Subaru STI Vs GTO
Browse through the 700-plus cars available on Gran Turismo 4 & you ll find only one Gran Turismo Omologato. That s GTO if you re under 30. Scroll down to GT4″s Subaru WRX section however & you ll find 12 versions the STi. That s Subaru Technica International if you re over 40.
Sony knows its audience but come on guys let s give credit where credit is due. In 1964 the Pontiac GTO was the first production car to demonstrate that adding massive horsepower to smaller otherwise innocuous car can be recipe for greatness.
Although drastically different their design & execution the 2005 Pontiac GTO & the 2005 Subaru WRX STi both employ this time-tested formula. Think about it. Subaru took its lowly Impreza added turbocharged engine stiffer suspension & little extra bodywork & suddenly every male under the age 25 is trading his girlfriend for one. Sounds like modern-day GTO to us.
The new GTO takes more traditional route. Like its legendary ancestors s coupe with classic muscle car credentials like big V8 rear-wheel drive & long hood/short deck design. Although s built Australia s so American makes Tommy Franks look like Communist.
Sure conventional wisdom says if you like one you wouldn t even consider the other but we think otherwise. Our test cars stickered eight dollars apart & are apart from Ford s bargain-priced Mustang GT the most powerful rides on the market their price range. If you want to go as fast as possible without taking out second mortgage one these cars just might be the ticket. Deciding which one is matter how you like your speed delivered.
Let the showdown begin.
Attractive Opposites With four doors standard all-wheel drive & peaky turbocharged power the WRX STi turns the muscle car moniker on its head. It may have just 2. 5-liter four-cylinder engine but with 300 horsepower 300 pound-feet torque & six-speed manual transmission s got specs that impress.
For 2005 Subaru has fortified the STi with new helical limited-slip differential up front thicker sway bar back & lightweight aluminum rear lateral links. The steering rack also received stiffer mount tighter ratio & an auxiliary fluid cooler. The interior got makeover too with improved climate controls & reskinned seats. Our test car also featured short-throw shifter titanium shift knob & auxiliary boost gauge.
The GTO also received upgrades for 2005 including 50 more horsepower from new 400-hp 6. 0-liter LS2 V8 bigger brakes dual exhaust & much needed set hood scoops. The only option is six-speed manual transmission & thankfully our test car had it.
They re both comfortable enough to drive every day but unless you drive the tires them you won t fully appreciate their true capabilities. With that mind we ripped them through our favorite back roads & pushed them to their limits at the test track. With their garish spoilers & gaping hood scoops the reactions onlookers passengers & anyone else who heard us coming were also noted for good measure.
Conclusion
On paper the GTO looked tough to beat. A 400-hp small-block V8 six-speed manual rear-wheel drive what more do you need? But the more we drove these cars on the edge the more we realized that the STi was the real deal. It held its own on the drag strip & flat-out smoked the GTO through the slalom. Plus its backseats come with doors. On the street more than one editor noted that when comes to raw unfiltered feel s the Subaru that delivers over the more refined GTO. Add the STi s higher-quality interior & usable trunk & s the Subaru that gets our $33K.
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