STI - Lower boost typical on a higher mileage car?
 

So I test drove this STI today, for the second time now actually, and I noticed it was only hitting about .08 mpa, and really hovering around .06 most of the time. A stock 05 has I think 14.7psi or a full bar/ .1mpa.

So is this to be expected for a car with 78K miles on it? I calculate .08mpa to be about 11.2lbs, and that's at peak. Most of the time it's probably making less than 10.

Other than this the car is mechanically tits. Oil looks clean, all fluids have been changed out, new timing belt, alignment, motor is even clean. New clutch too.

The stock boost should be 14.5. Either the gauge is bad, or the car has some kind of problem...

This might help:

Peak is around 14.5 but you will only see that from 3rd gear or so. First peaks at around 11 and second around 13 because of the lower load in those gears.

I'm seeing about 9lbs most of the time, peaking at 11lbs in 3rd and 4th. I think something is wrong. I'm going to take the car in to a Subaru dealership Friday.

I'll be taking it to a mechanic because they will have a vacuum diagram and I doubt this guy wants me taking his car apart. Haha.

That seems like a good idea. The car really does look fantastic otherwise though.

I know :/ If the mechanic can't figure it out I might offer him less and just take it.

My other option would be an A4, but those I'm sure will be more expensive to maintain and they make 100 less hp.

I dig A4's, but it's really a whole different class of vehicle. I'd take the STi in a heartbeat.

The future professional in me wants the A4, but the dominant Adam wants the STI

I drove another one last weekend, hit the same .08 max and stayed at .06 most of the time. I think the guage might just be inaccurate. I can't trust my own sense of acceleration at this point, 300hp feels so slow.

Anyways, I'm going to check out a black one today. I'm in love with it already, if I can talk him down $1K I'll put down a deposit.

Sounds like it's holding well. As long as it's maintaining a boost level around the expected mark it should be fine. Hard to tell though with new technologies hampering everything a motor does now.