2008 STI VS. 2008 EVO X

By Rob Planey

I first got behind the wheel of the Evo. It was an Evo X GSR 5 speed; this car is softer than the Evo 8 & 9(also note that it's not as fast as the older Evo). It is, however, by no means slow. It is very comfortable to drive and the steering is still superior in every way to everything else on the road. Driving with traction control on blows...hard. Don't drive with it on, driving with it off is much better! Anyway, in a straight line the car is pretty quick...very smooth acceleration. One thing I noticed is that it does not pull all the way to redline. It feels like it falls flat on its face after 5000rpm on the tack. Also it is a torqueless wonder. I pulled through a 90-degree turn...nothing...just turbo lag and slowness. I couldn't do anything to get the tail end out. The Evo gets the nod for comfort and steering response but the new AWD system leave a lot to be desired...it almost seems to intrusive.

I drove the STi second. It was the base model with the regular wheels. I drove it with traction control off, in sport sharp, and DCCD in auto (wow this thing has lots of gadgets). It may be a hair quicker in a straight line. They are close. The car feels much better in the higher rpms than the EVO but the Evo was a hair better in the midrange. I thought it funny that the sti felt like it was breathing better. The one irritating thing about the STi is that it is not smooth. It seems to have the same craptastic tune as the '07 sti. But it feels faster overall. Steering is a bit more precise than previous years but not by much. The Evo still rules in this department.

The one thing I noticed about the sti is that is seemed stiffer than the new Evo, but not as stiff as the '07. It retains the same driving dynamics of the previous STi though. Now lets revisit that sharp curve that I took in the Evo. Went through the same turn twice in each car. The Evo fell flat on its face both times until the turbo could finally catch up. Here is where the STi shines; it was effortless to get the ass end out. Huge smile factor! Second time through I gently rolled on the throttle and torque was instantly available. Pulled me out nice and smooth...and fast! The STi gets the nod for speed and fun factor.

If you remember I was fully expecting the Evo to win over my emotions. While the Evo still rules in steering, it feels a bit under damped and torqueless. It’s also a great cruiser. The STi has a ton more torque available, and is a bit stiffer, but isn't as smooth as the EVO.

In my opinion the STi takes the win. Its fun quotient was just much higher. It feels more planted and it has lots of torque. It puts a smile on your face bigger than that of the Evo.

All things aside...I still prefer the '07 sti (mostly because it is much faster because of mods). If I were buying a new car right now all over again though, I would definitely get the STi over the EVO. Just so you all don't call me a Subaru fan boy, I have no loyalties. If the EVO were better I would say so.