http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=123768 I gotta say, they are getting better with their reviews. Hired more knowledgeable car people? Love the Blue and Gold in the new STI, though Black still looks the meanest...
Good review for sure. I'd love to have one, I just wish they were attractive. P.S. Whatever happened to that all-encompassing 2008 STi thread that Alex compiled? You're by no means the first person to start another thread...just wondering...
I was someone who bought my bugeye based on what it could do... not the way it looked... from the looks of this test... it's a much more capable car than the one it replaces... and more expensive too. I won't buy a 1st year again due to all the design glitches that are becoming problems in my '02 but count me in for one of the '09's when they come out.
It's only about 100lbs lighter than the 3 series. So it won't be that different. I am not a fan of Vishnu either btw. I would pony up the big bucks and get Dinan gear for it if I was going to mod it. I am no tuner but the AFR's seemed really lean on the Evos and STIs he was tuning. I was watching him tune one day at a Dyno up in Calhoun,Ga. They made big power but I would not want that tune on my car all the time.
135i has 6piston brakes and a LSD as atleast an option. also note that the 335i would have to be base to be close to 40k. Add any options and away it goes! 135i would be closer though, but also a smaller car.
Not to mention the long term costs of owning the car, and the fact that even the 3 series is far less practical, doesn't have AWD and most likely will lose on the cost-benefit trade offs for more power/handling. But hey, as long as we are dreaming, I'll take a 2006 Elise and a beater pick up to haul it for 40k...
AWD is not a deal breaker for me... properly balanced RWD is just as good in my book. Not to mention BMW is so damn classy and its a twin turbo I6. Anyway, I think the bottom line is for me (and a lot of others) $40k is excessive for an Impreza.
you guys won't be able to use any of the power because those cars don't have limited slips and I doubt there is an option since BMW likes to reserve the LSD for the pure M-cars only which is lame in my book...... BMW FTL I'm happy with my 05! Edit: I'm with will used C5 would be better than the new STi for $40K
No matter what you do to a RWD car, it doesn't compare to AWD in the snow/ice/rain, performance driving is another issue (partly why I now drive a RWD car...). For 40K you get a car that can out accelerate the 335i, the Porsche Cayman S, hang with the Aston Martin Vantage and will be just behind a new corvette, viper, and 911. Not to mention it will hang with all those cars at a track day, cost thousands less to maintain over its life, can handle 5 passengers in apparent comfort and won't make your drive to/from work a miserable experience. You can also actually park the car on the street and not worry that Joe Thief is going to see dollar signs. While 40K is alot of money, when an S4, the 335i and G35 all cost 40K plus street, I just don't see how this car is dramatically overpriced. Sure those cars have alot more in the way of luxury, but you'll spank them at the track all day long...
^ I agree, I'm just feel right now I wouldn't blow $40k on a new STi, maybe $32K. To me the STi is right up there with most purpose build sportscars like corvettes. To me most BMWs and Audis are more luxury than perforamce oriented now; the STi always seem like a more performanced based car. Edit: it's a fact that i can't drive RWD anyways......
All true, but I don't care about the track performance. I want a refined, comfortable, well handling car. My RX8 is just about perfect in all aspects. I will need a car with more room in the future. So I am keeping a close eye on the 2008-2010 cars. Those will be the ones I am looking at on the used market when I go shopping again. Edit: I just thought of something. I prefer a GT car for a coupe. GT meaning Grand Touring. Comfortable, Quick(in a straight line and corners) and won't beat you up with stiff suspension. Thats what I want. I will be in the market for the sports sedan equivalent in a few years.
I wouldn't say it if it were not true. http://www.mwerks.com/artman/publish/bmw_news/article_1279.shtml dealer option, but it retains the full warrenty, etc. and I agree that awd is not a maker or breaker of deals cause around here I'm never going to need it. Besides tires make the most difference in those conditions. I would much rather have a rwd car with snow tires than an awd with all-seasons. also the base price is just under 35k. It's adding on those extras that makes it 40k. Honestly I would rather have a "Tom-tom" than the integrated navigation system. Besides if your really going to drive the hell out of the car, the less weight the better. Most people change their rims anyway so if you want those BBS's it's just like ordering them from a store but more convenient. For 35k it's still a hellva car. At some tracks it can easily beat those well ahead of it in price Tsukuba: Nismo Skyline GT-R Z Tune 1 min 01.150 secs Ferrari 360 Challenge Stra' 1 min 02.440 secs Lamborghini Gallardo 1 min 03.605 secs Honda NSX-R 1 min 03.920 secs McLaren F1 1 min 04.620 secs Porsche 997 Turbo 1 min 04.730 secs Murcielago 1 min 04.760 secs Z-Tune 1 min 05.100 secs*(diff day diff driver) EVO IX RS 1 min 05.528 secs 1:05:95 - 08 STI 997 Carrera 4 1 min 05.980 secs Corvette Z06 1 min 06.020 secs Lancer Evo IX 1 min 06.060 secs NA1 NSX-R 1 min 06.198 secs Nismo GT-R S Tune 1 min 06.232 secs (340 bhp) Ferrari F40 1 min 06.460 secs WRX STI SPEC-C 1 min 06.651 secs ( Current STI) NA1 NSX-R 1 min 06.80 secs (same race as F40) BMW M5 1 min 06.560 secs STI S204 1 min 06.800 secs BMW M6 1 min 07.434 secs 350Z S Version 1 min 08.110 secs BMW M3 1 min 08.200 secs Audi RS4 1 min 08.368 secs Supra Euro Version 330 bhp 1 min 08.460 secs Mazda RX-7 1 min 08.70 secs RX-8 A Spec 1 min 09.430 secs Nissan 300ZX 1 min 10.70 secs
One thing that we all need to remember is that the 40K price tag is loaded with options. You can still buy one for 35K, and if we still get invoice price at SOG (can we still get that?) that could take it down a couple thousand. 33K out the door is A-OK by me. edit: Demo24 beat me by 3 measley minutes...
Because unfortunately now BMW is a lot more status symbol than drivers car. Most BMW drivers get automatics and call all 4 cylinders "V-4s." But I can always put in a LSD (even though all bimmer parts cost and arm and a leg). I don't want a track car for my daily driver - I want something with some umph, looks sharp and does well on the highway... I put a lot of miles on my car and I need some comfort. I guess another issue here is everyone is talking about new car costs. I have never bought a car from a dealer and I don't plan on changing that for awhile. Its not worth it to me to take the huge initial decrease in value that a new car sees in its first 18-24 months. Subaru is great because you get a hell of a car for your money. But I just don't know how many people are willing to buy a new 08 STi when it starts creeping up into the $40k range.