Subaru Impreza WRX

djbrook

I am 6'5" tall. I test drove the 5 speed WRX and fell in love with it. Only problem (and for me this isn't minor) was that I was a little cramped as far as driver's legroom goes. Has any owner tried to move their seat back to get extra room? If you have, I would appreciate hearing your experience.

Thanks

thecat

I'm not sure you could achieve 3300 rpm's even with WOT. Seems to me that the 2.2k to 2.5k you are getting is about all that would be possible. Anybody out there with an auto that can confirm this?

The extra gear helps to get that 3100 lbs moving. IMO if you're an experienced shifter, you don't loose anything to a auto shift.

- Hutch

dop50

I'm 6'-1" tall with a 32" inseam, size 10 1/2 shoe, and 250lbs. When I first test drove the WRX sedan, I thought it was a little cramped also. Apparently you need to try it again, bacause I have to drive with the seat about 2 notches from the back. Apparently I didn't get the seat all the way back for the test drive. I thought I did, but didn't. A friend of mine has a BMW Z3 and he's 6'-4" with a size 13 shoe. I think his beamer is cramped, but he can drive mine without any problems.
I can't even get into a honda S2000, let alone drive it. Give it another shot! It probably depends more on where most of your 6'-5" is, I'm not making fun, it's just we all aren't put together the same. My son, is 6'-2" with a 36" inseam, and can drive it fine also. I would think you'd have more of a headroom problem, with your height.

Good luck!

Ken

paisan

why would 3300rpms be all you could get at WOT? When I launch my XT6 the pedal is barely being depressed. Maybe I'll go test drive a WRX AT tomorrow and try it out!

-mike

dop50

One other thing you might try, is make sure you have the seat "cranked" down. (the handle on the side of the seat.) it rachets up, and rachets down. This might be part of the problem also.

I find my wifes Legacy wagon much more cramped than my rex. But then it has a power seat, which I don't think has as much adjustment to start with.

I would just hate to see you pass up this "Great" ride, just because it didn't fit quite right the first time. It's really worth giving it another try.

Good luck again!

Ken

scoobyblu

Hello all. How long would you suggest breaking in a new wrx before really having fun? Also is it important to let the turbo cool down before turning the ignition off? Thanks for any info

ssoto1

Hi just test drove the wrx sedan A/T how does the turbo works do you have to push the wrx pass 3000 rpm isn't that going about 65 or more hp to reach 3000rpm's someone please help thanks

mordrid52

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I don't have time to read 5,000 messages so I apologize in advance. What octane fuel does the WRX require? I can't find it on Subaru's website and Edmunds simply says "Premium", which I would assume is 91+ octane (but Edmunds also says the base model RSX takes premium fuel and it only requires 87 octane).

Also, Edmunds lists Savanna Green as a color for the Sedan, but Subarus homepage doesn't list it. Is this color available or is it a mistake. Thanks.

hunter001

I don't know what the specific gearing of the auto is but I do know that the final gearing is very close to 5th gear in the manual.

Final drive ratio close to 5th gear in manual ??

5th gear in manual-WRX - 0.738
Manual-WRX - Final Drive Ratio - 3.90
Auto-WRX - Final Drive Ratio - 4.111 (closer to the WRX STi)

Did I miss something ??

Later...AH

hunter001

to 60 mph w/my manual wagon by slipping (not clutch dropping) the clutch around 4k rpms.

I certainly would not want to be the next owner of your car. :-( Do you do such antics all the time ??

Later...AH

hunter001

The person who wrote this, is an Auto-WRX-sportwagon owner:

-------------------------------------------------
FWIW, I raced a stock 5-spd sedan at the track last week. My jaw-dropped when I saw his launch... left my poor auto still coming off the line and there was no catching him.

I wondered why he didn't race again that night. Saw him again this week and he tells me why: he dropped it at 7k and then power-shifted to 2nd. Completely stripped 1st and 2nd, we're talking smooth as an andriod's bottom .

If anything, a lesson in how not to launch a 5-spd, especially with the weak Subaru tranny. The local dealer, obviously, was not going to cover the repairs, but apparently this young fellow has friends in Japan in high places who "encouraged" the dealer to cover half the repairs.

Only time I've been really glad I bought the auto.

Padre
------------------------------------------------


Not a very pleasant story, is it ? The fellow who completely stripped his 1st and 2nd gears, probably managed a 5.6-5.8sec 0-60 time, I would suppose, essentially rendering his car un-drivable. 4K launches may not do such a catastrophic damage right away, but do too many of them and then I can see such manual-WRX-owners (who indulge in such antics) blaming Subaru for transmission failure, instead of blaming themselves for transmission abuse. Driven normally, the manual-WRX should fetch a 8.0 to 8.2 secs 0-60, which will ensure longevity of the transmission. Car magazines who do abusive testing (with professional drivers) to get their 0-60 figures (5.5secs or 5.8secs or whatever), can get a replacement car from the manufacturer, if something happens to the transmission. An owner may not be able to obtain such a replacement, as readily, nor can he obtain such 0-60 timings (obtained by professional drivers) even though some on this board make such claims !!! So take care of your car and have fun driving it. Do not try to make this small fast turbo-car with a high fun quotient, act like a muscle car to obtain artificially low 0-60 timings, by indulging in transmission abuse. JMHO.

Later...AH

hunter001

Manual-WRX
1st gear- 35mph
2nd gear- 61mph
3rd gear- 87mph
4th/5th gears- no speed limitations

Auto-WRX
1st gear-40mph
2nd gear-73mph
3rd/4th gears - no speed limitations

Auto-Outback-sport - with 2.5L engine -(for comparison)
1st gear - 35mph
2nd gear - 64mph
3rd/4th - no speed restrictions

Later...AH

bluesubie

The owner's manual advises not to go above 4,000 rpms within the first 1,000 miles. I'm not sure what the speed is since I don't have a Rex.

According to Subaru of America, a turbo cool down isn't required with the U.S. WRX. IMHO, a 30 second cool down is a good idea with any car after hard driving.

Yes, the WRX requires 91+ octane, IIRC, and does not come in green.

-Dennis

lark6

A green WRX would be cool.

Hop over to Events forum when you get a chance.

Ed

artgecko

Ed Said "A green WRX would be cool."

Agreed! That was specifically what I was looking for when I went to the web page.

I'm a new guy over on the WRX wagon list, but I thought I'd add my $.02US here.

Subaru! Send Us a WRX in some version of BRG! Even better, would be with tan leather interior, similar to one of the recent Miata Special Editions.

I've had 27 years of green vehicles, but I couldn't get a green WRX :-(

But, I did get a black one Wednesday!

http://homepage.mac.com/subaruwrx

What better way to break a trend!

See ya,

Steve

scoobyblu

Whats the obsession with 0-60? I have to tell you that my previous car was a consistant 0-60 in 8.0 sec which is respectable. My Wrx is much quicker than that without ripping the clutch apart and a lot more fun getting there Just know that their are not too many cars out there that can keep up with the rex and even fewer willing to try

bluesubie

Great pics Steve! Love that black wagon!
Check out this black wagon with Prodrive Anthracite P7's.
He's on the i-club.
http://home.dal.net/idjiit/backthreequarter.jpg

-Dennis

lark6

Steve - I actually like the black WRX best of all - have real black WRX wagon envy - but the swirl marks in my Forester's black paint drive me nuts! I'd recommend you use some kind of acrylic sealer/wax like Klasse soon or you'll be driven nuts like me, too! I suggest green 'cause I don't know if I'll ever want to own another black Subie again.

Dennis: tyring to resist putting on my P7s before Easter.

Ed

artgecko

Oh! I like that! I'd tried the Tire Rack visuals of anthracite wheels on a black car, but couldn't tell if they would look nice or not. Thought there just might be *too* much dark colors.

Ed: Over on the AudiWorld site there are some real proponents of the Zaino products for dark cars. I've never tried it. Our A6 came with dealer applies Zymol, and we've stuck with that.

As I've noted on the other list, we live immedialtely downwind of a gravel driveway into a commercial nursery, and we have two black cars! We are gluttons for punishment.

Steve Avon, Ohio, USA

1958 MGA Roadster http://my.en.com/~smorris.MGA

2001 Audi A6 (Deb's drive - no web page)

2002 Subaru WRX Wagon http://homepage.mac.com/subaruwrx

1990bonnievile

no one has brought this up yet so I will. When you want to know aproximate 0-60 time without droping the clutch, or reak standing, its tested as 5-60mph aka rolling start or a street start. Street start can be vastly different from published 0-60 times or very similer (a civic Si would have very different times, a corvette would be almost the same time), and most of the large auto publications list and test this along with normal 0-60 (5-60 listings are not just the 0-60 without the first 5 mph, they are a different test)

ltcolumbo

Have any "adult" owners bought the sti muffler? How much louder is it (subjective of course)? I'm looking for a little more exhaust note.

beanboy

Don't like quoting magazine results especially when I don't have them in front of me but I believe Car and Driver tested the 5-60 mph time of the WRX on two separate occasions.

They recorded 6.6 to 6.8 second 5-60 times respectively. Since the clutch is fully engaged in such tests, there's no damage being done at the start. So maybe the 1-2 shift is abusive. Even adding an additional 0.5 seconds to granny shift, it still in the low to mid 7 second run to 60.

-B

maxim99

Ive been reading your comments here for a few weeks, after my decision to purchase a new WRX for myself. Now i have some questions.. this will be my FIRST new car. I was just wondering if there are any buying experiences in the California Bay Area any of you would like to share? Im trying to get the Sedan/MT, for the cheapest i can, obviously. A spoiler is about the only option i think is NEEDED.. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

bruticus

Over the weekend I re-read my copy of last year's M&T CoY issue listing test results for all vehicles in the running, including a MT WRX wagon. I don't have the magazine on my desk, but remember most of the figures. The 0-60 time listed was 5.4 (4th fastest for those who care) I don't remember the 1/4 mile time; braking 60-0 was 123 feet; and the best speed in 600ft slalom was 61.2 (rather low, probably due to the WRX's non-super-stiff suspension setup and stock tires)

There was no listed result for a rolling-start 5-60 test.

DjB

bluesubie

There's a "family guy" in the Tri-State Forum of i-club.com that is selling his because it's too loud. Check out the excellent search function on the i-club and you'll find a lot of opinions and even some sound clips of mufflers.

-Dennis

wrxguy

I live in sacramento not quite the bay area. I do, however read many posts on the i-club(Impreza owners club). there is a Bay area group there. Ive read many many posts that rave about the quality of pricing and service at Santa Cruz Subaru.

Ive got a spoiler too (keeps the car on the ground when driving over 200mph) Seriously though Id consider the security upgrade just for the peace of mind unless you choose to do a aftermarket Alarm/security system. Big city and shiny new cars.

My sister used to manage a huge apartment complex in San diego. a minimum of one car per weekend would get stolen.

After owning mine since september I can see and understand the virtues of the auto dimming mirror. I hate the SUV and truck lights in my eyes. Now a days many vehicles have and use their fog lights (even when they dont need em).

Happy Shopping

huibregtse

Check out the (free) feature article "In a ditch in Finland" for very entertaining coverage of a world rally championship event. Plenty of Subaru content and very funny.

barresa62

I don't do this all the time. Certainly less than the frequency in which you tirelessly pontificate over the superiority of the auto WRX.

Anyhow, the clutch slip is easier on the car than an outright clutch drop. A torque brake launch on an auto WRX is no less abusive either.

My point is that a fair comparison of a manual shift WRX and an auto WRX 0-60 times should either be made w/a clutch slip launch for a manual WRX and a brake-launch for the auto WRX or both being launched normally, not a mish mash of techniques for the sake of one's argument. It also irkes me when you haven't even driven a 5spd WRX and had your acceleration timed.

In the grand scheme of WRX ownership, the 0-60 times are less important than the focus of the entire performance package the WRX has to offer, whether it be a 5spd or automatic. I may be stepping out on a limb saying this last statement but I think this is one area where we can both agree on. :-)

Stephen

cjremshaw

Transmission abuse:

Treating the WRX like a muscle car in order to obtain "artifically low" 0-60 times is BS. A muscle car doesn't have AWD... when the tires spin like mad on your RWD muscle car, there's a LOT less tranny shock... hence the need for a stronger tranny

Black paint: I have a Midnight Black Pearl WRX sedan and have noticed all those swirl marks! Thanks for the tip on the sealer/wax, I'd like to get rid of those. The paint is absolutely BEAUTIFUL but those darn swirl marks keep messing it up!

hang_sideways

I have a black 2001 Nissan Maxima SE 20th Anniversary Edition. It has EVERY available option. See Edmunds for full list of options. I'm thinking about selling it to buy a WRX sedan, manual. Am I ludicrous? Thanks.
Max

wrxguy

Selling your Maxima for a WRX ludicrous? nope:)
it is a fun car to drive. Ironically several of my friends were really pushing for me to get a Maxima and said negative things about the WRX. IM 44 and traditionally people my age get persuaded to comfort over handling and speed. Yeah the Max is one powerfull beast, but the WRX is just so much more fun. So my taller big friends get stuck with less leg room! Oh well.

The WRX stock on long trips is just fine. For me Im six foot 190 pound guy and I fit wonderfully in the nice gripping seats. I am awaiting some 17 wheels and going to buy some nice tires for it too, in march. The WRX is my only car, IM single so having to have room for family is only for friends and when I visit my Dad.

Ludicrous? Extravagant? By whose definition?

rex_ruthor

The new Maxima is a really nice ride. Unless you are interested in doing something beyond the Maximas performance envelope, like modding your WRX and autocrossing, it doesnt make much sense to switch. I mean you get the AWD in the WRX, and the better performance, but it all depends on your intended use.

The Maxima is a much roomier car, a bit more business like and more luxurious. I would feel kinda weird taking clients to lunch in my WRX, because it seems a bit juvenile, (Im 30) whereas I have no problem taking them in the Volvo or BMW.

I dont know if that is a consideration for you.

WarpDrive

It's not ludicrous to want the WRX badly, but it doesn't make a lot of sense financially. So you will have to balance the emotional and sensible aspects of such a trade. The WRX is faster but not by a large margin and of course, it feels lighter and more "tossable". It certainly is a much smaller car and has AWD for fun in the wet stuff. But I would personally hold off on trading the Maxima yet, and wait to see what comes out of the plans to import the STi or EVO7. Now *those* cars are worth trading your soul for.....and is a significant upgrade in terms of fun and performance. If you hate your Maxima, then sensibility has nothing to do with it, but enjoy the Maxima for two years more at least to get something out of the premium you paid for a loaded new car.

narenji

You'll probably take a significant loss on the trade-in value, as I did when i traded in a 2001 Sentra SE for a WRX wagon. But the WRX is so much better in all respects than the Sentra that it justified the trade. The Maxima, especially the 20th Aniv edition has a lot of cool features not found on WRXs, but it's not quite as dynamic a performer as a WRX. If you paid cash for the Maxima, maybe you can convince yourself to switch. Like others said, the STI and the Mitsu EVO 7 will be worth waiting for.

corkfish

The Altima can do 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds. The G35 will weigh about the same and have 20 more horsepower and rear drive. The 6 speed will be out in the fall so there's another car worth waiting for. As Rex ruthor indicated, the WRX may be difficult to own for someone in the corporate world, so the G35 might be a good alternative to the Maxima

dop50

Hahahahahaha!
I suppose if you're so vain that you have to try to impress your clients by the kind of vehicle you drive. I feel sorry for you! I guess if you have to drive them to lunch in traffic, it wouldn't be very impressive. On the other hand, if you can take them for a little spin down a twisty road, you might impress them with your Rex.

Actually, it can work both ways. You can impress them with a high dollar ride, and make them think that your business is really doing well, that you can afford such a vehicle. (of coarse, your services must be expensive in this case), Or you can impress them with the fact that you are a person who enjoys life, but don't just blow your money foolishly. (maybe your services are a little more reasonable). If you have to go out of your way to impress people, is it worth it? Maybe just rent a limo for the day!

Guess I've never been a very good [non-permissible content removed] kisser! I'm just a home boy!

Ken

cptplt

nothing like a city bus - very big, very expensive, very safe, enough hp to power a tank and more than almost any other car on the road, very exclusive - what more could you ask for and if you do have a big party one day, you only need one designated driver!! and I doubt anyone will play road rage with you unless they are so drunk they would hit anything anyway!

rex_ruthor

Dop, I notice your profile says you are a self-employed draftsman. Thats great that you are in business for yourself and can afford the luxury of doing as you please. We should all be so lucky.

In Americas heartland, where you are, maybe people honestly dont care what you drive, but where I work, in Silicon Valley, what you drive is a reflection on not just you but your company.

What kind of impression would I make if I picked up a client in some broken down beater? What would you think of a company that cant afford to pay its salespeople well enough that they cant drive a nice car? Would you take your clients to a business lunch at McDonalds? No. You take them to a nice place.

Im not a kiss-[non-permissible content removed], and it has nothing to do with vanity, believe me. Im a jeans and t-shirt guy. I dont like suits and ties but I wear them to meetings because thats what salespeople wear.

And most high tech companies give their salespeople car allowances. It looks bad if you dont drive a nice car..then they wonder what you are spending all the money on.

Capiche?

paisan

I'm a jeans and tee shirt guy, but there are certain protocols. A WRX though IMHO is borderline ok for taking out clients, although a bit small IMHO for such duty. Here in NYC the same stuff applies. It doesn't matter which is right or wrong, it's a matter of what the client percieves.

-mike

corkfish

I'd feel more comfortable taking a client out in a Ford Taurus than the WRX. The Dodge Neon SRT should be a great performance car as well, but could you imagine a grown man taking clients out in something like that? They probably wouldn't be clients for long.

paisan

Well not so much impressing, but conveying an image I think is what you are getting at.

-mike

cptplt

I think one needs to make a distinction between a car which is practical for the purpose and a WRX may well be too small to take clients around comfortably, but then so would a 3 series BMW! But I doubt anyone out there would say a BMW would be "inappropriate" which brings us back to how much do you need to impress people. Yes, using a beater is not a good idea, but a comfortable, well kept car of any make should not IMHO be a problem for any salesman. Unless your product isn't capable of selling itself.

lark6

I work for a consulting firm in which all the owners drive 5-series BMWs and the salespeople BMWs or Acuras (one Grand Cherokee IIRC). Most of our client base (pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers) consists of scientists and engineers who, while they probably adhere to that "image is everything" mantra, wouldn't, I think, think less of our reps in high-tech sporty cars.

Funny story re that, and Subie related too: We were audited by a big pharma client last year; I am always the point man for hosting audits (fun, yeah right). The auditor formerly worked for Deloitte & Touche and had SoA as one of his clients. He mentioned how great SoA was to work with and I mentioned that I drove a Forester. He replied that he thought I looked more like a 5-series man myself. I told him that I'd rather drive a Subaru and use the money left over to remodel my kitchen. That broke the ice and the audit went smoothly thereafter.

Ed

rsholland

Question:
Do "performance" cars make for bad "company" cars, in terms of image? More specifically, do you think of the WRX too "boy-racerish" to be used to take clients out in?

It's not unusual (if you have the $$) to take clients out in a Porsche or BMW. So why not a WRX? Is it too juvenile? What about a BMW M-5, or M-3?

Bottom line:
Is it bad for clients to perceive you (the car owner) as being a car nut?

Bob

rsholland

(Do performance cars make for bad company cars in terms of image?) over in the "News & Views" area. I think this is a good topic for discussion, and you'll get a broader audience over there.

Bob

dop50

I thought that might get a rise out of a few people.

I was getting tired of 0-60 et's!

I still think it sad, that so many people do make extavagant purchases to impress others. One should buy the things that they find enjoyable, and not be persuaded into living beyond their means just because someone else thinks they should. THAT is my point!

It's kinda like the saying... "He who dies with the most toys wins!" Isn't he still DEAD!
I'd rather have a few toys, and live to enjoy them, myself.

I wasn't implying that any of you are [non-permissible content removed] kissers, I was just saying that I've never been one, and won't be. That's not to say that I don't do some things I'm not real fond of, being in business, you have too. But not to the extent that it infringes on my personal life in any way. Money, in my opinion, will never replace good values. No I'm not trying to convert anybody, I'm stating an opinion. And I'm not trying to say I'm better than anybody else either, but I do believe I'm just as good.

Anyway I'm glad I got some people thinking.

Have a great day!

Ken

hunter001

Treating the WRX like a muscle car in order to obtain "artifically low" 0-60 times is BS.

My point was that, with a "muscle car" with a huge engine with gobs of torque right off idle, you would not have to rev the snot out of the engine to get good 0-60 timings. You rev the engine or you don't, but there is not going to be significant difference in the 0-60 times.

The same is not the case with small engines developing their power at higher rpms. You will have to rev the engine to almost damage inducing levels to make the off-idle torque/power comparable to the muscle cars. This is not a "normal" way of driving any car. Thus you are "artificially lowering" the 0-60 times by treating the car abnormally (rev the snot out of it). With a muscle car, you would not have to treat it abnormally to get comparable 0-60 times.

Thus trying to make a car like the WRX develop right-off-idle torque like the muscle cars (for the sole purpose of getting 0-60 timings that look good) by revving the engine to stratospheric levels, is a disservice to the car, is my take, since the car is not made for 0-60 times like the muscle cars.

Later...AH

hunter001

FYI, I have driven the manual-WRX, quite a few times at our local dealer. I even drove one for about 25 miles at one stretch - in-town and on the highway. Not in deep snow, yet, however. I know how it feels right off idle and how it feels when the turbo hits. Very similar to my Auto-WRX. However, the newbie Auto-WRXs I drove at the dealers' behaved quite sluggishly (when compared to a well-broken-in Auto-WRX - with its adaptive tranny - and manual-WRXs - with no adaptiveness built in) unlike my well-broken-in-Auto-WRX.

Later...AH

jim_loves_cars

How about a Legacy B4 for North America? Fast, fun, big(ger), still a Subie and perhaps more "presentable" than the WRX. I think a bunch of us who follow this board would snap one of those puppies up...

..are you listening Subaru?

paisan

-mike