08 STI Sport Tech Package test drive/review

[Unoriginalusername]

Took advantage the awesome weather to stop in and check out an STI. I am not buying right this instant, but it is on the wish list for replacing the ms3 down the road depending on how our house situation shakes down.

The dealer had an 08 Demo on the lot, the sales guy handed the keys and said see you in a bit. I drove a friends 04 STI back in 04 or 05 and the 08 version was far less beastly than what I remembered. The exhaust volume was lower, the tone was less rumbly/pleasing and the turbo lag seemed far worse.... all in all much more lathargic

It pulls ok over a decent power band but not really sure its as quick or any quicker than a stock ms3 from a roll. I'd say it was a pretty big disappointment considering the price of these suckers, deffinetly won't bother to go back for a second look when i get to the purchase phase. Honestly, not so sure why a few of you guys traded in your ms3 for the sti or the wrx 265... perhaps a few weeks ago when there was snow on the ground that made more sense but in this nice spring weather i don't get it

[cereal83]

awd > fwd thats prob why!

The STI is a beast but with the power other cars are pushing, they need to up their HP rating but they can't as legal rally rules means 300 hp max or somewhere close to their

[RX9]

the stock STi only pump out peak 14psi, maybe thats why.

[Zspeed]

Did you go to the one by Mavis/Britania? I called and told me the have a black 08 demo. Was that the car you drove? I wanted to compare it to the EVO X.
I guess the Sti didn't impress you at all? Maybe it will be a waste to drive it then.

[Big Dad]

I told you so. That is why I took offense to the claim of "what an upgrade", I think not.

[Fobio]

some ppl also buy the bottom model Mercedes/BMW/Audi so that can say they're flossing a Euro car. some also have $800 Prada/Gucci wallets with $60 in it...

I think UOU's review is likely the most honest review...stock for stock, the MS3 kicks ass while costing a lot less...some would expect a 57K AWD rally inspired car should walk all over a 34K econo box...I would expect it too if I was shelling out those dollars. And the fact that the STi doesn't deliver 23K more performance that the MS3, makes me feel good that I have a cheap wallet...also makes me wonder why there's any satisfaction to be had by comparing a STi to a MS3 to prove it's a better ride...duh, you paid 23K more for it, that fact alone should confirm it...right? right?!? lol Compare it to Evo if anything...oh right, a STi doesn't really beat an Evo stock for stock...

However, an STi is quite an upgrade from a MZ3...

[Unoriginalusername]

Did you go to the one by Mavis/Britania? I called and told me the have a black 08 demo. Was that the car you drove? I wanted to compare it to the EVO X.
I guess the Sti didn't impress you at all? Maybe it will be a waste to drive it then.

yes they have a few on the lot with a black demo. the people were nice i just wasn't crazy about the car at all.

[Zspeed]

After all this I think I'm keeping my MS3. I was turned off by both cars. I guess we all go in there with higher expectations. It also makes me feel better that I didn't spend 23k more for something I would regret.

[chinsterr]

Look at all you fanboys ..

STi > MS3

Sorry guys. It's not an opinion , its a statment.


Edit: The cars are in two different classes.

[mazdas3sporte]

allot of cars say they make 300 Hp or 600 hp, just look at the new ZR1 its supposed to have 600+ hp but it doesent make nearly as much WHP and 600hp, Ive never seen a car that is rated at WHP when you buy it, its always hp to the engine not the wheels , My stock 3 probebly makes 140 Hp if that much, Dyno is the way to go to find out the real WHP and even that depends on temperture , altitute and what not, Iam a noob but I know this much , people see STI's and there like ohh WOW 300 HP! while its more like 250 WHP as shown on youtube dyno videos

[condor888000]

Where the hell did that come from, doesn't seem to tie into ANYTHING else in this thread....

[Unoriginalusername]

Look at all you fanboys ..

STi > MS3

Sorry guys. It's not an opinion , its a statment.


Edit: The cars are in two different classes.

I sold my ms3, don't think that makes me a fanboy and if/when i repurchase another car the ms3 makes a lot more sense than the new sti for the money. thats not a statement, its a fact :chuckle

[chinsterr]

I sold my ms3, don't think that makes me a fanboy and if/when i repurchase another car the ms3 makes a lot more sense than the new sti for the money. thats not a statement, its a fact :chuckle

Don't get me wrong , the MS3 IS the BEST car to get in the ~$25000 range. Although it can keep up with an STi (and may even be faster from a roll), I still don't think I would compare the two.

Having never driven either car, I don't really have an substance to my argument. But I would def. prefer to drive an AWD over an FWD as a daily driver.

[Unoriginalusername]

Don't get me wrong , the MS3 IS the BEST car to get in the ~$25000 range. Although it can keep up with an STi (and may even be faster from a roll), I still don't think I would compare the two.

Having never driven either car, I don't really have an substance to my argument. But I would def. prefer to drive an AWD over an FWD as a daily driver.

its great logic, seriously. But something got lost in the translation of the new sti. If you said the old one I couldn't agree more... but having driven an ms3 for a few years, and driven several STI's with this 08 sport tech being the most recent the reviews of the new STI are right. Its a big dissappointment, a step backwards vs. a step forwards.

I am sure if you spent 15k on it sure awd will prevail but now you are looking at 65k.... the sti and evo used to be m3/rs4 capable performance at half the price, ... they are still less money but have lost touch with the rest of the sports car scene from a bang for your buck perspective... something they used to dominate

[07Speedfreak]

Honestly, not so sure why a few of you guys traded in your ms3 for the sti or the wrx 265... perhaps a few weeks ago when there was snow on the ground that made more sense but in this nice spring weather i don't get it

1. AWD
2. Perfect vehicule to drive all year long
3. Ride confort
4. Noiseless interior
5. Safety aspect (baby on the way)
6. Racing from a dead stop --> Drag racing
7. Future modding capabilities and easy tuning

And I guess I am getting old...:pop

A WRX (265) is 35K, not 40-50K like the STI. Not too far from the Speed3. Best bang for the buck in the Impreza line-up imho.

[Big Dad]

I have driven an 07 Sti hard in the wet and was scared sh..less when the rear end started coming around on the transitions from left to right (chikane) turns at high speed due to excessive body roll. Safety wise I think the rear wheel bias in the winter is a concern. The MS3 was able to go through the same turns at higher speeds and stable.

[ShortBus]

I have driven an 07 Sti hard in the wet and was scared sh..less when the rear end started coming around on the transitions from left to right (chikane) turns at high speed due to excessive body roll. Safety wise I think the rear wheel bias in the winter is a concern. The MS3 was able to go through the same turns at higher speeds and stable.

the sti is not rear bias unless you play with the dccd, but either way you're probably driving it wrong (ie. like a fwd/rwd), if you power through a little more the rear end will come in line.

[Unoriginalusername]

the sti is not rear bias unless you play with the dccd, but either way you're probably driving it wrong (ie. like a fwd/rwd), if you power through a little more the rear end will come in line.

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

Than Jason Plato of fifth gear must not know how to drive either... check out this video of the new STI having troubles in the wet.

Bigdad BTW won several track events this past summer with his MS3... just so you know who you're telling they can't drive properly :chuckle

[ShortBus]

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

Than Jason Plato of fifth gear must not know how to drive either... check out this video of the new STI having troubles in the wet.

Bigdad BTW won several track events this past summer with his MS3... just so you know who you're telling they can't drive properly :chuckle

actually no, you see plato mention that previous impreza's were more stable (that was an 08 big dad drove an 07) however you see him (and tiff) tap the brakes but power through the turns too to swing the rear(s) back in.

[Big Dad]

The following is a review that I wrote in October of 2007 comparing the 2007 STi and the 2007 Ms3 when I first got my MS3 and had a mscai. I have a few more mods now that address the following restrictions and limitations.

I was caught between buying an 06 STI and my 07 Speed3. My freind at work has the blue 07 Sti. Lets say that I was very interested in comparing the 2 cars. After starting the day my freind didn't know how to drive his car for shit and I was lucky enough that he let me take it out half a dozen times through out the day. Let us say that I was fortunate enough to drive both cars hard back to back in the wet and dry on the long track at Shannonville. I had already installed a cold air intake so I knew before going in that the horsepower was identical and I might have a slight edge in torque and weighed 200 pounds lighter. That is all speculation and bench racing, this is what it really fealt like.

Both cars were awesome, I was like a kid in a candy store what a dream come true! First the Sti. It was an 07 bone stock with 6000km. This guy babys his car. The Sti first and second gears are incredible, revs run out really fast with a close ratio tranny and you really feal the lurch forward. Third and up are not as intense. The gear box is a little clunky but I can see the merit in that because you knew that your shift had been engaged by the feedback of the clunk. Unfortunately it could also have been conscrued as cheap. The sti had more ride hight and more body roll, the suspension is suprisingly soft for such a 'race car.' The bolstering on the seat was not sufficient, you slide around in the seat and the bottom leg bolstering was weak enough that my left leg pushed through the cushion into the frame part which was not comfortable. The sti does not have any electronic stabilty gadgets or traction control. In the high speed chikane in the wet (imagine the snow) the soft suspension put the rear end into a drift when you loaded and then unloaded the suspension. An RS 2.5 lost control in that same spot. The drift is scary at that speed and could lead to disaster. This was not such an issue in the dry. In the dry the soft suspension and body lean brought about a lot of understeer and sacrificed corner speed. After 3 hard laps in the dry I over heated the Brembo brakes and experienced brake fade not allowing me to brake very hard. There is a light that comes on to alert you that the intercooler is hot and requires you to manually spray it with water to cool it down. The power window also rammed itself into the top of the door when you rolled up the driver window (obviously out of alignment). Coming out of the hairpin corner the Sti was king, it really launches well out of the low speed second gear corners. After I pulled off the track the brakes were smoking and you could smell the clutch.

The Mazdaspeed 3 (Ms3) has stability control and traction control. The MS3 seat bolstering is very good and keeps you in place. The transmision is more spaced out and the traditional soft shift engagement feals nice smooth and luxurious but it made me second guess and question if I was in the right gear or if it had engaged during the speed shifting (it engaged every time but there was no clunk feedback to confirm). Wheel hop can be an issue if the traction control is off and the pavement is uneven in first gear hard launches. In the wet the car always remained in shape no matter how hard you pushed it or tried to make it drift. Turn off the electronics and it is still dificult to make the rear step out, but if it did, it was very easy to correct and control with out elevating the heart beat. The chasis is very solid and balanced. The suspension on the car is set up well for the track, the car handled incredibly. High speed corners the car flew around them and stuck like glue, no drama. The brakes worked as well if not better than the Sti's Brembos but there was no brake fade or smoking or even smell after 200 kms of 18 turns per lap leaving no time to cool down. The Ms3's is front wheel drive and Mazda has limited first gear to 75% power and second gear to 85% power. Furthermore if the front wheels are turned, power is also cut and restricted until the wheels are straight in order to prevent torque steer, wheel spin and give the car manners. The problem is that in the low speed corners like the hairpin and coming onto the front straight, the power is cut and I was left for dead by everyone until I had exited the corner completely and built back up boost which took forever. The Ms3 braked and handled incredibly but on a tight turned track I spent the whole rest of the lap making up time just to lose it in the low speed tight corners, very frustrating. I cant wait to go to Mosport! Even though the MS3 sucked coming onto the back straight and the STI flew onto the straight, the trap speed at the end of the back straight was the same (it is possible that the 3 stayed on the gas a little later due to the stong brakes).

The MS3 got 88 kms going through 40 litres of Ultra 94 and then after a refill, 105 kms with 50 liters of Ultra 94. Damn turbos kill gas! There was a fully modified STI with brakes, Turbo back exhaust, suspension etc making 328whp, and new Toyo RA1 track tires. That car was awesome and he was a great driver, he beat me but all of his time was made up in the straights and the low speed corners. The MS3 still carried better corner speed everywhere else. I estimate that over 4.5 kms, he made up 2 seconds a lap in the dry. In the wet, we were dead even. The stock Sti fealt like I was beating on it and hurting it with all the smoke smells and heat. The MS3 never complained, no heat issues, smoke or smells. The STi might have been designed with more of a rally spirit in mind as oposed to the track, but the Ms3 really excelled on the track with a couple of bs safety features holding it back.

As you can tell I had a great time and can't wait for spring to do a lot more track days. I hope you guys will alll come out next year.