[86MLR]

You cannot compare a turbo 4 door AWD glorified grocery getter to a small NA RWD.

I sold a 2015 STI (glorified grocery getter with a good box, extra 0.5l and some badges) and grabbed a 2017 86, apples and oranges.

Yes, the WRX has a 2.0 whilst the STI has the 2.5, but, the FA20t isn't much different to the EJ25t performance wise, I test drove both, the WRX was actually more responsive than the STI off the line, I only got the STI because I always wanted one.

As for over heating, my STI only ever had high oil temp issues when I went I added some bolt ons and a tune, and only when pushed hard at the track, never on the street, which was easily and cheaply fixed with a oil cooler.

An oil cooler is required if you track or charge a 86 anyway.

The main difference I found, and the reason for the swap, was when I was having "fun" in the STI, I was at warp speed (the only handling mods were tyres and some adjustable sway bars, night and day difference to handling).

The 86 is fun reving the guts out of it getting up to the speed limit and wringing its neck in the twisties, my oil temps do get up to 120°c in heavy traffic, the STI never did though.

So, in closing, if you need a AWD 4 door car with some performance you cannot go wrong with a WRX, you can fit the missus and kids with all the superfluous stuff that involves and go to the shops, or/and, put on some roof racks and load up the boards and fishing rods and take the family basically anywhere, or hit the track.

But, If you want a RWD car that can be fun to drive around the twisties, and only big enough to take the missus away for a weekend, minus the kids, the 86 is perfect.

My kids have their own cars now so I have no need for 4 door, I now have a need for a 4 cyl, RWD car that I can relive my youth by being the oldest "hoonigan" around, a screaming RWD NA with exhaust and tune fits that bill perfectly, for now....

I did look into charging mine, but to be reliable I didn't find it financially viable.

I pissed my money away in my youth spending tens of thousands on builds, to lose it all on resale, if the engine and drivetrain was stronger dropping 10k wouldn't bother me, but dropping 10k and waiting for it to break........ been there done that.

If they put a FA20t into the 86 at the factory, and upgraded the gearbox and other parts of the drivetrain I would be first in line to get one, my daughter wants my current 86 anyway, that would make at least 1 of the women in the house happy, for a while anyway, and me, the happiest hoonigan around.