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2008 Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • cuty718cuty718 Member Posts: 11
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    C'mon, that looks like a cartoon character on Pokemon. :D
  • proscriptusproscriptus Member Posts: 1
    But then, no one's ever accused anything of looking like a Suzuki, Daewoo, Mazda or Yugo clone.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Every WRX since 2002 was widely criticized at the launched, then loved anyway.

    Why should we expect this one to be any different? :sick:
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I still think we need a coupe to return. Even if it's a coupe hatchback!

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    People would love it, but they'd still be buying sedans.

    It's funny, coupes look best, but sedans sell the most volume.

    Even for the beautiful GC8, the sedan outsold the coupe by far.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That's because there were more GC8 Sedans to be had, possibly?

    If it's not available, people can't buy em, so is it a matter of they don't want em or they can't get em?

    Civic Si is a coupe, seems to sell pretty good.

    -mike
  • cuty718cuty718 Member Posts: 11
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  • cuty718cuty718 Member Posts: 11
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  • freak showfreak show Member Posts: 21
    subie has always had issues wid styling....so y should this be ne different....thts wat makes subaru a subaru :P
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    LOL! :D

    The 2002 was controversial.

    The 2004 was controversial.

    The 2006 was controversial.

    Should we be surprised with the 2008?

    This is a cult car. People that own them become rabid fans. They will speak up when their beloved model is changed, every time.
  • drbyersdrbyers Member Posts: 5
    it appears that my prediction that criticism over the car's styling would abate is already starting, according to autoblog.com.

    the editors say the car looks much better in person, especially the WRX version.

    so let subaru, be subaru, and the rest of you wankers can go buy a camry if you want a normal looking car...
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yes, it is—even with the children over at nabisco.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Shoot, I remember back in 2002. The GC8 Impreza guys were screaming about how ugly the "bug eyes" were.

    Thing is, they were far smaller in number.

    There are many, many more WRX owners now. Probably 10 times as many. They bought them, so obviously they tend to like whatever style they chose.

    Plus, think about it, it's 3 different looks vs. 1, and everyone will have a favorite.

    x% will like the 02-03, y% will like the 04-05, and x% will like the 06-07.

    By my math if 25% of them like the 08 then it's even with the other 3 looks.
  • merrycynicmerrycynic Member Posts: 340
    Love the mesh grill! I sure hope they do something like that on the next 5 door STI. Perhaps diamond black with matching diamond black wheels. Those dark black wheels are bit too much of the same thing throughout.
  • dinomartinidinomartini Member Posts: 5
    I have been a diehard Subaru fan for the last 15 years. Upon seeing the new Impreza I was excited. Not because I like the look of the 2008 Impreza, but because of the uglyness (I know thats not a word, sorry :( ) of this version, my 2006 WRX will hold its value well.

    What is Subaru doing? The last 3 generations were very good looking cars in my opinion. They were on a roll, making each new gen look better and better. With this generation it looks like they saw the new Toyota Camry and just put a hood scoop on it. Is Subaru trying to go out of business? Seriously, once the hype dies down a little about the Evo X when it is released, I will go buy one. No matter how technically advance this new Subaru WRX and WRX STi will be, the Evo X will be as technical but 1000000 times better looking. Subaru you lost a customer...
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And probably will gain 10.

    -mike
  • merrycynicmerrycynic Member Posts: 340
    The latest Consumer Reports has some fairly interesting thoughts and pictures. I've always considered the new double wishbone rear suspension (at least theoretically) superior for performance, but the CR photos clearly show some space advantages. Perhaps the new 5 door can be as practical, if not more so than the older wagon. I'm getting pretty excited by the idea of this 5 door as a full blown STI. Maybe Subaru has denied my request for an STI wagon, but in doing so has still satiated my desires and needs?
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    I just got back from the NY Auto Show and saw the new WRX, in both wagon and sedan form. The wagon looks like a Daewoo from the rear, not very attractive at all. The sedan, however, was really nice. The hood scoop is way bigger, mainly in length. I wonder if this will effect the aerodynamics of the vehicle. The interior was nothing special, but, a big improvement over the current model.

    The regular Impreza looked nice as well. Again, better from the outside.

    I also saw the facelift for the Tribeca, thank God. Maybe the vehicle will sell better now.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Did you actually get in the interior? I didn't get in but it definitely looked better from afar. They both look much better in real life than in pictures. The Hatch looked fine and what could be better when you are looking at the back of an impreza that looks like a daewoo on the track since he just passed you!

    Sedan looks much better, overall great improvement, looks way more Saab and that's a good thing.

    Saw the Quartz Silver on the 3.0R that's the color I'm getting on my SpecB. Tribecca looked good as well.

    -mike
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    I have an upcoming business trip to NY next week and hope to visit the Auto-show for a few hours.

    Do they allow us to sit inside the new Impreza ? Or is it strictly viewing from a distance ?
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    No one was allowed to get in the new Impreza's. A couple were on a turn style podium (WRX sedan and hatch), and a regular Impreza was roped off.

    All I could see was the interior from a distance. Could not touch and feel, so I could not get a true sense of how it was. From where I was standing it looked better then the current interior, but, did not stand out. Still, I do not like the rear of the hatch, regardless of how it drives! The sedan really looks nice.

    I will agree with the Legacy looking like a Saab. Very similar.
  • cusafrcusafr Member Posts: 184
    Did anyone notice the dimensions of the new Impreza sedan? Mostly the cubic foot space of the trunk, and the Length and width of the car.
    I never really liked a hatch and the previous impreza was just too small in the trunk space and the size of the car made for a harsh highway ride. Since the new impreza is based on the Legacy platform, I was hoping for a smoother highway ride and larger trunk.

    Anyone seen the dimensions printed anywhere?

    Thanks,

    cusafr
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    One of the key drivers in a new introduction is the "WOW factor". People simply lust after the new introduction and want to have it in their driveway. It even results in huge waiting lists, till the supply pipeline catches up.

    With the new Impreza, the buzz has all been in the reverse direction. People are talking about how an "ugly Daewoo look" is an advantage on the track and anonymity is an advantage on the road etc. Almost desperately trying to make the best of a really bad situation ! In the original bugeye WRX, even with its controversial look, everyone wanted to have one in their driveway but the new one simply does not evoke such emotions, mainly because the core of the car, including the engine and the transmission, is still 7 model years old. They just bungled the "complete redesign", bigtime and is a big letdown after all this anticipation. Why, Subaru, why ??
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I don't agree with that one bit. Yes, based on lousy early images of the car the comments were very negative. Now that good images have surfaced, and now that people have actually seen it, there are a lot of positive comments being put forth.

    It may not appeal to the boy-racer market as it once did, but Subaru did the right thing with car. It will sell a lot more to a much wider audience. Mark my words on that.

    As for the boy-racers... That's who the STI is aimed at—and we haven't seen that yet.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I will agree with the Legacy looking like a Saab. Very similar.

    Actually I was referring to the Impreza, not the Legacy.

    -mike
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    I agree with Bob whole-heartedly. The more pictures I see of the new Impreza, the more I like it. It's a handsome car and definitely will help Subaru in the sales department.

    I think we all had initial expectations of what the car would look like based on personal taste, which is the case with any redesign - and naturally when the car comes out looking different than anyone expected, everyone automatically views that as a negative.

    After seeing the dozens of pictures that are out there now, I can honestly say the only thing I might change about the car would be the grill, something easily remedied by the aftermarket. I like the car's lines, and even like the back of the hatch that everyone seems to think looks like a Daewoo.

    Doug
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Guy's having seen this car in person, it looks even better than any of the pics of it!

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dunno, I don't see it.

    I think when people don't like a Subaru design, for whatever reason they think of the cheapest car that comes to mind. :D

    For 2002, people were *screaming* Neon, the bug eyed WRX we now love and has become a cult car was called a NEON!

    Now everyone looks back and says that was beautiful? :confuse:

    Shoot, Daewoo is a step up, if anything.

    The Leganza was styled by Guigiaro, FWIW. One of the more handsome budget sedans ever, at least the styling was good.

    Personally, I saw a Lexus RX this weekend, and the more I looked at it, the more I thought that's what the WRX drew inspiration from, at least from the rear view:

    image

    I looked but couldn't find a Daewoo that looked anything like that. Just for reference:

    image

    If anyone can find a pic that links a Daewoo to the new WRX, please, by all means share it. I just don't see the connection at all.

    Daewoo designs have convex panels, WRX concave. Daewoo uses red tails, WRX uses Altezzas. I'm not sure the Lanos ever even came as a 5 door. There's not crease on the shoulder. No chrome stripe.

    Like I said, I don't see any link at all.
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    In the original bugeye WRX, even with its controversial look, everyone wanted to have one in their driveway

    That was because it was superior to anything it ran against in in 2002. People would live with the look to get the performance. Who else made a AWD turbo in 2002 that you could buy for $25K?? I would say the closest competition was the RSX Type-S at $25K, but, no turbo and no AWD.

    Today, there are many car's that can compete with selling for less, but may not be as fast( GTI, Civic Si, SE-R Spec V) and others that are just as fast or faster (Mazdaspeed3, Mazdaspeed6).

    There still needs to be a gap in power from the WRX to the STi to justify the leap in price. Personally, I think that still could have been done by making the WRX a 250hp or so.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Today, there are many car's that can compete with selling for less, but may not be as fast( GTI, Civic Si, SE-R Spec V) and others that are just as fast or faster (Mazdaspeed3, Mazdaspeed6).

    There still needs to be a gap in power from the WRX to the STi to justify the leap in price. Personally, I think that still could have been done by making the WRX a 250hp or so.


    Still no AWD excep the Mazdaspeed6, but that competes with the Legacy.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They stopped making the Speed6, right?

    A few people here reported some serious bargains on the last few leftovers.

    Still, I drove one and it didn't raise my pulse rate. I'd take a new Miata or RX8 over one any day. :shades:
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    They had one at the show. What are your thoughts v. a SpecB? I'm basically comparing the 2 of them hard right now.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Haven't driven a spec.B (a sin, I know).

    I was more impressed by the Legacy GT I drove earlier, but that's not really fair since I had higher expectations for the Mazda. It is, after all, a special model made by the tuner arm MazdaSpeed.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    well if it wasn't as good as the LGT, then the SpecB will be way above that. Oh well guess, all signs point back to the SpecB.

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Hey, check your garage Juice, you already have a Miata ;)

    I thought those bargains were on leftover '06 MSP6's. '07 MSP6's are going for about invoice or so, at least around here.

    My impression of the MPS6 at the Zoom Zoom Live was that it drove and felt very heavy, whereas the Legacy GT feels much more nimble and tight.

    -Brian
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Drive one for bargain purposes alone. You might disagree with me.

    I drove it at Zoom Zoom Live. It was a tight course, so turbo lag and the nose-heavy feel really killed it.

    The Miata was tossable and made me want one.

    The RX8 was a hoot, though I can barely see out of those, and if I go impractical I want a folding top.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Mike, I think the AWD Mazda is a Haldex unit, which—as I understand it, means on-demand, not full-time.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Thanks bob, much appreciated. I only wish the subaru had the scoops like the mazda for the TMIC.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Just checked Mike. It is Haldex.

    http://www.answers.com/topic/haldex

    If you do a Google check "MazdaSpeed6 AWD Haldex" you will find a lot on it.

    Bob
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    It is Haldex AWD, however, numerous tests have shown the Mazdaspeed6 handles better then the Spec B or regular GT. The inclimate weather advantage would have to go to the Subaru, but, many MS6 owners are pleased with how it did in the winter.

    The Zoom-Zoom Live event does not due the car justice. You have to take it out and really drive it. You will change your opinion on the car. The suspension is much tighter then the GT or Spec B. More top end power as well.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not sure about the "numerous tests" claim. The two reviews I read made it a split decision - Car & Driver preferred the Speed6, Road & Track preferred the spec.B.

    Mazda didn't market the car properly, but that's why we see massive incentives on it now, making it the a best-kept secret for bargain hunting enthusiasts.
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    I should have said "Few". Edmunds.com also picked the Mazdaspeed6. My apologies.

    Mazda didn't market the car properly

    I could not agree more. They built a nice car, and did not know what to do with it. I think Mazda has learned from that. The Mazdaspeed3 has really taken off. But, then again, different segment, different demographic.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep. The Speed3 is a hot hatch, while the Speed6 was more gentleman's sport sedan.

    They had one on display at NAIAS, but I thought they were out of production? :confuse:
  • integradude_4integradude_4 Member Posts: 4
    k eazy fix subaru to quell this hating on your new front end go into paint move the grill badge to the center of the grill remove the cheap looking crome bar and paint the crome seperating the headlights from the grill to body colour you'll see how much better it looksimage
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That really doesn't belong in a thread about the WRX. It's completely irrelevant here. Please stop cross-posting. :sick:
  • subagurusubaguru Member Posts: 1
    Subaru, please refresh your design team who meticulously pored over initial design sketches, clay models, 3D simulations, and early build prototypes of your new Impreza frontend without someone objecting strongly and literally halting further development that would release a smiling pocket-rocket onto an eagerly awaiting, astute, loyal userbase.

    The vehicle models in Pixar/Disney's animation, Cars lend themselves to such curvilinear lines but not the spirit of our beloved WRX and its established legacy which demands more muscular detailing.
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    The Speed6 out of production? or Speed3?
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    The Speed6 out of production? or Speed3?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    6. Are they still building them?
This discussion has been closed.