Big difference is it doesn't buck as much and the low end response is much sooner. Peak doesn't actually change much but the response from 2000-3000 RPMs is dramatically improved. It's much smoother running as well.
Stage 1 on either WRX or STI, be it the 2.0 or the 2.5,is a big improvement of the factory map. Base maps are still "safe" and can be tweeked more, but still better than stock.
thinking back to when I did that...the engine idled smoother and there was a noticeable (but not great) increase in usable power. (mosc described it well) I certainly liked it at the time.
I currently run the Cobb AP Stage 1, and after installing it (which is very easy, just connect the wires, plug it in, and then select your program) I felt a good amount more of low end torque/power...
It really made a big difference in driveability. It's so much easier to zip off the stoplight, or merge in traffic. The lag is virtually eliminated b/c of the low end torque.
I had a problem with hesitation throughout the RPM range. It was a lot smoother with Stage 1. Of course, that made me want Stage 2. Honestly I think the Stage 1 improvement was bigger than the Stage 2.
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