Tune or not to tune....?

[NGBZ]

Greetings.

I have a 2016 WRX STi which I've had since new and it's just hit 98k. Only things I've done are a cat back exhaust and decent pads/rotors. Otherwise it's run fine for the last 9 years.

I sometimes think about getting something newer but there's nothing else out there to consider as an upgrade that has a 6 speed manual box and AWD.....

 

The other option is a tune. But is it worthwhile doing? I see that the likes of D-Tech or PBMS can extract an extra 40hp or so from a tune but is it worth the $1k or so when it comes to real world diving?I guess a cat delete and tune would offer larger gains, but aside from costing more, would it be at the cost of reliability? I'm not interested in spending huge $ on other upgrades.

 

Would be keen to hear from any VA owners who have gone down this route and what, if any, difference a tune has made and is it worth the $?

 

Look forward to some opinions.

Gary

[Andy_Mac]

It’s generally worth getting a tune done just to get away from the factory one which is very emissions dependent so can be far from great on most Subaru’s. Not sure on VA’s but some of the Legacy’s could get noticeably better economy for cruising which helps a bunch for long trips

 

An aftermarket intake and downpipe along with a tune will really wake it up and even with the on paper figure being not that much higher it can be way nicer to drive. The SI Drive stuff can usually be optimised a bit too so it acts more like separate maps rather than just pedal feel. 

[Gripless]

Downpipe and tune is still best value upgrade though it costs more every year.

 

Stock 2L cars are only really about 185kw at the wheels, with down pipe and tune can hit 220kw at the wheels.

 

But that’s just peak power which isn’t where the big gains are.

What you want is more area under the line on the dyno graph. Useable power is consistent and found in the mid range.

 

Stock turbo won’t put out much more than a few extra psi at the redline so up there there is only a little gain up there.

What it can push 5-7psi more or about 23psi by 4K which is a 30-40% gain. Turbo comes on a little earlier and ramps up way quicker. That’s where the push you back in your seat comes from. 

Look at the power on some dyno graphs posted on here or other forum that have stock and tuned. In some it’s 45kw in the 4.5k range. But likely it’s 35kw from 4.5k all the way to 8k 

 

 

 

If you add a bigger intercooler you may get more power, but what it mainly gives you is more time at those dyno numbers. Normally after slower twisting roads at high boost in lower gears the intake temps rise and it won’t make the same power as on the dyno.

Or cheaper option is water spray kit.

Edited March 1 by Gripless

[NGBZ]

Any charts for the 2.5L engine with just a tune?