“First, the good: This is perhaps the only TRUE off-the-shelf end-to-end 3" OD exhaust system on the market for the 10th gen Si. There is no neck-down at the inlet flange, and the split just prior to the mufflers uses smaller piping but has a combined cross-sectional area that is about 115% that of the main 3" OD piping, so it really doesn't count as a neck-down. Both the resonator and mufflers are straight-through designs with layers of fiberglass and stainless steel wool packing (I assume to help prevent the fiberglass from "burning out") which makes for a very free-flowing system. The exhaust note is quite good, one of the deepest out there on this car. There is no tinny rasp. Instead, every high note sounds muffled so you are left with a rich low tone. You'll get some nice burbles on throttle lift and shifting even with the stock downpipe. Cold starts are a little rowdy but warm idle is a lovely, deep purr. It's very subdued below 3000rpm but roars above 3000rpm and on hard acceleration. During highway cruising the exhaust its presence known but it isn't overbearing. It's definitely louder than stock, but not so loud as to anger the neighbors or drown out conversations inside the car. The material is visibly high quality and the robotic TIG welds are gorgeous. The system weighs in at about 36.4lbs. I've not had any issues with scraping, but my vehicle is at factory ride height. There shouldn't be any issues with a mild drop.
Now, the bad: There is some drone when coasting (no throttle) or decelerating between 3000-4000rpm but not under other circumstance. Getting correct fitment is VERY tricky. You MUST bolt the system together BEFORE hanging it. You will likely need to bend some of the heat shields to prevent them from rattling. If you encounter a very loud rattle it is likely that you will need polyurethane hangers (10mm hole size, 41mm center-to-center) on the forward hangers of the muffler section to limit vertical movement, since there is very little clearance between the piping and the rear subframe. The "double barrel" look is decent but the mufflers will look like they are hanging low no matter what, and from directly behind the car it looks kind of like giant truck nuts. The inlet flange that connects to the front pipe can only be tightened with open-end wrenches or "crow foot" attachments, as there is absolutely no space for a socket due to the pipe diameter.
The ugly: Skunk2 REALLY cheaps out on their packing material. They wrap each section in just one or two layers of bubble wrap and the kit can flop and slide around inside the box during shipping. I had to return the first system that I received due to a gouge on one tip and a deformation in the other caused by rough handling during shipping. The replacement had a slight dent in the bottom of one muffler, but was otherwise in decent enough condition. Until Skunk2 decides to pack their boxes appropriately, you're going to take a gamble when you purchase this system. Even though the welds are beautiful and robotically performed, there can be some odd variations in the pieces.
Overall, this is a decent, and VERY affordable exhaust if you are willing to make some compromises and struggle through a challenging installation for a TRUE 3" system.”
