Is the 'worst' Subaru WRX STI really that bad? | ReDriven used car review

g'day and welcome to redriven now like mel c being the least popular spice girl this the third generation sti has arguably been the least popular of all of the hot subaru imprezas but in saying that fans of the third generation sti actually claimed that now these are no longer new they actually offer the best bang for your buck and they're genuinely a joy to live with on a daily basis but in saying that listen to any non-subaru fans and they'll just tell you that this thing is a head gasket issue waiting to happen and it's completely overrated so which is it are these an awesome and iconic performance car worthy of the fans accolades or is it just a dud like what actually goes wrong with them what do they like to live with on a daily basis what do they cost to own and maintain but most importantly should you buy one let's find out [Music] before we get deep into the sti i should mention that in this video we're going to be focusing on the australian variant of the third generation sti if you're not watching this from australia or you're just after information on imprezas and wrxs in general don't fret or panic because everything we're going to be going over should relate to stis and even imprezas and wrx is in your local market also to keep this video as you know objective as we possibly could we've reached out to multiple subaru and sti owners groups we've spoken to subaru specialist mechanics and technicians we've read through customer satisfaction surveys reliability reports online forums a whole bunch of stuff so this video is it's like the culmination of all of that stuff actually speaking of owners groups i've got to say a massive shout out to the owners groups that we've joined because those guys have been phenomenal in offering advice and help for this video so owners groups thank you so much okay so this generation sti landed on aussie shores in 2008 initially as only a hatchback and it came in two different trim levels however there was some pretty major upgrades that came in 2010 but look for an overview of the life cycle of this particular car here's me doing a voice over initially available as a five-door hatchback the sti was instantly recognizable from its wrx and more consumer-focused impreza siblings thanks to its pumped guards more extroverted body embellishments and chunky rims but under that aggressive styling came 23 more power than the base model thanks to modifications and tuning to the 2.5 litre flat 4 turbocharged engine a toughened six-speed manual transmission variable torque splitting that could send up to 65 of the available power to the rear wheels performance brakes suspension upgrades and loads more performance orientated equipment as far as trim levels go australia received a standard sti if you can call any sti standard and a higher trim level called the spec arb which for the extra financial outlay came equipped with more heavily bolstered recaro seats an electric sunroof leather interior trim and upholstery satellite navigation and lightweight 18 inch bbs wheels wrapped in premium performance rubber speaking of trim levels internationally there have been a bewildering array of special and limited models from the cosworth cs400 to various spec cs and the s206 through to what has to be one of the longest names in all of automotive the subaru wrx sti ts type ra nbr challenge package in 2010 the entire impreza range received a mid-life update and in sti terms the hatch was now joined by a sedan both body styles received some cosmetic and interior trim updates and the levels of tech were increased plus the suspension was tweaked and improved both in terms of sheer ability and comfort but it still wasn't like comfy or luxurious and the option of a five-speed automatic transmission was offered however the self-shifter will be down on torque versus the six-speed manual now look we'd love to go over every specific detail of every model and upgrade and all that sort of stuff but we'd be here for hours it would get boring the thing is but we have gathered all of that information and we put it in our incredibly handy and totally free re-driven cheat sheets our cheat sheets are invaluable as they provide a full breakdown of the car's model range its common problems what you need to look out for before handing over your hard earned cash how much of that cash you should be handing over and so much more check it out at redriven.com or in the link below now guys if you already own one of these things or you're like some sort of an sti expert and you've noticed in this video that we've missed something huge please let us know in the comments obviously we're going to do our best to cover as much as we can about the car but yeah if we miss something major let us know in the comments [Music] okay so how's the exterior well look personally i love these things especially in hatchback form i know like some people do prefer the sedan with the big wing big wings just they're not really my thing but i love that this thing sort of it flies under the radar a little bit more than the sedan even when they're modified just a little bit also come on who doesn't love pumped arches sexy but it's not all good news with the exterior at least with some of these see because these are bloody quick we'll get to what they like to drive in a little bit and they have a copious amount of grip and ability and those that like to buy these generally appreciate power and grip and general performance car ability the thing is sometimes those owners don't possess the skill set to control that amount of power so they have some pretty big accidents so because of that go over the whole car and look for any signs of accident damage or even worse dodgy repair work first of all look at the paint all over the car does the paint match between all of the panels it should match not only in color bit also in texture as well look at all the panel gaps are all the panel gaps accurate all over the car especially when there's any plastic concern like front grille pieces like this that should all match up really really nicely and then next up make sure you open all of the doors and make sure they open and close really easily like they should clunk if they're like really you know don't buy that car it's had a big brain then next up get under the wheel arches look in all of these air vents and most importantly pop the bonnet and look for any signs of spray paint over spray overspray is a great sign that it's probably had an accident that's been repaired on the cheap also while you're under here have a look for any dodgy looking modifications everything should look ideally pretty standard if there are modifications they need to be done correctly and done with you know premium quality components if you don't know much about engines make sure you take someone with you that does know about engines i'm not talking about like your cousin shane that learnt everything off fast and furious i'm talking about somebody that's actually qualified to look in that engine we'll cover more about what can go wrong mechanically with these later but next let's check out the wheels and tires now guys this is a really serious performance car but the only way that performance is going to get to the ground properly is through premium quality performance tyres a really good way to see if an owner has cut corners is if it's fitted with cheap no-name budget tyres or if the tyres don't match between all four corners also look at the wear pattern of the tyre if it's really worn out on the outside edges that means that the owner really likes going around corners very very fast on a regular basis if the wear pattern's all over the place best case scenario the car needs a wheel alignment worst case scenario it may have suspension damage if it's got suspension damage why next up the actual wheels like light gutter rash like this it's kind of to be expected the cars are getting on a little bit but if there's any big chunks out of the alloys um driver also while you're down here have a look at the brakes and see how much wear you've got left both on the rotor and the pad these are brembo brakes for brembo style brakes replacing parts is going to be expensive because they're a premium part also while you're down here have a feel under this whole front lip section if it's really marked up and scratched and clearly abused it shows that the owner doesn't really understand what mechanical sympathy is especially when they're going into a driveway or over a speed hump but at the same time if it's unbelievably smooth under here maybe the front bar has been replaced or repaired and repainted if that's the case why now there are a few common issues and faults with the exterior of these things but we'll get to those in a little bit [Music] okay so how's the interior well look there was a fair bit of moaning about the design and the materials used in these when they were brand new and now that it's used look it's it's not horrible but it's certainly not all that impressive either like all the switch gear it can just feel i know just a little bit on the cheap side and this kind of metallic finished painted plastic certainly doesn't do anything this looks a bit as well i also don't like the fact that there's three different kind of painted surfaces here like that's light silver this is like a darker metallic sorbet this is like a kind of a black i think these are supposed to be the same but they don't look exactly the same yeah like i know this was never designed to be a luxury car but it's just a bit underwhelming you can tell it's based on a budget hatchback as far as the other ergonomics go look the driving position is pretty much spot on i'd like a little bit more reach everything that you need to touch is in a good position but it's still not i know it's not inspiring as far as wear and tear goes in this particular car it's interesting first of all the doors like they sound okay they just sound a bit cheap i know that's like a that's a typical thing for this generation the center console here fair bit of movement and kind of rattle there there's some marks on the painted surfaces up here also the gear shift leather is sort of coming apart these top caps have a habit of falling off apparently as well but this one hasn't gear boot leather is not too bad and the steering wheel yeah it's getting a little bit shiny but not too bad like the the seats can probably they can be brought back to their best they're not horribly kind of worn yeah there's a bit of paint missing down here a little bit not too bad for wear and tear but if you are in the market for one of these make sure you check that these seat bolsters are in good condition especially on the recaro style seats because the seat bolsters can kind of wear and tear also look all over the dashboard and on the pillars here for any like any holes from like aftermarket you know gauges boost gauges things like that and this is an important one go over the whole car especially the interior and look for any signs that there's been a roll cage fitted yes it's a performance car but buying and buying an x race car that's not for the faint-hearted okay in the back seat i'm exactly five centimeters taller than subaru fanboy and hoonigan stunt driver ken block this is in my driving position and space wise isn't too bad like my knees are rubbing up against the back of the seat there but there's heaps of foot room shoulder-wise and up here feels kind of spacious because the glass house isn't too bad the seats are actually really comfortable wear and tear wires not too bad granted this car normally has like some seat covers on here because sometimes the owner's dogs are hanging back here so the seats are in great condition back to these seats really good as well but there are a few little marks and scratches on the plastic of the doors and the door cards are a little bit scratched up but overall wear and tear on the back not too bad really because of lots of scratchy plastics okay so how's the tech well look this car is from a generation where even technology didn't really know what it was or what it was supposed to do so don't go expecting anything like apple carplay or android auto fitted as standard that's not going to happen that is easily remedied but just fit an aftermarket head unit of some sort or infotainment system because that's just a standard double din unit so you can get that replaced but for an overview or what to what tech to expect here's me doing another voice over the minimum tech that you can expect will include a 10-speaker stereo climate control a multi-function screen multi-function steering wheel mounted controls and selectable driving modes that aim to maximize power delivery to all wheels depending on what mode is selected also satellite navigation or gps could be fitted as an optional extra but it is terrible so just use your phone or even ask a stranger that's going to be a better option but for which sti gets what levels of tech just jump on redriven.com and check out that cheat sheet or click in the link in the description below so is it practical well being a hatchback in the boot yes it's actually pretty comfy back here plus these seats can fold completely flat so yeah in the back very practical and practicality in the second row you've got a little cubby hole here you've got some actually pretty decent sized door bins for back doors like that something just landed on the roof hope that's okay you've got some funky little flip out cup holders here oh and you've got a re-driven subaru impreza wrx sti 2008-2014 script specifically that behind the passenger seat that's it for practicality in the back seat and practicality up front you've got some door bins with like a bit of a spot for a water bottle there you've got a spot to store your filth and dust and what appears to be dog hair down here you've got a perfect size spot for your phone and coins and stuff under there you've got two cup holders hiding under here which i think are removable so you can wash them or maybe that's just broken who knows close that there's some storage under here and there's the glove box which isn't okay let's only call that an average sized glove box and i think that's it there's nothing under the seats nothing up there there's no spot for sunglasses here i think that's it for practicality okay so what goes wrong with these things well you know we're going to get to the mechanical stuff in a little bit but let's start with the exterior okay the paint obviously first up make sure it hasn't had an accident and hasn't been repainted or anything like that but there are some reports that if these haven't been cared for because the paint is on the thin side it can fade and in some cases even like crack and peel off there are some reports that these gas struts are running out of gas and sort of failing and trying to decapitate you when you open the boot super easily fixed but okay common faults and problems inside there are a few reports that some of the bolts in the seating rails can come loose so when you're adjusting the seat back and forth or whatever it can get a bit rattly there are and this is concerning there are some reports that the spot welding around the footwell like near the firewall near the pedal box down there is quite weak and it can contribute to the clutch pedal squeaking there are the typical reports this generation of impreza in general is guilty for this that yeah the interior can be susceptible to quite a few rattles and squeaks we'll cover that when we drive it and there are loads of reports that these infotainment systems are a bloody nightmare to use and just a complete letdown but as i said in the tech section updated get some apple carplay and android auto happening with an aftermarket system also in the research that we did we we've learned that the 2008 model stis are five times more likely to have common problems than faults and issues there are five times more complaints about 08 models than any other generation of this or any other year of this particular generation so if you are in the market and you're looking at an 08 go over it thoroughly now before we get into mechanically what can go wrong with these can i ask a favor can you hit the like subscribe and bell buttons if you're enjoying this video and if you're enjoying read driven in general can you share re-driven with your mates as much as you can because the more you hit those buttons and the more you share our content the more of this stuff we can make and that's all we want to do now mechanically what goes wrong with these look i'd love to tell you but the problem is i'm not a qualified mechanic but jim is this is one of those cars where your ownership experience can be hugely affected by the previous owner so if the previous owner was gentle on the car and had it serviced regularly well it might be all unicorns and rainbows but if the previous owner drove it as intended and maybe did a few track days and maybe did a few questionable mods then it can be a completely different story broken pistons broken engine blocks big end bearings and head gaskets are all common problems in engines that have been pushed too hard or have been tuned poorly and a lot of them out there have been modified so if you're looking at one ask to see invoices if it has been tuned make sure it's been done by a reputable tuner and make sure the parts on it are all a good known brand the day-to-day servicing costs on these are not cheap either although they do have a reasonable 12 and a half thousand k service interval the hundred and twelve thousand k major service and the hundred and twenty five thousand k major servers which is the timing belt service they can be eye wateringly expensive come to think of it they are probably actually no they are definitely the most expensive japanese domestic car to properly service and maintain thankfully the six-speed transmission in these things is much stronger than the earlier models in fact the six-speed transmission conversion is a really popular upgrade for the earlier models steering and suspension bits are probably on par with most other cars but the brembo brakes are a bit more expensive than most and they do wear out quickly if you drive it hard and especially if you do track days look put simply and this is a no-brainer there is a direct correlation between the reliability and the amount of modifications done bog stock standard grocery getter pretty good heavily modified it's going to bust your balls and your significant other is probably going to hate it [Music] okay so is it safe well yeah like subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive system is inherently safe and these did receive a five-star end cap safety rating when they were tested but that was like years and years ago but for an overview of what safety features you can expect here's me doing another voice over but this time i'm gonna do it in the style of a rally co-driver [Music] standard safety features include performance brakes featuring abs and traction control when slippy plus dual front and side head airbags for after jump don't cut into caution for brake assist into electronic stability control into electronic brake force distribution immediately into off-camber entry followed by hill holder for crest for all the details of which sti gets what levels of tech just jump on redriven.com and check out that cheat sheet okay so what's it like to drive okay well look first of all let's just cut all the out about like oh stu suckers so slow and versus or stis are the greatest things ever the best drivers car of all time if you don't think an sti even in standard form on normal public roads is fast enough you don't know what you're talking about all all-wheel drive turbocharged performance cars they're all fast enough look unless you're competing at a really high level in motorsport events like every week or you're legitimately a professional driver criticizing the driving characteristics and performance of an sti just makes you look like an idiot okay yes some other modified cars might be faster but even then it depends on so many variables look if you're somebody that really really cares about going fast and winning in a straight line and you own an internal combustion engine car get used to losing because electric is the future but look if an sti like this isn't fast or capable enough for you the problem actually isn't the car it's you look with the right driver training and coaching to learn how to get the best out of one of these things what this car is capable of is unbelievable and even at like normal speeds with the right training it just makes every journey massively enjoyable okay but what does this one like to drive at you know normal suburban speeds it's good like it's nice it's really responsive still there is a little bit of lag there which i think is half the fun the suspension is what you'd expect it's pretty firm it is pretty rattly in here there's a lot of noises and squeaks and things going on these cars are renowned for that steering is nice gearbox is fantastic that's super enjoyable to use nice and short and notchy i love that again like even at normal speeds this is a really enjoyable car to drive but then the harder you push it and the further you go the more it comes alive and the more feedback you get this is pretty much not modified i just don't think it needs it but if you are test driving one of these there are a few things you definitely need to check first up is the steering nice and smooth it should feel connected it shouldn't feel vague at all there shouldn't be any dead spots in the movement okay look yes obviously there are going to be rattles and squeaks but how excessive are those rattles and squeaks if it sounds like a box full of maracas that's not a good sign little light rattles like this one completely fine how does the shift pattern feel like getting back into first from say second or even into reverse when you first started up that could be a bit of a challenge that's totally normal but if there's lots of like crunching and grinding when you're changing gears not a good sign next up how does the clutch feel it should feel firm it shouldn't be too light and also make sure you check for clutch slip so find a hill put it in a high gear and just feed the power on and you shouldn't hear or feel like any clutch slip at all and this is really important get it in a second and give it the beans from about 3200 rpm it should just pin you to the back of the seat but also feel what the power delivery is like it should be smooth and linear if there's any like hesitations or anything like that again not a good sign also when you do that check for any smoke in the rear view mirror not smoke in the rear view mirror smoke coming out the back of the car that you can see in the rear view mirror any signs or plumes of smoke coming out the back under acceleration bad also check the brakes get it up to you know on a freeway get it up to a higher speed and just lightly start applying the brakes and feel for any vibration or any kind of rubbing like that and also just only touch the steering wheel lightly under braking and just see if it pulls to one side or the other the brakes should be smooth and accurate and precise look overall what's it like to drive it's hugely enjoyable it is a driver's car i'm sick and tired of all these arguments between either evo's better or the golf r is better or one is faster than the other they're all awesome there is no one car that is better it's that's all down to subjective things like your taste what car you like have respect for what other people like these are all fantastic [Music] pricing here in australia kicks off from around about twenty five thousand dollars but a twenty five thousand dollar sti of this generation is most likely going to need some serious tlc at the other end of the spectrum the really mint condition low kilometer examples are they're asking around about 50 grand something like this a 2013 model in pretty bloody good condition with a bit under 170 000 k's on it going to be looking probably around about 35 to 40 dollars but here's a question for you with the prices of these things kind of averaging in that sort of mid thirty thousand dollar range would you buy one of these or would you buy a brand spanking new fiesta st or maybe hyundai i20n for the same money let us know in the comments oh and for international pricing here's a graphic [Music] subaru claim a fuel consumption figure of 10.4 liters per 100k which unless you've died inside you're never going to see that assuming that you're really into driving if you're looking at buying one of these that would be the case you're going to see figures more like 11.4 which is what this car is seeing subaru offered a three-year unlimited kilometer warranty on all of these stis which clearly equates to the fact that none of these have any factory support left on them anymore servicing is recommended at every six months or twelve and a half thousand k's and guys i've got to say it is critical that it sticks to that or even more common than that if you want these things to last and again look i know i've already said this but if you're looking at buying one of these or you own one of these join an owner's group i can't believe how much help those owners groups have been so yeah if you're buying one join an owner's groups again owners groups thank you so much you guys are legends okay so should you buy one well the thing is buying a ci actually has less to do with the physical car and more to do with who owned it before you see when these were new and asking north of sixty thousand dollars those buying them they generally looked after them but the problem is as these have become more and more affordable they're more likely to be mistreated modified incorrectly and in some cases blatantly abused trust us we've seen some horribly abused stis and stis with a really sketchy history and they are to be avoided at all costs unless you're buying one purely to be a project car but what if you found a really cared for example that has a full and thorough service history then should you buy one well yes but just be careful in this form the sti really should be regarded as a truly superb hot hatch and with a few intelligent modifications both the hatch and sedan make for genuinely incredible performance cars hence why so many are used in club racing and rally events around the world it is just comfortable enough to be used on a daily basis and if maintained correctly driven with respect and not tuned to the point of insanity it should be completely reliable and provide genuine longevity overall yes these can be truly awesome and if you can find a perfectly maintained example yes you should buy one but they can also be a complete nightmare make sure you do your homework and only buy one that you know to the best of your knowledge has been loved and cared for otherwise it could be a disaster guys thank you so much for watching what did you think of the sti let us know in those comments below also remember can you please hit those like subscribe and bell buttons and share driven as much as you can if you're enjoying our content because the more you do with all that sort of stuff the more of this content we can make for you guys and that's all we want to do see you guys next time we've trolled the internet for forums and customer service oh i knew i was lost at the start oh yeah we've read through customer service and customer satisfaction surveys sorry man it's fundamentally a safe system being all driver it should grip onto the road like a stop around um here we go okay bog stock standard grocery getter okay bog stock standard grocery getter no problem is it oh jesus bog stock standard grocery okay but look if you're somebody that really cares about going fast in a straight line and you own an internal combustion engine car get loose to you look if you're somebody that really really cares about going fast in a straight line and winning races in a straight line but you own an internal engine internal combustion engine car i got to get this here we go it's been winning in a straight line but you own an internal combustion engine car get used to losing because electricity okay now this is the one okay

Channel: ReDriven

Views: 216,065

Keywords: used cars, used car, second hand cars, cars, best used cars, motoring, new cars, new car, automotive, review, used car review, car review, new car review, new car reviews, used car reviews, redriven, subaru, subaru review, subaru wrx review, subaru wrx sti, subaru wrx sti review, sti review, wrx review

Id: VpPkiuTpWdc

Length: 26min 5sec (1565 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 29 2022