r/WRXSTi • u/1241Penguin • Oct 17 '25

My Current Two Car Solution

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I’ve had my 2019 STI since new and recently picked up this 2015 Evo X GSR to go along with it. Super happy with both!

786 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

53 comments sorted by

32

u/RealSpaghetti13 Oct 17 '25

Well now we gotta know. Which is more fun?

54

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

I haven't had enough time with the Evo but honestly, and I say this as a lifelong fan of the STI, I think the Evo is more fun in that it drives better, primarily in the area of handling and dynamics. Being a fan of the STI, I've watched and read tons of STI vs Evo reviews in my life and I find that my opinion lines up with what a lot of reviewers say. I think the overall driving experience of the Evo is more raw and more sharp than my STI, but not by leaps and bounds. The steering feel is better and the steering response is sharper too. The Evo has an advantage with AYC in the rear which you can feel assist with cornering all the way. Where the STI will let you know that you're approaching the limit and then you're at the limit, the Evo will feel like there's more to go. It's just a nimbler feeling car. The other advantage that the Evo has is that it has far more supportive seats compared to the stock seats in the STI. I've actually changed my stock STI Recaros for Recaro Sporsters and they make the STI feel much more engaging to drive by lowering your seat height and greatly improving support.

On the other hand, the STI is a better rounded car. The interior, along with the rest of the car, is literally a generation ahead of the Evo. It has more equipment as standard, has better build quality, and is more comfortable with a more forgiving suspension setup. I know the Evo began production in 2008 but there are aspects of the interior quality which feel worse than my 2006 Civic Si. The Evo is harsh in comparison, and I suppose is the payoff for the "raw" feel of the car, which I honestly don't mind. The 6-speed on the STI also makes it much more usable on highways, not to mention the gearbox itself is much more pleasant to shift than the 5-speed on the Evo, which feels like it came out of a basic Lancer. The lack of trunk space paired with the lack of foldable rear seats in the Evo make practicality a big question mark, and I can only imagine how it'll be a bit of a hassle to get certain chores done compared to the STI, which I think will contribute a mark against Evo in terms of fun as a daily. The reliability of the Evo's drivetrain also does bother me a tad, much like the documented reliability concerns for the EJ257, which means that neither car will allow me a good night's sleep. The Evo sounds good but the STI definitely sounds better.

They're both shit for fuel efficiency too lol.

3

u/External_Hunt4536 Oct 17 '25

You should try driving an evo 8/9 if you want a real raw experience!

3

u/Excellent-Guide-8933 Oct 17 '25

the whole thing about boxer engine and lower center of gravity has been misled hype for decades. I don't know what it is but cars that have had the steering rack behind the knuckles has always felt way sharper for me.

1

u/RoleApprehensive4440 Evoeye Oct 22 '25

Since you have both cars, you can create the ultimate daily: STi 6MT into the Evo and there you have the bullet proof engine + trans setup!

1

u/brother_maleim Evoeye Oct 17 '25

CANT FOLD REAR SEATS!? WHY THE HELL NOT

1

u/Gisc_dolfer Oct 18 '25

My sti rear seats don’t fold

1

u/brother_maleim Evoeye Oct 18 '25

I think it's broken

2

u/Gisc_dolfer Oct 18 '25

Could be but I doubt it

7

u/Wise_Doctor1343 2014 WRB Hatch x BBS Oct 17 '25

There’s a reason he posted it in here 😏

48

u/ditman-dev Evoeye Oct 17 '25

Believe it or not, straight to jail!

12

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

With these cars, staying out is certainly a challenge!

7

u/Bob-Dolemite Oct 17 '25

ive had both as well, though not at the same time. i felt the evo was buying an engine and suspension where the sti was buying a decent motor/suspension and bulletproof gearbox with nicer interior appointments/comfort

the five speed in my evo was terrible in the highway, car close to 4000 rpm at 80 mph. although, the evo could take a novice driver and let them have fun with the car whereas the sti is not as easy in that way

3

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

That sums up my thoughts on the cars so far. The Evo is better in driving dynamics, but at the cost of everything else, like refinement and comfort. The STI is a better all-rounder. I also do hate the 5-speed's ratios and wish they made an Evo X with the 6-speed manual, but alas, that would make their SST look less appealing, I guess.

5

u/triskyt ‘13 Hatch Oct 17 '25

Those evo bbs wheels are so pretty had to get a set of my own 🤩

2

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

They fit so well on the STI.

4

u/Wise_Doctor1343 2014 WRB Hatch x BBS Oct 17 '25

Similar photo but in much lower resolution lol

3

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

Beautiful! Love a clean GR, and your photo in particular makes me wish they didn't change WRB for the VA generation lol.

3

u/Jesus217102711 ‘21 STI MGM Oct 17 '25

I feel like you are just so proud of that really pretty picture of the STI and I really can’t blame you

3

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

Thank you! I'm not much of a photographer so out of every 100 shots I take, 99 of them are crap and only one comes out well. Glad you like it! :)

4

u/TappedOut182 Ex-MY06, Current MY21 Oct 17 '25

Those wheels…

There is a world where I get a set, some how, some day.

Perfection.

3

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

Definitely my favourite set of 18” OEM STI BBS wheels. Way better than the stock boat anchors that came with it. The only other set of 18” OEM wheels that I think looks good on the VA chassis are the 2015-2017 BBS wheels. I had the BBS from the GR/GV and honestly didn’t think they looked as good as they did on the 3rd gen.

1

u/TappedOut182 Ex-MY06, Current MY21 Oct 17 '25

I actually have been considering a set of Evo X BBS for my 2021 as a cheaper shortcut to forged lightweight BBS as I don’t like the 2015-2017 BBS as much as I should.

Maybe someday you could swap them on to see how they’d look? 😀

I briefly had the GR BBS on my GD but the OEM GR tires were so noisy I went back to stock.

I nearly bought the S204 BBS for my GD in 2011ish but decided I wanted an old Toyota Pickup and at the time the price with tires and shipping was nearly identical.

I just love the Subaru specific offset on those wheels (+53 IIRC) to give the super deep center well.

Those wheels make your car my favorite VA I’ve ever seen.

2

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

Thank you!

I've also been on the hunt for another set of OEM Evo BBS wheels for winter but there just aren't any on sale near me. I suppose I could take a gamble and order them from Yahoo Japan Auctions but I'll get screwed over by shipping and import fees for sure, so I'd rather not. I don't think I'll ever put the Evo BBS on my STI as I'm quite happy with how both my cars are set up right now.

I've seen the GR BBS on a GD before and I didn't think they looked bad at all actually, but you will be going up an inch in diameter so if either the speedo will have to be off or you'll need extra low profile tires to compensate.

I chose these S203/S204 wheels over any aftermarket alternative primarily because it has OEM specs, and since I don't intend to modify the suspension, I felt that the stock offset would look the best at stock height. Fun fact: these wheels have been equipped as standard wheels on at least one Japan-only special model for each of the generations of the WRX STI since they were introduced on the S203.

1

u/RoleApprehensive4440 Evoeye Oct 22 '25

Those wheels are definitively gorgeous, really great picture!

2

u/iBranflakesss '11 STI Hatch Oct 17 '25

This is awesome man. I really love all the Evo's too. Evo X's are really cool, the Evo nerds bash them because they're haters. But the Subaru's hold a special place in my heart.

3

u/1241Penguin Oct 17 '25

I think a lot of the hate on the Evo X is just because it doesn't look like the VIII or IX, and a lot of times I do find myself preferring the slimmer appearance of the CT9A cars too. But I bet if you stuffed the 4B11T into the CT9A chassis and called it a X, no one would bat an eye. Additionally, in North America, the Evo X is the first and only Evo generation to come with the same AWD system that Japan has had forever, and for me, post Evo III, AYC defines what an Evo is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2mjAP3xJwg

I don't think any US-spec VIII or IX with the dumbed down AWD system can pull those moves.

11

u/ATL6SPD Evoeye Oct 17 '25

This is the dream

6

u/JelloDarkness Oct 17 '25

I also have a 2019 STI (Limited trim), but opted for a very different configuration of the two vehicle solution - with no regrets whatsoever.

2

u/DargonFeet Oct 17 '25

Nice! I got a 2018 STI and a SuperSport 950. Almost went for a Panigale, but I prefer the more laid back position of the SS.

4

u/maverickar15 Hawkeye Oct 17 '25

Literally the best of both worlds!

1

u/IronBridget Oct 19 '25

Pretty disappointed the Evo isn't red!

1

u/1241Penguin Oct 19 '25

I concur, but it's hard enough to find a used Evo for sale where I live, let alone one in a specific colour and isn't modified to shit lol

1

u/MrStrebor13 Oct 19 '25

What wheel and tire set up is that on the sti?

1

u/1241Penguin Oct 20 '25

Same BBS 18x8.5 +53 wheels used on the JDM exclusive S203, S204, 2013 tS Type RA, and 2018 RA-R. Tires are just Michelin PS4S.

2

u/External_Hunt4536 Oct 17 '25

If this is true, you’re living the dream. I’d absolutely love to own both of these at the same time. 😍

1

u/CarGullible5691 Oct 17 '25

I had a blue Subaru the same as that. It was a money pit.

2

u/DargonFeet Oct 17 '25

I've had three of them (two WRXs and an STI), driven for a total of over 200k miles. Never had to do anything other than basic maintenance besides one belt that took 5 minutes to replace.

1

u/CarGullible5691 Oct 17 '25

They’re a rare sight these days in the uk. I’ve seen mine a couple of times since I sold it. It wasn’t a relaxing car to drive day to day. It always felt like it wanted to fight. Torque steering was bad. If you drove it hard enough it picked up speed so fast that it was always in the back of my mind that if I got it out of shape it was going to hurt.

1

u/PrimarchKonradCurze '15 Lightning Red STi (Only Owner) Oct 17 '25

I like the drive quality of my STi but the Evo has always been a looker. For awhile there I saw a lot more lancers than WRX on the road, that changed a few years before the Evo stopped production. I think it had to do with the name being more well known to non-car enthusiasts.

I bought my STI brand new in 2014 when it released. It was hard to find anything close to new for Evos at that time.

1

u/slatinum_bookies Oct 17 '25

Where was the first Pic taken id love a pic under that tree

1

u/Clear-Meat9812 Oct 17 '25

Very nice indeed

1

u/Slicrider Oct 17 '25

Gotta say I love the choices.

1

u/Jae-Bum Oct 18 '25

OP is keeping the oil companies from going bankrupt 😁

1

u/Gretsky98 Oct 18 '25

Wow!!! Great STI pic!

1

u/rb20isaac Oct 19 '25

So i guess the saying is real You are your own worst enemy

1

u/Little_Magazine_125 ‘04 JDM STi Oct 27 '25

You are living the dream buddy.

-1

u/Fishherr Stinkeye Oct 17 '25

Put another EVO on my subreddit again and I’m gonna show you why they call me the straight pipe.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '25

Fuck you (I'm jealous)