Carbon Blue

Hey there everyone well it looks like im in the car buying stage again and its time to replace my celica. I mountain bike frequently, go paintballing, friends on the weekends and then in the winter im snowboarding so it is safe to assume that space is a major factor in my car buying decision. Well Ive narrowed down my choices and it seems that its between the Toyota FJ cruiser, subaru sti, and subaru forester XT. I love the ruggedness of the FJ but as of right now dealers are marking them up a few thousand and gas mileage sucks (needs premium gas on top of that)! I was able to test drive one and loved it except for the few cheapo plastics that they had used. For an SUV of that size I would expect a little more room and utility. The suicide doors are ok but still make getting in the backseat a minor hassle (nothing too biggie). WHile driving the FJ there is a major blind spot that is very hard to get used to and the fact that the rear windows arent able to retract is another negative. Other than that acceleration was great and the ride was plush. Up next was an sti. I went to the local dealership and they were very hesitant to let me test drive one but after a few minutes of showing some interest they finally let me have the keys. Upon entering the car I already felt that sport car love that I had in me when i first began driving(hence the celica). Low slung and seats that could hold you in place even during the highest G's. Start the car up and sure enough is that classic boxer rumble, how can you not love it? I was able to take a few short blasts but nothing towards redline and instantly I fell in love with boost. This was the first turbo'd car I have ever driven and I can see how having a car of this nature COULD GET ADDICTING (which I dont mind ). I loved the utility of the four doors the decently sized trunk and plus it seats 5. AWD is nice for those winter conditions but then again im in socal so that does seem like quite the contradiction. Its alot better on gas as opposed to the FJ but the price tag it carries seems quite lofty. On top of that I had a hard time picturing myself in that car 6 years down the road, a little too fast the furious I thought and the dealership mentioned that the special edition STI's were a little harder to come by. I wanted to test drive the Subaru XT edition but they did not have any available for me to test drive, it seems like the best of both worlds but its styling is so so and it never really struck me as a car Id get. Id like to keep my price range with an OTD max of 34-35k. Im only looking to buy new and not used so if there are any other suggestions that would fall between the two different car worlds of the FJ and sti then I would like to hear your input and opinion. Thanks again!

cbehney

I'll be curious to see the replies. I'm thinking of getting an FJ for my son. What do you mean about the rear seats not retracting? They don't go flat?

Carbon Blue

The rear seats do fold flat but the rear windows do not go down, as in they are permanently closed.

cbehney

Thanks. I'm a moron.

I saw "seats" instead of "windows" for some reason. That's kind of a pain, not retracting.

sahtt

Even though the FJ and STI have 4wd I can't really see comparing the two for the same spot on the driveway. The FJ is a truck, the STI is a car. You can literally put a bike in the back of a FJ.

My father recently bought a FJ. He goes hunting in south Texas and Mexico often. When it rains down there, it is the worst mud on the continent. There is no one within 100 miles to help you, and all the roads are dirt obviously. He has had 0 issues in the mud and if you've been watching the weather in that area, that's almost impossible to believe. The coolest aka dumbest thing he's done is go through water about 4 feet high for almost 100 yards. It only has 4k miles on it and I think that's idiotic but 4ft high on an STI and you probably couldn't see out of the windows.

When he comes home, he opens up the doors and cleans the interior with a water hose. The 'cheapy' plastic parts are that way on purpose and are extremely easy to clean.

The FJ is a one of a kind truck. It's gas mileage is OK for that type of vehicle, my father gets 22-24mpg on the highway.

It's not too great for hauling lots of people and side visibility isn't very good either. However, every 'flaw' I've found is actually just part of the function and durability.

FJ's are going to have great resale values down the road with tons of buyers. Can't say the same for STI's. Their long term reliability should be legendary regardless of what abuse you give it. Can't say the same for the STI.

I like both vehicles personally and would rather have the STI for a street car/daily driver. But if you are actually going off road and like sticking fishing rods, ice chests, bikes, etc. in your car the FJ should fit the bill for about the next 20-30 years.

hondurr

paragraphs please.

Bboy AJ

So what problems does the STI have? They ARE reliable cars.

To the topic creator: Get the FJ. It seems to suit your needs much better. A Honda Element also has great utility, though Honda doesn't have a good AWD system.

s2kva

I think he was suggesting that the temptation to drive the STI to its limitless sometimes leads to abuse, and thats when the reliability becomes vulnerable. but then again we are comparing a sport utility to a sports car.

CU Nick

We have an FJ and I like it a lot. If you have any questions about it just let me know. I find it to be a lot of fun. Also, its apperance is different compared o everything else on the road, and I like that. It is pretty beastly off-road as well.

CKit

We had one. Put 17k miles on it. Great resale. Traded it for an RS4. PM me with questions, if you'd like. I'd get an STi if you don't need the cargo space. You seem young and you really don't need that much space. A sedan with a snowboard rack should be just fine.