One year review of my 2006 Subaru STi

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/29/2018 at 15:07 • Filed to: None

Since I have had my STi now for 1 full year, I figured it was time to write up a short review on the vehicle. I bought the car in November 2017 shortly after moving across the country in order to have a “normal but fun ” daily driver to supplement my Miata and could also get me to ski mountains easily . I have always had a lust for the 2002 -2007 Subaru WRX/STi and actually was shopping for one before I even got my Miata. My budget was putting me at only beat to crap, modded to hell or rusty early examples though so I am glad that I waited. For this purchase, I scowered NASIOC primarily until I came across the perfect example. My main priority became 2004-2007 WRX or Saab 9-2x Aero. Somehow though, I found this particular STi listed for $13.5k in great shape and surprisingly nothing wrong with it beyond bald tires! It had some typical small dents and paint chips for a 12 year old car with 136k miles on it. Headgaskets had recently been replaced (to the tune of $3500 by the PO) and the PPI turned up no further issues than the aforementioned tires.

With the details finalized during my cross country drive, I was able to pick up the Subaru at the end of my first week living in LA. It was exciting to pick up the car, go for my first drive (about an hour) to home, and then spend some time driving it around and getting used to it over the weekend. Being totally stock mechanically and only minor aesthetic mods, I made no plans to ruin the car with stupid mods and only thought about the many trips I would take it on. Those minor aesthetic mods though included the trunk spoiler delete and headlight housing coloring. It’s funny because I actually thought the headlights were OEM because of how professionally done and how common it is on these.

Of course a full rally-spec mod package and some kind of wild WRB paint job was my dream. But I wanted this car to be my daily driver so the only mods I have done in the first year were 50% ceramic tints all around (no windshield tint though) and the roof rack for my skiis. I want to pick up biking again eventually as well as surfing so that will surely come in handy for many things. My impressions of the exhaust noise stock are also somewhat lacking so a catback (BUT NOTHING ELSE) is on the short list of things to do eventually. Anyways, now for a short review. My categories are what are most relevant to me and I am not going to do numeric scores.

POWER - With 300 hp and 300 lb/ft on tap, more than adequate power is a given. Especially when compared to my Miata! However, with this being somewhat of an “old school” turbo there is quite a bit of turbo lag to contend with. Either way, its lovely going up hills and in general just cruising. I feel like I can drive at 5/10ths and be going the same speed as my Miata at 11/10ths. And when I get on it and push it to 8/10ths, I having passing power for days and it just makes me giggle. I have definitely pushed it to 9.5/10th s a few times but there is no way to safely/legally use that on the street too often. The best way to describe the power though is just the right amount to never feel like I need more for the street. And also certainly enough to get me into trouble with the law but the Miata has enough for that too so its just a matter of restraint lol.

PUTTING DOWN THE POWER - The symetrical AWD was one of the neat things that has drawn me to Subaru to begin with. The trick differentials in the car coupled with some stickey tires means that there has never been any wheelspin in any conditions (outside of full dirt/snow). After trying out a GTI rental, I was just so offput by torquesteer and wheelspin under even moderate acceleration from a stop. It is pretty neat to run across a patch of dirt on the road or drive in the wet and not have the rear end kick out under power. While I still prefer RWD fun for the track and canyon driving, this is awesome for daily driving purposes. Due to last winter being pitiful and having summer tires only , I didnt get to drive in much snow but I will be surely experiencing that this year on my new snow tires!

GOING AROUND TURNS - Due to the near bald tires the car came with, I had a blank slate to do what I wanted and put on some quality 200TW Summer Tires. I knew they wouldnt last long but I really wanted to experience as much fun as possible with the car right away. I put on the Falken Azenis 615 k+ tires and enjoyed the heck out of them for almost the whole year and about 15k miles before replacing them with the snow tires. With the Falkens on the car, every canyon run became a time attack adventure and much fun was had. At high speeds, the car felt way more planted than the Miata and way more difficult to upset with potholes, dirt, water, or other road debris. But at lower speeds around super tight turns, the car pushes a bit at the limit and generally is some work to handle. Due to t he composure of the car at high speeds, sweepers are extremely fun and this car shows itself as an excellent handler.

LOOKS - Those boxy fenders just scream “JDM yo” and really exemplify everything good that came from the late 90s and how the STi came along and was just a great car at the time. I am constantly left with the “look back” as I walk away. Plus Aspen White is a beautiful color and I really like how good the condition of this paint is. I am on the fence of how I feel about the spoiler delete look but this is certainly more grown up and cleaner. I dont think I would have deleted it myself but it is nice to avoid unwanted po-po attention. If California laws on tints were more lenient I definitely would have went with a darker tint as well but as is, it adds a nice look to it in the right lighting.

EVERYTHING ELSE - The car gets pretty crap gas mileage (observed: 17-18 city, 20-21 combined/avg , 23-24 highway) and is pretty bumpy/noisy most of the time. Wind noise, tire noise, and interior rattling noise being the worst offenders. But surprisingly, it has proven to be reliable so far. 15,000 miles is not really a “badge of reliability” but it is decent to have nothing but regular maintenance so far. I have done a few oil changes, changed brake rotors and pads, spark plugs, a starter, and intercooler piping. Nothing has left me stranded and all of it was straightforward to swap myself. The only thing that has truly broken has been my Air Conditioning but I have tracked it down to a simple leak in the system and just need to replace some o rings and fill it. Thankfully humidity is nonexistant in Socal so even 90+ days barely necessitate AC for comfort. In traffic and once it starts getting closer to 100, its nice to have though so I will sort it out before summer rolls around again.

CLOSING THOUGHTS - Overall, it has been a great daily and I look forward to using it as a practical ski trip machine soon. It is excellent in the canyons, fun for a back road cruise, and does well enough at trudging comfortably down the highway. Way better than my Miata at being “a car” so it fills the role perfectly. I am sure it would make a great track car with some minor mods too but I like track cars to be cheap and disposable! Surely things will break on this car and cost me money/headaches. But I have planned for that and will keep on top of problems as they arise. At 152,800 miles right now, it may be a “ticking time bomb” of sorts but I trust the car enough for long trips and will continue using it often. Right now it is my only car since the Miata is very broken so I am sure to drive it a bit more this year.

And no I have not yet picked up vaping, wearing flat brim hats, or making sacrafices to the headgasket gods.

DISCUSSION (27)

E90M3 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:19

You’ve already had the Subaru a year? Damn, time flies.

Dru > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:21

Nice review. I think I like the spoiler delete.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:32

The addition of rally mudflaps wouldn’t cost much and would help with rock chipping on the rockers.

Tripper > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:37

Nice write up! Can attest to the trash gas mileage, but everything else about the car is great. They corner so flat. My father hated mine when I had it saying “this thing rides like a buckboard”, whatever that is. But, he couldn’t hold back the smiles when punching it out of a turn. My older brother who knows nothing outside of vintage american muscle was in disbelief the first time I took him for a ride.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Dru
11/29/2018 at 15:38

Thanks. I like the spoiler delete but I also am envious when I see other Blobeye and Hawkeye STis out there and am just in awe of the park bench. I think it would make me giggle everytime I saw it but I would totally get pulled over every time I passed a cop at a moderate rate of speed. Its why I am on the fence about how I feel. It makes it more unique at least without being trashy so I am cool with it.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:39

I really should do the Juke review soon. I think after almost 90k kms, & 2.5 years I should know enough about it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Tripper
11/29/2018 at 15:42

The gas mileage is better than I expected at least. Being able to get “more than 20" like 90% of the time is fine by me. Unless gas gets over $5 a gallon again, I probably wont complain. 91 has been in the $3.50 to $3.75 range most of the year for me (although just over $4 in some places) so most tanks have been under $50. But yeah agreed that these are wicked fun. Its interesting having my yardstick for fun being a track prepped Miata so it really speaks to the STi being good at handling that I am happy with it. The power difference isnt even a contest but at least the Miata edges it out in terms of joy on the super tight 2nd/3rd gear roads.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > E90M3
11/29/2018 at 15:43

I know right? And being in LA for a whole year already too. Its just wild and feels like yesterday that I was dealing with ice on my car everyday and worrying if my top would rip while putting it down in 0 degree weather. Nice to live in paradise!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/29/2018 at 15:45

I just dont like the look of mudflaps. E sp ecially since 99+ % of my driving will always be on pavement anyways. It would feel a little too rice to me since I dont plan on rally driving the car.

Tripper > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:46

I don’t think I did better than 16 mpg in the whole 6 months that I owned it. I was however a 21 year old shithead.

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:47

If you’re going for maximum reliability, I’d add a tmic and just maybe a fluidampr pulley. Looks like a great car, how are the bushings holding up?

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 15:47

Looks like it has held up well! Here’s to many more miles with it. (resumes browsing for hatchback STIs)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Tripper
11/29/2018 at 15:55

Haha I can easily see how that is possible. I definitely have achieved 16mpg a few times but usually it ends up averaging a little bit higher over the whole tank. The highway mileage would certainly be better if it could get like 26-28 but that would require another gear or something.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
11/29/2018 at 15:56

Thats certainly enough time to be able to report on it!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BeaterGT
11/29/2018 at 15:57

I most certainly wanted a hatchback but I just settled with this because it was the right price/condition for me. The hatches are a little bit easier to find in the following (08-14) gen but those are bit pricier for sure. I dont think I have ever actually seen an ‘04-’07 STi hatch but they must be out there since theyre on the internet...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gettingoldercarguy
11/29/2018 at 15:59

What is a fluidampr pulley? And isnt the stock intercooler top mounted anyways? Unless you meant to add a front mounted one. I havent checked any bushings so good question. It certainly wouldnt be a bad idea to go through that stuff for some PM.

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 16:21

There was a 55k mile, 1-owner RED hatch on NASIOC for 22k that recently sold . Wish I jumped on it as I haven’t seen another deal like it.

I think you made a great decision, Alpine White looks so good ! And I’m a big fan of no spoiler. I’ve also considered an 04-07 high mileage STI , as I’m sure you know there are a million hanging around NJ, but I feel like it would be too similar to the Legacy GT it is supposed to replace.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BeaterGT
11/29/2018 at 16:35

Yeah, $22k is like almost $10k more than I paid and $22k more than I had laying around lol. Of course there are cars out there but for that much money I could never justify it.

I think the STi is definitely different from the Legacy GT but in some ways its not entirely an upgrade. I actually was first looking for a Legacy GT until I couldnt find a manual one so it was a dealbreaker. They are supposed to be a lot more comfortable which certainly would be nice. But yeah they are more equivalent to the WRX in power. And the biggest problem back East is rust, these cars are prone to it for sure. Thankfully that is a nonexistant concern here. Its laughable to me what people call “rust” here, usually just surface corrosion that would probably come off with a mildly abrasive cleaner...

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 16:44

Also hard to justify paying $22k for a car knowing full well it’s going to get abused to hell by NJ winters, pretty much why I didn’t jump on it. Not to mention the jump in insurance.

I’m definitely jealous of your move , rust is the worst part of working on cars in NJ. Maybe I should be focusing on that instead...

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Tripper
11/29/2018 at 17:30

“this thing rides like a buckboard”, whatever that is:”

This is a buckboard:

Kinja'd!!!

Notice the lack of a suspension except for the springs under the seat?

Tripper > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/29/2018 at 17:57

I can’t wait to tell my dad about this, haha! Thanks!

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 18:08

Since I have had my STi now for 1 full year, I figured it was time ...

I think they have Antibiotics for that now.

But seriously, cool you’ve had it for a year! It seems like it was pretty much the perfect car for you. Hopefully it continues to see a lot of fresh snow this winter!

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 19:12

Am aftermarket larger one, the stock one heart soaks badly, so you’re making it easier on your engine if you drive pretty quick for an extended time Fluidampr is a manufacturer of harmonic balancer crank pulleys. It was a fad and I guess still is to go with a lightweight crank pulley. They’re bad for bearings in the engine, oil pump and other things.

https://motoiq.com/fluidampr-the-independent-test/

http://www.atiracing.com/products/dampers/damper_dinan.htm

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gettingoldercarguy
11/29/2018 at 19:42

Interesting! I could see how track/autox driving would certainly exacerbate those things as well. This is also why I want an operational miata so that I can go abuse that in the canyons as well. Anything to prevent exploding the STi. But yeah these seem like some useful long term reliability mods. I like how the Perrin part in that comparison actually lowered the horsepower lol. I’d wonder if its as easy to change on my car but its certainly worth considering.

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/29/2018 at 21:33

You need a long breaker bar but it’s about as easy as changing out the serpentine belt. Grimmspeed and Pr ocess West both make great units with regards to the intercooler.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gettingoldercarguy
12/01/2018 at 00:06

I've got my 3ft breaker bar, love that thing. I consider it to be the most crucial tool I own. Often times it's hard to find clearance for it but it always saves the day!

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/01/2018 at 03:18

Yeah, those are life savers when you’re stuck on a frozen bolt and no amount of penetrating fluid will set it free.