VikingDJ

I may get some flack for this. I have been getting some quotes for an 05 sti, just to see if trading in rx8 is possible. I'd prefer to have both cars, but I can't. I am stunned at the quotes I got. So far I got two and both were 500 below invoice. That's on a just delivered 05 model. I guess these cars are selling about the same as rx8. The invoice is not nearly as far away form rx8 though. When I find the sti I want, I'm gonna email dealer with description of my rx8, and see how close they are willing to come to KBB trade. Odds are, they will go way below it. I doubt I can own an sti by trading in my rx8 and only having to pay out 4-5k. It's fun to test the waters though, because you never know. I haven't made any decisions, but this was the car that came in a close second place when I bought rx8 in February. We'll see if anything comes out of it, but if the price is right, I'll head down to test drive one, then sleep on it to make my decision. It's a tough call, because you lose so much if you go with sti, but you gain so much back in return. I guess it comes down to looks and refinement, or power and performance. We shall see!!

magixpuma

isnt the sti just a tuned up sedan or is this the rally winner but when it all comes down to SEXY 8 with nice styling or mom sedan with a jumbo jet wing ur choice

Outlaws eXtreme

WRC is the bomb.. I'll take one.

WRX STI... I'll pass. It's a family suped up car.

VikingDJ

I figured I'd get these responses. Naturally bias rx8 owners abroad. I'm sure if anyone jumps on an sti forum talking about trading in theit sti for an rx8, they'd get identical responses. Both cars are open to big criticism. I think I'm gonna find a wrx forum and post this same thing. 100 bucks says I get nothing but praise and motivation to follow through with it. Like I said, I wish I could own both cars. Give me an rx8 that performs like an sti, and there wouldn't even be a discussion, but unfortunately in this price range, you just can't have the best of both worlds. I do love my rx8, and I will miss it greatly if by chance I follow through on this.

Outlaws eXtreme

I'm 27 years old, work in an environment that requires me to sometimes pick up clients, look respectable. If I drove a blue family sedan, big fat exhaust, high wing, and try to pick up a client, I would look like an imbecile.

RX-8 at least looks sporty, yet is classy. I would also drive my G35 if I wanted to pick up a client. It all depends on what you are going to do with your car... if it's just pure enjoyment and racing around, sure go for STI. For an affordable looking sports car, that will definitely catch people's attention, stay with the 8.

In the end, if I wanted to drive a power performance car, I would still choose something else rather than the STI. Maybe if I was in high school or college, I could understand getting the STI... but now that I'm in the career field, I can't do that to myself.

Prod

Subarus rule. STis are very fast and fun. The 8 will handle better in dry weather and it looks a lot better. The STi is much faster, has more room, and a full sized trunk. AWD is amazing in bad weather. The DCCD allows you to manually control the power distribution, so you can essentially make it RWD when you want. The wing can be switched to an aftermarket one if you don't like it. Or you could take it off all together if you don't plan on doing more than 80. The STi doesn't require anything to guard against floods and it won't eat nearly as much oil. It doesn't have a rotary engine but it has a turbo boxer (so at least it's not a plain inline 4.

Outlaws eXtreme

How about the appearence of the car Prod? Are you going to suggest spending money on an aftermarket body kit to make it look like something better than a suped up family WRX?

If you wanted Fun, Fast, Better handling, lots of room.. the new 2005 Mustang has all that and is cheaper than the STi. Heck it even looks better than the STi. Perhaps that's another option.

crosswound

i too have been thinking about trading my rx-8 into a dealer because private sells everyone and their mom wants a deal off you so they can walk off with a big smile on their face like they robbed you. but i've been thinking about still sticking to it and trading it for a FD maybe but i too have also been looking at sti's but i would end up oweing more on my loan instead of going down on it.

VikingDJ

Good points. What you recommend if you were looking to buy a power performance sports car in the price range of an rx8? You'd be surprised how toned down the grey 05 sti is. I saw one in person with silver wheels. If you take off that wing, it really isn't too loud of a car looks wise. The blue ones with gold wheels definitely is flashy. I haven't made any decisions, but it's cool to test the waters to see what else is out there. I'm in my early 30s, but I guess I'll never get over that fun, high performance car. The rx8 thus far lacks a lot powerwise, but I guess in time that will change. I never cared what anyone thought, so even if I was a lawyer, hell I'd drive an sti to work, or to pick up clients. The rx8 is not for everyone, and I've had it for 6 months, and i'm just not sure I made the right choice. I admit I bought car for one reason only. THE LOOKS. I'm gonna weigh my options speak to my family, then decide what to do, as well as explore other potential cars. For now though, it's fun browsing other cars, and getting a true perspective of what car I want to own for a long time. It may end being the rx8 after all.

red_rx8_red_int

The 8 will not handle better in dry weather. I have and 8 and love it. But where I autox, there are tons of STI's. They are faster and can corner just as well if not better than the 8. I just don't care for thier styling. Looks wise the 8 rules, but performance wise the STI rules.

cortc

We had a Subaru dealership so I took an STI home for the weekend, it is quick but it rides like crap and is ugly has hell... The interior quality is horrible and I could have purchased it at cost minus holdback and I passed for the eight...

VikingDJ

I can't comment on the ride, and I'd imagine it will have a pure sports car feel, which is right on the road. I have to disagree about interior. I think although not as nice as rx8, it's still a nice interior, and I did like it. Performance wise, there is no comparison at all. The STI is a pure performance vehicle. The rx8 is a practical sports car with refinement and luxury. It's apples and oranges. Yes the rx8 is definitely more of a looker, but to a performance minded person it's an all show no go vehicle. I guess it depends just how much one focuses purely on looks. That is the bind I am in. Looks is why I bought rx8 to begin with. As for the MUSTANG. YUCK. Just my opinion, but I absoluteely hate mustangs, and if one was given to me I'd sell it. We all have different tastes, so this is very subjective. I guess I should jump on a Z forum and ask them. NO wait that won't work, they'll say neither and tell me to buy a 350z. :D

rotaryxlr8

My brother has an STI and I've had the opportunity to actually drive both cars. It's definitely a very fast car. 300 HP and 300 lbs. of torque is unquestionnably a powerful piece of machinery. However, Outlaw hit it on the nose when he described who that car appeals to most. While the kids at the school that I pick up my son from may think "Wow, what a nice car," I don't think my friends and colleagues would share that opinion. Plus, the STI is a lot less refined on bumpy roads where only passengers who like going 150 would want to sit in it. Others would prefer the smoother ride of the 8. I don't think the two cars are comparable really. In the long run, I think most will tire of the uncivilized behavior of the STI unless they live in Germany where they can fly on the Autobahn on a regular basis. Here in So Cal, there's hardly a road available to take advantage of the power of the STI. Personally, if you want to go really fast, hop on a motorcycle. My gixxer 600 can do a quarter mile in 10.38 seconds.

Lawerence

You see its funny. When people say " I need to look somewhat respetable and professional...and the spoiler on the STI along with the scoop makes it childish"

I find that funny because I know plenty of people that look at the RX8 and say its a boy racer, with the tezza style tail lights and confusing lines everywhere.


Personally I think both cars look absolutely fine. And in all honesty the STi is probably a little more "normal" or businessllike. And will definitely be more comfortable for your clients or business associates to ride in (back seat space).


Anyway. Ive read alot of your posts on this board DJ and it seems to me like an STi would be a good trade up for you.

Ive driven both the RX8 and STi, and they both put a smile on my face. Both are great cars, but if you are more into performance (like I think you are) the STi is up your alley.

GiN

I would keep the $4-5K loss in my wallet and save it for a street-legal turbocharger or supercharger... :-D

VikingDJ

Thanks Lawrence. I like your "tell it like it is" objective attitude. I'm just so stuck between the looks and refinement of the rx8, and the performance of the sti, i'm not in any better of a position I was in when I made the initial decision back in February to get the rx8. You are right, I have a slight edge in performance over looks, but it doesn't give me a clear objective of what I truly want. I guess what I really want is that drivetrain and engine in the rx8 body. Since that is never happening I think I need to just go to the dealership and drive one for myself, and then sleep on it to get a better view of what I want. it was damn near impossible for to test drive an 04 sti at the local dealership back in february without pretending I was solely interested in the sti. So I took a look at it, sat in it, then headed to mazda. The dealer handed me keys right away, and I just made my decision. I accept the blame for not really thinking it through, but I'm not sure I'd be in any better of a position had i test driven it. The cars are too different, and capture each side of what I want in a sport car. I admit I did think the rx8 was faster then it actually is, and I found this site after I got car, so that was a negative for me. I'm gonna be happy either way because both are simply wonderful cars. Subaru took a few extra steps in trying to make the sti appeal to more of a general public by adding auto climate control, and putting in a factory sound system, with 6 disc changer standard. I realize that I ultimately am giving up a bit more overall if I chose the sti, but you currently cannot have the best of both worlds. I can tell you this much though. One of two things will happen in the next few years. Either I'll be driving an sti, or a mazdaspeed rx8 that has a lot of power. Thanks for responding to my post. I enjoyed reading.

Fanman

I don't know about that more room comment. It might seem like that with 4 doors, but in adjusting the front driver seat to my 5'9" frame, and trying to get in the back seat I felt my knees rammed up against the front seat. Definitely very little leg room in the back seat, much less than the RX8. In the RX8 I can adjust the seat to fit my frame, and I can still sit in the back in relative comfort. The EVo has a far bigger back seat as well.

Ike

It's simple, if you want the performance go for it. The interior is actually damn nice on the 05s and the 04s weren't as bad as most people seem to portray, even the mags gave it high marks. As for the exterior looks... it's not as nice looking as the RX-8, but I get compliments on my car all the time and I'm sure STi owners do as well, and the looks really grow on you. The biggest reason you hear people bashing a car like the STi is because when you compare it to the 350Z and the RX-8 the looks are the only thing you can really bash. Bashing other cars is what car forums are all about right, and especially those cars that outperform yours :p The backseat is far more usable on the STi since there is no center console, the trunk is larger, and people in the backseat can get in and out on their own accord.

If you still value looks over performance keep the RX-8, if you want great performance in all aspects of driving and want a car with tons of potential get the STi, after a few days you won't care what it looks like.

WilliamT

In general, I wouldn't drive my clients in an RX-8 or STi. Your better off getting a luxury sedan for that and keeping the RX/STi as a weekend toy. Unless your company is selling performance parts, I find it hard to take anyone seriously coming out of a sports car (RX8) or youngster's car (STi). IMO, they just portray the wrong image.

cortc

The RX8 has much more potential than an STI… The STI is a box that Subaru decided to hop-up and rally... I took another STI home last night from our Subaru dealership to refresh my memory and my original position on the car stands...

Now as far as the RX8 projecting the wrong image for a corporate professional; that is absolute BS... I am CIO for a company with over 1.6B in revenue and my “image” has no problems... The RX8 would be a great car for any executive or professional…

jeffreybt2

heh or so you think your "image" has no problem. Your last little paragraph made you look like an *******.

cortc

The RX8 is a great car and most of the members on this forum are great people... I would like to apologize to everyone for those who feel they need to use personal insults...

Ike

Show me one tiny bit of proof that the RX-8 has more potential than the STi. The STi in USDM form has just begun having it's potential unleashed and there are already cars in the 11s, and some that should be in the 10s by years end. The previous generation STi has broken into the 8s in the 1/4 mile and can be made into one hell of a track car no matter what the track surface is. It's also one hell of a autox car and this past weekend one of North Americas top Subaru tuners set fast lap of the day in Montreal by 2 seconds in it's STi, that's a HUGE amount of time on an autox course. Show me what the RX-8 can do because I haven't seen a damn thing, I haven't even seen anyone break out of the 14s, and have yet to see proof of anyone even being able to match the mag times. I also have not seen the RX-8 at the top spot at an autox or any other automotive competition.

Don't get me wrong I like the RX-8 quite a bit, it's a great handling RWD car that has a lot going for it if you're the right kind of buyer. It's a sportscar that doesn't fit the traditional mold of a sportscar that also provides some practicality and has a unique powerplant. Hmmm, that sounds familiar... Who else might have made a car along those lines before the RX-8 was even a drawing on paper... Hmmm could it be Subaru? The difference being that the Impreza/Legacy was designed from the ground up to unseat Audi and Toyota from the top spot in the WRC. If you had any idea what you were talking about Cort you would know this, the STi is not a tarted up econobox, but the Imprezas in all their forms are toned down versions of a purpose built racecar.

The STi has no gimmicks, it has not cute little rotary accents, every part of that car is designed to maximize performance and be a car that only certain types of car freaks and enthusiats appreciate. It doesn't have any frills, but what it lacks in frills it makes up for it in ***** out performance and excessive functionality.

When I look at Subaru as a company I see a company that values performance above all else, a company who's engineers don't just look at the bottomline and focus on making a great car, much like Mazda does. Subaru just seems to have figured out that a little extra HP makes that driving experience that much better.
Subaru gets it, Mazda doesn't for god knows why. You would think after years of seeing things like "another brilliant Mazda chassis wanting more horsepower" would make Mazda wake the hell up and put some more ponies in their cars, but other than some horribly reliable rotaries of past they haven't been able to do it.

VikingDJ, read the following excerpt from SPD and if after reading it you don't want to go out and buy an STi then maybe the RX-8 was the right choice all along. Some people fall for the curvy exterior, and with a nice amount of performance that's all they need. Other's such as myself want the no frills car that will give us lots of tuning potential and a no nonsense kind of feeling behind the wheel.

"The Subaru WRX is a sublime piece of automotive engineering. Simple when it can be, sophisticated where it needs to be. It is a car without the flair of say an Audi or a BMW, but when it is 10 o'clock in the evening and you have 20 minutes to inspect and repair your team's rally car, the unbelievably well thought out ease of access to every part on the car makes it possible to do the impossible, such as change out a damaged gearbox in 18 minutes flat or assign a pair of mechanics to change a rear hub assembly in 8-10 minutes.. This is what you pay for. Subaru is a very small company run by very clever engineers._ A kind of clear headed engineering that makes an informed mechanic look forward to working on your car._

Perhaps the most important result of this clear headed engineering approach is the effectiveness of the Subaru as a performance car. Properly setup, it can take you (very quickly) from point A to point B with less stress and more driving satisfaction than all but a small, generally much more expensive handful of cars. Driven smoothly, not softly, it will do it again and again for a long time. An informed driver who will let the car's strengths work into their driving experience is supremely rewarded.

A couple of years ago, Eddie Alterman of Automobile magazine called and asked me why the WRX was such an important car. As a result of our conversation Automobile magazine wound up doing a comparison test, Subaru WRX vs. Porsche 996 for the March 2001 issue. Here is what I had to say at that time, most of which was graciously quoted in that article:

The Subaru is a car made by enthusiast engineers for enthusiast drivers._ It is not an accident that only two car companies in the world have maintained long standing engineering companies separate from their production and marketing organization. One is Porsche/Audi and the other is Subaru. During the 1960's the Japanese government laid plans with the major Koretsu conglomerates to understand the world's manufacturing leaders and become better companies through this study. At that time Nissan took basically Germany, developing an engineering staff that had all its focus on German engineering while Toyota sent engineers to England and Italy. Both generally dismissed American design esthetics, but paid very careful attention to American production technology._

If you put a 1968 Datsun 510 on a hoist it looks exactly like a 2002 BMW, but about 300 pounds lighter. If you take apart its engine it looks just like a period Mercedes engine, except for the kidney shaped 327 fuely' Chevrolet combustion chamber. The optional close ratio 5-speed transmission has Porsche synchos in it. This was the year that Subaru was founded. The kind of engineers that designed the Datsun 510 became the generation that trained the Subaru engineers. This was also the time of Porsche ascendance to greatness. While the great Ferrari-Mercedes-Maserati, Mercedes-Jaguar, Lotus-Ferrari and Ford-Ferrari battles captivated the imagination of this first generation of Japanese engineers, it was the sheer technical mastery and dominance of Porsche that faced the generation that founded the core Subaru engineering staff. They understood Porsche's message quite clearly. An Otto cycle internal combustion engine is a convenient hot gas generator for a turbine powered car. Invent the computer controlled engine management system and the rest is history. The Subaru WRX engine is best thought of as 2/3 of a Porsche 956/962 engine._

The point of fact is every element of the Subaru Legacy/Impreza design (the Legacy and the Impreza are mechanically 90% identical btw) has been reviewed with a view to first function, second simplicity, third effectiveness of purpose. Within this simple ring the mechanical design has evolved into a physical shape. What is remarkable is that everything that can be simple is simple. Only those elements of design that achieve greater effectiveness through added complexity are the transmission and the engine. The differential - the same Hitachi R160 design as was found on the Datsun 510! The Subaru Legacy/Impreza were designed from the start to win the World Rally Championship away from Audi and then Toyota.

As any mechanic will tell you, there is not a bad wrench position on the entire car. It has to rate as one of the all time easiest modern cars to work on. Nothing on or about the car is an accident. It is a totally engineered package. It may have only 56/44 weight distribution, but the engineers figured that they could get away with it. It may only have McPherson strut front and modified Chapman strut rear suspension, but it is a rally car that needs the inherent strength and long wheel travel this design presents. Eight inches of rear suspension travel? You have to be kidding. GM only gave the Camero four inches of rear wheel travel! Kind of frumpy looking overhangs? No, not really, just a 99 inch wheel base that turns on a dime. They shoved the wheels as close together as they could and still have a fair back seat! It is pure sports car. "

zoom44

I REALLY CAN'T SEE HOW SOMEONE CAN SAY WITH A STRAIGHT FACE THAT THE RX-8 HAS MORE POTENTIAL THAN THE sti. DO YOU THINK IT IS MAXED OUT FROM THE PRODUCTION LINE?

shelleys_man_06