Subaru STI

[mwink822]

Figured this would be a good spot to ask, so here goes. I'm ready to call it quits with my current car, an Audi S4 that I've had for five years now since new, for various reasons among which are phantom mechanical problems that have not been successfully diagnosed or rectified by any shop that's had a go at it. I want a fun car that's still slightly practical, and since this is the second Audi that's given me trouble, I'm done with them. I know I could go over to a BMW 340 or a Mercedes C43, but I really want a six speed manual box again, and I really don't want the long term costs that come with the German cars (constant concern now that I have to be a grown up and run a business). So, does a set of clubs fit in the STI without having to fold the back seats down? The last STI that I owned was the hatch back variety, so I really don't have a frame of reference for the saloon.

[Shipwreck]

Why not just lay them in your back seat? Or are you planning on leaving them in the trunk for an extended period of time?

[mwink822]

Why not just lay them in your back seat? Or are you planning on leaving them in the trunk for an extended period of time?

 

With the location of my new office, I'd rather not have golf clubs visible in our lot while I'm at work. I'd rather have the added peace of mind of them being in the trunk and out of sight/out of mind while grinding through the day to get to my after work hours 9 holes during the summer.

[JerseyBoy]

If you get the Sedan version, yes.

 

That is one hell of a fun car to drive. If you really want to have even more fun and the option is still available, get the short shifter upgrade. It's STUPID amazing to drive with that.

[ohioglfr]

Just take your golf bag (and walking cart, if you use one) down to the local Subaru dealer and check out the trunk space yourself. That's what I did when I shopped for my last car.

[hammy83]

Why not just lay them in your back seat? Or are you planning on leaving them in the trunk for an extended period of time?

 

With the location of my new office, I'd rather not have golf clubs visible in our lot while I'm at work. I'd rather have the added peace of mind of them being in the trunk and out of sight/out of mind while grinding through the day to get to my after work hours 9 holes during the summer.

 

its not a bad idea to keep them hidden. Keep in mind the STI is one of the most stolen cars year after year because the parts are worth so much and can easily be stolen. So I'd probably take them out of the trunk as much as possible.

[mwink822]

Why not just lay them in your back seat? Or are you planning on leaving them in the trunk for an extended period of time?

 

With the location of my new office, I'd rather not have golf clubs visible in our lot while I'm at work. I'd rather have the added peace of mind of them being in the trunk and out of sight/out of mind while grinding through the day to get to my after work hours 9 holes during the summer.

 

its not a bad idea to keep them hidden. Keep in mind the STI is one of the most stolen cars year after year because the parts are worth so much and can easily be stolen. So I'd probably take them out of the trunk as much as possible.

 

Fair point. I did have an opportunity to test drive an STi Limited with a factory short shift kit in it, and liked it. It's definitely lacking the interior refinement that I've gotten used to over the past several years with my BMW's and Audis, but it's also not going to cost me an arm and a leg to keep up with maintenance after 50,000 miles or so.

[SilverBullets]

I had a 2015 WRX Limited which I preordered when they came out. Assuming you are looking at the current body style STI, yes, golf clubs will fit in the trunk (and pretty easily).

 

I went from a 2008 Audi A4 into the WRX and felt it was a huge mistake. The WRX was fun (both the A4 and WRX were manual and both had short shifter kits) for a bit but ultimately it paled in comparison to the A4. When I bought the car, my commute was just 7 miles each way. Our office moved and my commute became 30 miles each way. The WRX was loud (and not the good kind of loud... like throating exhaust and motor loud... but more wind and road noise in the cabin loud). The sound system on the WRX is absolute garbage. Especially compared anything coming from Audi. And what drove my crazy, more than anything else on the car, was the paint quality. When I got rid of my WRX it had 12k miles on it. The front end from various rock chips looked it had 75k on it. The car got bird poop on it while at work. when I got home, I cleaned the car to get it off in hope it wouldn't stain the paint. Not only had it already stained the paint, it ate through the clear coat and the paint and was down to bare steel. The dealership I bought the car from told me subarus are fairly common for having horrible paint issues.

 

As much as those things did bother me, the WRX was fun to drive. It was quick, fairly nimble and was definitely versatile. I just found it to drive overly harsh, ride uncomfortable and loud in all the wrong ways. And before you say anything, yes, I know it's a sports car and it's supposed to be stiff. But there's a difference between a sportscar which rides stiff but comfortable and one that is overly harsh. I have logged hundreds of hours behind the wheels of various sports cars and sedans. The WRX was among the worst. I guess I wanted it to be better than it was.

 

My wife and I wanted an SUV anyway so we found a great deal on a 10k mile Touareg and bought it. I love the Touareg, it's been great but I still want a go fast car. I'm looking at getting a Cayman to add.

[SilverBullets]

I had a 2015 WRX Limited which I preordered when they came out. Assuming you are looking at the current body style STI, yes, golf clubs will fit in the trunk (and pretty easily).

 

I went from a 2008 Audi A4 into the WRX and felt it was a huge mistake. The WRX was fun (both the A4 and WRX were manual and both had short shifter kits) for a bit but ultimately it paled in comparison to the A4. When I bought the car, my commute was just 7 miles each way. Our office moved and my commute became 30 miles each way. The WRX was loud (and not the good kind of loud... like throating exhaust and motor loud... but more wind and road noise in the cabin loud). The sound system on the WRX is absolute garbage. Especially compared anything coming from Audi. And what drove my crazy, more than anything else on the car, was the paint quality. When I got rid of my WRX it had 12k miles on it. The front end from various rock chips looked it had 75k on it. The car got bird poop on it while at work. when I got home, I cleaned the car to get it off in hope it wouldn't stain the paint. Not only had it already stained the paint, it ate through the clear coat and the paint and was down to bare steel. The dealership I bought the car from told me subarus are fairly common for having horrible paint issues.

 

As much as those things did bother me, the WRX was fun to drive. It was quick, fairly nimble and was definitely versatile. I just found it to drive overly harsh, ride uncomfortable and loud in all the wrong ways. And before you say anything, yes, I know it's a sports car and it's supposed to be stiff. But there's a difference between a sportscar which rides stiff but comfortable and one that is overly harsh. I have logged hundreds of hours behind the wheels of various sports cars and sedans. The WRX was among the worst. I guess I wanted it to be better than it was.

 

My wife and I wanted an SUV anyway so we found a great deal on a 10k mile Touareg and bought it. I love the Touareg, it's been great but I still want a go fast car. I'm looking at getting a Cayman to add.

[hammy83]

I had a 2015 WRX Limited which I preordered when they came out. Assuming you are looking at the current body style STI, yes, golf clubs will fit in the trunk (and pretty easily).

 

I went from a 2008 Audi A4 into the WRX and felt it was a huge mistake. The WRX was fun (both the A4 and WRX were manual and both had short shifter kits) for a bit but ultimately it paled in comparison to the A4. When I bought the car, my commute was just 7 miles each way. Our office moved and my commute became 30 miles each way. The WRX was loud (and not the good kind of loud... like throating exhaust and motor loud... but more wind and road noise in the cabin loud). The sound system on the WRX is absolute garbage. Especially compared anything coming from Audi. And what drove my crazy, more than anything else on the car, was the paint quality. When I got rid of my WRX it had 12k miles on it. The front end from various rock chips looked it had 75k on it. The car got bird poop on it while at work. when I got home, I cleaned the car to get it off in hope it wouldn't stain the paint. Not only had it already stained the paint, it ate through the clear coat and the paint and was down to bare steel. The dealership I bought the car from told me subarus are fairly common for having horrible paint issues.

 

As much as those things did bother me, the WRX was fun to drive. It was quick, fairly nimble and was definitely versatile. I just found it to drive overly harsh, ride uncomfortable and loud in all the wrong ways. And before you say anything, yes, I know it's a sports car and it's supposed to be stiff. But there's a difference between a sportscar which rides stiff but comfortable and one that is overly harsh. I have logged hundreds of hours behind the wheels of various sports cars and sedans. The WRX was among the worst. I guess I wanted it to be better than it was.

 

My wife and I wanted an SUV anyway so we found a great deal on a 10k mile Touareg and bought it. I love the Touareg, it's been great but I still want a go fast car. I'm looking at getting a Cayman to add.

 

although you shouldnt have to worry about it, The paint issue could easily be solved. The expensive way is to get another layer of clear added which in the future would make it easier for scratch removal as the thinkness is easier to work with in regards to wet sanding.

The cheaper way to go is to add a product like CarPro CQuartz paint protectant. Keep in mind there is a few varieties. They have one for the avaerage detailer to buy, then they have a better verison (professional) only available to those who have taken the installation course. Its a great ceramic based coating. This is a detailing I know from toronto, his blog explains the product in great detail.

 

http://makeitshine.ca/blog/

[Waterball6]

What about a VW Golf R?

[MtlJeff]

Why not just lay them in your back seat? Or are you planning on leaving them in the trunk for an extended period of time?

 

With the location of my new office, I'd rather not have golf clubs visible in our lot while I'm at work. I'd rather have the added peace of mind of them being in the trunk and out of sight/out of mind while grinding through the day to get to my after work hours 9 holes during the summer.

 

its not a bad idea to keep them hidden. Keep in mind the STI is one of the most stolen cars year after year because the parts are worth so much and can easily be stolen. So I'd probably take them out of the trunk as much as possible.

 

Another issue with laying clubs in the back seat is on rainy days or wet days, the clubheads and bag will stain your seats. I used to do this with one of my previous cars and would not recommend it

 

Smaller cars that are your typical 4-door sedans tend to have much larger trunks than you think as SIlverBullets pointed out. My 2013 Corolla i could fit like 3 bodies in that thing. It's the CUV's that have basically no trunk space

 

I test drove the WRX's and i remember the trunks being decent

[JerseyBoy]

What about a VW Golf R?

 

Will likely not fit the clubs in the trunk without folding the seats down as it is a hatchback. The other option is the VW GLI which is the sedan version of the GTI and it is AWESOME. I own one, and for the money, I think it is likely one of the most fun cars to drive. It is an easy commuter, but when you want to push it, it screams. Corners like a true sports car. I love mine and would highly recommend it to anyone.

[Waterball6]

What about a VW Golf R?

 

Will likely not fit the clubs in the trunk without folding the seats down as it is a hatchback. The other option is the VW GLI which is the sedan version of the GTI and it is AWESOME. I own one, and for the money, I think it is likely one of the most fun cars to drive. It is an easy commuter, but when you want to push it, it screams. Corners like a true sports car. I love mine and would highly recommend it to anyone.

 

I used to have a GTI and was able to fit clubs in the trunk without folding seats down. It was actually perfect.

[SilverBullets]

What about a VW Golf R?

 

Will likely not fit the clubs in the trunk without folding the seats down as it is a hatchback. The other option is the VW GLI which is the sedan version of the GTI and it is AWESOME. I own one, and for the money, I think it is likely one of the most fun cars to drive. It is an easy commuter, but when you want to push it, it screams. Corners like a true sports car. I love mine and would highly recommend it to anyone.

 

My wife drives a 2012 GLI Autobahn... great car. Needs 50 more HP and a little more torque (I think the newer versions of the GLI do have 20ish more HP and 10-12 ft/lbs of torque) but like you said, for the money and the versatility of the car... it's pretty hard to beat. Trunk is massive. With the seats folded down we put a 55 inch TV in the box in the back of it haha. I would think it fits 4 sets of clubs... we have had 3 in easily (haven't had the need to put a 4th in it)

[BishopBreaking80]

If you're not interested in buy brand new, how about the Legacy GT? I've own one personally, and loved it. The reliability, AWD system, and 6 speed manual transmission (in many models, though I have the 5 speed manual) of the STI, and they even share the same motor (the major difference is in the turbo, which is smaller in the GT). However, it's a mid-side sedan, and with the Limited Edition and Snow Package, you get some great hookups (Leather, Automatic Climate Control, Moon Roof, Heated Seats and windshield wipers, side spash-guards).

 

The trunk on these things is massive. I can fit 3 sets of clubs in the trunk without folding the seats down.

 

Subaru stopped production of these in 2012, though. As such, they're pretty hard to find nowadays.

 

-Bishop

[Texas1]

Weird, we've had 7 Audis and they only time they hav been in the garage is for a service, never had a single issue.

 

BMW's on the other hand, dogshit. Had 3 and every one of them spent more time trying to fix engine management systems than me working out women lol.

 

Friend of mine has just bought the c63 AMG, what a piece of kit. My ex manager has the S6 tuned to 550bhp and the latest BMW M4. Again the BMW is having issues, says the S6 is a sledgehammer

 

I think the STI is a drivers car but feels tinny and cheap compared to the above. But then again it's less than half the price.

[Waterball6]

I agree, I just came from a 2014 manual S4. I really loved it, never had a single issue.

 

However, my dad had a 2006 -2008 S6 and they ended up giving him a new one cause it had so many issues. That being said, Audi stood up and said there's something wrong here, we will buy you out of this one and get you a new one. Obviously when these manufacturers are building so many cars you're bound to have issues somewhere, after all of that, I'm fairly loyal to the VW/Audi brand.

[mwink822]

If you're not interested in buy brand new, how about the Legacy GT? I've own one personally, and loved it. The reliability, AWD system, and 6 speed manual transmission (in many models, though I have the 5 speed manual) of the STI, and they even share the same motor (the major difference is in the turbo, which is smaller in the GT). However, it's a mid-side sedan, and with the Limited Edition and Snow Package, you get some great hookups (Leather, Automatic Climate Control, Moon Roof, Heated Seats and windshield wipers, side spash-guards).

 

The trunk on these things is massive. I can fit 3 sets of clubs in the trunk without folding the seats down.

 

Subaru stopped production of these in 2012, though. As such, they're pretty hard to find nowadays.

 

-Bishop

 

No manual option in the Legacy. I really don't want another German car as a daily as the cost of ownership long term is more than what I want to deal with now that I have to be a grown up (i.e. mortgage and all other home related expenses). Thing two, as I stated above in my OP, I'm not particularly thrilled with the mechanical reliability that I've had with my last two Audis. I've taken the last couple of weeks to test drive a few cars and the STI is still at the top of the list, although, there are some things that I'm not crazy about with it. It is a much more Spartan car, even in Limited trim, though that's not a huge deal. I don't particularly care for the infotainment system. The stereo complaint that was mentioned above isn't something that I particularly took notice of having never bothered with any of the upgraded stereo options in my Audis. The Focus RS was a close second, but I've had bad experiences with Fords in the past, so that gives me some pause. The Golf R was okay, but just seemed to lack a little of the enthusiasm that the RS and the STI had. I didn't even bother with the GTI or GLI because they're lacking in power and also lacking AWD.

 

As it stands right now, it's looking like an STI with a Cobb Accessport tune.

[Texas1]

It's funny how people have different experiences

 

Where I come from the STI and EVO are ragged to an inch of their lives and people are going to S3's as they are just as quick and have better reliability.

 

My ex boss has 4 cars, Golf Type R, BMW M4 convertible, S6 upped to 550bhp and a GT3. He uses the Type R has his daily and has it boosted to spec 3, loves it.

 

The Focus RS is a great car, supremely quick in the wet, just like the STI

 

In the U.K. the servicing is reasonable on German cars as they sell so many, so apart from main dealers there a hundreds of specialist garages.

 

Can't go wrong with any of those you have shortlisted.