I know the stock airbox on our cars are great and don't need replacing but coming from a long line of turbocharged vehicles, I personally prefer the induction sound.
I really wanted something enclosed that would retain the factory look and cold air functionality.
I browsed all the big name brands upwards of $500+ as well as the the more affordable options which would either mute the induction sound or remove the airbox all together.
I just about gave up when I decided to give good ol eBay a try.
Sure enough, I found a CAI branded Kyostar. Not sure if they're a new Brand or established elsewhere but regardless it checked all the boxes for a
fraction of the cost. I searched online (forums / YouTube) for reviews but couldn't find anything. I was extremely skeptical but for the price I couldn't pass it up.
Ordered Thursday evening 3/10 - Received Monday afternoon, 3/14 via UPS.
Initial Impressions:
To my surprise the quality of materials were actually really good. Everything was securely packaged /wrapped. The welds and tubing were solid. The black wrinkle coating was tough. Nothing seemed like it was cheaply sourced or made. I'm not sure the grade of the filter so I'll probably be replacing this with a more reputable brand down the line.
Fitment:
There were no fitment issues whatsoever. No rattles or additional sounds in the engine bay that would be caused by lose fittings. All the needed hardware was included. If I'm being super picky, the rear most portion of the heat shield was maybe 1/2 inch off but this was easily / quickly remedied by lightly pushing it back into place. Installation took about 1 hour.
Sound:
After warm up I put the car in Manual mode and let the revs hang for a bit... First 3k, then 4k etc... wanted to make sure everything was secure and no codes were thrown before I gave it the beans. (No CEL's as of yet)
Switch to Sport+ and went WOT. The sounds it produced made the price of gas worth every penny. There is no mistaking you drive a turbo 6 from the outside and you'll know exactly when boost is building and when it hits. I couldn't stop smiling the entire drive home.
Overall thoughts:
It's not my intention to stray anyone away from buying proven, reputable branded products. I def took took a risk ordering from eBay but I'm glad I did. I am very satisfied with my purchase and would recommend to anyone looking for something similar.