Actually it can't! The geniuses at Subaru geared the 6 speed very short! It takes an extra shift just to make it to 60 mph! This kills their 1/4 mile time....it's geared for track use mainly.
To be fair, the cars seem quite identical that even with the straight speed differences skill in the two drivers would likely play in more of a role in who wins over which car wins.
Kabloosh Um, yeah... I think that's why they'd want to use the same driver, on a closed course, and see the lap times. They almost certainly would NOT do head-to-head racing on the same course at the same time.
kniveznor1 Every race doesn't say anything these car arguments on youtube and forums are a joke. Do what i did and what everyone should do go buy the one you want most after test driving it. I bought an S3 and I don't regret it. Or continue arguing about it since you can't or won't buy either!
Alright, guys how about a real track battle (read: not a drag race) next time guys. And for those complaining about the STI's interior: You all act as if you don't know what this product is about. It's a weapon, not a yacht.
Like I said above, performance cars with the Haldex awd simply aren't fun at the limit where they do nothing but plow and don't allow you to play with the chassis in any way. The Subaru has a proper AWD system which lets you do anything with the car.
JAnx01 sorry mate I happen to disagre with u, I have driven the latest gen Golf R and its much much better car than the Subaru WRX, sure u cant have powerslides with ur skill but for the money the new Golf R/Audi S3 is unbelievably good, even in a track battle the Subaru has no chance against the new Golf R/S3, the lack of turbo lag is even better weapon than Subarus Boxers displacement, the new R/S3 takes corners with same or more speed than Subaru and in comfort mode its as comfy as a daily driver Golf/Audi I personally being a Ford Focus RS fan was utterly disappointed with my RS before the new Golf R, the RS couldnt keep up in drag race or even track by even a cars length, the new R is in a way worlds most under rated car
JAnx01 It's not true anymore, modern Haldex system are electronically controlled with torwue vectoring in sports cars which means rear wheels get some power even on dry tarmac.
sic22l It's still is a heavily FWD biased system. To be clear, I'm an Audi fan and would never take an STi over an S3 but the differential system is certainly a better system for performance driving. Even with an aftermarket haldex controller, the system is limited to 60/40 and and open diffs vs LSD is a no brainer. All that said, the S3 is still all around, a superior vehicle.
99% of the time, people are driving on regular roads and the most common races are from light to light or highway runs which are straight lines...lol It's funny how so many people say straight line performance isn't important when it's THE most important on regular road trips. Yes, going to a track is awesome and fun but even if you live close to one and are able to race a couple times a month, where are you driving the rest of the time?
LJ Balongue Yea but how about a curvy b road? not necessarily a racetrack, but I think you could have more fun and confidence in the STI. That is much more real world "racing" than simple stop light drag races where it's all about not messing up the launch. at speed it seems they are practically equally fast, so it would be up to the handling to prove which one is the most fun on a day to day basis - which is funny because they chose to not test that :b they only tested granny driving lol
Razvan J uhm what? sti slow? it was tested against the cla45 AMG, the bmw M235i, which both have more power (50 and 20 bhp more) and it was faster than both on the road course despite the power disadvantage. And those cars are not know to be slow or poor handling. (Taken from your source - Motortrend). I never talked about the Golf R in the first place. Funny thing about the R and the S3 is that they use the haldex awd which sucks when shit gets real. Not saying they are bad cars, not at all, but don't pretend like the sti is slow by any means. Everyone who test it praise it for its ability to carry speed on any surface.
Razvan J wow slow down you are all over the place. First off, tire choice has nothing to do with the car and its mechanics. Second of all, name some sportscars of your choice for the same money which are as fast, as versatile, and as cheap as an STI. The Golf R is only a rival on dry ground, so not a true competitor at the limits. Maybe they steal some customers who weren't going to exploit the cars limits anyway, but it is in no way beating the STI. You say a Merc AMG with 355 hp isn't a sportscar? By your logic an SL65 AMG is not sporty, because "it is basically a tuned luxury merc".. lol. To be fair I'd probably change the tires for most of the time on an STI, but that's just because other tires suits my driving style better, as well as the weather around here, but that's a minor thing and can easily be changed for a few bucks, unlike an entire awd system or proper diffs which are standard on the subaru.
I would for sure loved to have seen the track battle between those two. If the WRX would not put up a very strong fight and smile on your face driver experience I could see no reason to buy it over the tested Audi.
***** A cursory reading of the internet would alleviate your ignorance on this matter. Pretty much every review I've read of the new STi has raved about its handling. It is night and day compare to the outgoing model. Look at this link for an example of the STi beating MORE powerful (and more expensive) rivals around a circuit, despite being slower than both to 60 by as much as half a second: www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1403_bmw_m235i_mercedes_cla45_amg_subaru_wrx_sti_comparison/
Regardless of what people think...Subaru's aren't that fast on a track. In fact....look up the last models Nurburgring laps, it was about 20 seconds per lap slower than a less powerful FWD Renault Megane. And let's not forgt to mention that Megane is in every other way a better car than an Impreza as well.
derbigpr500 actually the 2015 has not been tested yet and if it is done anytime soon it will be shown to be faster in light of the fact that the 2011 was only a bit more than half a second slower
This review is really disappointing. Not that Owen did a bad job, far from it, his reviews are always evenly waited and without bias. No I'm disappointed because I remember the days when Subaru first hit the UK back in the 90's. It was a real under cover bargain pocket rocket. For the first few years it was a 'best kept secret', then before long everybody new. But what I loved about it was it's almost untouchable performance. But over the years they've just gotten fat and it seems everybody else just caught up. Now I love Subaru's, I've had 4 of them, but for me it would have to be the Audi. As well as being a better built all-rounder as it turns out, it's faster too.
Exactly. The shoddy interior used to be justifiable. At least the Evo X had some awesome mechanicals. For the price of this STi we can get E46 M3 speed & fit/finish plus AWD and 30+ mpg. That car is a Golf R is the even better car, not "bargain"", and a direct competitor to the STi. Stage 1 tuned it also hits 60 in 3.7 with DSG. BOOM!
That other manufacturers have "caught up" is no surprise. Subaru don't have access to some secret sauce which makes their cars inherently faster than other manufacturers'. They just made them to a recipe no one else was using back in the day. That said, all we seem to be considering here is how fast the car is off the line. Is that the metric by which a true drivers' car is measured? Anyone can make a car fast in a straight line. Not everyone can make a car with handling which almost compares to a 911 for a fraction of the cost. The truth is, the Golf R and S3 are also fantastic cars, and the scooby is less well differentiated now than it used to be. However, whilst the difference is more subtle, the scooby is still a more focussed performance car offering that last 20% that other models don't. Proper symmetrical AWD and a hydraulic rack make a world of difference for people shopping this market. The car-internet (those who've driven it, that is) has almost universally lauded the new STi as a superb performance machine and huge improvement over the outgoing car. Comparing its interior and drag racing chops with a more expensive german car, with a newer engine, seems a bit unfair without also comparing the two in areas in which subaru has made virtually all their improvements, and one of the most important areas to serious drivers: handling/proper track performance. It may be easier to obfuscate with tests like this, but the scooby is still a giant-slayer when it comes to all-round performance: www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1403_bmw_m235i_mercedes_cla45_amg_subaru_wrx_sti_comparison/
Agreed. STi has an awesome AWD system but these Rs (and S3 I assume) hit 60 in 3.7 seconds stage 1 tuned with a simple 15 minute plug-in. That is nuts. It's more of a rival to the CLA45 that is $50K+ with any options.
The Subaru, with its more traditional AWD is far more fun at the limit than the Haldex safety feature in cheap Audis. You're not getting a proper awd from Audi unless you buy a S4 or better. Please, stop your idiotic doomsaying, this is the best STi yet.
Joel D That is 100% nuts! But a lot of that speed is down to the box, and I wouldn't own an auto or DSG - I have too much fun with a manual! That may change in future though, of course. I have ordered an STi, but I was cross shopping the golf R and s3 and was genuinely torn. All 3 are fantastic machines, but I felt that the STi was ultimately the purest driving machine of the bunch. That purity is revealed by a more nuanced test than "see who goes the fastest off the line". All that said though, this test is a little confusing. As I said in my own post, the STi has been tested at as little as 4.6 seconds to 60. It's a whole second slower than that in this video, which leads one to believe that half a second in the overall 1/4 mile time is just noise. If the STi had done a 4.6 60 run in this test, in a crude analysis, it would have been half a second faster than the s3 overall.
I got the s3. No manual option in Canada unfortunately but it is a blast. Went stage 2 pretty much instantly and it’s pulled on v8’s... not a lot of money spent going stage 2 either. Still a lot of bolt ons I could do but am gonna start on suspension and brakes next.
Wait, so let me get this straight. A 2010 EVO X can do 0-60 mph in approximately 4.8 seconds STOCK. Yet, this newer STI is slower than the older Evo X? Either the driver doesn't know how to launch the STI or this test is heavily BIASED against the Subaru. Who the hell gets 5.6 seconds 0-60 on a STI?! Unless you're 1 mile above sea level or it's running non-premium fuel lol.
anyone who likes to purchase an audi, just reserve 20% of its price in an account and consider them spent as a part of the car price, that's for you to avoid depression on money spent on repairs afterward. just remember to forget that you have that 20% in that account since you may use it to keep it running unless you decide to sell it on a big discount unrepaired.
Thank you for the review...I've been waiting for these two to go head to head. Both of these are great enthusiasts' car. The Audi S3 is a bit more refined/mature, but the STI is clearly a more raw driving experience. Given that I do 4-5 track days per year, I would personally go with the STI as everything that I've read about these two suggests that it's a more visceral driving experience. They're both great cars. Why all the negativity in the comments section?
As a biker, I'd rather be on a road with several Subarus than Audis. From experience the Audi driver has more money than ability, the Subaru driver is the opposite. Where the Subaru driver sees bike users in the road and drives round them, the Audi driver tends to just barge through too close for comfort, unaware of the function of most of the controls.
This is so inaccurate. Use good oil and transmission issues are very rare. Every turbo car burns oil. If you use good oil like Liqui Moly this problem begins to go away.
LOL, Audi makes fine cars, and I'd suggest one for my elderly mom, but an STi is a car that has, and continues to press all the right buttons for me. The cabin is exactly what I like. The driving experience is unique. It cannot be matched by an Audi anywhere near the price range... STi delivers for me, and many others. If I want luxury, I'd look elsewhere. Subaru delivers a gem to a market segment that the Germans have not fully understood to date... Again, Audi rocks. They just can't compare with Subaru in the STi world YET. I'd love to see a Nubergring lap or two with both cars....
STI ideally hits 4.9, which means shifting takes a decent amount of skill. Audi on the other hand does all the work for you. I guess this is a good example of automatic vs manual.
The spoiler and air intake of the Subaru are frankly just ghastly. And the engine is completely prehistoric. All european manufacturers can now make turbo engines, which pull from low revs and have reasonable fuel consumption. But Subaru still make turbo engines the same way, it was done in the 1980´s with lots of turbo lag and a higher fuel consumption than a modern V6. The Audi is just a so much better car for only a tiny bit of extra money, and as far as I am concerned, thats the end of the story!
saying that audi is more comfortable is much easier without showing the legroom of the backseat, which is 100%bigger in a Subaru. Actually, for the 3rd and 4th person inside, Subaru is a lot more comfortable than the Audi S3, and even more than the Audi S4.
The Audi S3 pretty much spits in the face of every other car in production. There is only one downside: it doesn't have proper Quattro, it has that Haldex crap. For it's performance, quality and badge, it's actually one of the best value for money cars out there. It is also practical, safe, comfortable, relatively cheap to run, and easy to live with. Also, when you drive it, you don't feel like a chav, or like you enjoy collecting ASBOs, like the average Subaru driver. Don't bring up the Golf GTI, as it is slower, and less practical, or the Golf R as it's less practical, and less classy. All in all, if you want a good value performance saloon with a classy exterior, lovely interior, superb performance, great handling, decent practicality, decent comfort, and you don't want to look like a hooligan, it's the S3. Nothing else.
But a major factor bringing it down is the maintenance and repair costs combined with Audi's history of poor reliability. If they were only like Honda Accord's in that aspect it would be nearly perfect.
Somehow the new Audi Haldex has managed to beat the hell out of even a rally bread Subaru WRX STi,on track as well, actually the Vee Dub did it still if VW can do it so can the Audi cuz all r same, So regarding the ability to find maximum GRIP Haldex=quattro
***** You haven't been reading the data have you? The hatchback does have a larger boot opening and more rear headroom, but the actual capacity of the boot is larger in the saloon.
Whatever the case maybe Volkswagen group is like kind of getting invincible, nobody is able to keep track of their growth cuz its so huge, they do more wirh less, The Golfs MQB is kind of nuts that chassis has won 3 times world car f the year awards, eith Golf, Audi A3 and now the new Passat, Vw will eaaily overtake Toyota within 2 years and will dominate the world car market at this pace, its time other brands start realizing that and building some goos cars u like cheap plastic boxes .
You are all forgetting that the subaru is build for all terrains not only asphalt, and there is a lot of difference between those two car one is a luxury sport sedan and the other is a sports car witch is good to drive in all conditions and can be tuned.
Come on man, the only German car that worth the money is a Porsch, I'm an European but I think Japanese just rules...just look at the 4 seater, and big booted 100k Nissan GT-R :)
For all you Audi lovers out there, here is the tough pill to swallow. The actually truth is WRX-STI does 0-60 mile in 4.6 seconds flat. It was proven by Subaru, and Motortrend. STI would eat this comfy sedan for a snack lol, it's a proper rally sedan for the road.
He talks of the Audi Dynamic setting but does not mention the Subaru Sport Sharp setting at all. Something tells me he had no idea it was there, and that would explain why the Subaru’s time was not close to what it can be. I have a 66 plate Audi and a 67 plate STi sat on the drive. The Audi is the commuting car, the STi everything else.
Even though the Audi has more power per liter. I’m pretty sure the Subaru is still the one i’d take home. It’s something about the WRX/STI that keeps me coming back honestly. I’m a V8 guy but the only 4 cylinder compact sports cars I’d ever buy. Would most definitely come from Subaru hands down.
David Hurst Yea because Subarus don't fall apart, lmfao. Ringland failure, engine knock, clutch welds coming apart on the firewall, center console won't stay closed, gas tank door won't open, intercooler hoses popping off, etc., etc., etc.
I wasn't saying Subarus don't have problems - all cars are made cheap these days - just that Audis aren't as good as people say they are and the extra money doesn't necessarily mean trouble free motoring. Maybe I just got unlucky with my Audis.
Never had a single problem with my Impreza Turbo 2000 in 17 years of ownership unlike the two crappy Audis I had afterwards. The Legacy I had before the Impreza was the same. Audi has vastly better interiors but Subaru engineering is superior IMO.
come on,the interior of subaru isn't dull or boring as audi's and as character and haldling i prefer it.obviously we do not all have the same taste,but for a real petrolhaed the sti is the choice.the drag race is just pointless,put them in a circuit to see how the 4wd works in each car and the choices of settings that you have at the sti
True that! I pushed my old S6 up to 650kkm. Never had any problems apart from the usual maintenance stuff. By now it has 700kkm and is owned by a very nice guy in Vienna. Treat your Audi right and it will keep on working.
keep it in austria or germany then, even the dacia runs 400.000 km's in that glass globe environment. bring your audi in eastern europe - or somewhere else in the real world for that matter, and try not to cry when you get the pricetag on the parts. german cars in germany - sure, but everywhere else, you just need proper engineering.
Again with all the anger. Direct that energy into something useful. Any car can live a long life if you treat it properly. Also, please do not underestimate the weather in Austria. I do agree on the glass dome of Germany, though. Only place where I truly don`t worry about myself or my cars for that matter.
SubaruSTI is used like Benchmark for comparing, for many and many years. That says something for itself. By the way. In my country, some guyz can map ECU on subaru, where you can have same HP and reach top torque like 1500-2000 rpm earlier than from factory. Making it a god damn beast. The map itself costs just about 500-700 USD. And when you add larger exhaust without cat + map, it can start spinning all wheels at middle range rpm, whoa !
This was a stupid heads up ...STi has 3 diff with over 9 different settings, 3 throttle control mapping and 3 traction/stability controls for a total of 81 different ways to drive the car. How are we to know you used the best testing configurations? For those that don't believe me, look up the STis DCCD, SI Drive and traction/stability controls and be amazed at how little it cost for all that it offers. The only real test against the STi is the EVO ... tired of these auto magazines trying to compare apples or oranges to the "Frankenstein apple (STi)" ... lol. With that being said, people that buy S3s or STi are educated about their choices (at least I'd like to think so). So I don't see the point in comparing them because it shouldn't really influence anyone, unless they have no clue what the these cars are ... the comments don't indicate this.
In the Netherlands because of our ridiculous tax systeem it is the other way around. The Audi S3 will set you back 50k in euros, but the Subaru wrx sti will cost 75k in euros. Not kidding, it's because of CO2 emissions.
are you though? The true 0-60 time on the sti is 4.6 not 5.6 (motortrend)(Myself) I am looking forward to an actual review..not some dude saying the audi is more comfortable and sucks at driving.
Zach Eads Sucks at driving? He's a race car driver. And Audi is a much better car. No matter how much of a braindead Subaru fanboy you want to be (and trust me, Subaru fanboys are one of the worst out there, only beaten by the annoying Honda fanboys probably), Audi is a better car. Go sit in one, and it feels like it costs 3 times as much as the Impreza.
Jeremy should have brought an older manual transmission Audi S3 instead of the much faster 4.3L V8 RS4 to fight Richard’s and James’ 2.0L I4 Turbo Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
The WRX STI going to 60 mph in 5.6s? Was this done in the mountains? lol Why is it a second slower than what MotorTrend and others got? lol S3 is quicker but I would still take the Subaru and mod it with the rest of the money. The WRX line is meant to be modded. I wouldn't buy either though. I don't like the new style of the WRX and the back on the S3 is horrible. Looks like it's squatting. The front is nice.. same guy should have done the back. lol
No point in having the Subaru WRX STi back when everyone would “rather have” some other car and nobody ever buys one new off the dealer lots. Now in 2022 the STi is straight up dead because people refused to buy them over competitors like the Audi S3. I was very excited when the STi came back too 8 years ago!
Poor camera work in the interior shots! I'm not arguing whether or not he's correct, but using this video as reference, you can't tell which car has the better looking interior based on what they show you. The only pan around the seats, you don't know what the dash looks like, which, as a driver, is what you're gonna be staring at. While he's driving, they only show you a camera looking at the narrator, but they should be taking that time during the video to pan around the interior if the car or filming the perspective of the driver, not the passenger.
basically the host in this video clearly said at the end of this video that "the audi is for us" meaning he only likes the audi, this is the worst comparison ive seen so far
DAZ605 In the end though, the STI is a drivers car, it's faster around corners and laughs at gravel and snow. The audi is a great car, but it'll never be as fast and as composed as the sti around a corner. Not to mention I wouldn't dare take a audi for a hoon around on unpaved roads, or in snow.
There are some reviews on YT with 13.2 and 13.3 times for the 1/4 mile! ...for the WRX STI. And the 0-100km/h times measured in some german car magazines are identical for both cars! So I don´t know how I have to rate this drag race here...?
On the city street a new WRX (not STI though) owner wanted to test his new car while I was in a Challenger with a HEMI. In a nutshell, he was not very happy. Now with a STI, I'm sure the end result would be different.
foxxmufasa That's wrong! Think of it this way, the scooby is an Evo rival which itself is based on the Lancer which is the same class as a Jetta, Focus saloon, Octavia. Its a C/D seg large family car, this means it sits between the C seg hatchback and the larger D segment family car. The S4 is an executive D seg car. The S3 is also a C/D seg car and is its rival.
Amazing that you made this video. I'm actually buying a car soon, and I'm torn between my adult decision, the Audi A3, and my young petrol-head choice, the WRX.
Audi didn't pay them anything. People always assume that manufacturers pay auto magazine companies to make their car look better. That's rubbish, the car is just really that good. Get over it.
These are two different vehicles. You cant compare them. I wonder how much more parts and servicing cost on the Audi compared to the Subaru and in 5 years which would have a better resale value.
@AutoExpress Your launch times.... What??? How are they so slow? Motortrend got 0-60 in 4.6 seconds (completely stock) for the new STi. You Are nearly a full second behind that time?? What altitude was this shot at? Or could the drivers not launch the AWD cars properly? I know a stickshift + AWD does not make for an easy launch. In the STi you have you dial in about 5500 RPM and just dump the clutch, ride out the wheelspin and clutch slip, but I have put down a sub 5 second launch. And I'm at altitude!
This s3 with s-tronic gearbox and launch control will do 4.9 easy with a low fuel tank. LC holds about 4000 rpm. There's no wheel spin trust me I've got it. If you're having to hold 5500 and dump the clutch and change gear, you ain't keeping up with me I guarantee it.
costellobf Well, the STi runs a 13.1 quater at 104.4, what does a manual trans S3 do? I know the DSG will mean a consistent launch, but when the STi is launched properly, I have walked V8 astons.
costellobf ...? You're the one who's reply was disjointed and difficult to understand... Also, just go look at motortrend's numbers if you don't believe me...
Scooby was pretty much the car of the 90s, now days it's lost its spark. 4k is a lot of money on its own but the S3 is better looking, faster, has a better badge and a better interior, and that makes the Scooby look well overpriced and the Audi look like a bit of a bargain.
@ 3:55 He says the interior of the S3 is much newer than the dated Subaru's. Look at a 2002 Subaru Impreza, the area surrounding the gauges is the same exact shape as in the new Audi S3.
A big factor that doesn’t get mentioned. Is the reliability… although suBaru isn’t at the top in terms of that in Japanese vehicles… but it be more reliable than the Audi
Subaru wrx is for better driving... the car is more powerful compare to audi... audi for people who wants to drive fast without skills... subaru can be more cruel when the driver is skillful... what you said is just in book not in real game..
I don't give a damn shit to a fucking Audi, everywhere you see old ladies driving one of those, I love Japanese sports cars (WRX, EVO, GTR, Supras, Silvia's etc...) and i don't care less if the interior is bad or not, i do like the NOISE, the TURBO LAG, like to modify, fit an exhaust, a BOV, coilovers, an etc... i like to buy HKS, Apexi, Tomei, Greddy, Nismo, TRD, REAL PERFORMANCE STUFF!!!!! Stop compare JDM with Euro cars, Bring something like Evo Vs STI Or S3 Vs Golf R
MotoMack UK The fluck are you blabbering about ricer??..what does aftermarket sauce have to do with OEM performance? There are a host of Euro tuning companies too with even bigger names than that of those Japanese counter parts you speak of. Some of the fastest JDM cars i've seen on the street or track are fitted with plenty of Euro products.
Themayseffect Top secret supra, hks r33 drag, garage saurus GTR, Mine's R34 and many others, all them said Hi to you! grow up kid and stop watch youtube useless comparation videos, by the way, i love to drive my 2011 Ricer STI everyday!
UG 2000hp+Huracan, Brabus Rocket, 034Motorsport GTI-RS, USP vr6 S4, MTM RS6, Koenigsegg One:1, and many others... Most of these were made in the past 8 years. You're bringing up old shit. Not including the American tuned Alpha 12 R35, with a host of European parts.
Razvan J like i said before, i love to drive MY STI everyday, Evo is a better track car? of course it is! but i don't drive at the track everyday, GTR Crap car? that will be my Crap car one day and i don't give a single shit about! is there anything i can help you?
the a3 has less space in every way in the car .. i tested it... and i still wont give up my love for subaru to the audi who has the check engine light on from the moment it leaves the factory ... and like some other guys said ... bring a JDM STI ... we all know they keep the best for them selves
It is high time for Subaru to put a twin-turbos on their STI's just like what they did in their JDM version of the Legacy B4 RSK. This Audi S3 will be left behind for sure. The Euro versions are just well tamed unlike the JDM versions.
I'm reworking the interior in my 2013 WRX STI sedan.. about south of $10K. Aluminium machined dials everywhere, Real carbon fibre everywhere, D-shaped DAMD cf steering wheel, Italian leather and Alcantara. The design and stitching will be inspired by Astons. I like the S3 but the stage 2 (400+ bhp) Subie I have costs about the same as the S3 stock and I also have all handling mods except coilovers. Car feels amazing, driven every day. I also see it being more reliable than an Audi and if it does go wrong cheaper to fix. What I wish I could get and I can't find are LED headlights for it. Already did blueish HID fogs. The biggest factor in myself not getting a BMW, Merc or Audi like I wanted was depreciation however. The Subaru seems to hold its price at least in Canada and the German cars don't. S3 looks pretty good but doesn't look like as much fun.
The new STI and especially WRX doesn't feel nothing like the old outgoing models, soon as I heard that, I dismissed this review. The chassis is finally where it needed to be a long time ago, it's flat, stiff, hyper-responsive, something the old ones could not. That is a fact, not opinion. Anyways, Subaru will likely finally move to a FA20DIT variant within the next few years, I believe they are just cleaning inventory of that old pile of junk EJ25. The FA20DIT in the WRX is a fantastic motor, powerful and efficient. They will hopefully make a move sooner thanks to Ford now with the new RS. 305HP doesn't cut it anymore.
***** The EJ25 is NOT reliable. As a former Evo owner, it's one of the reasons I steered clear of the STI. I cancelled my order of a 15 STI soon after I placed it when common sense kicked in and got a WRX instead. I'm not going to deal with a old outdated motor that's unreliable. The EJ25 is not a 2JZ-GTE or 4G63 for example, which were reliable at least while being good performance motors. It is what it is. Subaru could have easily put the FA20DIT in there, instead, they put that old boat anchor in there to clear out existing inventory. It would not have been cost issues, and make more sense using the FA20DIT as multiple models use that motor now, while nothing else uses that EJ specifically. Subaru will change that motor in a year or two. They have to or they will be left behind by companies like Ford, VW, and Audi. They're bolstering their "STI" name now, lets see what they do with it, which hopefully isn't just nonsense side-grades that Toyota and TRD has been doing diluting their name. At one time TRD meant super high quality performance parts, or an actually useful widebody kit. Now it's just cheap looking spoilers, shift knobs, and overpriced mufflers.
***** mentally challenged, sorry. Because why wouldn't you want a new engine that makes as much power, is efficient, and is so far proved more reliable. Don't worry, I get it, just trying to justify that STI purchase. lolz
$80k to drop the FA in there? Get real moron. Somehow it would cost as much as 3 WRXs to drop it's motor in the STI? Lol, marketing people love people like yourself. A CLA45 AMG doesn't cost that much. Do you have car knowledge or did you buy an STI because "you heard about these here STIs playing videogames?" Ford is doing a AWD RS that'll make 330hp and probably outhandle the WRX/STI for likely $38k. You with your twisted perspectives are what car makers live for.
***** and I know the CLA isn't a "rally" car. It was an explanation of the power it produces. I don't "highway hero/drag" my cars because these cars are meant for turns. That's why I finally bought a WRX (cancelled my STI order due to that junk EJ) because Subaru FINALLY listened and made the car handle flat in the turns. It understeers far less than before. They listened, thus they got my money. If they want my money in 2016, they'll have to address the STI's power. It handles even better than the WRX, it just needs a proper powerplant, otherwise Ford and VW will be eating their lunch.
jrzez I don't know man can't figure out what part of this is a review or a vs matchup. You know you could do your own video since you how it should be compared better then they did. Or you could just not complain and move on to the next comparison video same difference.
+Car Nut I know because I own a 2015 sti and have personally ran a 5.0 with a passenger timing me. but if you don't believe that, here's a review talking about the 0-60. www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_tests/2015_subaru_wrx_sti
All the comment's are like when people are defending Alfa Romeo. Subaru fans are loyal but alfa and subaru are lagging behind in technology,economy, refinement, looks and well in this case speed also. Subaru really needs to invest in design and R&D to compete with German rivals. The Audi is just a better car.... get over it.
Tune the sti, then compare and fir crying out loud who cares about drags. The sti is a rally car not a drag car. How about comparing the audi to a gtr? O
***** Ok i'll give you that. Some of the parts though are standard on the usdm car of that year. Aluminum hood, the new suspension made it to production. The aero lip in the front is a dealer installed option. The little lip under the front spoiler is an oem part that can be purchased. But as a 2007 STI owner for a while, and now an owner of a 2015 STI. I wouldn't trade it for anything except for a Porsche GT3 of some sort. M235i, CLA45, S3. They are all about being fast and refined. I personally don't care for the refinement. I want a raw driving instrument. It's the same reason people buy a GT3 over the standard 911. There are cars that are faster than a GT3 in a straight line. But can't come close to the driving experience it delivers. I'm glad there is still variety in the automotive market place and at the price point I can afford. A lot of cars no longer inspire the soul, they are fast but very numb.
***** Actually the car that did the ring in 7:55 was a production car, it ended up being sold as the S206 (note the MY05 STI Spec C type RA did the ring in 7:59 back in 2004), still not too bad but not as good as quite a few of the modern fwd hot hatches that did it quicker....
Who the hell would sit inside of a STI, WRX, S2000, or Nissan Z and complain about the cabin? These are not made for luxury! Put your prissy butt in the Audi if you need to show off that you have a "luxury car" so girls will like you - or you think they like you anyways. MEN don't need luxury and Audi makes good performing cars but I'd still take the STI for one simple reason - you can get the STI dirty and have fun with it. With the Audi, you have to be worried about it getting dirt, plus, it's not as good looking as the STI is either.
Typical European journalist, so biased lol the STI is a lot better, it's cheaper, interior is not a classy 10 but more than enough, it's faster on the track and 1/4 you just need to shift faster and launch harder and it loves you for doing that.
Says the Audi fan boy lol. I've had both, and although the Audi is far more comfortable to drive, the Sti is def faster. I have never done a 0-60 in over 5 secs in a stock Sti, terrible driving, nor have I ever been beaten by and S3...RS3 maybe, but never an S3! How embarrassing! This guy looks like a school teacher that drives a Camry
Different kinds of cars! One loves to play in the mud (literally!) and slide around a gravel rally stage on the weekend while the other is more at home doing the daily run about or whatever & taking the back road home, possibly in the snow. Doesn't necessarily mean one is better than the other, just two similar cars for two different kinds of customers!
+Jake Chapin Most people buy STI's to tune, I can guarantee that. Even throwing on a Cobb tune will increase the performance of the car significantly. Both great cars though, but I'd like to see both of these cars take it on the track, drag race says very little about these two cars.
I bought an Sti and I'm smiling everyday.
I‘m too, I love my STi.
@RS cringe
I love my STI as well, the raw driving expirience makes it for me
Cmon....you can launch that STI much better than THAT!
If he launch sti better , then u lauch s3 better ( audi. ) will still come out oj top with DSG
+nukeurhouse12 The S3 is a 6 speed manual, the S-Tronic version with launch control does 0-60 in 4.6.
+nukeurhouse12 too bad you werent there to show them how 5.1 is done........
but i think both launched okay, not great, but decent
Actually it can't! The geniuses at Subaru geared the 6 speed very short! It takes an extra shift just to make it to 60 mph! This kills their 1/4 mile time....it's geared for track use mainly.
I would have liked to see a competition on an actual road course track. Drag race doesn't say anything, neither were made to be drag race cars.
kniveznor1 Thanks for the feedback. Next time we'll keep it in mind.
To be fair, the cars seem quite identical that even with the straight speed differences skill in the two drivers would likely play in more of a role in who wins over which car wins.
Kabloosh Um, yeah... I think that's why they'd want to use the same driver, on a closed course, and see the lap times. They almost certainly would NOT do head-to-head racing on the same course at the same time.
kniveznor1 this wrx sti is made for Europe let's fight whith japanes subaru wrx sti ;)
kniveznor1 Every race doesn't say anything these car arguments on youtube and forums are a joke. Do what i did and what everyone should do go buy the one you want most after test driving it. I bought an S3 and I don't regret it. Or continue arguing about it since you can't or won't buy either!
At 4:48, the Sti peaks it's head out to see how the S3 is doing :)
Alright, guys how about a real track battle (read: not a drag race) next time guys.
And for those complaining about the STI's interior: You all act as if you don't know what this product is about. It's a weapon, not a yacht.
Well not quite that fast weapon...
Like I said above, performance cars with the Haldex awd simply aren't fun at the limit where they do nothing but plow and don't allow you to play with the chassis in any way. The Subaru has a proper AWD system which lets you do anything with the car.
JAnx01 sorry mate I happen to disagre with u, I have driven the latest gen Golf R and its much much better car than the Subaru WRX, sure u cant have powerslides with ur skill but for the money the new Golf R/Audi S3 is unbelievably good, even in a track battle the Subaru has no chance against the new Golf R/S3, the lack of turbo lag is even better weapon than Subarus Boxers displacement, the new R/S3 takes corners with same or more speed than Subaru and in comfort mode its as comfy as a daily driver Golf/Audi
I personally being a Ford Focus RS fan was utterly disappointed with my RS before the new Golf R, the RS couldnt keep up in drag race or even track by even a cars length, the new R is in a way worlds most under rated car
JAnx01 It's not true anymore, modern Haldex system are electronically controlled with torwue vectoring in sports cars which means rear wheels get some power even on dry tarmac.
sic22l It's still is a heavily FWD biased system. To be clear, I'm an Audi fan and would never take an STi over an S3 but the differential system is certainly a better system for performance driving. Even with an aftermarket haldex controller, the system is limited to 60/40 and and open diffs vs LSD is a no brainer. All that said, the S3 is still all around, a superior vehicle.
I hate all these fanboys, can't you all just appreciate both cars and be mature?
nah
NEVER! we must compare the size of our dicks!
The STI has a faster track time which is more important than the quarter mile
juan tafoya Yep, because that were both of these cars are going to be most of the time....
99% of the time, people are driving on regular roads and the most common races are from light to light or highway runs which are straight lines...lol
It's funny how so many people say straight line performance isn't important when it's THE most important on regular road trips.
Yes, going to a track is awesome and fun but even if you live close to one and are able to race a couple times a month, where are you driving the rest of the time?
LJ Balongue Yea but how about a curvy b road? not necessarily a racetrack, but I think you could have more fun and confidence in the STI. That is much more real world "racing" than simple stop light drag races where it's all about not messing up the launch. at speed it seems they are practically equally fast, so it would be up to the handling to prove which one is the most fun on a day to day basis - which is funny because they chose to not test that :b they only tested granny driving lol
Razvan J uhm what? sti slow? it was tested against the cla45 AMG, the bmw M235i, which both have more power (50 and 20 bhp more) and it was faster than both on the road course despite the power disadvantage. And those cars are not know to be slow or poor handling. (Taken from your source - Motortrend). I never talked about the Golf R in the first place. Funny thing about the R and the S3 is that they use the haldex awd which sucks when shit gets real. Not saying they are bad cars, not at all, but don't pretend like the sti is slow by any means. Everyone who test it praise it for its ability to carry speed on any surface.
Razvan J wow slow down you are all over the place. First off, tire choice has nothing to do with the car and its mechanics. Second of all, name some sportscars of your choice for the same money which are as fast, as versatile, and as cheap as an STI. The Golf R is only a rival on dry ground, so not a true competitor at the limits. Maybe they steal some customers who weren't going to exploit the cars limits anyway, but it is in no way beating the STI.
You say a Merc AMG with 355 hp isn't a sportscar? By your logic an SL65 AMG is not sporty, because "it is basically a tuned luxury merc".. lol.
To be fair I'd probably change the tires for most of the time on an STI, but that's just because other tires suits my driving style better, as well as the weather around here, but that's a minor thing and can easily be changed for a few bucks, unlike an entire awd system or proper diffs which are standard on the subaru.
I love how the STI menacingly lurks in the background at 4:48.
You must be dead inside if you’d take an Audi s3 over a Subaru wrx sti.
you guys didn't need to bring it to a 'track' for a simple drag-race...why didn't you include an actual "track battle" in your track battle?
Cos the Subaru would win 😂
No track battle? Thats where the STi would shine
I would for sure loved to have seen the track battle between those two. If the WRX would not put up a very strong fight and smile on your face driver experience I could see no reason to buy it over the tested Audi.
***** A cursory reading of the internet would alleviate your ignorance on this matter. Pretty much every review I've read of the new STi has raved about its handling. It is night and day compare to the outgoing model. Look at this link for an example of the STi beating MORE powerful (and more expensive) rivals around a circuit, despite being slower than both to 60 by as much as half a second:
www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1403_bmw_m235i_mercedes_cla45_amg_subaru_wrx_sti_comparison/
Regardless of what people think...Subaru's aren't that fast on a track. In fact....look up the last models Nurburgring laps, it was about 20 seconds per lap slower than a less powerful FWD Renault Megane. And let's not forgt to mention that Megane is in every other way a better car than an Impreza as well.
derbigpr500 the 2011 STI is 0.64seconds slower than the 2015 Renault megane...so get the fact straight. 2015 STI would be quicker than the 2011.
derbigpr500 actually the 2015 has not been tested yet and if it is done anytime soon it will be shown to be faster in light of the fact that the 2011 was only a bit more than half a second slower
This review is really disappointing. Not that Owen did a bad job, far from it, his reviews are always evenly waited and without bias. No I'm disappointed because I remember the days when Subaru first hit the UK back in the 90's. It was a real under cover bargain pocket rocket. For the first few years it was a 'best kept secret', then before long everybody new. But what I loved about it was it's almost untouchable performance. But over the years they've just gotten fat and it seems everybody else just caught up. Now I love Subaru's, I've had 4 of them, but for me it would have to be the Audi. As well as being a better built all-rounder as it turns out, it's faster too.
Exactly. The shoddy interior used to be justifiable. At least the Evo X had some awesome mechanicals. For the price of this STi we can get E46 M3 speed & fit/finish plus AWD and 30+ mpg. That car is a Golf R is the even better car, not "bargain"", and a direct competitor to the STi. Stage 1 tuned it also hits 60 in 3.7 with DSG. BOOM!
That other manufacturers have "caught up" is no surprise. Subaru don't have access to some secret sauce which makes their cars inherently faster than other manufacturers'. They just made them to a recipe no one else was using back in the day. That said, all we seem to be considering here is how fast the car is off the line. Is that the metric by which a true drivers' car is measured? Anyone can make a car fast in a straight line. Not everyone can make a car with handling which almost compares to a 911 for a fraction of the cost. The truth is, the Golf R and S3 are also fantastic cars, and the scooby is less well differentiated now than it used to be. However, whilst the difference is more subtle, the scooby is still a more focussed performance car offering that last 20% that other models don't. Proper symmetrical AWD and a hydraulic rack make a world of difference for people shopping this market. The car-internet (those who've driven it, that is) has almost universally lauded the new STi as a superb performance machine and huge improvement over the outgoing car. Comparing its interior and drag racing chops with a more expensive german car, with a newer engine, seems a bit unfair without also comparing the two in areas in which subaru has made virtually all their improvements, and one of the most important areas to serious drivers: handling/proper track performance. It may be easier to obfuscate with tests like this, but the scooby is still a giant-slayer when it comes to all-round performance: www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1403_bmw_m235i_mercedes_cla45_amg_subaru_wrx_sti_comparison/
Agreed. STi has an awesome AWD system but these Rs (and S3 I assume) hit 60 in 3.7 seconds stage 1 tuned with a simple 15 minute plug-in. That is nuts. It's more of a rival to the CLA45 that is $50K+ with any options.
The Subaru, with its more traditional AWD is far more fun at the limit than the Haldex safety feature in cheap Audis. You're not getting a proper awd from Audi unless you buy a S4 or better. Please, stop your idiotic doomsaying, this is the best STi yet.
Joel D That is 100% nuts! But a lot of that speed is down to the box, and I wouldn't own an auto or DSG - I have too much fun with a manual! That may change in future though, of course. I have ordered an STi, but I was cross shopping the golf R and s3 and was genuinely torn. All 3 are fantastic machines, but I felt that the STi was ultimately the purest driving machine of the bunch. That purity is revealed by a more nuanced test than "see who goes the fastest off the line". All that said though, this test is a little confusing. As I said in my own post, the STi has been tested at as little as 4.6 seconds to 60. It's a whole second slower than that in this video, which leads one to believe that half a second in the overall 1/4 mile time is just noise. If the STi had done a 4.6 60 run in this test, in a crude analysis, it would have been half a second faster than the s3 overall.
I got the s3. No manual option in Canada unfortunately but it is a blast. Went stage 2 pretty much instantly and it’s pulled on v8’s... not a lot of money spent going stage 2 either. Still a lot of bolt ons I could do but am gonna start on suspension and brakes next.
I don't know if I care about European's people's view of cars anymore. What they consider to be comfortable and luxurious I consider to be boring.
Wait, so let me get this straight. A 2010 EVO X can do 0-60 mph in approximately 4.8 seconds STOCK.
Yet, this newer STI is slower than the older Evo X? Either the driver doesn't know how to launch the STI or this test is heavily BIASED against the Subaru.
Who the hell gets 5.6 seconds 0-60 on a STI?! Unless you're 1 mile above sea level or it's running non-premium fuel lol.
it has to do with the factory tune, it's trash
Everywhere else says 4.9 for the sti, 5.7 for the wrx
Evo x sst shifts faster than human
anyone who likes to purchase an audi, just reserve 20% of its price in an account and consider them spent as a part of the car price, that's for you to avoid depression on money spent on repairs afterward. just remember to forget that you have that 20% in that account since you may use it to keep it running unless you decide to sell it on a big discount unrepaired.
Thank you for the review...I've been waiting for these two to go head to head. Both of these are great enthusiasts' car. The Audi S3 is a bit more refined/mature, but the STI is clearly a more raw driving experience. Given that I do 4-5 track days per year, I would personally go with the STI as everything that I've read about these two suggests that it's a more visceral driving experience.
They're both great cars. Why all the negativity in the comments section?
As a biker, I'd rather be on a road with several Subarus than Audis. From experience the Audi driver has more money than ability, the Subaru driver is the opposite. Where the Subaru driver sees bike users in the road and drives round them, the Audi driver tends to just barge through too close for comfort, unaware of the function of most of the controls.
Subaru anytime. Audi’s Dsg and burning oil issues turn me down.
This is so inaccurate. Use good oil and transmission issues are very rare.
Every turbo car burns oil. If you use good oil like Liqui Moly this problem begins to go away.
This S3 was a manual.
EA113 had big issues with oil issues for some engines. EA888 gen 3, no.
LOL, Audi makes fine cars, and I'd suggest one for my elderly mom, but an STi is a car that has, and continues to press all the right buttons for me. The cabin is exactly what I like. The driving experience is unique. It cannot be matched by an Audi anywhere near the price range... STi delivers for me, and many others. If I want luxury, I'd look elsewhere. Subaru delivers a gem to a market segment that the Germans have not fully understood to date... Again, Audi rocks. They just can't compare with Subaru in the STi world YET. I'd love to see a Nubergring lap or two with both cars....
I will take the Subaru any day!
same here!
Mo nikka
STI ideally hits 4.9, which means shifting takes a decent amount of skill. Audi on the other hand does all the work for you. I guess this is a good example of automatic vs manual.
The S3 also was a manual... The s-tronic one would be even faster with LC.
Audi was manual too.
The S3 in the video has a manual transmission lol
ddidnt u see hoow the s3 was jerking after every sift? its manual lol
typical Subaru apologist
Put them on a track like the Sti was built for and compare them.
Like the Audi but its more for the guy that shops at Banana Republic
Whereas the WRX is more for the guy who has a bull terrier and wears a tracksuit with a popped collar.
The spoiler and air intake of the Subaru are frankly just ghastly. And the engine is completely prehistoric. All european manufacturers can now make turbo engines, which pull from low revs and have reasonable fuel consumption. But Subaru still make turbo engines the same way, it was done in the 1980´s with lots of turbo lag and a higher fuel consumption than a modern V6. The Audi is just a so much better car for only a tiny bit of extra money, and as far as I am concerned, thats the end of the story!
And that is all about. Cars should be different. Maybe there are some people who loves that lag and dont want another plain german crap.
Johnny Wrong
That's why the wife has the WRX and I have the C6 Z06 to compensate for my small weiner shit I got the vette after I was married
Look, cars are not defined by the people who drive them. This is a UK mentality that is shit
2 versions. A WRX and a WRX STI. Two totally different engines. You're welcome.
Both awesome chassis and engines. Would choose the S3 though, peak torque at 1800rpm is amazing, better daily and well rounded.
Which did you get dawg?
Yeah wish i could find a video putting a s3 vs a 2.0 wrx. I feel like its a more fair comparison, the sti is a diffrent beast
saying that audi is more comfortable is much easier without showing the legroom of the backseat, which is 100%bigger in a Subaru.
Actually, for the 3rd and 4th person inside, Subaru is a lot more comfortable than the Audi S3, and even more than the Audi S4.
You seem to be nit picking here
The Audi S3 pretty much spits in the face of every other car in production. There is only one downside: it doesn't have proper Quattro, it has that Haldex crap. For it's performance, quality and badge, it's actually one of the best value for money cars out there. It is also practical, safe, comfortable, relatively cheap to run, and easy to live with. Also, when you drive it, you don't feel like a chav, or like you enjoy collecting ASBOs, like the average Subaru driver. Don't bring up the Golf GTI, as it is slower, and less practical, or the Golf R as it's less practical, and less classy. All in all, if you want a good value performance saloon with a classy exterior, lovely interior, superb performance, great handling, decent practicality, decent comfort, and you don't want to look like a hooligan, it's the S3. Nothing else.
*****
yeah they have come a long way with their haldex systems, but i agree with anwar: still not a PROPER quattro. great nonetheless though!
But a major factor bringing it down is the maintenance and repair costs combined with Audi's history of poor reliability. If they were only like Honda Accord's in that aspect it would be nearly perfect.
Somehow the new Audi Haldex has managed to beat the hell out of even a rally bread Subaru WRX STi,on track as well, actually the Vee Dub did it still if VW can do it so can the Audi cuz all r same,
So regarding the ability to find maximum GRIP Haldex=quattro
***** You haven't been reading the data have you? The hatchback does have a larger boot opening and more rear headroom, but the actual capacity of the boot is larger in the saloon.
Whatever the case maybe Volkswagen group is like kind of getting invincible, nobody is able to keep track of their growth cuz its so huge, they do more wirh less,
The Golfs MQB is kind of nuts that chassis has won 3 times world car f the year awards, eith Golf, Audi A3 and now the new Passat,
Vw will eaaily overtake Toyota within 2 years and will dominate the world car market at this pace, its time other brands start realizing that and building some goos cars u like cheap plastic boxes .
Something has to be very wrong with the world in which a Subaru WRX... STi, no less(!), is heavier than a plush German supersaloon.
A good driver can make the Subaru go 0-60 in just under 5 seconds.
A good s3 driver can do a 4.4 sec that with the s-tronic
You are all forgetting that the subaru is build for all terrains not only asphalt, and there is a lot of difference between those two car one is a luxury sport sedan and the other is a sports car witch is good to drive in all conditions and can be tuned.
Yep, I'd take the S3 too.
Audi wins.
There’s special about the Subaru that why I would have the subaeu
Really? It's so boring and dull?
Dallas Grantley I see refinement, beautifully put together, great looks, great performance, classy, great performance etc etc
@@NZsarge1 great performance on a technical level
2015 S3 stg2 107K
Still seeing alot of cars behind my rear view mirror ✌️
Is this just me or do I really like the look of the Subaru
How come its was only compared in a straight line? The Sti is a rally car why not compare it in the corners as well?
The S3 is even faster with DSG and launch control compared to this manual version.
The STi can consistently get under 5 sec 0-60 if you know what your doing.
Check Engine vs Subaru :D
+Milan Raskovic Check Engine vs Blown Engine you mean.
Come on man, the only German car that worth the money is a Porsch, I'm an European but I think Japanese just rules...just look at the 4 seater, and big booted 100k Nissan GT-R :)
Im not disputing other Japanese Cars, just Subaru's crappy Boxer Engine setup that has more issues later on than any car i know.
I didn't know about that, as i know Japanese people love Subaru the most, and it's 4x4 AWD is amazing...
Yeah, I'm not arguing its 4x4 ability. It's engine is just super unreliable after 60k. Too bad the STI is now the slowest car in its class.
For all you Audi lovers out there, here is the tough pill to swallow. The actually truth is WRX-STI does 0-60 mile in 4.6 seconds flat. It was proven by Subaru, and Motortrend. STI would eat this comfy sedan for a snack lol, it's a proper rally sedan for the road.
i did enjoy this one... i love the sti always have ...but i will have to admit that S3 is epic ..it reminds me of the B5 RS4 which i miss so much ...
He talks of the Audi Dynamic setting but does not mention the Subaru Sport Sharp setting at all. Something tells me he had no idea it was there, and that would explain why the Subaru’s time was not close to what it can be. I have a 66 plate Audi and a 67 plate STi sat on the drive. The Audi is the commuting car, the STi everything else.
I will
Buy Subaru.....
Even though the Audi has more power per liter. I’m pretty sure the Subaru is still the one i’d take home. It’s something about the WRX/STI that keeps me coming back honestly. I’m a V8 guy but the only 4 cylinder compact sports cars I’d ever buy. Would most definitely come from Subaru hands down.
The S3 costs 6K more and it is worth every penny.
Roy Batty as long as you're not planning to keep it more than a few years, after which it will fall apart like Audis always do.
David Hurst
Yea because Subarus don't fall apart, lmfao. Ringland failure, engine knock, clutch welds coming apart on the firewall, center console won't stay closed, gas tank door won't open, intercooler hoses popping off, etc., etc., etc.
I wasn't saying Subarus don't have problems - all cars are made cheap these days - just that Audis aren't as good as people say they are and the extra money doesn't necessarily mean trouble free motoring. Maybe I just got unlucky with my Audis.
David Hurst Every vehicle has the potential for problems. My point about the 6K was that the Audi is a full class above the Subaru in terms of luxury.
Never had a single problem with my Impreza Turbo 2000 in 17 years of ownership unlike the two crappy Audis I had afterwards. The Legacy I had before the Impreza was the same. Audi has vastly better interiors but Subaru engineering is superior IMO.
come on,the interior of subaru isn't dull or boring as audi's and as character and haldling i prefer it.obviously we do not all have the same taste,but for a real petrolhaed the sti is the choice.the drag race is just pointless,put them in a circuit to see how the 4wd works in each car and the choices of settings that you have at the sti
audi drivers will never compare to the subaru ones. plus the subi will run forever, the audi will turn to crap after 100 k kms.
Then I will promise you never got really into the Subarus. Very few Subarus turn 150k km old
True that! I pushed my old S6 up to 650kkm. Never had any problems apart from the usual maintenance stuff. By now it has 700kkm and is owned by a very nice guy in Vienna. Treat your Audi right and it will keep on working.
keep it in austria or germany then, even the dacia runs 400.000 km's in that glass globe environment. bring your audi in eastern europe - or somewhere else in the real world for that matter, and try not to cry when you get the pricetag on the parts. german cars in germany - sure, but everywhere else, you just need proper engineering.
Again with all the anger. Direct that energy into something useful. Any car can live a long life if you treat it properly. Also, please do not underestimate the weather in Austria. I do agree on the glass dome of Germany, though. Only place where I truly don`t worry about myself or my cars for that matter.
SubaruSTI is used like Benchmark for comparing, for many and many years. That says something for itself. By the way. In my country, some guyz can map ECU on subaru, where you can have same HP and reach top torque like 1500-2000 rpm earlier than from factory. Making it a god damn beast. The map itself costs just about 500-700 USD. And when you add larger exhaust without cat + map, it can start spinning all wheels at middle range rpm, whoa !
This was a stupid heads up ...STi has 3 diff with over 9 different settings, 3 throttle control mapping and 3 traction/stability controls for a total of 81 different ways to drive the car. How are we to know you used the best testing configurations?
For those that don't believe me, look up the STis DCCD, SI Drive and traction/stability controls and be amazed at how little it cost for all that it offers. The only real test against the STi is the EVO ... tired of these auto magazines trying to compare apples or oranges to the "Frankenstein apple (STi)" ... lol.
With that being said, people that buy S3s or STi are educated about their choices (at least I'd like to think so). So I don't see the point in comparing them because it shouldn't really influence anyone, unless they have no clue what the these cars are ... the comments don't indicate this.
In the Netherlands because of our ridiculous tax systeem it is the other way around. The Audi S3 will set you back 50k in euros, but the Subaru wrx sti will cost 75k in euros. Not kidding, it's because of CO2 emissions.
Surprised how easily the Audi beat Subaru in drag race.
are you though? The true 0-60 time on the sti is 4.6 not 5.6 (motortrend)(Myself) I am looking forward to an actual review..not some dude saying the audi is more comfortable and sucks at driving.
Zach Eads to be fair motortrend says the s3 is faster as well
Zach Eads
Sucks at driving? He's a race car driver. And Audi is a much better car. No matter how much of a braindead Subaru fanboy you want to be (and trust me, Subaru fanboys are one of the worst out there, only beaten by the annoying Honda fanboys probably), Audi is a better car. Go sit in one, and it feels like it costs 3 times as much as the Impreza.
derbigpr500 -__-
derbigpr500 I have 3rd, so that
Jeremy should have brought an older manual transmission Audi S3 instead of the much faster 4.3L V8 RS4 to fight Richard’s and James’ 2.0L I4 Turbo Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
it annoys me that he calls it a wrx all the time, wrx and sti are not the same cars!!
How can you find out which car is better by putting it on the drag race? Sti was always build for tracks.
The WRX STI going to 60 mph in 5.6s? Was this done in the mountains? lol
Why is it a second slower than what MotorTrend and others got? lol
S3 is quicker but I would still take the Subaru and mod it with the rest of the money. The WRX line is meant to be modded.
I wouldn't buy either though. I don't like the new style of the WRX and the back on the S3 is horrible. Looks like it's squatting. The front is nice.. same guy should have done the back. lol
Sad to say the Subaru will invariably have superior resale value...
Yeah I'd go for the S3 as well. Although I must admit it's great to have the STi back!
No point in having the Subaru WRX STi back when everyone would “rather have” some other car and nobody ever buys one new off the dealer lots. Now in 2022 the STi is straight up dead because people refused to buy them over competitors like the Audi S3. I was very excited when the STi came back too 8 years ago!
@@SilverScarletSpider haha that's a good point
Poor camera work in the interior shots! I'm not arguing whether or not he's correct, but using this video as reference, you can't tell which car has the better looking interior based on what they show you. The only pan around the seats, you don't know what the dash looks like, which, as a driver, is what you're gonna be staring at.
While he's driving, they only show you a camera looking at the narrator, but they should be taking that time during the video to pan around the interior if the car or filming the perspective of the driver, not the passenger.
how many times did this guy say Really ?
basically the host in this video clearly said at the end of this video that "the audi is for us" meaning he only likes the audi, this is the worst comparison ive seen so far
Modify an Audi get a falling apart car. Sti is a performance car....boost the shit out of it
You clearly havent heard about the notorious easy-chipping character of Audi.
DAZ605 In the end though, the STI is a drivers car, it's faster around corners and laughs at gravel and snow. The audi is a great car, but it'll never be as fast and as composed as the sti around a corner. Not to mention I wouldn't dare take a audi for a hoon around on unpaved roads, or in snow.
DAZ605 I might be mistaken, but those boxxer engines can handle around 65psi of boost with limited block modifications.
Razvan J How many drugs do you do?
Razvan J You're clearly not in touch with reality.
There are some reviews on YT with 13.2 and 13.3 times for the 1/4 mile! ...for the WRX STI. And the 0-100km/h times measured in some german car magazines are identical for both cars! So I don´t know how I have to rate this drag race here...?
motortrend clocked 4.7 seconds 0-60 and 13.1 at 1/4 mile for the subaru
same motor trend clocked 4.4 for S3 so please read the whole thing.
Oh adams and ran a 13.4 that's .3 seconds slower than they tested the Sti. So looks like you should try reading.
On the city street a new WRX (not STI though) owner wanted to test his new car while I was in a Challenger with a HEMI. In a nutshell, he was not very happy. Now with a STI, I'm sure the end result would be different.
In the video you mention that both cars have 260 hp. This is not true - the STI has 300.
296hp not 260
300 is the PS figure - that's 296bhp.
ssllhh100 Auto Express agreed
Ivan Vasilev then add the ppp and get 310-315 bhp :)
Auto Express it says 305 on Subaru's website.
I test drove both these cars and went for the Audi. I've put 7,000 km on it in two months. Anyway very nice review. Thanks from a Canadian fan.
The Audi is 100kg lighter? Luxury car VS rally car? wtf
I thought the same thing..holy shit. the audi has leather and a lot more shit inside it. I gotta google this shit!
yea but remember its an s3 not an s4. smaller car. the s4 is in the same size class as the subaru, not the s3
ingineous haha shits everywhere
New A3 is based on new MQB platform and VW spent a lot of money to make it pretty light.
foxxmufasa That's wrong! Think of it this way, the scooby is an Evo rival which itself is based on the Lancer which is the same class as a Jetta, Focus saloon, Octavia. Its a C/D seg large family car, this means it sits between the C seg hatchback and the larger D segment family car. The S4 is an executive D seg car. The S3 is also a C/D seg car and is its rival.
Amazing that you made this video. I'm actually buying a car soon, and I'm torn between my adult decision, the Audi A3, and my young petrol-head choice, the WRX.
Which did you get dawg?
Lol i love when people compares Japanese cars to German... u are wasting ur time cuz Japanse wins in almost every aspect specially performance.
Excellent! Film editing, review, everything just so...perfect!
Owen Mildenhall rule!
lol that start on subaru omg!!!!!!!!!! wtf start was it? :D
Im surprised that they were not driven on a circuit...
How much did Audi pay Auto Express to make the STI look bad?
Also, my grandmother can launch a car better than the driver of that STI.
Audi is that good that the other cars looks bad. Nothing new. Audi is the best.
STI's launch was pretty good, it just got worse later on simply because Subaru is heavier.
Audi didn't pay them anything. People always assume that manufacturers pay auto magazine companies to make their car look better. That's rubbish, the car is just really that good. Get over it.
sic22l then explain how motortrend got a 0-60 a full 1 sec faster ?
These are two different vehicles. You cant compare them. I wonder how much more parts and servicing cost on the Audi compared to the Subaru and in 5 years which would have a better resale value.
@AutoExpress Your launch times.... What??? How are they so slow? Motortrend got 0-60 in 4.6 seconds (completely stock) for the new STi. You Are nearly a full second behind that time?? What altitude was this shot at? Or could the drivers not launch the AWD cars properly? I know a stickshift + AWD does not make for an easy launch. In the STi you have you dial in about 5500 RPM and just dump the clutch, ride out the wheelspin and clutch slip, but I have put down a sub 5 second launch. And I'm at altitude!
This s3 with s-tronic gearbox and launch control will do 4.9 easy with a low fuel tank. LC holds about 4000 rpm. There's no wheel spin trust me I've got it. If you're having to hold 5500 and dump the clutch and change gear, you ain't keeping up with me I guarantee it.
costellobf Well, the STi runs a 13.1 quater at 104.4, what does a manual trans S3 do? I know the DSG will mean a consistent launch, but when the STi is launched properly, I have walked V8 astons.
Back to your first point.... You are high.
costellobf ...? You're the one who's reply was disjointed and difficult to understand... Also, just go look at motortrend's numbers if you don't believe me...
What was unclear?
haaa awesome, STI no match too much advertising 0-100 5.1 but in real test,,no.
But then again its a subaru. It looks much beter have a nicer sound. And is much more unic and have more character to it
Scooby was pretty much the car of the 90s, now days it's lost its spark. 4k is a lot of money on its own but the S3 is better looking, faster, has a better badge and a better interior, and that makes the Scooby look well overpriced and the Audi look like a bit of a bargain.
AND YOU ARE A BULLSHIT BECAUSE I AM BIASED WITH SUBARU!!!!!
@ 3:55 He says the interior of the S3 is much newer than the dated Subaru's.
Look at a 2002 Subaru Impreza, the area surrounding the gauges is the same exact shape as in the new Audi S3.
I like raw, stiff car. So i'd take the subaru.
A big factor that doesn’t get mentioned. Is the reliability… although suBaru isn’t at the top in terms of that in Japanese vehicles… but it be more reliable than the Audi
Subaru WRX superior car, exterior, power, handling, price, reliable, sound, boxer engine
Subaru wrx is for better driving... the car is more powerful compare to audi... audi for people who wants to drive fast without skills... subaru can be more cruel when the driver is skillful... what you said is just in book not in real game..
I don't give a damn shit to a fucking Audi, everywhere you see old ladies driving one of those, I love Japanese sports cars (WRX, EVO, GTR, Supras, Silvia's etc...) and i don't care less if the interior is bad or not, i do like the NOISE, the TURBO LAG, like to modify, fit an exhaust, a BOV, coilovers, an etc...
i like to buy HKS, Apexi, Tomei, Greddy, Nismo, TRD, REAL PERFORMANCE STUFF!!!!!
Stop compare JDM with Euro cars, Bring something like Evo Vs STI Or S3 Vs Golf R
MotoMack UK The fluck are you blabbering about ricer??..what does aftermarket sauce have to do with OEM performance? There are a host of Euro tuning companies too with even bigger names than that of those Japanese counter parts you speak of. Some of the fastest JDM cars i've seen on the street or track are fitted with plenty of Euro products.
Themayseffect Top secret supra, hks r33 drag, garage saurus GTR, Mine's R34 and many others, all them said Hi to you!
grow up kid and stop watch youtube useless comparation videos, by the way, i love to drive my 2011 Ricer STI everyday!
UG 2000hp+Huracan, Brabus Rocket, 034Motorsport GTI-RS, USP vr6 S4, MTM RS6, Koenigsegg One:1, and many others... Most of these were made in the past 8 years. You're bringing up old shit. Not including the American tuned Alpha 12 R35, with a host of European parts.
Razvan J like i said before, i love to drive MY STI everyday, Evo is a better track car? of course it is! but i don't drive at the track everyday, GTR Crap car? that will be my Crap car one day and i don't give a single shit about! is there anything i can help you?
This 5th grade ranting you guys are doing is pathetic. Good day to you fools.
the a3 has less space in every way in the car .. i tested it... and i still wont give up my love for subaru to the audi who has the check engine light on from the moment it leaves the factory ... and like some other guys said ... bring a JDM STI ... we all know they keep the best for them selves
Still love my Subaru!,!!!
me too :D
It is high time for Subaru to put a twin-turbos on their STI's just like what they did in their JDM version of the Legacy B4 RSK. This Audi S3 will be left behind for sure. The Euro versions are just well tamed unlike the JDM versions.
Subaru is better than Audi (rebadged Volkswagen).
Both have their merits but the STI was never built for drag races, and you really can't complain about the interior when you get such a gap in prices.
STI all day
I'm reworking the interior in my 2013 WRX STI sedan.. about south of $10K.
Aluminium machined dials everywhere, Real carbon fibre everywhere, D-shaped DAMD cf steering wheel, Italian leather and Alcantara. The design and stitching will be inspired by Astons.
I like the S3 but the stage 2 (400+ bhp) Subie I have costs about the same as the S3 stock and I also have all handling mods except coilovers. Car feels amazing, driven every day.
I also see it being more reliable than an Audi and if it does go wrong cheaper to fix. What I wish I could get and I can't find are LED headlights for it. Already did blueish HID fogs.
The biggest factor in myself not getting a BMW, Merc or Audi like I wanted was depreciation however. The Subaru seems to hold its price at least in Canada and the German cars don't.
S3 looks pretty good but doesn't look like as much fun.
The new STI and especially WRX doesn't feel nothing like the old outgoing models, soon as I heard that, I dismissed this review. The chassis is finally where it needed to be a long time ago, it's flat, stiff, hyper-responsive, something the old ones could not. That is a fact, not opinion.
Anyways, Subaru will likely finally move to a FA20DIT variant within the next few years, I believe they are just cleaning inventory of that old pile of junk EJ25. The FA20DIT in the WRX is a fantastic motor, powerful and efficient. They will hopefully make a move sooner thanks to Ford now with the new RS. 305HP doesn't cut it anymore.
***** The EJ25 is NOT reliable. As a former Evo owner, it's one of the reasons I steered clear of the STI. I cancelled my order of a 15 STI soon after I placed it when common sense kicked in and got a WRX instead. I'm not going to deal with a old outdated motor that's unreliable. The EJ25 is not a 2JZ-GTE or 4G63 for example, which were reliable at least while being good performance motors. It is what it is.
Subaru could have easily put the FA20DIT in there, instead, they put that old boat anchor in there to clear out existing inventory. It would not have been cost issues, and make more sense using the FA20DIT as multiple models use that motor now, while nothing else uses that EJ specifically.
Subaru will change that motor in a year or two. They have to or they will be left behind by companies like Ford, VW, and Audi. They're bolstering their "STI" name now, lets see what they do with it, which hopefully isn't just nonsense side-grades that Toyota and TRD has been doing diluting their name. At one time TRD meant super high quality performance parts, or an actually useful widebody kit. Now it's just cheap looking spoilers, shift knobs, and overpriced mufflers.
***** mentally challenged, sorry. Because why wouldn't you want a new engine that makes as much power, is efficient, and is so far proved more reliable. Don't worry, I get it, just trying to justify that STI purchase. lolz
$80k to drop the FA in there? Get real moron. Somehow it would cost as much as 3 WRXs to drop it's motor in the STI? Lol, marketing people love people like yourself. A CLA45 AMG doesn't cost that much. Do you have car knowledge or did you buy an STI because "you heard about these here STIs playing videogames?" Ford is doing a AWD RS that'll make 330hp and probably outhandle the WRX/STI for likely $38k. You with your twisted perspectives are what car makers live for.
***** and I know the CLA isn't a "rally" car. It was an explanation of the power it produces.
I don't "highway hero/drag" my cars because these cars are meant for turns. That's why I finally bought a WRX (cancelled my STI order due to that junk EJ) because Subaru FINALLY listened and made the car handle flat in the turns. It understeers far less than before. They listened, thus they got my money.
If they want my money in 2016, they'll have to address the STI's power. It handles even better than the WRX, it just needs a proper powerplant, otherwise Ford and VW will be eating their lunch.
jrzez I don't know man can't figure out what part of this is a review or a vs matchup. You know you could do your own video since you how it should be compared better then they did. Or you could just not complain and move on to the next comparison video same difference.
Torque is less on s3 because it has 500cc less
+Ben Chesterman Wow 10 lb-ft is such a big difference.
for me the subaru is better
The STI can do a sub 5 second 0-60 with the right driver. The race should have been a bit closer than it was.
I'm a wrx sti owner , s3 will beat it power to weight
Ben Chesterman Well I've beaten a s3 in a fiesta ST...
+Luke Dupin The video reviewer is a professional driver, the STI isn't that quick. The duel clutch S3 however will do 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.
+Car Nut I know because I own a 2015 sti and have personally ran a 5.0 with a passenger timing me. but if you don't believe that, here's a review talking about the 0-60.
www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_tests/2015_subaru_wrx_sti
+Car Nut that article states a 4.7 0-60, the best I've seen is a 4.6
All the comment's are like when people are defending Alfa Romeo. Subaru fans are loyal but alfa and subaru are lagging behind in technology,economy, refinement, looks and well in this case speed also. Subaru really needs to invest in design and R&D to compete with German rivals. The Audi is just a better car.... get over it.
Tune the sti, then compare and fir crying out loud who cares about drags. The sti is a rally car not a drag car. How about comparing the audi to a gtr?
O
Well it is a shame there's not something costing less than the S3 that's even faster. Oh wait, Golf R! Subaru is no longer the on-road AWD King.
Haldex AWD = lame, boring handling at the limit.
and you are a bullshit!!!!!!!!! SUBARU IS STILL THE ON-ROAD AWD KING!!!!!!! PUTANG INA MO!!!!!!
***** You do realize the last gen STI did the ring in 7:55.
***** Ok i'll give you that. Some of the parts though are standard on the usdm car of that year. Aluminum hood, the new suspension made it to production. The aero lip in the front is a dealer installed option. The little lip under the front spoiler is an oem part that can be purchased.
But as a 2007 STI owner for a while, and now an owner of a 2015 STI. I wouldn't trade it for anything except for a Porsche GT3 of some sort.
M235i, CLA45, S3. They are all about being fast and refined. I personally don't care for the refinement. I want a raw driving instrument. It's the same reason people buy a GT3 over the standard 911. There are cars that are faster than a GT3 in a straight line. But can't come close to the driving experience it delivers.
I'm glad there is still variety in the automotive market place and at the price point I can afford.
A lot of cars no longer inspire the soul, they are fast but very numb.
*****
Actually the car that did the ring in 7:55 was a production car, it ended up being sold as the S206 (note the MY05 STI Spec C type RA did the ring in 7:59 back in 2004), still not too bad but not as good as quite a few of the modern fwd hot hatches that did it quicker....
Who the hell would sit inside of a STI, WRX, S2000, or Nissan Z and complain about the cabin? These are not made for luxury! Put your prissy butt in the Audi if you need to show off that you have a "luxury car" so girls will like you - or you think they like you anyways. MEN don't need luxury and Audi makes good performing cars but I'd still take the STI for one simple reason - you can get the STI dirty and have fun with it. With the Audi, you have to be worried about it getting dirt, plus, it's not as good looking as the STI is either.
Typical European journalist, so biased lol the STI is a lot better, it's cheaper, interior is not a classy 10 but more than enough, it's faster on the track and 1/4 you just need to shift faster and launch harder and it loves you for doing that.
+Subaru Dude Haha, it's not the European journalist that's the problem, being the ignorant bias Subaru fanboy is the real issue.
Says the Audi fan boy lol. I've had both, and although the Audi is far more comfortable to drive, the Sti is def faster. I have never done a 0-60 in over 5 secs in a stock Sti, terrible driving, nor have I ever been beaten by and S3...RS3 maybe, but never an S3! How embarrassing! This guy looks like a school teacher that drives a Camry
Different kinds of cars! One loves to play in the mud (literally!) and slide around a gravel rally stage on the weekend while the other is more at home doing the daily run about or whatever & taking the back road home, possibly in the snow. Doesn't necessarily mean one is better than the other, just two similar cars for two different kinds of customers!
love reading all the subie and JDM fanboys squirm seeing there precious STI loose
+Jake Chapin love to see idiots trying to spell shit right.... can you find your mistakes?
+Hasty Ride does it matter? he's not going for a English major like u, he's going for a car major
AlienNinjaPuppy he won't get that car major since he is a dumb ass...
+Jake Chapin I love seeing dumb audi fanboys think a quarter mile race matters agaist a car that is made to handle well :)
+Jake Chapin Most people buy STI's to tune, I can guarantee that. Even throwing on a Cobb tune will increase the performance of the car significantly. Both great cars though, but I'd like to see both of these cars take it on the track, drag race says very little about these two cars.
How come the STi driver changed gear so early?
Shorter first gear?