I put a stock WRX catback exhaust on my 2.5i today. Sound and mechanical differences are negligible so far, but I have not been up to highway speeds yet.
Anyway, here are pictures of the two side by side for reference. The 2.5i has the thinner pipe, goofy looking resonator, and no chrome tip.
Is the mid exhaust fitting bolt on ?
Yeah, at every junction there’s a 2 bolt flange that connects them