Struggling to decide...
 

Hi all,

As stated in a previous thread, I'm in the process of hunting down a new toy. Been to view and test drive a few this week and if anything it's made my decision harder.

Option 1 is a Blob STi.
Option 2 is a Hawk WRX.
Option 3 (wildcard option) is a 330 MSport.

The STi is what I was looking for originally and is probably the one I'm leaning toward most. Only went to view the Hawk due to it being a bit cheaper and very low mileage but it really surprised me how nice it was in the flesh, not been a massive fan of the hawk up til now but it looked and felt like quite an upgrade on my bugeye WRX and is really making me think. I am concerned about all the fuss mentioned regarding the 2.5, and of course the tax is a killer. I even liked the leather interior though which is unusual for me! The 330 is my attempt to grow up an be a bit more sensible. They are nice motors but i just dont think my hearts in it, although the fuel consumption is a definite plus in comparison.

Was hoping to get some thoughts from others to aid my decision. Conscious that I need to decide quick or I risk losing out on all of them!

Thanks in advance!

Well having had a blob sti and sold it to a fellow member on here i would buy another one it is a smooth drive with instant smooth power delivery , handles very well on stock suspension nothing much to say about it to be honest apart from i will buy another one .

It did feel nice to drive I have to admit. Was suprised at the difference in lag compared to the WRX though, took noticeably longer to spool but seemed to deliver a lot harder when it did. Would have to get used to the 6 speed too as that felt a little odd at first, gears are a lot closer than the 5 obviously.

The blob is probably my favourite looks wise too but the Hawk has really thrown me, it too felt very tight and nice to drive and surprisingly stiff on the road, much more so than my bug.

From what I've seen online, there doesn't appear to be much difference in fuel consumption between the two? Is this accurate or does real life driving throw up different reality?

I just missed out on your blob, it sold a few days before I got back off holiday and i was pretty gutted! Had been waiting for one to pop up before I went and sods law it went up just after I'd gone! Looked nice too an i wanted a black one! :cry:

Get the STI, you will want one still if you buy the WRX, the 330m sport will leave you wanting an M3, the same way the wrx will leave you wanting an STI.

That Blob that Scotty sold was a good car 😉! I agree, as Ginola says, you will regret not buying an Sti if you get a WRX, I had an E46 330 CI and didn't like it much, it caused me to by a Blob Sti in fact.

blob sti...:ok: had a e46 m3 for a short period...got bored quit quickly.

Haha! Yeh I was checking out your project thread on it, looking good! Noticed it had a little rust form under the rear spoiler and was gonna ask how difficult/costly this was to sort? The STI I looked at the other day also had a little along the underside of the spoiler so will hav to get it looked at if I decide on that.

Its a common problem there are 2 ways to solve the problem 1. Strip the boot lid a get it redone or 2. Buy a secondhand boot lid in the same colour for much cheapness .

Erm dont you mean is a GOODcar :fight: but youre making it a better car :doubleup:

Does it work out cheaper to buy another lid then? How much do they usually go for?

I got quoted £70 including delivery from a reliable breaker down south known as Matty a few peeps on here have used him i think .

£60 from a breakers or there abouts, a respray would be more

Yup £180 for a respray not cheap like .

Quite a bit cheaper then! Are they easy to swap over, guessing I would need to swap the locks over too?

Yes if you want to keep your boot lock just need to make sure you get the right boot lid as they come with a round or square boot lock depending on year of car .

Handy to know, cheers scotty!

Just make sure it is an STI boot lid as I think there are a lot more fixing holes on the STI spoiler compared to the WRX one.

Yep, 4 bolts for the WRX spoiler on a newage, and about 12 i think on the STI! Don't want to be measuring them all out and drilling the extras!

Where abouts in Surrey are you? I'm just on the Surrey border and have a highly tuned hawkeye wrx, welcome to come and have a look and I can take you out for a spin if you like.

Hi Paul, I'm just off Epsom Downs. Might be a little difficult for me to get over this week due to work and other commitments and I probably need to make a decision on what i want quite soon.

Thanks for the offer though, very generous of you!

On a side note, have you had any issues with the 2.5 before/after modding it?

Is a hawk STI out of budget? They aren't a lot more (if any) than a late blob STI. My hawk Sti was the best car I have owned and a still regret selling it now. The blob was as great car too but somehow felt older than the hawk though they are basically the same. you have to factor in what you would spend on a wrx to get it where you want it. Not just engine, but brakes, suspension, gearbox etc, though a mapped WRX with the right upgrades makes for a great day to day quick car.

I had zero issues in either standard or mapped form for 7 years. Eventually it was decatted and 345bhp/380ftlbs. I may have just been 'lucky' as I know a couple of people who have had problems, though to be fair one didn't remap after decatting which lasted about two weeks and the other drove it like it was stolen everywhere.

Def go STi :ok:

Yeh unfortunately I had to purchase a new family wagon for the missus first which made a larger dent on my finances than i had hoped for. As a result, the Hawk STi's are a little too pricey or too high mileage.

Know what you mean about feeling newer though, the Blob STi felt very similar age wise to my Bug WRX inside but was obviosuly an upgrade with the STi trim additions. The Hawk WRX however, seemed much newer and fresher inside by comparison!

I have been drooling over a rather nice RB320 thats up for sale at the moment though... just dont have that sort of money to throw about as looking to get myself on the property ladder!

This is my second hawk and I've never had a problem with the 2.5. Haven't actually met anyone yet who's had the problem either. Seems to have been drastically exaggerated if you ask me. I've spoken with Stu at TFS and Duncan from Racedynamix who have both said it's nowhere near as common as people deem it to be.

Best advice though, just get it checked out by someone who knows their stuff. There's quite a few Subaru specialists in Surrey so they should be able to help you out.

Quick update.... decision made and picked her up yesterday!.... I'll post pics soon :grin:

How soon is soon, don't keep us in suspense too long!

:wless:

We are :waiting:

Drumroll please...... :drumroll:

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...psfrm00yjh.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...psjegoqqg1.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...psgwc4p4em.jpg

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...psl9jvelyz.jpg

You may recognise from the for sale threads, picked it up from Neil @ SlowboyRacing. It's pretty standard looks wise, an running 305bhp with a stage 1 re-map so a good base to build on.

Got a few bits I want to do to make it my own but swmbo may get a bit :fight: if I start shopping straight away so have to wait for the dust to settle first!

How can I get the pics to show in place of the links?

She looks great, and nice and tidy
too, I like it a lot! :)

Copy and paste the IMG link next to the picture in Photobucket, if you're using the App the links are under the share option.

Struggling to decide...
 

They are working for me in the phone app thing surround the links with php img tags (moment I'll edit them for you)

Oh, and nice Scoob :doubleup:

Eh what you been eating or should i say what you been taking Dave :rofl:i cant see anything .:grin:

Sorted I think? Pain in the arse doing this on the mobile!

Ah yes see it now thats very nice indeed .

That looks :10:

very nice indeed.

:10:

That looks very tidy! :)

Like the plate too :ok:

Cheers for the comments guys, pretty happy with it. Definitely the right call opting for the STi!

I'm not sold on the plate, think il be swapping it over for the one on my WRX. Its nothing special but is meaningful to me so it gets the nod. Might have kept it if it was spelt correctly but the SK and the BEE dont sit right in my eyes. Needs to be SC and BY but each to their own. Plus it makes the car look older than it is! Hopefully others like it as it will probably be up for sale soon!

:doubleup:Looks very nice:doubleup:

That looks great!