Great review Thanks...I'm building my 25 RST and was on the fence about the LPO Performance Exhaust Upgrade but your results are exactly the same as my expectations.
Its around $2200 for the Exhaust and Cold Air Intake Performance Package if you order it from factory, what is it from GM Parts?
If the GM exhaust and CAI was an available option from the factory for $2,200 when I bought mine, I would've done it in a heartbeat. The exhaust alone is listed at ~$3,300 on GM's site when done after the fact, but I paid around $2,700 because they were running a 20% off sale through year-end when I ordered. GM doesn't even offer the CAI after the fact at all anymore, so if you want that, you have to order it equipped from the factory. I'm looking into third-party options at the moment.
If you are interested in performance, the best way to achieve that is opting for the 6.2L, which was a "must have" of mine when buying my RST. A stock 6.2L will blow the doors off a 5.3L all day long even if the 5.3L is upgraded with exhaust and CAI. You didn't mention which engine you're considering, but engine choice is the biggest bang for the buck if someone was debating between the 6.2L as it comes or the 5.3L with exhaust & CAI. The 6.2L goes hard, prioritize that, and any exhaust & CAI will be gravy on top.
