2005 Mustang or Subaru WRX STi

[rankink]

Listen, this is coming from an import guy. A stock 03 GT, from a roll would murder a stock WRX. From a dig it would be a little different if the race were short. The WRX falls on its ass in the higher speeds. The 03 GT with the mods that you speak of should be able to keep up with a stock STi from a roll. So either these guys can't drive or most of your races are from a dig and the race isn't long enough for them to catch up. Sorry man but the stock WRX is no match from a roll for a car that can match it's times without the advantage of a 4wd launch. Now if you're talking pre "PI" 4.6 than thats a different story, but unless the WRX has some mods its not taking an 03(especially modded).

I have to agree with grtpmkn on the stock WRX can take a GT from a dig (done it many times) and can take and hang with a GT from a roll. The WRX does lost at higher speeds around a 100, but who gets there that much in race? This is coming from a WRX and Mustang owner. It is a matter of who the driver is in both cars.

 

[grtpmkn]

Listen, this is coming from an import guy. A stock 03 GT, from a roll would murder a stock WRX. From a dig it would be a little different if the race were short. The WRX falls on its ass in the higher speeds. The 03 GT with the mods that you speak of should be able to keep up with a stock STi from a roll. So either these guys can't drive or most of your races are from a dig and the race isn't long enough for them to catch up. Sorry man but the stock WRX is no match from a roll for a car that can match it's times without the advantage of a 4wd launch. Now if you're talking pre "PI" 4.6 than thats a different story, but unless the WRX has some mods its not taking an 03(especially modded).

Actually, I am not an import guy. The Rex is the first import I have ever bought. As far as the '03 GT I am referring to, we did run from a roll. We got on it 3 times at 70mph and took it up into the triple digits and he couldn't pull from me (of course, I couldn't pull on him either). And as far as having an advantage from a dig, that is false. It takes a bit for the turbo to spool up, so a GT driver who knows how to launch decently should be able to hang pretty tight.

I just wanted to tell of my experience was all. Not trying to convert anyone to imports or anything. As far as the pre-PI 4.6, I couldn't agree more. My '96 GT with 2.73 gears is no where near my Rex.

 

[wrx-no-mo]

Hey, I'm running a Cobb Stage 2 setup on my WRX wagon. This is how the car should have come from the factory. Stock and even modded GT's are no match for it up to 100. I think that from a roll above 40, though, the GT would pull.

I live in Maryland, so we get some snow 2-3 months out of the year, but not much and it only shuts things down for a day. Four doors is nice, but not necessary. We have an Outback for the family outings.

I am just about decided on the new GT. Once it hits the local dealers I'll be in line to drive it.

 

[98SteedaStang]

Is your WRX stock If so I cant see stangs being an easy kill. Your buddy sounds like he cant drive.

 

[SVTdriver]

Is your WRX stock If so I cant see stangs being an easy kill. Your buddy sounds like he cant drive.

The problem is. We've all had different experiences. At the place I used to work. My friend beat every car at work that raced him. Camaros, mustangs, trucks. He beat them all in a Geo Metro. They spun and he didn't. He got to the end of the short little draag strip set up in the parking lot. Does that mean the Geo Metro is a performance car? No it will likely get beat every other time. Or back in the early nineties. When I was a lot younger and a lot dumber. I raced a firebird in my geo tracker on the freeway. I could get through traffic better than he could. Again same question. Does that mean the tracker is a great performer? No but everybody has different experiences. And nobody can realisticly comment on someone else's experience.

 

[grtpmkn]

Is your WRX stock If so I cant see stangs being an easy kill. Your buddy sounds like he cant drive.

Went to the track today. Here is my best run:

60' - 2.317
1/8th - 9.161
1/8th trap - 82.73 MPH
1/4 mile - 13.965
1/4 trap - 99.30 MPH

My biggest problem was TOO MUCH traction. My 60' times killed me from having a decent run. Those that think that AWD is a good thing from a dig should look at mine. I bogged it off the line alot (typical 60' times were 2.15 to 2.50 over 8 runs). Still, I was happy considering all I have from stock is a K&N, a mild ECU tune (boost up about 2 pounds and minor air/fuel mixtures) and a turbo-back exhaust. Basically, my car was quick, the driver was not (it's been 10 years since I have been to the track and that was on motorcycles).

For comparison's sake, I had two friends along. One with a newer Mustang GT who rans VERY consistant 14.10's all day (the man knows how to launch very smoothly) and another friend with an '03 Mach 1 with very minor tweaks who ran a best of 13.71. He had the opposite problem as I did, and that was he couldn't keep his Mach from spinning constantly.

 

[wrx-no-mo]

Great times considering your 60'. That's a stinker! You should be able to get 1.8's all day once you get the launch down. If you launch right, you don't stress the tranny too much, but your clutch might smoke a little.

 

[98SteedaStang]

Real nice times. Probably better than I could run. I am surprised about theose 60' times thought, like you said I would have thought AWD would tear it up in the quarter.

 

[grtpmkn]

Yes, I was pretty happy to see that I could come within a few tenths of a mildly modded Mach 1. And yes, my 60' times stink. I'm sure if I revved it up to 5000 and dumped the clutch or rode the clutch hard, I could launch alot better, but I couldn't see doing this to my daily driver to gain an extra tenth or two. I think next time I'll take my Stang up there and see how far off it is from the Subaru (I'm guessing high 14's-low 15's if I am lucky). Being the first year of the 4.6 and with 2.73 gears in the rear, she ain't gonna be too terribly fast.

 

[Rootus]

You should hold on to that WRX -- I've seen STi's go slower than that, and STi's typically trap only about 1 mph faster. With a sub 2.0 60' time you'd beat a stock STi. Most WRX's I've seen do low 15's stock and with mods low-14's. Short of upgrading the turbo I've never seen one dip into the 13's.

Dave

 

[grtpmkn]

You should hold on to that WRX -- I've seen STi's go slower than that, and STi's typically trap only about 1 mph faster. With a sub 2.0 60' time you'd beat a stock STi. Most WRX's I've seen do low 15's stock and with mods low-14's. Short of upgrading the turbo I've never seen one dip into the 13's.

Dave

Serious?!?!? You just made my day then Dave! I thought I was doing pretty crappy with my 60' times and all. Alot of guys over at the Subaru forums are hitting 1.70-1.80 60' times, but I'm pretty sure they are abusing the crap out of there clutches/drivetrain. Again, all I have done is a turbo-back exhaust, ECU tune and a K&N air filter/air silencer removal. My other runs weren't as impressive, but I believe the fact that my car gets so hot, so quick might have something to do with that. My next best run was a 14.10 and the rest of them were in the 14.40-14.60 range because I kept missing 2nd gear (4 out of 8 runs). Need to upgrade my shifter for sure (it's somewhat spongey, just like the stock Mustang shifter is).

 

[quix]

have '04 STi. raced '01 Cobra 3 days ago...

greets gents,

i have a 2004 STi and i raced a 2001 Mustang Cobra on
July 30, this Friday past.

i raced him twice, both times from a rolling start. first
time from 45mph and second time from 30mph.
bottom line, both times i could keep up with him to
125mph, but as we approached 130mph, he just pulled
away.

i have raced a dozen other cars in my STi, and this is
the first car i have lost to, whether from rolling start or
from a dead launch.

some of the cars were: one early 2000 Firebird WS6,
a couple of pre-97 makeover Corvettes, Mustang GT's
ranging from early 80's to early 2000, a Cadillac EXT,
your assortment of Honda's and Acura's, a couple of
older muscle cars and trucks, a la "monster garage,"
and a couple of camaro's from 80's to 2000.

this being said, the 2003+ Cobra, barring wheelspin
and assuming a good launch, would own me. based on
the rolling start races i had with the 2001 Cobra, the
2003+ Cobra would own me. so, figure any 2005 Mustang
specs comparable to the 2001 Cobra and you should get a
pretty good gage of where an STi would sit against the '05
Ford Mustangs. honestly, the '05's are quite nice looking.

do note, however, that it is in the quick sweeps, turns,
and sharp maneuvers where i particularly find that the
opposition slows down greatly. perhaps because i
inhaled too much of something when i was younger, or
whatever, but i rarely slow down as much and usually
know the limits of my cars well enough to plow through.

sidenote: i have owned two BMW M3's, a 96, and until
a few months ago a 98 (which i traded in for the STi).
the significant race i would like to mention here, is the
race, i had with one 2003 Mustang Mach 1. on fateful
morning, on my 30+ mile trek to work, i encoutered the
beautiful green and black Mach 1. as soon as we hit the
desolate highways, it was on. we raced three rolling
start races and i beat him each time. as we neared our
respective places of work, we did have one race from
launch, and again, i beat him.

cheers

 

[onrailz]

Just buy a 2004 Cobra...

 

[falchulk]

Went to the track today. Here is my best run:

60' - 2.317
1/8th - 9.161
1/8th trap - 82.73 MPH
1/4 mile - 13.965
1/4 trap - 99.30 MPH

n.

This is with stage 2 correct?? The reason I ask is that witht hat 60ft, No was a stock wrx is making that time. To tell the truth, I have never seen an awd car with 60ft's like that. Thats like what a bad driver in a ls1 fbody with stock tires gets!

 

[CatmanJJ]

sidenote: i have owned two BMW M3's, a 96, and until
a few months ago a 98 (which i traded in for the STi).
the significant race i would like to mention here, is the
race, i had with one 2003 Mustang Mach 1. on fateful
morning, on my 30+ mile trek to work, i encoutered the
beautiful green and black Mach 1. as soon as we hit the
desolate highways, it was on. we raced three rolling
start races and i beat him each time. as we neared our
respective places of work, we did have one race from
launch, and again, i beat him.

cheers

Mach 1s don't come in green and black Furthermore, if you raced the Mach in either of those year BMWs you'd have been toast (stock for stock), I believe u could have won if you raced the Mach 1 in your new STi though.

 

[new22003]

Completely different cars and purposes and prices. The subaru is a nce car in its own right just does things differently. I dont care for the styling but it seems like a decent car.

A mustang is a different kind of performance car.

 

[grtpmkn]

This is with stage 2 correct?? The reason I ask is that witht hat 60ft, No was a stock wrx is making that time. To tell the truth, I have never seen an awd car with 60ft's like that. Thats like what a bad driver in a ls1 fbody with stock tires gets!

Yes, it is a Stage 2, 93 Octane map that I am running. My launches were just as I would do on the street: no clutch slipping and basically hit the gas AFTER the clutch releases. I'm sure if I did a little clutch slipping and keep my rpms up where the turbo is making boost, I could shave quite a bit off of my ET. I also ran three other runs in the 14.00-14.20 range and a few 14.50's, a 14.60 and a 15.00 (those last four I missed 2nd gear every time!). I now have a Kartboy short shifter and bushings to help prevent that.

As far as the driver talent goes at the dragstrip, I would rate myself a 4 on a scale of 1-10

 

[powershots]

just an FYI. cobra stock puts 360 to the ground for $1500 you can put another 100 HP to the ground. so now you're at 460. it will take a lot more than $1500 to mod the WRX to come close to it. It's basic economics 101. This information is for dyno racers.

 

[RRRush]

Here is the opinion from someone behind the wheel of both, owned both(still does but different generations) -
STi is more fun than should be allowed legally in a car. If you own one there will be two certainities.
1. This car should not be legal.
2. The rating of 300HP and AWD do not compare to 390HP RWD. They are different beasts.
It should be noted this is my first venture straying from the Mustang brand into the Japanese auto world. While I'm still a devoted Mustang fan, after driving GTs, Mach1's, etc... The Mustang is a great car but a different breed. There have been write-ups showng the STi outperforms the Cobra overall, and agreed when going above 130 MPH the cobra probably would pull away(whenever you need that). I've been to 110 in the STi and with no noticeable desire to stop pulling, lots of throttle left. What caused me to drive and buy the STi is the sheer feeling of control, power, and the inability to do no wrong. Likewise the same things that scare the $hit out of me when I'm driving it.
When it comes down to it - a large portion is preference. For me with kids the back seat of the STi was desireable, 4 doors and you can hang or beat most of the "street racer"op) guys out there. I test drove the STi and fought the urge to buy the STi tooth-n-nail for 2 months. I even had a Mach1 on hold, but I had to have the STi. Still feel a little guilty about going Japanese, but it was the right choice for me.
It really depends on how you are going to drive the car. I LOVE the look of the '05s and may have the desire to switch back at some point. But the switch point is for the style and my history with Mustang, I seriously doubt it will be the technical merits compared to the STi. Its always best to get many opinions and hopefully of some that have had seat time in both types. Other than that its just as useful to read print on the bathroom walls looking for girlfriends, if they really haven't been with them how do they know. Chances are they weren't there and didn't know or just want to trash somebody. I'm impressed a decent amount of the writeups are not too biased.
I could not be more honest when I say the biggest concern with the STi is the trouble it will enable you to get in, the car is SO much fun to drive and such a feeling of control its unmatched to anything I have driven. Now if you can afford twice the sticker you may be able to compare. The car hugs the road like its on rails, IMO is best suited for daily driving with some fun in between because of that fact. You can buy a 1/4 car and be afraid to turn(really great going straight) or buy a car that feels like its one with the road and fear nothing. Double edged sword though.
Now since I've had the car for 6 months - I do fear the car, mostly because I have not seen its limit really and know if uncorked it could crank out 475HP and still be street-able in AWD. The additional costs when you buy an STi -
1. Radio(I purchased gear and still have not installed it, the spool up is still keeping me giggling like a 10 year-old on a go kart).
2. Winter/All Season tires - I did run my Potenzas and BBS's all winter but no snow(too anal then), Most do buy a set of Winter/All season tires and rims(subydude.com) to swap(take advantage of its winter potential - AWD). The potenzas are sooo sticky in AWD, half the time it feels like your ripping up asphalt. Hehe.
The styling grew on me, it was the drive that sold me. When someone talks about turbo lag on an STi, they haven't driven one or had enough seat time. My analysis after owning both styles(Stang - 8cy - RWD, STi - Turbo4cyl - AWD). An 8cyl. has a wide power band, its flat out easier to drive since you can know little about the engine characteristics and keep it flying. The 4cyl. usually has a sweet spot, stay within and hold on. I've been in Turbo powered cars many times and if the size of the turbo and the displacement of the engine get too great in deltas(difference in potential of the two) the lag is annoying. The STi has extremely little IF ANY noticeable lag, Power kicks in at 3k, comes alive at 4k, slams you back in the seat at 5k, and at 6k your looking for the POlice. With the 6 speed you can keep it in the power band all the time once you learn how to drive it correctly. My engine broke in at around 1200 miles. I thought the car was just wrong to own prior, once I hit 1200 miles it would spool up on a light breeze of me stepping on the pedal.

Final notes - Mustang has the style, that if you love it will not be matched. The 8cyl. is great. The RWD is cool if you want the feeling of the car breaking loose on you, but not unlimited control by any stretch.
The STi, 1st drive is addicting, the more you own it the more you realize the car should not be allowed to purchased. I have not modified my STi at all yet. May never? The correct combination of displacement, turbo, AWD, HP and Torque curves, 6-speed manual, DCCD(Driver Controlled Center Differential) unreal. It is just a really well designed car, hands down. For anyone who is not familiar with the DCCD, you can adjust from within the cockpit whether to let the computer distribute power to all four wheels or over-ride distribution between the front and back. I like this feature quite a bit, because if I want the feeling of RWD I just distibute(thumbwheel switch) power to the rear and it feels RWD. You can distibute power all to the front(don't know why, depends on racing conditions though), or some where in the middle. If you want to 1/4 mile it, you can lock the differentials from the cockpit and launch like no other. I have not felt a launch like that since a heavily modified 350(yes Chevy) motor, M-22 4-speed Muncie, and 12-bolt posi-rear Camaro. The STi lauch is unreal, you might chirp them a little bit, but you won't waste time standing still - the car is GONE! Hope this helps, its a tough call. We'll see when the '05 Stang comes out what you think. I really hope they bring the 5.0L 3v to production in the Stang that would be nice! The pics are beautiful, well designed visually. A friend of mine saw one('05 Stang) front and center at an aviation show(Ford exhibit at an aviation show, hmmm) last week in Oshkosh. Wow! Now my wife wants one instead of the SUV.

 

[mattkimsey]

2005 Mustang vs. Sti........get the Sti!! You can get a slightly used Sti for the same price as a stang. The sti has awd, runs the 1/4 faster, handles better, brakes better, turbo..so it will react very well to mods, 6 speed, more rare, will probably have better resale value. OR a brand new RS Evo can be had for the same price as a new Mustang and it will do everything as good or better than the Sti.