Posts Tagged ‘Subaru MY08’

One of the most common questions we get asked at MRT Performance, literally on a daily and weekly basis, is whether I would buy an Mitsubishi EVO X or an EVO IV compared to a Subaru MY08 STi or an MY07 STi.

I am going to give you a few thoughts on the different models to help you make a judgment on whether the Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru STI is the better car to buy.

If you’re trying to decide, do you buy an STI or do you buy an EVO? If you work for Mitsubishi or Subaru, this may come as a surprise, or it may come as no surprise. The way that we most often help people these days to make a decision is we ask one simple question:

Where and how often are you going to drive the car?

Are you going to drive the car every day of the week, or are you just going to drive it on the weekend? Is it your daily driver and the most common car that you do drive, or is it the car that you’ll only drive on weekends for a bit of a fun car to drive at the track or out through your favorite, twisty country roads?

The reason for this is because, unfortunately the STI model cars, particularly in the Impreza range really aren’t what I call, not hard core, but the sporty type of car that the previous models used to be.

The seats are not the same. It’s toned down a little bit. I think Subaru tried to make the new STI range a little bit too common now. They’ve widened its appeal. Maybe they’ll sell more. Maybe they’ll sell less because I’ve certainly had several people speak to us about how the seats in the ’08 STI are not as good as the previous models. In my opinion, they’re certainly not as good as the ’99 or ’00 model car.

Frankly, they’re made for wide-assed people. They’re made to suit as many people as they can. Of course, if you’re a bit beefy in the back side, and you want to sit in a ’99 or 2000 model, you’re probably not going to like the seats, but you will like it in the STI. Who knows why they decided to do that, other than the fact that they obviously want to sell more cars.

Now, when it comes to the EVO range, it’s a little bit more hard core. I think Mitsubishi has effectively kept its focus on where it’s really going with that model. That can be good and that can be bad. If you’re going to drive a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO range of cars, definitely like the ’09 on a daily basis, it can be quite annoying. For example, it doesn’t have cruise control if you drive in freeway traffic and you want to have a bit of a plod, or you’re going home late one evening.

The Subaru comes with cruise control factory standard. The other thing is that, for Australian conditions, the EVO has pretty poor air conditioning. I don’t think it’s really been thought out that well. I think it’s an add-on. In a race car situation, you sack it. You don’t want it so you get rid of the weight. It certainly doesn’t perform as well as a Subaru. Bluntly, the EVO’s got an absolutely shocking turning circle, whereas the Subaru has got a good turning circle.

That can be good and bad. If you’re a bit of an animal, and you don’t have any mechanical sympathy, if you put the steering wheel on full lock on a Subaru, and you give it a big launch, you effectively will pop the drive shafts out of the outer CV joints because there is too much angularity in the outer turning circle because of the drive shaft connection in the front of the car.

Mitsubishi obviously limited that with the turning circle to stop you from doing that. It’s effectively built in an idiot factor. The downside is if you want to do a nice, cruise-y, take-it-easy type of u-turn, or go around a very small round-about, you can’t make it without doing a two-point turn. That looks absolutely stupid when you are driving a car as new as that model EVO IV..

Performance wise, on the road, standard suspension compared STI to EVO, the EVO is firmer, a little bit harsher, but it’s not really an issue. So you can start to get a bit of an idea of why I asked about how you’re going to drive the car. The answer is if you’re looking to buy a car that you’re going to drive in a sporty, fun way on the weekends, then you would buy an EVO.

If you’re going to drive that every day of the week to and from work, then you would buy an STI. There really is no accurate, black-and-white answer. On the track, both cars pretty much hit the nail on the head with a different recipe. Obviously the drive train, engine layout and diff controller system on a Subaru is dramatically different to a Mitsubishi, but the lap times come up pretty close together.

I think it’s because Subaru has dulled down the STI a little bit. The EVO is a little bit more fun to drive out of the box, but then, I’ve got a bit of a weakness for Subarus. I’ve owned a Subaru for a long time with my rally car. You can’t beat that boxer beat when you make the exhaust sound a little bit better. An EVO, then, has a separate advantage. I’m talking positive with everything in that if you want to open up the exhaust and squeeze a bit more grunt out of it with the right package of parts, you can do it a lot easier. When you open up the exhaust, it doesn’t get as noisy as what a Subaru does however.

Hopefully that has given you a few ideas on my opinions of the Mitsubishi EVO X or an EVO IV compared to a Subaru MY08 STi or an MY07 STi.

Hi Everyone

The Grudge Match 2 video has been loaded onto YouTube so you can finally see whether power or handling win out on the track.

We put a lot of work into getting the cars ready for this and really hope that you enjoy the video.

Follow the link below to watch it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqG2bNknOo0

Leave a comment here on the blog or under the YouTube video to let us know what you think.

And we are planning another STi v Evo Grudge Match again with the Evo X.

Hope you enjoy the STi Grudge Match video as much as we enjoyed making it.

Brett

Hi Everyone

I have just uploaded the final Grudge Match 2 preview video onto YouTube.

This preview is from the final cut of the 10 minute long video that will be released on Fruday 8th August.

You can visit the site at http://www.STiGrudgeMatch.com and join the STi Grudge Match VIP Club to get instant FREE access to the full technical analysis of the Grudge Match as well as additional MP3’s with interviews and technical updates on each of the cars.

As well, VIP members will get access to an Exclusive tele-seminar where we will cover the complete setup of both cars as well as give callers a chance to ask questions live on the call.

Check out the new preview video below and make sure you join the VIP Club at
http://www.STiGrudgeMatch.com

Hi Everyone,

I have just uploaded a new preview video onto YouTube.

If you want to get some inside information on which of the Subaru STi’s came out on top then you definately want to see this.

Whiteline and MRT Performance both put everything into getting everything they could out of their cars.

Don’t forget to register at http://www.STiGrudgeMatch.com to get additional behind-the-scenes interviews and footage from the grudge match.

Click Here To Watch The Video

Hope You Enjoy

Brett

Coming up on Blog Talk Radio, MRT and Whiteline are going to be talking about the Grudge Match as well as the Subaru Impreza MY08 STi and how it differs from the MY07 and MY06.

MRT Performance and Whiteline have combined to produce STi Grudge Match which compares two identical Subaru MY08 Impreza WRX Sti’s with changes to power related parts and suspension related parts on each of the cars.

Brett Middleton and Jim Gurieff talk about the Subaru MY08 STi Grudge Match on BlogTalkRadio and look at the strengths and weaknesses of the MY08 models.

STi Grudge Match featured the MRT Performance FQ08 STi with a 40kw increase in performance with the Ecutek enhanced ECU and a correctly tuned exhaust against the Whiteline P28 STi with a package of handling parts to make the car handle better, point better and have a higher level of grip.

Listen to Brett and Jim talk about Grudge Match and the MY08 including:

- How the Subaru MY08 Impreza platform has significantly changed from MY07 from an overall comfort and sophistication point of view and why Jim thinks the MY08 is more of a GT platform with a sense of rigidity and solidness that is different on the MY08 to the MY07.

- The difference in the amount of grip in the tyres on the Impreza after the change from the Bridgestone r-spec hybrid tyres on the MY06 and MY07 and how the MY08 STi has a quieter ride and a more tolerable high speed comfort level since the tyres are biased back to more of a cruisy road tyre

- Why Whiteline needed to increase the bracing on the rear sway bar mounts after upgrading the rear sway bars and how the previous generations problems with the standard mounts flexing with larger sway bars on the back is probably worse in the MY08 than it was in the MY07 and MY06.

- What the “sneeze factor” is and why its important with a direct and responsive car and if the Subaru Impreza MY08 STi  passes the test.

Get ready for the release of the new Grudge Match video on 8th August 2008 by learning exactly what MRT and Whiteline have done to prepare their cars.

To get behind the scenes information and additional videos and interviews just visit http://www.STiGrudgeMatch.com

 Click Here to hear them on Blog Talk Radio