DSM VS. WRX

Sideways99 · Mar 12, 2015

So guys, I'm looking to get a car in fall. I've got twork main ideas. Wrx and awd dsm. For the wrx, it'd be a bugeye that I'd make look like a jdm sti. I'd do basic bolt ons lime Cobb access port, turbo back exhaust, intake, fmic, ect.
On the dsm I'd build it since it would cost less to modd and buy the car itself. For the mods I'd go stage 3 head and short block. 80mm turbo and external wastegate, wire tuck, ecmlink or aem, shep trans, ect.
it seems like dsm is the obvious choice but I want you guys opinion.
BTW sorry I'd this is in the wrong category :hellyeah:

DogWhistle · Mar 12, 2015

The life of a DSM can be narrated as follows: Fast, cheap, fun, easy to work on and build, and continuously an up-gradable car. It is not for the faint of mechanical heart and requires love, attention to detail, and a diligent routine maintenance and similar budget to any other car to be made daily drive-able with any sort of year round reliability. If you wan't something hard to work on and just mainly for looks and spend a bit more money on for something that is less universal but perhaps more rare or unique, sure the WRX might be your car but again, take your time, do it right, and the DSM will reward you dollar for dollar in more ways than most any car could ever do.

604CruisinCroat · Mar 12, 2015

DSM cheap

...and you're mentioning a Shep trans and all this stuff. O..k....

95_gsx_2g · Mar 12, 2015

I agree with the great posts above. Don't get me wrong the Wrx and Wrx Sti can be a reliable daily driver car, so can the dsm though. For what your saying you would do if you were to get the dsm my opinion hands down would be.....Go for the dsm!

motomattx · Mar 12, 2015

Theres nothing at all cheap about modding a Dsm, I'm not sure where you got that idea. An 80mm turbo? that doesnt tell us anything, but a turbo of that caliber would require plenty of cash in supporting mods alone.

Archer Fabrications · Mar 12, 2015

Make sure it's a 1g :pray:

604CruisinCroat · Mar 12, 2015

Any car properly modified, and not backyard put together will cost a lot. Maybe not a lot to some, but for the average middle class guy it is a lot.

DogWhistle · Mar 12, 2015

I didn't mean cheap from an overall modification spectrum, I meant cheap as far as what kind of performance returns you can expect for your dollar in comparison to most any other platform.

bmxfelon420 · Mar 12, 2015

WRX's are nice, but if you wanna make more than about 300hp it starts getting expensive.

Archer Fabrications · Mar 13, 2015

motomattx said:
Theres nothing at all cheap about modding a Dsm, I'm not sure where you got that idea. An 80mm turbo? that doesnt tell us anything, but a turbo of that caliber would require plenty of cash in supporting mods alone.

I beg to differ, one part for a dsm will be much cheaper than a gtr for instance, and a turbo manifold for a dsm is cheaper than a manifold for an evo. So yes the dsm platform is cheaper. It still adds up though

jbeaton9292 · Mar 13, 2015

Sti ( slow turbo impreza) plus why would anybody in their right mind want a Sexually Transmitted Infection LOL

and to make it worse a wrx they are just now catching up to what a dsm was doing a long time ago as far as 0-60 and quater mile times

An ej20 or now ej25 (exclisive to sti only for the 2015) works is very reliable but is very hard to work on being a boxer style engine and like someone said above the damn things seem to have a hp limit its rare very rare actually to see them over 450hp

jbeaton9292 · Mar 13, 2015

bmxfelon420 said:
WRX's are nice, but if you wanna make more than about 300hp it starts getting expensive.

A dsm to that power level would require 1000$ roughly to get you there reliably after your maintenance of course

DSM1G90 · Mar 13, 2015

Kind of a snarly setup .. a Suby turbo layout.

I find it interesting that every time I hear an STi blatting down the street, it sounds like one cylinder has lost some compression-the way it's "huffing" on three cylinders.

jbus · Mar 13, 2015

Ive had a lot of buddies with STI's and in my opinion, it seems they are less happy with em than anybody i know with a DSM. dont get me wrong a DSM, can be a Dumb Stupid Mistake if your looking for a reliable daily driver but, with proper maintenance they can easily be just as reliable as a newer WRX at a quarter of the price. besides who wants a block that splits in half haha

96BoostedGSX · Mar 13, 2015

DSM1G90 said:
Kind of a snarly setup .. a Suby turbo layout.

I find it interesting that every time I hear an STi blatting down the street, it sounds like one cylinder has lost some compression-the way it's "huffing" on three cylinders.

Yeah they sound better with the equal length exhaust manifolds. Before I got my gsx I was looking at the wrx as well and well for a quarter of the price I got awd and a fun turbo car. Plus so much easier to work on the eclipse. That was a big plus for me.

pimpy rider · Mar 13, 2015

where im from subarus have becoming so common, im tired of looking at them. And dsm has become very rare to see driving around
both cars have their pros and cons
its impossible to compare i think. such a long running and close rivalry. This is a dsm forum so you expect to have a very dsm heavy vote, i guarantee the suby forums will be very biased
i dont think any awd or turbo car is a good choice for a daily driver.
4g63t is greatly superior to the ej.
ej is a pain to work on

farmer890 · Mar 13, 2015

I own both a 97 GSX and a 96 Impreza GT, I daily drive the suby and the eclipse is the summer ride. Personally I love both almost equally, the subaru for the sound and reliability and the eclipse for the looks and the power. I do my own work on the eclipse and pay my mechanic buddy to work on the suby if it's engine related.

If you're getting a subaru, the jdm engines are much better than the usdm in my experience. My 04' WRX had the shitty ej205 which spun a rod bearing in 20,000km, my ej20g in the '96 runs like a clock and has more mileage on it.

Pros and cons for both cars, I couldn't pick just one hence I own one of each.

Black95TSIawd · Mar 13, 2015

WRX's have glass transmissions. The motors are no 4g63. However, the chassis is much stiffer.

Chumpaumpalumpa · Mar 13, 2015

Sideways99 said:
So guys, I'm looking to get a car in fall. I've got twork main ideas. Wrx and awd dsm. For the wrx, it'd be a bugeye that I'd make look like a jdm sti. I'd do basic bolt ons lime Cobb access port, turbo back exhaust, intake, fmic, ect.
On the dsm I'd build it since it would cost less to modd and buy the car itself. For the mods I'd go stage 3 head and short block. 80mm turbo and external wastegate, wire tuck, ecmlink or aem, shep trans, ect.
it seems like dsm is the obvious choice but I want you guys opinion.
BTW sorry I'd this is in the wrong category

What are your power goals?

buhay6 · Mar 13, 2015

I love and I mean love the way a boxer sounds, but like mentioned above they tend to be unreliable after you start moding them. Plus like pimpy rider said they're everywhere! I choose a dsm because it was cheap (thanks pimpy rider!), I really want a subie as well but I know its far less durable. The subies chassis is by far superior and the interiors far nicer....and well they look sexy as hell but the draw backs are very big to.
If I were you I'd look long term reliability, both can be but one can't be with moding (which lets face it you clearly want to do). Maybe take a look at early EVO's as well the JDM one's seem to be really cheap to import (5-8k).

If you could resist moding I'd say subbie all day every day.

Chumpaumpalumpa · Mar 13, 2015

buhay6 said:
I love and I mean love the way a boxer sounds, but like mentioned above they tend to be unreliable after you start moding them. Plus like pimpy rider said they're everywhere! I choose a dsm because it was cheap (thanks pimpy rider!), I really want a subie as well but I know its far less durable. The subies chassis is by far superior and the interiors far nicer....and well they look sexy as hell but the draw backs are very big to.
If I were you I'd look long term reliability, both can be but one can't be with moding (which lets face it you clearly want to do). Maybe take a look at early EVO's as well the JDM one's seem to be really cheap to import (5-8k).

If you could resist moding I'd say subbie all day every day.

Just as a bit of info to everyone, the traditional Subaru sound is actually due to the UEL (Unequal Length Header). It fires Long Short Long Short and thus gives the blub blub sound were familiar with. The FR-S and BRZ sound like normal 4Bangers unless a UEL is fitted. Some video proof:

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S2000 With UEL's

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FR-S comparison:

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But yes they sound sexy LOL

motomattx · Mar 13, 2015

I cant stand the misfire VW Beetle sound of the Subaru, that alone would stop me from ever wanting one, that and they are butt ugly, not to mention very unreliable once modded and they rust terrible. Dsm all the way.

Sideways99 · Mar 13, 2015

goals for the dsm would be 500awhp withouth nos on pump gas and 20 psi and conservative tune

buhay6 · Mar 13, 2015

Chumpaumpalumpa said:
Just as a bit of info to everyone, the traditional Subaru sound is actually due to the UEL (Unequal Length Header). It fires Long Short Long Short and thus gives the blub blub sound were familiar with. The FR-S and BRZ sound like normal 4Bangers unless a

But yes they sound sexy

Wow....I did not know that! this makes me very very excited, I'm so doing that to the dsm. I'm going to buy a FR-S or GT-86 either way but if I can suffice with a dsm making that sound of pure sex I'm going to!
Your my hero for today Chumpaumpalump!

GSLENK · Mar 13, 2015

20psi seems a little soft for 500hp... unless you are talking a huge turbo at 6k.

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