Am I crazy?

So after about 9 months of owning my Tundra, I'm playing with the idea of trading it in for a brand new 2021 Subaru STI before the EJ motor goes extinct. I absolutely love the ground clearance and interior space of my crewmax, but I also consider myself a "car guy" and enjoy rowing through gears and carving corners on the backroads home. Am I crazy for wanting to make this move? The Subaru dealership is giving me more than what I paid for my truck so it would actually be a lower payment for the STI as well as cheaper in gas overall.

I'm aware of the "weakpoints" of the EJ, especially after owning a couple Evos a few years ago. It would be kept stock for the most part other than coilovers and wheels to maintain reliability and warranty. I work on all my vehicles and stay on top of all preventive maintenance and would be doing religious oil changes every 3k. I also have an F82 M4 and while I love that car, she sits in the garage 340 days out of the year and honestly is too much for the street and how I want to drive it. I daily'd an Evo for over 7 years, so turbo lag at lower RPMs and clutching in and out during traffic isn't unfamiliar to me at all. At the same time, with my Tundra, I can literally drive with two fingers on the wheel and barely be paying attention(I do actually pay attention to the road lol) and not have to worry about the road quality.

Has anyone made the jump out of their truck and did something similar? Did you have any "Ragrets"? STIs hold their value like no other and with it being the last year for the EJ motor, I'm sure resale value in a year or two wouldn't be bad if I just absolutey hate it. I got a great deal on my Platinum earlier this year before all the madness really set in with truck prices so that makes it a little bit harder to part with.

/rant

 

Just an honest question: if you are planning to stay mostly stock, why would you not save some $$$ and just go with the FA motor in a standard WRX? Full disclosure, I am slightly biased because I had one, but as a daily driver every single review indicated the 2.0 was a better option. The ONLY advantage the EJ 2.5 had was a higher performance ceiling if major tuning/modding was planned.


I traded my WRX and another vehicle on my Tundra, and I can honestly say that I wish I had paid the extra to keep the WRX and get the Tundra. It's the only vehicle I've ever regretted letting go of. If you love your Tundra, don't make the same mistake I did.

 

Yep...foolish move indeed!

 

trust me haha I tried to convince myself on the WRX as well, even test drove one this past weekend. But I just know how I am with my vehicles, and I hate looking back and wishing I did things differently. I've always bought the highest trim of what I got, and this would be no different even for a daily. And tbh, I didn't like the way the WRX felt during boost. I read some review of someone describing it as "being held back by a parachute" and that hit the nail on the head on exactly how it felt when I drove it. I would love to keep the Tundra and get the STI, but that would not sit well with the fiance considering I have an M4 that just sits and my R6 that also just sits. I love my toys, but I also try to be responsible in any way I can. OHHH and the fiance also just bought a brand new Highlander XSE which is kinda what got me thinking of downsizing in the first place. First world problems I guess haha

 

If you don't need the Tundra for the utility of a truck, then do what makes you happy!

 

This segment of a sentence confirms you are crazy.

 

Only reason to own a truck is because you need a truck- there are better transportation alternatives if you don't need the hauling and towing capability. So, do what makes you happy. You will get top dollar for the Tundra, so it could be a good time to deal.

 

Not crazy, just exploring options. You bought your tundra for a reason though, think back to that day and imagine why you bought a truck. If you do truck things ever, then you will have regrets. Personally mine is family truck, towing toys/trailers and homeowner so I use the bed a lot. I had regrets the times I didn't have a truck.

 

Fair enough, and I absolutely believe that if you are paying new car prices, settling is a bad idea. Leads to regret and wasting money to try and fill that want. The only "flaw" I see is having toys that sit, but that's a personal thing. If I'm not using it, then it is leveraged for something I will use. In your position, I'd be trading the two toys that sit for one that I would use and keeping the Tundra. Again, that's just me.

 

The two main things you listed as positives for the Tundra were ground clearance and interior space. That makes it sound like you don't really need a truck. I'm one of those guys who waited a long time to buy his first truck, and now I can't imagine not having one. I use it all the time. Do you use yours for anything that only a truck will do?

I have toyed with the idea of getting an older WRX to wrench on. Would be fun.

Second question: how much of this is the thrill of the next new thing? I'm not saying it is or it isn't; but IF it is, recognizing it as such might help you make a clearer-headed decision.

 

Correction " the only reason YOU might own a truck is because YOU need a truck"...carry on!

 

You have to do what moves you, but I recommend watching the YouTube video linked below. It is by 'Peter' on the 'Toyota Maintenance' channel who I believe is highly competent and honest who discusses Subaru quality. I also know of several people who own Subarus who have had terminal engine failures with mileage that forum members here would consider to be low mileage Tundra trucks. Good luck with the decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJwb15IyfIM

 

We've had 2 STi's, a 2016 and 2019, both had 0 problems and were driven hard, I think the facelift model (19+) is probably as good as it's going to get, the engine has RA internals, and it DEFINITELY made more power, it just felt lot faster than the 2016, the suspension was much smoother, clutch was better.

 

I would sell the M4 and keep the Tundra/STI. My newest vehicle before the Tundra was 18 SRT Jeep. It was great and very useful for my needs. Towing, vacationing, and letting her rip.

I thought with the srt, sequoia, and outback I could get away from a truck. I had a F350 I sold a little over a year ago. Boy, was I wrong.

Will never do that again. Only thing of mine that really sits is my boat, because of the NE winters. Get the STI.

 

If you don't need a truck to do truck things then why not?

 

Yeah do it. I love my tundra but if I didn’t need a bed or ability to tow stuff, I definitely wouldn’t have a truck. I love rowing gears and slipping in and out of parking spaces easily. I always wanted a previous generation STI, but the new ones are alright I guess.

 

If you don't use the Tundra for truck stuff, do it. I rAgret getting rid of my Subaru as that was a blast to drive. BOLT ON MODS ONLY! I went down a rabbit hole with mine, and in hindsight I should've left it alone at 300whp. 5 engines and 3 transmissions later, well you get the idea.

 

I traded my 2016 STI for my 2020 Tundra. The reason I did that is because I decided to go full hog on a racecar with trailer, so I needed a tow vehicle. The only way I would ever continue to drive a truck is if I need to tow, otherwise I'd be in a manual transmission performance car of some flavor (still leaning towards the STI and BRZ if I decided to jump ship on my current setup!)

The EJ has well established weaknesses, which means there are aftermarket fixes to address all of them. That being said, I might have had a problem with my STI, but couldn't figure out where exactly it was. I was doing a lot of track time with ill-advised "supporting" mods that were installed poorly. I know several other people that have STIs and are either keeping stock or modding correctly who have had 0 issues.

If you're not using your truck for truck stuff, then sell it and get the STI! Be smart about your mods and maintenance, and you'll be all good! At the very least, that car needs a catback exhaust (no tune required). Let that EJ sing!

 

Appreciate all your responses! For a Tundra forum, some of you guys are sure making it hard to not go for the STI haha. BUt I guess that's why this has been one of my favorite forums that I've been a member of! You all make great points, some of the same points I've been back and forth with the last few weeks.

My fiance and I are expecting our first kid in March and her Highlander seem to have taken the "family vehicle" title as it is a much more comfortable ride and easier to get in and out of for my fiance who is barely breaking 5feet lol. Getting rid of the M4 for now is out of the questions, as I'm hoping it follows typical BMW trend and shoot up even more in value as it ages. As far as the truck bed use, it mainly sees our mountain bikes which I've loved the ease of just throwing it in the back with the tailgate pad at the end of a long ride. The back seat of the crew max is great as well for our lab puppy (5 months currently) and eventually the car seat for when we take the truck over the Highlander.

I know each vehicle will have its compromise and I just can't seem to decide what I am willing to give up. I also love the interior of my truck with the Platinum trim.. part of me feels I'll be downgrading going to an STI as far as interior quality which has me feeling like an old man haha. And I will say, despite the safety ratings on Subarus, I do feel the doors feel light compared to my truck and other prior vehicles which makes me question just how safe the STI will be with my family in it compared to my Tundra..

 

Good Luck w/ya choice

 

Funny, when I ask my friends and family this same question and I mention I'd be keeping the STI stock if I get it, not a single one believed me and just gave me a -_- look. Can't blame them but I could have worse hobbies haha

 

My wife is due in December for our first and we have a 5 mo. old lab pup!

 

Lots of members here have changed vehicles and stuck around, and you'd be encouraged to do the same. The STI rear seat will definitely not be good for a lab and a car seat, so it's a pure commuter/toy. Another thing I would say is consider the future plans. If you might move somewhere with deep snow you are going to instantly regret getting rid of your truck. If you are pretty rooted where you are and the local weather won't be a challenge, then a WRX/STI is about the best budget race care you can get.

 

Congrats! Def changes how you think about things, doesn’t it! Here’s our red lab pup, Doug.

 

Congrats to you too! Good looking pup you got there, got the exact same harness, Amazon special. Definitely agree, got a set of all different kind of priorities now. Guess you have a lot to think about bud, Doug looks comfy in that Tundra.

This is Willow, pic was soon after we brought her home.

 

Every time I look for used wrx and stis I come across a few with new blocks, is this from lack of maintenance or mods? I'm assuming stis are at least MSRP these days? What about a golf R anymore reliable figure that would keep its value similar to the sti.

 

Congrats.

 

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