If you click on my "Planned WRX Modifications" page linked above, you'll see I've set a target budget and put some thought into what upgrades to purchase once I get my new car. That doesn't mean I'm not still trying to learn as much as I can before the time comes to put down the money and place an order. There is a pretty good chance I'll be tweaking my decisions right up until I'm ready to pull the trigger.
One of the biggest decisions I have is which turbo back exhaust (TBE) to go with. I might get a complete package like the one offered by Perrin Performance (www.perrinperformance.com), or piece together a catted downpipe and cat back exhaust (CBE). What ever I decide, it needs to be as quiet as possible while enhancing the Subaru "rumble". Of course, it also needs to be high quality and fit my budget.
I emailed Maddad Performance (www.maddad-performance.com) to see what options they will have for the 2011 WRX 5-door since it has a quad tipped muffler similar to the 08+ STIs. Their Metal V2 downpipe plus Whisper CBE is very appealing to me although it is a bit pricier than I'd like. The divorced wastegate section on the downpipe is interesting, and I like the sound. I'm still waiting to hear back from those guys though.
Whichever TBE I go with, I plan to measure the sound level (in decibels) inside and out. I'll take reading at idle and a few additional RPMs so that other's will have an idea of how it compares to the stock exhaust. I also plan to compare the sound at speed on a particular stretch of highway. This is the kind of information that is difficult to find on the internet. It's easy to find forum posts comparing exhausts with owners saying this one is "pretty loud" or "only drones a little bit on the highway", etc. Some of the more complete comparison threads are unfortunately several years old and don't always apply to newer models. I guess exhaust sound is also a bit subjective, complicating things even further. It would be great if somehow I could get my hands on two or three packages and compare them all, but I'll have enough of a challenge choosing and paying for one.
Be back again soon!
I have the Maddad divorced DP and Perrin catback and they mated perfectly with absolutely no issues on my 09 WRX (non-STi). Both are very high quality and came with plenty of bolts,flanges,etc to cover the installs. Maddad was a little slow with the communication, but being a weekend warrior shop I understand the delay. I am very very very happy to have spent the extra cash on these parts. I went with the accessport, but if you go opensource that could save a handful of cash.
ReplyDeleteI see this was a direction you were considering and thought the comment may be reassuring/helpful.
Also, check out the Invidia Q300 for being quiet and brining out the rumble while being pretty cheap and high quality.
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input! It is helpful and reassuring to here back from people who've used it first hand.
If you stop back again, let me know what you think of the Perrin CBE sound and power gains.
Thanks again!
Kevin