Komodo,
I test drove the STi before I decided on the Z and don't share your opinion. I felt I had to muscle it around a corner vs. finesse it...I felt much more connected to the road with the Z. But hey, I've never driven the convertible, maybe there is a marked difference.

b.t.w. The creak you are hearing when you enter driveways, etc. is not the chassis. It is more than likely the stock rubber coil spring isolators failing. Get some urethane isolators installed and you'll be good to go.

 

The stock suspension on the Z is very well valved, and the spring rates are spot on. In addition to it not being rally car high. My comparison involved both cars having been set up on JIC FLTA2's, so modified suspension. On good coilovers the Subaru feels like a go kart, I **** you not. I could throw it through turns with reckless abandon, setting it up properly, then applying throtle imeadiately after setting my line. Pretty much the whole way through the turn. If the back end came around, I could stand on the throtle and pull it straight with the front end. The Z is no where near that tossable, it has to be guided through turns, not thrown. Thanks for the suggestion, but it is the chassis. The JIC's eliminate all that stuff. Cheers.

 

Gotcha, yup, they've got those suby suspension's figured out. Rode shotgun in a fully reworked WRX and it handled much better than the stock STi with a better ride to boot.

Oh OK, the creak was after the coilovers. I'm still recalling a few threads where the mounting points had come loose a bit or worn down enough to make a groaning noise so I wouldn't completely rule it out. Good luck.