speed demons, I just prefer the scooby.
From what I've seen on the track, the Evo seems to be better balanced than the STI out of the box. The STI "looks" a little top heavy and leans a bit much. The Evo seems to perform a little better in the handling department. If you want to get into AutoX & road racing events, you might have more fun with the Evo.
If you want the hp advantage, obviously get the STI. No replacement for displacement, even with turbo. Otherwise, if its going to be your daily driver, get the WRX and be happy with it.
If I were interested in either of these car's I think I'd get the EVO. I like the looks far better. Both of them would have way more handling and performace than I could ever use on the street anyways
(I'd have to start participating in serious track events if I acually wanted to drive one of those cars like it's meant to be driven!
)
New legacy looks sharp also.
i for one tend to think that the whole front half of the evo is one of the best looking front ends out there, between that and the srt4....my opinion...beautifully designed.....
the legacy looks friggin sweet, but lets look at it this way....if they are gonna charge ~35k for the STI....who is to say that the legacy wont be closer to ~40k.....
wouldnt surprise me at all....
Who cares if the front end is ugly or not.......all you are going to see is the back end anyway!
I like the front of the evo, only thing i would change about it is to give it a larger intercooler to completely fill that void. Other than that, i like it.
This post belongs in the "Common Interests" section, not here.
Guess I'll have to get an STI. 
