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Performance options for a 2016 wrx?

43K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  xxMattmanxx 
#1 ·
I'm a noob to the Subie culture and have a few questions when it comes to giving my Subie an aggressive yet subtle look. I'm in need of recommendations when it comes to exhaust, cold air intake and a blow off valve. Invidia, tomei expreme, corsa and greedy were some options I was considering.. I want performance but a mean rumble, lol. As for the cold air intake I was thinking aem and the blow off valve an hks sequential? Let me know what you guys think please? Thanks in advance!

:)
 
#2 · (Edited)
Exhaust: get whatever you like the looks and sound of as far as a catback. You can find sound clips on YouTube for days. If you add a j-pipe into your exhaust you will need to have a tune before adding that into the equation.

Cold air intake: Not necessary! It will make cool wooshy sounds but the stocker is fine until you get past stage 2. A cai will require tuning as well.

Bov: Don't do it!!!!!! There is tons of info out there on why not to do it. Our cars are meant to recycle the air and not blow it off. Hks is the absolute worst bov on the market for our cars. If you must get one, get a bypass valve. I suggest a Cobb.
 
#3 · (Edited)
here is some useful info:

bov: Blow Off Valve FAQ: Read if you are thinking of buying one! - NASIOC

intake: Intake FAQ: Read if you are thinking of buying one! - NASIOC

exhaust: Exhaust FAQ: Read if you are thinking of buying one! - NASIOC

TL : DR

bov: dont get one. your stock bpv is more than adequate.

intake: dont get one. your stock intake is good for ~400hp.

exhaust: get the one you like the sound of most since youre the one hearing it 99% of the time. all the high-end exhaust flow about the same so there is no arguable difference between power gains. since you saved money not buying an intake or bov, you can afford the exhaust you really want
 
#4 ·
Since this is your first post, Welcome to our forums.

As far as what things you need to do to your car start here :http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f51/what-do-first-59649/

Also have a nice write up about bypass valves here : http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f51/bov-beginners-60074/

If you are interested in a more agressive noise the 2015 and 16 has something they refer to as the milk jug. It catches pitchey noises like your bypss valve and mutes out some of the excess volume. If you want more noise you can try pulling it and capping it and seeing if you like the new tone (Its very similar to the snorkus delete on previous years ).

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your new Subaru is a complex computer controlled machine. To take advantage of any performance parts that you add ( other than stickers ) you should consider a new tune for the ECU. Intakes, exhausts and everything in between should be accompanied by a new tune designed for those parts. The only part that you can add without a new tune is a CATback exhaust. It changes the noise but wont make any more power.

Last thing roundabout back to what you said in the beginning. If you want a more aggressive look without spending thousands I personally like the look of mud flaps and window tint. They kind of change the look of the car from a run of the mill looking sedan into a bit of a more aggressive track tool.

Dont forget to wave.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the warm welcome and suggestions. I'm most grateful for it cause I don't know many Subie enthusiasts that can guide me in the proper direction. I want my Subie to stay as fresh as she can without me causing unnecessary damage lol.

Would you recommend getting a cold air intake and if so what brand?
As far as exhaust goes, any particular brands that stand out amongst the others?
When you refer to tune designed for the parts in particular, what do you mean exactly? I'm thinking dyno tuned?
I'm also planning to stance her, would this be a bad idea?
 
#6 · (Edited)
stancing your car is a horrible idea if you plan to actually drive it. if its a show car go right ahead. driving on a stanced car will completey destroy the suspension geometry over time, and can cause massive damage to your drivetrain. your hubs are not meant to rotate at high speeds at those angles.

i'll admit i do i like the look of a stanced car... on a SHOW CAR... if your going to drive like that please do us all a favour and buy an evo :p

if you plan to use a Cobb Accessport, they require specific parts to work with thier OTS (off the shelf) tunes. the parts needed for each "stage" is listed in the map notes on the cobb page.

example (copy pasted from cobb website)
Hardware Requirements: Stage1+BigSF - Otherwise stock vehicle with the following modifications*:
Intake Requirements: COBB Tuning BigSF Intake and Airbox System (Part # 745100)
Exhaust requirements: Stock exhaust or upgraded cat-back exhaust


this is map specifically requires you to use the Cobb Tuning BIG SF intake with this map or else bad things happen. i sum it up to "bad things" because there are literally dozens of issues that this can cause and would take a novel to explain them all. all you need to do if browse tech forums on the internet and look for posts titles "stage X, need help, have XXXXXX problem". you will usually notice they are not using the correct parts for the tune.
if it doesnt not specify exactly the part needed and just says "upgraded something" like it does for the cat-back, then you can use which ever brand you like.


now, if you are going the Protune route, that is where you pay a tuner and have your car dyno'd. this is by far the best results. the tuner tune the car to the mods you have. so it doesnt matter what you get. you can stick with a brand you like or go with whatever is cheapest.

there is also an E-Tune route, but that involves using a cobb ap with "aftermarket" tunes. which i dont want to overwhelm you with information so i wont go into detail about e-tunes yet. its sort of like a protune through the internet without a dyno.


as for cold air intake. your stock box on a 2016 already draws fresh cold air from the front of the car. you still see little to no gains with a CAI untill your pushing 350+ to the wheels. stage 2 you might see 5-10hp. there is better mods for your money at this point. im not saying CAI's are useless, they just are not needed on a wrx with stock motor & turbo. Subaru of America spend billions$$$ on research and devellopment to ensure thier stuff works how its meant to work. save your money and put it towards something more important like tires. no sense adding power if you cant put it to the ground.
 
#7 ·
its a great car stock and will perform heaps better with just a tune... after you get bored with that and have money to spend, go for staged upgrades and talk to dealer to find one that will install staged upgrades to keep your warranty... my 2 cents on a new car ... you warranty is way more valuable to you then any gains you can make bolting on parts... and a tune is the best and most important/noticeable thing you can do ... now after your warranty expires go nuts lol but get back to us or surf the forums and read read read... you could be a subie expert by the time that happens and will know what you need/can do and what the benefits/consequences can be and what needs tuned... traditionally, SOA has their cars tunes super conservatively, especially timing and fueling, for emissions and mileage...
 
#11 ·
The best and worst part of Cobbs marketing is that they have a huge hand over the market. They make a little bit of everything and their products perform well together. That said there are other brands that make similar products that perform the same or better for less money. Lots of guys choose Cobb everything because they are not planning on haveing a professional tune their car. They like that Cobb offers maps for their engine for all their parts and that saves them a few dollars.

If you are planning on haveing a dyno tune done then there is no reason that you should have to work with just Cobb parts. The resonated J pipe would be a great start for your build and as long as it comes with a reliable dyno tune you should be in a great spot come summer time if you decide you need more boost.
 
#12 ·
I know besides the Cobb intake, you can use the ETS and other brand I dont recall now with an OTS. All this answers are great, since Im a newbie too in my first WRX, and reading around I was gettingb to the same conclussion that some parts are just not the right one to begin modding.
 
#13 ·
arcticscythe said "...The only part that you can add without a new tune is a CATback exhaust. It changes the noise but wont make any more power."

Is he suggesting that the Cobb Stage 2 won't increase WHP? Cobb's propaganda indicates a 'pretty good' increase in power.

I'm looking to mod my 2016 STI, with 50K miles. I'm ready. I was considering a stage 3, but after reading thru the forums, I'm inclined to go with a Stage 2, and then work on the suspension.

I'd love go with the stage 3, but i'm mostly concerned about the California smog test in 3 years. I'm prepared to swap out the downpipe before the smog test and flash the ECU, but I've heard that stage 3 wouldn't pass the visual inspection. And, as per the forums, upgrading the suspension is ###### a better use of limited funds than going crazy with a stage 3. I'm hoping I'll be pleased with the power gain from the Cobb Stage 2.

Your guys' thoughts/recommendations?

and I always remember to wave! :)
 
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