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2023 Subaru WRX Long-Term Update: I get by with a little help from my friends … at STI

A few weeks back, as Zac was on his way out of the office to go drive the new Porsche 911, he fired off a brief but exciting note: The STI accessories we’d pondered installing on our 2023 Subaru WRX Limited for several months were not only approved, but waiting for us at the local Subaru dealer. Oh, and could I have it ready for pickup in less than 24 hours? Well, heck yeah, I could, and did. But first, some preparation. 

Not knowing exactly which parts were waiting for us, I figured it would be wise to assume they could throw anything in the catalog at us. That meant it might be wise to record some exhaust clips for comparison purposes on the off chance the STI mufflers were among the items we’d receive. Good thing too, as the WRX

was returned to me 72 hours later with the upgraded exhaust, a new front strut tower brace and a short-shift kit. Not a single purely cosmetic item to be found. You love to see it. 

The stock outlets are above left; the accessory muffler tips are shown above right. Yep, those are “STI” emblems embossed into the tips, which are either hexagonal or heptagonal, depending on how you define a “side.” But looks are only part of the equation, right? This is an exhaust we’re talking about, not a set of side skirts. So I arranged for some before-and-after clips. In each of these, the first half was recorded from about 10-12 feet away and the second from on the ground directly below the exhaust itself. Both were recorded with an iPhone 11, which is far from perfect, but we’re less concerned with absolute accuracy than we are with the difference between the two, right? But take it from me, these are pretty true-to-life. 

Stock

When I say true-to-life, what I’m telling you is that the stock WRX exhaust sounds like… well, that. I’ve called it “nothing” on more than one occasion and I stand by that evaluation. This is essentially a blank canvas; plenty for STI to improve upon. 

STI

There’s quite a bit more bass in the STI mufflers than there is in the stock setup. It’s quite a bit boomier inside the cabin as a result, but I’m pleased to report that it’s not exacerbated by drone at highway speeds. You notice it a lot more around town than you do during a steady-state cruise. That’s a win. Still, the added low-frequency noise may not be to everybody’s liking, and those in condo or apartment complexes should take their neighbors’ sleep schedules into account. 

The benefits of the remaining two upgrades — the strut tower brace and short-shift kit — aren’t so easy to demonstrate here. The stock shifter never really bothered me, and the short-throw upgrade is subtle, but pronounced enough that it threw off my timing the first time I drove it. The strut tower brace provides a better visual than the buried linkage of the shifter, but it’s going to require some real back-road seat time to accurately assess. 

Unfortunately for me, I won’t be the one doing it. Shortly after its return, I handed the WRX off to News Editor Joel Stocksdale for his first modified stint in our long-termer. Stay tuned for further thoughts; I know he has plenty.