2006 - 2.5 - is it worth it?

[skylight]

I know thats the way subaru have gone BUT....

2005 STI Type UK
265 PS. 0 to 62mph in 5.5sec. 152 mph


2006 (2.5)
280 PS. 0 to 62mph in 5.4sec. 158 mph

Now for something that packs another 500cc that doesnt seem a great deal different?

Maybe they are resting on the PPP - that will make the big differnce to these cars...

[Curtiz]

i agree there, i think the 2.5 litre should be noticeably faster!

0.1 seconds faster 0-60 isnt really anything and with the extra 500cc it should be doing it in under 5 secs imo...lets hope the ppp makes the difference

[Tidgy]

more tuning potential so i've been told, they reckon 370bhp out of decat and remap compared to 330 on 2.0

[Stig]

no two sources of information seem to agree on the power output or 0-60/0-62.
i've seen power listed at all of the following: 270bhp,280ps,300bhp.
and 0-60 times quoted at: 5.6,5.5, 5.4, and 5.0
and 0-62 quoted at 5.4 and "under 5 seconds".

one of the technical brochures i got with my car listed it as 300hp. the other 280ps.

not sure which to beleive, but from driving it, i know it doesn't take as long as 5.4 seconds to get to 60.

[scooblova]

Originally Posted by Curtiz

i agree there, i think the 2.5 litre should be noticeably faster!

0.1 seconds faster 0-60 isnt really anything and with the extra 500cc it should be doing it in under 5 secs imo...lets hope the ppp makes the difference

In the US their STis have always come with EJ25, and with Graham Goode Racing converting EJ20 to EJ25 in the UK with notably awesome results, I think Sub just thought it was logical to intro them here.

Apparently they are more tuneable and give greater low rev torque since the bigger engine distributes the torque more across the rev range
So I've read.

[Curtiz]

o definitly! the low rev torque is outstanding! put ur foot down at any rpm and it will move like **** lol.

although i agree with sti 6...when i got taken out in the 06 impreza it seemed to do 0-60 in less than 5.4 seconds.

:S but i wouldnt no

[torrekens]

Personally I think Subaru f*cked up.

They want to go 'upmarket'... Riiite ! (idiots of Marketing have probably been recruited at Procter & Gamble ! )

They want to attract the BMW 330i customer ?

Well, the 330i stands out for a nice interior, etcetc but an engine that is characterless. if you want to have any fun in that car, you need to drive it that fast you'll lose your driving licence very quickly.

Subaru DID keep the stupid teenage-blue interior and the crappy plastics took away that mean 2.0 Sti engine that, indeed, had a huge turbolag, but was so fun to drive at ANY speed because of it's brutal reactions.

The 2.5 is just too smooth and civilised to make the STi still stand out.

I need to change the STi the summer and drove many alternative. The Evo 9 FQ340 BY FAR had the most fantastic character (just a BEAST of a car). (pretty sad I need to admit it as scoobyfan ).

Ended up ordering the RS4. Not as much fun, but V8 is pretty mean and wife thinks I order an Audi A4...

[stockcar]

the "rolling" figures and in gear times are what you need to look at with a 2.5 engine......................

have done a lot of conversions over the years in various states from mild to wild, and the thing you can't appreciate from the figures alone is the urgency they go thro' the gears in roll-on type driving

we find a lot of 2.5's (with the same spec as a 2.0 in terms of turbo, etc.) will actually make slightly less BHP at the top end due to the higher air flow they require (basically the turbo can't keeop up!!) and yet they will destroy the same 2.0 on the road!!

alyn

[johnboy]

2.5l motor probably has quite a bit more low down grunt and the power and torque figures are smoother so it'll be a bit easier to drive - but as a few of you have said thats not quite what we expect of a subby we mostly want a big bang type delivery - my Andy Forrest hybrid TD04 gives me more low down grunt but still fireworks higher up the rev counter - think its horses for courses really but Subaru will attract a bigger audience with this change and maybe a few BMW drivers as well - would imagine the 2.5l motor will tune nicely - should find 400bhp easily ??

[torrekens]

Originally Posted by stockcar

the "rolling" figures and in gear times are what you need to look at with a 2.5 engine......................

have done a lot of conversions over the years in various states from mild to wild, and the thing you can't appreciate from the figures alone is the urgency they go thro' the gears in roll-on type driving

we find a lot of 2.5's (with the same spec as a 2.0 in terms of turbo, etc.) will actually make slightly less BHP at the top end due to the higher air flow they require (basically the turbo can't keeop up!!) and yet they will destroy the same 2.0 on the road!!

alyn

Think you're missing my point.

The 2.5 might well be the preferred engine for someone who uses his car on day-to-day basis. It might also give better performance in gear from low down.

However, I do not use the car on day-to-day basis. If I want a comfortable car with a smooth engine, I'd just get one.

The STi is a weekend fun toy. And for fun factor, the 2.0 STi (and the 2.0 Evo engine) just run runs around the 2.5 Subaru engine. I just love the way the turbo kicks in and how you need 'make effort' to keep the thing on boost. Feels at least your driving yourself.

My logic:
1. That fraction of a second the 2.5 will shave off on the road will not be felt by any driver anyway.
2. True, with similar driver, a 2.5 might win it against a 2.0 on the road, but most of the time, the driver makes much more of a difference then the car...

I really think Subaru should have tried to make the STi more extreme and performance focused by working on engine, chassis etc rather than trying to make the thing smoother while forgetting to then also get rid of some of the ridiculous things like the compulsory gold wheels or the blue interior.

Spec C is the way to go, if going for a scoob.

If you want a big engine, get a REAL big engine like an Audi RS4 with 4.2 V8.

[Phill-type-R]

I feel that if you have a big engine, your more than likely going to get huge torque but maybe not so much BHP.. but at the end of the day, the torque is where its at and not the BHP.

Basically, I think Torrekens has the best of it. The RS4... big engine, big power and 4wd What more could you want?

Having big power from a small engine isnt good as it can give reliablity problems which is something you dont want after spending so much on a motor.. My Type R may only have a 2L engine, but its the fastest 2L I have ever driven... Feels faster than the 355 I drove and that had 380BHP with a 3.5 V8...

Bring on the big engines, that's all I'll say

[torrekens]

Like your summary. It's all down to fun !

If we'd stayed in the UK, I would probably have taken a Civic Type R. Not the fastest and most glorious, but just an incredible character and loads of fun.
Downside was the 2WD.

Still, I have never regretted taking the STi. Our garage is about 40m away, the house has quadruple glazing and I still can hear my wife firing it up when I'm inside (standard exhaust !)

[Phill-type-R]

Dont get me wrong mate, love the Type R but there will come a time where I wont have it!

I hope the guy/gal that does, will enjoy it no end

[torrekens]

The question is: do we recommend the 06 2.5 STi now.

To the author: No, having driven 2.0 STi, Spec C and Evo 9 FQ320 and FQ340, I would not recommend the 2.5 06 STi at all.

Go out and book some testdrives !

[subyguy2006]

OK i personally have an 06wrx. I wish it was an sti but oh well. The coolest thing that i like is the fact that fifth gear can really be used for passing on the freeway without having to be at a high rpm! The turbo lag is not quite as bad, fuel milage is better, and last but not least BIGGER IS BETTER..in terms of this engine!!