Article Comments - Ford Mustang Shelby GT vs. 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

96 messages, Last post on Apr 18, 2008 at 4:24 PM

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What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Ford Shelby GT500, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Comparison Test: Ford Mustang Shelby GT vs. 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI - So why compare two cars whose target customers are so different? Well, first of all, they cost the same. The STI is slightly pricier at $39,440, only marginally more than the $39,180 Shelby. With as-tested prices within $300 of each other, the reality of cross-shopping these two on price alone isn't an arguable point. (more)

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#87 of 96 Re: WRX vs Mustang [waterdr] by ateixeira Jan 07, 2008 (9:34 am)
Replying to: waterdr (Jan 07, 2008 9:28 am) I wasn't, but maybe some other folks were. The car compared is in the title of the thread, though. Any how, the GT500 is quite the machine. For sure that will have a collectible value down the road. Shoot, with CAFE at 35mpg, performance machines like that might even become extinct. It'll probably be seen as more exotic than it is now.
#88 of 96 Mustang fans, say what you want... by dstew1 Jan 07, 2008 (8:42 pm)
Compared to Shelby GT buyers (heck, even tack on GT500 owners) I'd bet anything that a much higher percentage of STI owners actually participate in organized races at some level. I'd bet that a higher percentage perform basic maintenance on their own cars when compared to Mustang GT/GT500 owners. I'd bet a higher percentage even modify their cars to some extent, with a good number doing the work themselves. Knock STI drivers all you want, say you feel sorry for them, that the car is ugly, you wouldn't be caught dead in one, etc, etc. I think you'd find that the typical STI buyer is more likely to be an enthusiast than the typical buyer of a Mustang GT (and its variants). Blame it on the Ford's greater mass market popularity and greater sales, thus watering down the ratios, but in the end most people drive an STI not because of the way it looks, or the way it makes them look, but because of how it performs. I'm not sure what kind of person feels sorry or embarrassed for someone who cares more about the way something functions than the way it looks. Or what kind of person would make fun of someone who purchases a vehicle that can be driven year round, on any kind of road, in any kind of weather, while their own $30+ toy sits in the garage for four months out of the year, depreciating by the day. There seems to be a lot of criticism here not only of the Subaru but of its owners, with testosterone being the only rationale provided - notice that does not say (or mean) rational. I don't drive an STI. Never have. I drive a modified Forester XT putting out similar numbers to a stock STI, though. Is the hood-scooped cute-ute funny looking? Probably. Do some people see a 27 year old guy driving what looks like a goofy station wagon and scratch their heads? Or laugh? Probably. Do I care? No. Because those people just don't get it. The same could be said for a lot of people here. Doug
#89 of 96 GT 500 by sellaturcica Jan 07, 2008 (10:04 pm)
Replying to: waterdr (Jan 07, 2008 8:07 am) The GT 500 is a bloated pig with a heavy lump of iron way up in the front. An STi will leave it for dead and be picking pieces of it out of its teeth on any road that turns. A base Corvette will do the same. Not everyone is impressed by drag racing. Replies to this message: waterdr (Jan 08, 2008 5:32 am) ateixeira (Jan 08, 2008 8:54 am)
#90 of 96 Relax by waterdr Jan 08, 2008 (5:30 am)
Wow....hit a nerve. Geeze, don't be so touchy. As an owner of a very mass-market stang, I can tell that owner demographics are all over the map. At a show you are just as likely to meet a guy with no teeth as you are a engineer from silicon valley. Buy what you like....it is your money. A car is a dam car. If you feel I was harsh on the owners, I was only talking about the car. I also have pointed out a number of positive attributes about the Subbie as well, something that very few of the Mustang critics have done. Nextime someone questions your car purchase, don't get so wrapped-up in it. And remember, I am entittled to my opinion as wrong as you make think it is. If EVERYONE liked the STI, it would be no different then the Mustang selling 200,000 units for 40+ years and don't believe for a minute that Subaru would not sell a ton of these if they could. Hey, I know all about being made fun of....I also drive a Saab. Learn to love it....being different is cool too.
#91 of 96 Re: GT 500 [sellaturcica] by waterdr Jan 08, 2008 (5:32 am)
Replying to: sellaturcica (Jan 07, 2008 10:04 pm) Yea, but could you beat this kid: http://www.truveo.com/Boy-skates-under-cars/id/2647752625
#92 of 96 Re: GT 500 [sellaturcica] by ateixeira Jan 08, 2008 (8:54 am)
Replying to: sellaturcica (Jan 07, 2008 10:04 pm) A Lotus Elise owner may say the same thing about an STI. All things are relative. The STI is far from a lightweight.
#93 of 96 Re: WRX vs Mustang [waterdr] by mugwomp Feb 22, 2008 (1:51 pm)
Replying to: waterdr (Jan 05, 2008 8:38 pm) WaterD, did you just suggest there isn't much of an aftermarket for the WRX/STI? Seriously? What mods aren't available? As a WRX owner, I'd love to know. I've got about 20 links to my favorite Subaru shops, nevermind all the sites I never bookmarked. You also realize not only is there an aftermarket for the WRX but the Forester and Legacy too. Googling "WRX aftermarket parts" gets about 133,000 hits. Googling "Mustang aftermarket parts" gets about 200,000? Wow, big difference. I can only imagine the amounts of fuzzy dice and non-functional hoodscoops I can get for a Stang. The mind boggles. Non-functional hoodscoops. LOL! You realize the WRX has been one of the most important tuning vehicles ever made? In the new millennium, there are "before the WRX" cars and "after the WRX" cars. Before the 2002 WRX there were few if any offerings that could compare. Be thankful, even your clunky, retro, plasticy whatever you wanna-call-it is better for it. Sounds like somebody's bitter their ugly fleet vehicle got whooped by a much better car. And food for thought: you'd be "embarassed" to drive an STI/WRX - just how do you think most car enthusiast would feel being stuck behind the wheel of a Ford? Replies to this message: waterdr (Feb 23, 2008 7:00 am) waterdr (Feb 23, 2008 9:50 am)
#94 of 96 Re: WRX vs Mustang [mugwomp] by waterdr Feb 23, 2008 (7:00 am)
Replying to: mugwomp (Feb 22, 2008 1:51 pm) Don't get your panties in a wad.....what I meant was that there the after-market for Mustangs is a lot bigger then for a WRX and as such, parts are much cheaper. Mustangs are less expensive to work on because of a simple therory known as supply and demand. Hell, I replaced my entire suspension with brand, new Ford FRPP parts for $400. Not because they are crap, but because there are soo many of them. I had 4.10's gears installed on my car....parts AND labor at a professional, all-Mustang shop was $500. Blowers? Hell, you can buy used ones in great shape all day long for $2000 if you look including inter-coolers. Tires? I use 315/35/17's on the rear on mine.....they run $104 each because so many Mustangs out there have them. My after-market, bullet 17x10.5 rims were about a $100. I can get all OEM brakes (pads and rotors) front and back for $175.00. Or, upgrade to all Cobra setup for $850.00 incluuding calipers. Ford sells 200,000 to 250,000 Mustangs a year and had done so since 1965 pretty routinely. There are a lot of them out there still on the road. My personal opinions about the WRX are what they are.....except it. So what? Who cares? The car is ugly to me....I respect the engineering....but I would not own one....if it were free. The car is way overpriced and Ford is beginning to make the same mistake and will go the way of the F-Body is they are not carefull. Fat and expensive are too things bad for a sports car. At least the WRX is just expensive. As far as there being ugly crap out there for Mustangs, there is practically no market for that stuff. Self-respecting owners like myself like to torment those that go down that road. Lowered, lambo doors, fart cans etc... don't belong on a Mustang. Replies to this message: waterdr (Feb 23, 2008 9:50 am)
#95 of 96 Re: WRX vs Mustang [waterdr] by waterdr Feb 23, 2008 (9:50 am)
Replying to: waterdr (Feb 23, 2008 7:00 am) Just so I am clear on a few things, I consider myself a car guy. I am not Ford person or do I owe loyalities to any manufacturer. I happen to own three cars and they are all of different makes. I buy what I like, what fits my needs, what I feel I can afford, and what makes sense to me. I think most owners probably do the same. I respect cars and I respect owners who love and are passionate about how they spend they hard-earned money, but I don't have to like it. Trends also change and quite frankly, as sustainability and "green" become more in style, this will also drive consumers to make different choices. Mustangs are WAY more popular or plentiful then a WRX. Why? Because people buy more of them. Maybe it is because people like them more. Perhaps it is because they cost less. The fact is that market factors are at play and Subaru has most likely chosen to go with the "less is more" concept with the STI to make sure that they can't be owned by everyone.....there is some advatanges of owning something that not everyone else has. A big appeal with a Mustang, however, is that no matter if you live in a trailer park or or mansion row, you will see them parked in driveways. If you go to a Mustang event, you will see hundreds....sometimes thousands of Mustangs on display. There are entire brick and motar businesses with thousands of acres of property that do nothing but work on them, restore them, and modify them. Many owners do the later because they want their cars to stand out in a sea of millions of cars that are essentially the same. All this results in a massive after-market driven by competition and hoards of expertise, though, not always sound. At least the STI is unique right out of the box, just not to my liking. I can't get past it. While I don't street race under any conditions, stop light to stop light, there is nothing better to launch especially when just two wheels are involved....provided the roads are dry - lol. The STI, on the other hand, to be honest, I would not be foolish enough even with my 450 hp car to want to get in a race on the curves with one. The two cars are very different indeed, different personalities, and sometimes different types of people behind the wheel. What is cool though, is having a community...one of people who can help other owners and defend your chosen set of wheels. I will promise you this.......I will drive one as soon as I can and I will then give you my opinion. If I find the car to be a joy, I will most certainly say so. If I still feel it is overpriced 3,000 lbs of plastic, then I will say so too.
#96 of 96 Why is my only question! by weeman04 Apr 18, 2008 (4:24 pm)
Why on earth would you compare and STI to a piece of junk Mustang? The Mustang is a heavy piece of junk V-8. Not even in the same class as an STI. Compare the STI to and EVO...9 or X. The Evo will pimp slap the STI in every aspect of the game! I wonder what the people at Edmunds was thinking when they did this comparison!!!