Magnaflow Cat-Back System

Price Paid:  $380.00 from eBay

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 Honda Civic LX

Strengths:
Great look, not noisy, increase vehicle power

Weaknesses:
None

Summary:
This system is really useful, I like how it sounds, my car gain power and acceleration response.

Price Paid:  $520.00 from BnR

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 mazda 6i

Strengths:
looks and sound

Weaknesses:
couldve added more power for such an expensive item

Summary:
at first sight the dual exhaust tips were huge but once put on they look sick. Everyone says magnaflow is a lil louder then stock...no way alot louder very rumbly and throaty. perfomance increase not as much as a CAI. I had to get the resonator welded to the y pipe (i have 2 exhausts so its a y) so be prepared for an air leak when you buy it.

Similar Products Used:
stock

Price Paid:  $300.00 from performancepeddler.c

Year / Model Reviewed:
1997 Honda Civic LX

Strengths:
Sounds amazing, relatively inexpensive, easy to install

Weaknesses:
Make sure you tighten the middle clamp with an impact wrench or something otherwise you will have an exhaust leak.

Summary:
This cat-back system is very quiet for a performance exhaust. I would say it is slightly louder than stock, but has MUCH better sound. It's very deep and smooth sounding. It was easy to install and made my car a bit peppier. I've talked to several different exhaust mechanics, they all recommended Magnaflow, whether it be just a muffler or a complete cat-back.

Similar Products Used:
stock

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.44 of 5, 9.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Performance Peddler

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Toyota Tacoma Doublecab 4x4 TRD

Strengths:
Excellent fit, nice polished S/S canister and tip, throaty sound.

Weaknesses:
Some people might not like the louder exhaust note in the cab, but if that's the case you should stick to your stock system.

Summary:
I shopped around for a long time before purchasing this system. There are many cat-back systems out there for my truck including Gibson, Borla, TRD, etc. but the one that had the best reviews was the Magnaflow. $350 shipped to my door for a stainless system was also too good a deal to let go. Before this system I tried peicing together some sort of exhaust that would be a little more free flowing and give a good exhaust note. Let me tell you, it's not easy with the 3.4L V6. Toyota's actually done a pretty good job of this and if it wasn't for the stock system being so restrictive I would have left it alone. First I just put a Flowmaster delta 50 on in place of the stock muffler, not bad but it sounded like it was sucking air when I revved it. Next I tried a flowmaster delta 40 single entry, dual exit with a custom tailpipe. DO NOT DO THIS! Sounds terrible inside the cab, not bad outside but lots of interior resonance. Threw that muffler in the trash and did some internet searching. Came up with the Dynomax (Walker) super turbo in the same configuration. It was quiet at first but after about a month it really opened up and I had the same problem as with the flowmaster, not to mention my low end tourque and fuel economy went for a crap. If you insist on putting dual pipes on your tacoma, make sure you do dual 2" pipes and nothing more unless you're supercharged.

So I finally did the thing that I should have done in the first place, I bought a prepackaged, tried tested and true cat-back system. The reviews on this system were pretty good, but no one has really done an in depth review on my truck so here it is:

This system actually fits better than the stock system. They put a of effort into the fine details that I pay attention to. It was actually harder to remove the stock peices than to put on the new system. Before starting, check to see if there is any rust on the old hardware. If there is you'll need a sawzall and some new nuts and bolts. When Toyota put a stainless stock system on the Tacoma's they never counted on having to take it off and cheaped out on the hardware. Cutting it off is much less of a headache, just be carefull around the O2 sensor. The best thing I like about the fit is that it relocates the exhaust over the rear leaf springs and tucks it up nice and close to the body. The polished S/S tip and muffler look great too.

Now for the reason that we all buy a performance exhaust, the performance! Instantly I saw performance gains with this system. I'm not sure what Magnaflow claims, but it was major. Keep in mind that I was losing out over the stock system because of my previous setup. The big tailpipes and free flow muffler actually gave my system negative backpressure which you don't want. It makes the engine actually work harder and burn more fuel just to expel the exhaust from the piping. I would expect that there may be some mild performance gains over stock, but nothing noticeable.

The sound of this system also sounds good. Compared to the other brands that I tried this is by far the best sound. It's a little louder than stock at idle and gets louder as you open up the throttle. The sound is throaty and mean, just like I wanted. Inside the cab it is noticeable, especially if you're towing or pulling hard up a hill but it's not that annoying resonance that I had problems with before. It's actually the sound coming from the tailpipe. The Tacomas weren't exactly well soundproofed from the factory, and I would guess that's why Toyota put such a restrictive muffle on their trucks in the first place (not to mention emissions).

I have had one problem so far and I'm not sure if it's the exhaust systems fault or not but it's worth mentioning. About 200km after installation my check engine light came on. I'm assuming that it's something to do with the O2 sensor. I don't think I damaged it during the install but you never know. I disconnected my battery for a few minutes and the light went off. Not sure if it will come back on again, but if it does I'll call Toyota and see what they have to say. Before starting the install, make sure you follow Magnaflow's instructions and disconnect the battery. This resets the trucks computer so it doesn't take forever to get used to the new exhaust flow.

In closing, if you're looking for a good performance upgrade for your truck and don't mind a little extra exhaust sound, buy this system. After many hours of shopping online, I found mine on ebay for sale from the Performance Peddler. Great customer service and can't beat their price.

Similar Products Used:
Flowmaster Delta 40 & 50
Dynomax Super Turbo

Price Paid:  $446.00 from PRICE MATCHED ONLINE

Year / Model Reviewed:
1998 5.7L C1500 EXT.CAB SHORT BED

Strengths:
Fit and finish. Everything fit together nicely. This sytems exits in the same location as stock, but fits closer to the body and does not stickout as much.The tip looks much nicer than stock and if you dont want to be like everyone else who runs duals out the back this is the way to go. The sound is great at idle. It's a throaty rumble. If you want something loud at idle this not the system for you. When you put your foot into it however the system comes alive. It has a very throaty roar. It has a little more interior resonance than I would like for it to have but not nearly as bad as the 40 series "delta flow" Flowmaster I had on my 1995 Chevy. At first accelleration from lights and stop sighns is when it is the worst. Once you get to speed it quiets down. This bothers my wife moreso than me. My 3yr old Son thinks its "cool" so I guess she is outvoted by the "MOTORHEADS" The sound inside the cab at freeway speed is louder than stock as well but this is a "performance" exhaust and it isn't going to be quiet. This is a well built exhaust system (once you get all the right pieces)with a mellow rumble at idle...throaty growl under accelleration that is not as loud or annoying as a Flowmaster is.. unless that is the sound you are looking for.

Weaknesses:
When I first received the system I opened the box and the first thing I saw was a spot where one of the hanger tab welds burned through the tail pipe. When I contacted Summit they replaced that part of the system with no problem. The inner tube hit the crossmember on my truck.

Summary:
PART # 15602 I have not had the system very long. I have a problem with the "dual tube section". The inside tube closest to the driveshaft is hitting the crossmember that supports the carrier bearing for the drive shaft. The outer tube has about 1/2" clearance, which is what Magnaflow suggests as minimal clearance should be. When I contacted Magnaflow thier Tech Support personel sent me a tech sheet with measurements on it and asked me to check and see if the system I purchased was the same as the sheet. When I e-mailed back stating that it was indeed the same part,he suggested that I have the system modified. He did offer to send me a replacement "dual tube" section. But he also stated that the systems are built in a jig,so they are all alike. He said I should send it back and get a refund if I did not want to modify the system. I feel like they tried "somewhat" to help me but when you purchase a sytem that is vehicle spicific I dont feel there should have to be any modifing done to make it fit. If I had purchased a universal system then I would expect to have to do some modifying. I am going to have to remove the crossmember and modify it to clear the exhaust. "THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THE AVERAGE PERSON IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO...ESPECIALLY FOR FREE...LUCKILY I HAVE THE ABILITY AND TOOLS TO DO THIS"

NON-MECHANICALLY INCLINED PEOPLE BEWARE

OR YOU CAN HAVE IT INSTALLED PROFFESSIONALLY WHICH IS WHAT MAGNAFLOW SUGGESTS

I personally like working on my own vehicle!!!

As far as Performance gains go...I can definitly feel quicker accelleration from above 20-30mph or above 2nd gear when attempting a passing of a car or accellerating onto the freeway. for some reason when accellerating "FROM" second gear the system feels dead. ( I am not talking about flooring it while in 2nd... I'm talking about rolling into the gas gently while in second )However this does not happen when accellerating from a dead stop. From a stand still 2nd gear pulls just fine, as does 1st gear. If your wanting an all stainless steel exhaust system with an aggressive sound but not too overbearing this is the system for you.

Similar Products Used:
Flowmaster 40 series with Deltaflow technology muffler 3" inlet 3" outlet with a custom bent mid pipe and tail pipe exiting on a 45`angle instead of a 90` in the same location as the stock system