More than once you've accused us of abusing our long-term test cars. To which we plead not guilty. There's a difference between testing and abusing.
Take our long-term Subaru WRX STI. It's been tested. More than once. But abused? Not from where we sit. And we're the guys that included it in a six-car week long flog that included our normal testing, a day at a racetrack and a day of racing up a closed mountain road. We called it the Ultimate Performance Car Test: 2009 Nissan GT-R vs. The World, and the STI was put up against its all-wheel drive rival the Mitsubishi Evo X, as well as the GT-R, the Audi R8, the Lotus Elise and the Porsche 911.
Some say the competition was stacked against it (that is quite a gathering of great machines), but the STI held its own. Well, sorta, it finished in the 6th spot.
But let's look at this from a durability standpoint. That test was done early in this car's life. Very early. I think it had just been broken it. And yet it has not adversely affected its long-term durability. Not yet anyway, and it has just passed the 20,000 mile mark. I think that's worth something.
I also think the above shot of Josh Jacquot flat out in the STI on a California mountian road while wearing a helmet is just the coolest thing I've ever seen. Notice how the suspension is topped out as he's cresting that rise at the top of third gear.
But remember, we're professionals and that was a day of testing, not abuse. Josh only made 12-15 hardcore, balls-out runs up that mountain in the STI. Anymore than that would have just been reckless.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
firstwagon says:
12:37 PM, 03/18/09
In this group, the STI and EVO really look like bargins.
I would chose the Lotus as my perfect performance car though (joy of driving reasoning) and buy something else to go with it as my daily driver.
jkp1187 says:
01:57 PM, 03/18/09
Right. And no neutral-drops from a standing start at 3500 RPM - that would just be abuse. 3425 RPM though is just ordinary testing.
tsy says:
03:33 PM, 03/18/09
Umm, I think you forgot this:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/05/2008-subaru-impreza-wrx-sti-a-taste-for-dirt.html#more
I think driving off road in these conditions would be considered abuse. Why don't you try this with the GTR? Or the R8? Or even the Evo? Heck, I remember you guys driving the Ridgeline on stuff like this and you blew out all 4 shocks! And that's a truck!
I think for the most part you push these cars hard- which is good, it gives us an idea of it's durability, even though most of us would never treat our own cars the way you guys do. I figure most of you drive them like rental cars. Or worse. :)
But in the end I think you are arguing semantics- I would never treat my car that way and to me it's abuse- to you it's another day at the office. ;)
g8gtnorth says:
03:38 PM, 03/18/09
Boys, and girls, we already know they drive em like rentals.
This has the feel of filler, move on...
kurtamaxxxguy says:
04:46 PM, 03/18/09
Time and again, with virtually every auto publication's comparison, the STI has come out second against the EVO, when tested on paved roads. key words: Paved Roads.
The Ultimate Performance Car Test referred to here appears centered on performance on pavement and a race track.
For those who want to drive an STI on pavement / race track only, Cobb Tuning and any number of accessory add-ons will transform STI into a low, stiff-sprung mean track machine. Indeed, Subaru should offer a "Race Ready" kit to make the STI better fit this niche.
Meanwhile, by comparison, how easily can the Evo or GT-R be converted into Rally vehicles? Do their frames and layout allow for longer travel suspensions and higher ride heigths?
Perhaps EIL (Edmunds Inside Line) could take the Evo and GT-R out to their favorite dirt track for a day and let us know how the cars fare?
tsy says:
04:48 PM, 03/18/09
@g8gtnorth
They say they are not abusing their cars. If what they say is true, I'd hate to see what abuse is!
Hmm, is there a group for the humane treatment of automobiles? ;)
firstwagon says:
05:14 PM, 03/18/09
"how easily can the Evo or GT-R be converted into Rally vehicles?"
I don't know about the GT-R but the Evo was born a rally car just like the STI was. The two of them have been fighting it out on the European rally circuit for more then a decade.
BTW I would love to see them take the EVO and STI out to a dirt track for a day too.
greenpony says:
06:22 PM, 03/18/09
20,000 miles, ha. "Long term" should be taking it beyond the factory warranty period.
stovt001 says:
07:12 PM, 03/18/09
Anything that survives long term after a really hard run on GMR wins in my book.
I really like that shot. I really like that road. I really like living just off of said road.
epbrown says:
07:46 PM, 03/18/09
I am shocked, shocked I say, at the very suggestion that none of you would buy a used car from the IL test fleet. :)
RSdriver says:
10:18 PM, 03/18/09
@tsy
subies are made for driving 'em like that. You shoulda seen some of the roads I took my impreza on down at the hundred acre woods rally, it was able to keep up with the guy's in the jeeps through 8 inches of snow on the rally stages. I would be disappointed if they never took this thing off the pavement.
dougtheeng says:
06:00 AM, 03/19/09
"how easily can the Evo or GT-R be converted into Rally vehicles?"
I don't know that this question is even relevant. I mean, obviously both cars have heavy rally DNA but I don't think any significant percentage of people buying an STI will ever even consider racing off pavement. As such, its numbers on pavement definitely should count. Saying its faster then the EVO off pavement is sort of a cop out, imo.
fadetoblackii says:
07:13 AM, 03/19/09
These are performance vehicles. Driving them according to their design is not abuse. It would be abuse if they did this kind of thing to your mom's '98 Camry, but they're not. They're driving performance engineered vehicles the way the vehicles were designed to be driven.
Sheesh...
bbastyr says:
10:07 AM, 03/19/09
Driving through parts of Chicago is like driving off road. Check out Lake Street between Damen and Ashland. How about Ogden Avenue through North Lawndale, particularly after it rains or snows?
RSdriver says:
10:51 AM, 03/19/09
some of the stuff these guys do could be considered abuse, but if you've got the money to fix it, why not?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqafYnDj4sY&feature=related
subytrojan says:
12:37 PM, 03/19/09
"Saying its faster then the EVO off pavement is sort of a cop out, imo."
n3v4r!
How about the STI > Evo in the snow? :o)
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0905_2008_mitsubishi_lancer_evo_vs_2009_subaru_wrx_sti/index.html
mugwomp says:
09:00 PM, 05/19/09
Interesting that with The Stig behind the wheel the STI beat an EVO X around the Top Gear test track. What gives?