Sure, it adds features and improves performance, but that doesn't help when you're stuck in traffic.
The Cobb Accessport is as much a part of Subaru WRX life as flat-brimmed caps and vaping. The performance improvements of its off-the-shelf tuning maps are well documented, and as its name suggests it provides tuners with access to modify engine maps any way they want to safely squeeze every last bit of horsepower out of your build, regardless of other modifications. But what the zillions of other reviews on the internet don't tell you is how much the Accessport can improve the car's daily drivability, which is arguably even more important than peak performance.
When I transitioned from my Subaru BRZ into my 2015 WRX the throttle response seemed particularly jumpy to me. At first, I wrote this off as simply the difference between the WRX having a turbo while the BRZ did not, but neither my wife's Ford Flex EcoBoost nor our VW Jetta 1.8T had as itchy a trigger finger as the new-to-me WRX.
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Although I don't vape and my hats aren't flat-brimmed, a Cobb Accessport was the first modification I made to my WRX. A basic Stage 1 tune requires absolutely no physical modifications to the car, so I installed that off-the-shelf tune immediately. Instantly, the car became much easier to drive. The jumpiness of the gas pedal was gone. The drive-by-wire throttle became much more linear, meaning that when I asked for 20 percent throttle, I actually got 20 percent, not 50 percent. Though the car lost the excitement of its rapid responsiveness, it became easier and more predictable to drive.
This, rather than the horsepower increase, is the major unadvertised benefit of the tune. Sure, the extra power is great for blasting past that left lane hog in a narrow gap in traffic, but while you're still stuck behind them the car is less jumpy and easier to drive smoothly. Since I spend most of the time in my WRX commuting through the traffic of Boston, Massachusetts' suburbs, I appreciate the ease of driving behind slow people 5 to 10 mph under the speed limit far more often than the horsepower bump.
The other unadvertised benefit of the Cobb Accessport is improved fuel economy. I'm talking about the performance tune, not the tune designed specifically to maximize fuel economy. The U.S. Department of Energy says that my manual WRX should get 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg highway, with a combined mileage of 24 mpg. Yet in the real world, I regularly get 28 mpg in mixed driving and have exceeded 30 mpg in strictly highway driving.
'While we don’t advertise fuel economy improvements, generally, due to optimized tuning, customers can occasionally see a slight improvement in fuel mileage under average driving conditions,' Matthew Bryant of Cobb Tuning support told me in an email. Improved performance, drivability, and fuel economy—the Cobb Accessport has it all.
At $650, it's definitely not a cheap modification. But for my WRX daily driver, it's the only performance modification I need.
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Posted by2 years ago
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I just installed my Cobb Access Port on my otherwise stock 2016 WRX Limited (I do have winter tires on). I just wanted to share my thoughts on it in case any of you are on the fence about getting one. If you don't know what what an Access Port is, basically it allows you to tune your engine on demand. The files uploaded are called 'maps' and they provide the instructions for how your engine runs. The map I've been running is the 91 Octane Performance Map (only 92 octane is available in my area)
Pros:
- Smoother shifting. There is an RPM hang on the stock map and this resolves it
- Smoother power. You don't find those pockets of RPMs where you mash on the pedal and it seems to do nothing
- Full use of gas pedal. With the stock option, I think 30% compression gives you 100% throttle. The performance map distributes the pedal compression-to-throttle ratio much better
- Better sound. It may be because I've had my music off, but it seems to keep the engine in ranges where the engine sounds really nice
- On Demand map changes - you can switch between stock, performance, economy (freeway), valet or anti-theft mode. There are variations of each map depending on octane and mods to your car. These are just the out of the box maps, you can add more if you wish.
- Can run as low as 91 Octane. I would prefer to use 93+, but when you're on the road sometimes you get stuck with 91. Nice to know I can tell my engine it's getting a lower octane
- Easy Setup - From box to install and driving took 10 min. Literally just plug it in, back up your ecu (automatic) and select the map you want to use. Good to go
- Extra gauges and 0-60 timing. You can time your 0 to 60 run as well as view some more info about your air flow, fuel mixture and more (I still need to explore)
Neutral:
- HP and Torque gains. Cobb claims about an 8% increase for both wHP and Torque. I can't say that I notice it, but I do have winter tires on so I'm not pushing it that hard. I saw a dyno that put the WRX wheel HP at about 220, so with the map you end up around 240 (this is a guess). Not sure if that is really even noticeable.
- OTS maps. Off the Shelf maps are never going to be as good as a custom tune. That being said, it's my understanding that some pro tuners will make Cobb Compatible maps for you
- Launch Control. This allows you to set a max RPM and drop the clutch on takeoff. I consider it a neutral feature as it's hell on your clutch so I probably won't use it that much.
Cons:
- Turbo boost is less noticeable / gone. Before, when you put your foot into it, the turbo kicked in and you were pushed back into your seat. With the smoother power delivery, you dont get that as much. Again, I'm not driving it as aggressively as I normally would as I have winter tires on. If you miss it, you can always load the stock map
- Price. I paid $650 for mine directly from Cobb. Included is the cable to hook it up to your car, a face-plate, a car mount and a USB cable to connect to your computer. It's a little expensive if you're only looking for the gains. I'm planning on going to stage 2 eventually (requires Access Port), so this was my first step and I'm ok with the minimal gains. I would have paid about half as much just to get the rev hang fixed, but that's just me.
- Warranty Issues - Modding the engine can/does interfere with your warranty. I'm not sure of all the details, but I know it may 'void' some parts of the warranty if it's determined that the ecu mod caused the issue in question.
Just my two cents on the access port but I hope this helps you guys a pretty good idea of what you'd be getting into. If you have any questions I'll try my best to get back to you. Be sure to wave :)
TLDR: Rev hang eliminated, smoother power, better overall drive-ability / enjoyment, 'boost' sensation reduced/gone, perhaps not worth it / better off with a pro tune if you are not planning on going stage 2 or higher
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