Associate Editor Byron Hurd introduced to you the official Subaru performance accessories that we had put in on our 2023 Subaru WRX. And of them, the one I used to be most excited for, and anticipated would change the expertise probably the most, was the STI muffler. For as enjoyable and feisty because the WRX is, the one factor I felt it wanted greater than something was some growl. Or snarl. Or bark. It was just a bit too quiet for its vivid paint job and large hood scoop. So what did I feel once I went to go choose up the WRX for the primary time from Byron, post-op?
“Oh no, I feel we would’ve ruined our WRX.”
Yeah, the primary impression, with barely any miles on the exhaust, wasn’t nice. The WRX has a comparatively high-rpm chilly begin routine, and it finally ends up bringing out the worst of the muffler. It is extraordinarily boomy from the cabin, particularly proper in that rpm vary from 1,000 to 2,000 rpm the place the chilly begin sits. So your morning quiet is damaged by resonant buzzing all by means of the automobile. And the boominess by no means fully goes away. It crops up at different factors within the rev band, and particularly on off-throttle deceleration.Â
There may be some excellent news on this entrance, although. After placing on a number of hundred miles, the general quantity did come down a bit, seemingly after the muffler had “damaged in.” It by no means went away, nevertheless it did mellow.
Much more excellent news, there are real positives to this muffler. Other than occasional boominess, the exhaust tone is pretty clear and deep. And as soon as it settles into the nice and cozy idle, it has a bit of lumpiness such as you’d hope from a boxer engine. The additional quantity is also welcome for rev-matching, as Highway Check Editor Zac Palmer famous, and usually is enjoyable when driving the automobile arduous.
There are two different vital issues that this muffler manages. First, it is fairly civilized on the freeway. That boomy start-up had Hurd and me nervous, however we found that it is tuned good to be quiet (just a bit louder than inventory) and drone-free at freeway cruising speeds (60-80 mph). So you will not go deaf after hours on the freeway. Second, it is weirdly quiet from the surface. We do not know the way, however the exhaust virtually sounds louder inside the automobile than outdoors. You may really feel like a hooligan whereas driving, however with out drawing the ire of your neighbors.
Oh, and the guidelines are sharp. The trapezoidal ideas are distinctive and have crisp stamping, notably the STI logos.
So yeah, ultimately, the muffler is a barely blended bag. It will get fairly noisy inside, annoyingly so at occasions, however in some crucial methods, it nonetheless manages to be livable. So we actually cannot advocate racing out and shopping for it, nor can we are saying to keep away from it. Value noting is that Subaru makes no claims to horsepower beneficial properties, which is smart, because it’s simply the resonator and ideas, not some other components of the exhaust, nor does it include any revised engine tuning. And $1,139.95 is an honest chunk of change, even when it isn’t going to void your warranty. Weigh our execs and cons in opposition to your priorities, take heed to the video pattern, and make your determination from there.