[ichiban]

IMO it's all personal preference. Most 1er buyers will leave their car in stock trim, while STi owners with the HUGE/more accessible aftermarket support can more easily customize their STis. I agree that the STi in stock trim is not great, but even with a few DIY mods, the STi can appear much more presentable. Here's some pix of lightly modded STi's .... *puts flame suit on* for posting these pix here ...