Top 3 Power Mods for Your 2015+ WRX for Under $500

The 2015-2021 Subaru WRX is still a highly desirable and fairly newer model, and depending on what year you have, you got the best car to fit your budget. And as much we we’d like to build our WRX’s top to bottom to have a race car to take to work, we have to modify based on the confines of our bank accounts. Because of these reasons, we put together a small list of modifications that you can perform for under $500 that will produce better performance.

 

Cold Air Intake:

The factory airbox is effective for a stock EJ and for those of you who may not care for performance and are happy where things are right off the assembly line. However, when you are going down the path of basic performance upgrades, a proper cold air intake system is one of the key ingredients. Especially if you upgrade your exhaust system that will naturally increase the horsepower. A factory airbox and filter will be highly restrictive as a performance exhaust will produce more power and boost. Metaphorically, the turbocharger will try to suck in air through a thick cloth. A cold air intake system will relieve this issue as it allows the turbocharger to breathe in a larger volume of unrestricted air.

But why is it called a cold air intake? Your factory airbox is typically connected to your turbocharger or intake manifold through a corrugated tube. This design allows the intake to essentially flex during engine movement. But it can also create inner turbulence as the air passes through the accordion-style tubing. Over time and mileage, it is common for this intake pipe to develop cracks or tears simply due to age, vibration, and multiple heat cycles. A cold air intake system will usually have an extended pipe that is connected to a cone-style filter. As the air passes through the filter and makes its way into the turbocharger, the air charge cools to create more power, better throttle response, with less turbo lag. It is because of these reasons that a cold air intake system should be one of the first modifications you should perform because if you get a custom tune, downpipe, or a cat-back exhaust system you will be make more power now that your engine can exhale the exhaust gases much faster, but you will be limited as your EJ can only breathe so much from the stock intake box. A proper cold air intake allows the turbo to properly inhale a higher volume of air throughout all modifications and boost levels, and it also optimizes the perfomance potential of your other modifications.  

 

Boost Control Solenoid:

The boost control solenoids offered by the likes of GrimmSpeed, PERRIN, and COBB Tuning among others are solid units. The factory boost control solenoid has much improvement left on the table in terms of reaction time and accuracy, and it is limited due to the control of the ECU. Here are some benefits on why you should upgrade to any of the quality aftermarket units:

• Decreases spool time
• All are manufactured to endure extreme conditions in the engine bay
• The majority of these are going to be a plug-and-play installation
• All will work safely with the factory ECU
• All provide a faster and precise boost control response
• All are rater to a higher PSI
• All will include the appropriate fittings to connect your boost lines

The boost control solenoid is a must-have especially when you are gathering the rest of your basic performance upgrades such as an intake and exhaust. You will want optimal boost control, and you will want to hit your specified targets every time you are under boost to make sure you are not over boosting, or under boosting. Additionally, these solenoids will response very well because you will need tuning to optimize the function of these solenoids. Make sure you have a proper tuning device such as the COBB Tuning Accessport.

 

Now there are a few examples that you can for $500 or less, and you can actually get the Greddy RS System for a little over $501 and Greddy is a grandfathered brand. More importantly, any of the available examples are going to inherent the key design features that add more power and performance. These design features include a larger piping diameter, that is combined with as much of a straight-through design with as much minimal bends as possible. The lack of restriction for the exhaust gases to pass through is what creates more horsepower and torque while reducing the overall turbo lag.

 

Furthermore, you get that race-inspired Subaru rumble, and you get the weight savings. All of which should be direct replacements for your factory exhaust system that can be installed on a weekend with some mechanical know how, and basic garage tools.

 

These (3) upgrades for under $500 each are all highly beneficial in terms of performance. Now these are considered basic upgrades that you will have to perform otherwise, but make a noticeable difference in power, sound, and response. You need a proper intake to breathe, you need a proper cat-back exhaust system to allow the exhaust gases to exhale, and you need a proper boost control solenoid to make sure your turbocharger is ready to respond.

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