I'm in the process of scouting a new DD, and it always comes back to Subies.
The years I'm looking at are right at the 2.0L to 2.5L crossover. My question is are the 2.5Ls worth the extra money and time locating one? I'm looking into the WRX wagons, and the 2.0L cars seem to be for sale more often, and for less. Especially if I cross over into the Saabaru, which there seems to be 20 '05s for sale for every one '06.
Of course, I'd like more power, and ideally I'd like an STi-level 300hp without losing DD manners. Is that possible with the 2.0L? There's a lot of talk about the turbo lag with the 2.0L, is this just posturing by the 2.5L people?
2.5 has less lag but that's from the added torque of displacement. I had an 06 and drove an 02, both stage 2 and were faster than an sti.
www.nasioc.com has more than enough info for you to make an informed decision. stage 2 is a downpipe swap with an ecu flash. 260 at the wheels is achievable for cheap and better gas mileage to boot.
NASIOC is the very definition of "information overload."
I've been tooling around there for a week, and have bookmarked so many pages my computer doesn't know what to think.
The 2.0 can easily make 260whp? This is good...
I have a 2.0 wrx
and an older N/A 2.5rs. I really like the low end of the 2.5.
The problem with the 2.0 wrx is the gearing is wacky in the lower gears. That being said I think you can pick up the 2.0 for quite a bit cheaper. You can then add a Cobb access port for about $500, that will safely up the power, and you will be very happy.
If you get a 2.0 car, make sure you replace the uppipe with one that does not have a cat. If the cat in the uppipe begins to break down, then your turbo eats those pieces, and they don't like it.
Cobb is nice though opensource is way cheaper and you have the same warranty, you can buy a 60 dollar tactrix cable (obd2) and remap the car your self. Though you want to know what you're doing. Tons of info here. http://www.openecu.org/index.php?title=Main_Page If I could have afforded it I'd have kept my WRX I love that car and will get another when the time is right. I'm unsure but at the time I was into the WRX they were working on antilag, launch control and various other really cool maps. And very true about the up pipe, that's what was nice about the 2.5 cars they eliminated that cat. My car without cats passed a sniffer test, and obd2 scan. The guy who tuned my car (rest his soul) was awesome.
