Intake Shootout! Injen vs AFE vs AVO vs AiRaid vs STOCK!

[Drift-Office]

So here are the results of the first slew of intakes that are out there. In the comparison, the test vehicle had >5000 miles and all tests were conducted within the last 4 weeks. Take it for what it's worth, and it up to you to make up your own mind!

DISCLAIMER : I BEAR NO ALLEGIANCE TO ANY ONE COMPANY OR PRODUCT!

In all cases, we used 92 Octane gas and several runs were made with each intake in both 3rd and 4th gears while employing the use of the 6 Speed MANUAL variant of the Scion FRS. Rather than bore / confuse you with other variables, the shootout was conducted for most people in mind; in that you, the consumer, would pick one of these, install it and use it right out of the box, with the stock OEM tune.

With that, let's take a look at our roundup (in no particular order!)

• AFE / Takeda Intake : URL HERE
• AiRaid Intake : URL HERE
• AVO Turboworld Intake : URL HERE
• Injen Intake : URL HERE

vs STOCK OEM!

So let's recap : We'll use our baseline numbers from our runs preceding the start of the shootout...



Pretty typical numbers - I noticed that the 4th gear run we used stopped a few hundred RPM shy of redline but the peak power is still apparent so we'll go with that. It should also be noted that all but the AFE offering were tested on other cars to see if the results were indicatively similar in terms of yields and repeatable for consistency.

We'll start in the order these intakes were tested at my facility.





AVO Turbo World



Results in 3rd & 4th Gear



When compared to OEM 3rd & 4th Gear respectively :





Notes : +4WHP / +3TQ Install time : <7 Minutes. AVO uses wire reinforced silicone (for durability) as part of their inlet pipe set. It comprises of a panel filter, the inlet as well as a sound tube. As seen from the charts, there's some gains past 4500 in both 4th and 5th, and though seemingly marginal, provides a much smoother feel throughout. Intake was tested on 2 other cars, both of which had more gains than our control vehicle.

Ref : URL LINK

Inlet and filter can also be purchased separately.




AIRAID



Results in 3rd & 4th Gear



When compared to OEM 3rd & 4th Gear respectively :





Notes : -16 WHP / -10TQ Install time : <12 Minutes. Construction is top notch, quality and fitment as we've come to expect but this one came as surprise even to me. In both cases, instead of gains, we started to lose power past 6200 RPM till rev limit. The results were pretty abysmal to say the least and this was also confirmed when tested on forum member mechaghost's BRZ.

Ref : URL LINK

Needless to say, it was pretty disconcerting...




INJEN



Results in 3rd & 4th Gear



When compared to OEM 3rd & 4th Gear respectively :





Notes : Install time : <12 Minutes. This one was by far the most stellar performer of the batch. We saw gains of +12 to +15 WHP, +10 LBS TQ! Additionally, there was a much deeper, audible tone to the whole experience, with a 'grunt' to boot! Surprisingly, as advertised! However, some other members have experienced bogging issues but I haven't seen this to be the case when I was using it. I guess to that end, it works, but how well depends on your 'luck' I suppose? Still, fantastic results!




AFE / TAKEDA (DRY FILTER)



Results in 3rd & 4th Gear



When compared to OEM 3rd & 4th Gear respectively :





Notes : +5 WHP / +4TQ Install time : <15 Minutes. I was eagerly awaiting the release of this kit but it wasn't till recently that stocks were replenished and I was able to get my hands on it. It gave decent gains, but was also the most expensive of the pack! Still, one of the coolest looking intake designs so far...


Summary : Given the above results, it's at least clear that the winner for this round would have to go to the INJEN setup, assuming that you're not one of those affected but the bogging issues / CELs that you may experience. It sounds awesome, comes right between the AVO and AFE price-wise and makes more power than either.

If looks is your thing, then the AFE / Takeda setup is for you. However, when comparing it to the AVO offering, the latter comes in at about $100 cheaper (than AFE) and yields about the same results. Coupled with bright colors that would liven up your otherwise dull / stock engine bay, I'l have to say that the AVO offers a better price to performance value.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating either here and if it was up to me, I'd go straight to the INJEN setup. I do recognize though, that many (even when buying a new car) are very budget conscious, hence AVO's offering would suit them well.

That's about it for now - hope this helps in your decision making process! And again, take it for what it's worth!

Regards!


Bob @ Drift-Office, LLC

[Crossover Auto]

The MAF placement also looks to be a contributing factor in how the ECU behaves. Did you by any chance get to datalog what the ECU was doing each run?

[Drift-Office]

Originally Posted by Crossover Auto

The MAF placement also looks to be a contributing factor in how the ECU behaves.

Someone noticed! Didn't do any logging this time round but we will be... Stay Tuned!

[Norcalmav23]

You Sir are the freaking man. Very well executed comparison.

[tintumz22]

awesome! you just made it easier and supported my choice! In all those setup is Snorkel deleted?

[Anorexic 86]

Shocking results...

Some are not going to be happy when they see this.

[Drift-Office]

Originally Posted by tintumz22

In all those setup is Snorkel deleted?

Negative, I elected to keep it there.

[tintumz22]

Originally Posted by Drift-Office

Negative, I elected to keep it there.

Will it made difference in gains if removed?

[toysub]

Originally Posted by Norcalmav23

You Sir are the freaking man. Very well executed comparison.

+1
Great writeup... thanks for sharing this data.

[Shagaliscious]

Thank you! I gotta say i'm not surprised seeing Injen with the biggest gains. They make the best intakes.

[Gregory Gawaran]

Thanks for this information. I know now what intake to go for. It's information like this that goes a long way with communities! Thank you for sharing!

[Surok]

Wow, nearly spent my money in the wrong place. Thanks for the write up.

[2forme]

Were the dyno runs done with a closed hood on a warm car?

The only reason I ask, is the Injen isn't really a cold air intake. I know the stock intake can lose power without the snorkel once the ambient temp inside the engine bay gets above a certain point. I could definitely see the Injen, and maybe even the AIRAID suffering from this as well, since they suck in hot air instead of cold air.

Also, look at how much leaner Injen made the car. I'm assuming these cars had stock tunes, so I'd like to see how much power it would make once someone like @Visconti tunes one. I'm willing to bet it would be similar to my results. (very little without e85)

In the end, I think the only reason it makes that much power is because of the open hood and much leaner AFR curve.

And how many runs did you do of each setup? I'm assuming you picked the best runs for both stock and each intake?

[JoeBoxer]

I'm surprised by the results too i knew the Airraid wasn't a great design and all the previous dyno's i've seen of the Injen lose power everywhere except the very top end. I think the AVO and AFE are still the best options out of this group i don't think the Injen will make that power number under most conditions.