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2008 Subaru Impreza WRX
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Comments
-mike
Fact is, in the city the WRX will probably do better, as long as you're not pushing it in to the boost all day long.
Out on the highway, though, it will be geared for immediate response. A large displacement V6 can be geared taller.
An extreme example is the 2004 Subaru Forester XT, which had (IIRC) 4.77 gears, i.e. very short. 0-60 came in 5.3 seconds in a C&D test, which is quicker than the Lamborghini Countache 5000S supercar. :surprise:
Not surprisingly mileage reports were terrible - people complained loudly and were only going 250 miles per tankful.
Subaru relaxed the gearing, I think for MY2006. It's not as quick, but now you can go 300+ miles per tank.
The gas tank is rather small, at just 15.9 gallons.
Imagine if you could pick your final drive ratio, what gear would you choose? Power or economy? It's very tough to have both.
Are we talking about the same vehicle ? :confuse: He is certainly not someone I would classify as a lead foot.
That's before the EPA would have adjusted numbers down for 2008 (instead the Taurus X replaced it, with a new powertrain).
The mileage threads over there have wild variations, from as little as 15mpg all the way up to 30mpg and beyond.
As they say, YMMV. Consumer Guide got 18.7mpg. Consumer Reports was also in the teens, I forget exactly how much.
But I can see how performance cars would get less.
So now you guys are free to rip on the tip-tronic super electronic EVO MR!
-mike
So now you guys are free to rip on the tip-tronic super electronic EVO MR!
-mike
Because one thing sucks doesn't mean there aren't worse alternatives. Mitsubishi doesn't seem long for the US anyway.
Also, the transmission might be SEMI-automatic, but it's got the twin clutch, plus automatic is GOOD in traffic. I learned about that when I switched back to manual on the new WRX.
I would not buy an Evo today anyways, since I need the cargo capacity of my WRX hatch.
As You can see I fit into a bucket of people who want an all-in-one car, in which case the new WRX is a nice fit for me.
If I had double the money I got I might get a Prius for everyday milage and cargo and an Evo a a cool-looking AWD sports car for fun driving and AutoX.
As for looks, that's 100% subjective so I won't comment on that. (looks like a hopped up galant from about 2 generations ago IMHO)
I just find it funny that people were ripping on the WRX for having traction control and ABLS, yet it still has a real transmission, whereas the latest and greatest EVO is essentially an automatic...
-mike
So now you guys are free to rip on the tip-tronic super electronic EVO MR!
New WRX does not have a LSD and that's too bad, the EVO X will not initially ship with the paddle shifters, and does come with a more tuneable 5 spd which is what I would get if the price was right It's about $26K for the 5 spd in Japan. So if the Evo X has the 5 spd in the US (very unlikely) then i'd buy one. Having the dual clutch auto tranny is a way to sneak an automatic into the EVO so they can sell more cars. This is no secret as they state it in many articles I've read.
Subaru has said the same thing about the WRX. The STi is still under wraps but maybe it has a chance to really blast the EVO X. No way to know until they are driven hard in magazine comparison reviews. The older EVO MR's will be a veritable bargain now.
I can't blame Mitsubishi since they really are on their last legs and desperately need a saleable car. The big problem will be their dealers who will price gouge and drive up prices as the car will be hot for a while. That will drive away customers and in the end I think it won't work.
They really need good dealers and push the car out at a low price. If they can sell it in Japan for $26K they can sell it here for that as well.
That's something I have hard time to believe in. US has effectively the lowest prices in the world - often by as much as 30-50%. The price may be real, just the config may be quite off what we get here.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Right now it's much higher because the US Dollar is in the toilet.
I remember the days when traveling to Europe and the Euro was worth around 80 US cents. That was just a few short years back...in 2001 !
On all hwy kind of trips, the mileage is phenomenal at over 30mpg (30-34mpg), depending on how much above 70mph I stay, during the trip. The in-city mileage ranges from 18-21, again depending on conditions.
But I guess the 5-speed Auto in the Honda is geared for better mileage and the VCM (variable cylinder mgmt) helps a lot during hwy trips.
The WRX (07 4EAT) is used mostly in mixed driving conditions and till date (7000 miles) it has been coming up with mileage in the 19-23mpg range, during normal driving conditions (spirited driving in both the city and hwy). The best mileage I have gotten in the WRX till date, was 24mpg during a recent trip...but the car was loaded down with people, luggage and also a big roof-rack (14cu ft), under mostly 75-80mph conditions (posted Spd limit 70mph). The roof-rack obviously was not very helpful for the mileage. The Odyssey under the same conditions and the same kind of load and speed, might have yielded 30+mpg easily. Also, I am guessing the WRX might get better mileage after around 20K or so (my Odyssey improved a lot after 20K).
That's something I have hard time to believe in. US has effectively the lowest prices in the world - often by as much as 30-50%. The price may be real, just the config may be quite off what we get here.
Well it's on several sites so they just converted it from Yen to dollars.
I can't find the article but prices overseas don't concern me very much as I live here. For sure the GSR will be about $30K but if it was $26K they'd probably help to dig Mitsubishi out of the big financial hole it has been in lately.
Look at the Corvette - 6th gear is ultra tall, I think the ratio is 0.5:1, something like that, and that's how it gets an EPA rating of 28mpg highway.
I believe that's better than the WRX.
-mike
Personally, I think if you're looking at MPG first, before even driving it, you're looking at the wrong car. The turbos require premium and will use lots of it when driven the way they're intended to be.
The 2.5i models (across the Subaru range) do well compared to AWD competitors, but that's about it.
-mike
It is what "going mainstream" means: trying to capture people who do not have particular attachment to AWD, but what similarly sized, priced, looking, and performing vehicle. You can have cake (go mainstream) and eat it (stay niche), too Mike.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I would actually say most people (even those shopping for fast cars) do not care if the car is front, rear, all wheel drive or happen to be jet-engine thrust propelled. All they care is how it looks inside and out, how fast it is and what gizmos they get - the order of those three things depends on the person. And I can vouch for it - four years ago - yest fast and AWD was all I cared about. Today I'm actually ready to trade some goodies for type of drive or speed (or even both :surprise: ).
New WRX did not impress me at all. Don't care for looks, interior is just hum-drum. Absolutely nothing special - not for 25-30K. It simply does not seem to be much better than mine - and times have changed. So I'd rather keep mine and when time comes I'd get something else.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Impreza sales are up, Subaru just had their best September ever.
Impreza sales are up, Subaru just had their best September ever.
What did they sell? Was it due to a final blow-out of the '07s? One of my co-workers got a SCREAMING deal on an Impreza 2.5i base, so I know they are blowin' them out a bit.
Personally I'd put the Fusion more in a class with the WRX due to the AWD at least available.
As I've said before, we'll see how much the Mazdaspeed 3 drivers like it when they are wrapped around a pole in the rain or snow
-mike
What did they sell, 07's or 08's. Subaru sales report lumps both together.
07 model:
July 3565
Aug 3250
Sep 1011
08 model:
July 72
Aug 1090
Sept 3184
So for September, the '07 model accounted for less than a quarter of total Impreza sales, but was certainly necessary to set record numbers. We'll really have to wait to see how Subaru fares once the '07s are sold out, but I'd say the trend is good, particularly taking into account the negative initial reaction to the '08 from some current WRX owners.
All I'm saying is, being a Subaru customer who is actually happy with his current product, I cannot honestly say that if a tree fell on my car, I would be first in line to buy the new one. Part of it is because I want a class better vehicle. But another part is I'm quite disapointed with it. If I had hard limit of 30K, I would still likely look at something else - and look hard. Moreover, regardless of what Mike thinks about relevance of non-AWD competition, I would look at FWD cars. Which makes them direct competition of of WRX (as much as 2.5i is in direct competition for customers of Civic, Rabbit and Corolla).
So, if Subaru can't easily sell a car to its existing customer who like its current product, something is not right.
I would not get too excited about one-month sale numbers. There are plenty of examples of initial hits going bust very quickly. There is always a pool of people who want to be first on the block - the real question is about those who don't mind waiting and are not committed. And that we will see no earlier than in January-February.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Subaru didn't feel that there were enough Impreza buyers before, so they're trying to appeal to more mainstream buyers that might have been alienated before by the cheap materials or cramped interior.
They may have to lose a few to gain a few others.
So, if Subaru can't easily sell a car to its existing customer who like its current product, something is not right.
Well, yes and no. The WRX was a major departure for them. The demographics changed rather substantially when the WRX came out.
So this strategy worked for them before, i.e. appealing to a non-core customer.
Bottom line: Subaru has about 1% market share. They cannot limit their target audience to that 1%. They cannot ignore the other 99%, in other words.
I agree with you - if the tradeoff is equitable, I could forgo the soft steering feel or no-so-hot styling. But it is not equitable.
Bottom line: Subaru has 1% market share. With this offering they are risking losing half of the current holdings, but they did bring not offer anything above and beyond what mainstream buyer (who BTW doesn't even know if their car is FWD, RWD or AWD, and what those abbreviations actually mean) is looking for if they are ready to shell out this much money. If I was non-AWD freak looking for a small pocket-rocket, I would see no compelling reason to buy WRX over its price-matched competition - ESPECIALLY if I had "mainstream" tastes.
By the way - 2.5i is a completely different picture. I think it is a steal for that money, if you live in snow belt country. You won't get leather or sunroof, but for 18-20K people would let it go much easier, as they look for other things. Just to be clear - my disdain is about WRX only.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I'm OK with the way they looked, but the same thing that made the last WRX raw and all about bang-for-the-buck is what turned off that other 99% I was talking about.
Common complaints that turned prospective buyers away from the old model included:
* windows that rattle when you slam doors
* hard plastics on the dash and trim
* peach fuzz headliner
* excess road noise
* lack of GPS option
* lack of safety features (VSC, SAC)
I think they've at least tried to address most, if not all, of those issues.
Don't get me wrong - I had a Forester with frameless doors and defended those to the death, yet I'll admit it was a concern raised by MANY shoppers that ended up buying something else.
Hard core enthusiasts love the Lotus Elise because it's bare bones, raw, and uncompromising. I love it, don't get me wrong.
However, the S2000 will simply sell in higher volumes because of the compromises it makes to make it more livable in the real-world.
The new WRX goes more in that direction, with one notable exception - it's lighter than the old one.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Just hope yours is not totalled this year.
Whoa - now it is clearly visible now that WRX is not such a good deal, ESPECIALLY that there is a cash back for Legacy. The only thing Lgcy cannot be had with manual and Nav and if you want a hatch, you had to get stinking Outback.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2005 only.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Its a great way to build loyalty, but not enough to overcome the lack of a desirable product.
How is its rear vision? I'm driving a Impreza 2.5i wagon, and I don't like its offering. Have to really turn back to see it clearly. Also how about its noise, from the engine and the wind? The 2.5 wagon is noisy. This wagon feels jittery once over 70MPH, how's your WRX doing?
When I drove the Outback XT and then new WRX, the salesman saw my skepticism (as I told him - I wasn't really interested, but "since you called") asks me what needs to happen for me to pull the trigger and I said flat out "The product. I know the offer is good, I have the money, I have the credit, but if there is no product it's all moot". He didn't say much after that - cause there is nothing to say...
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Same boat here.. My GTP value is almost $4k higher than my trade should be - yet, I can't find a car I'd want right now. No LGT wagon, and that WRX is just not cutting it. Not to mention its price is really over the top with the Premium pkg. I want to upgrade from my Outback Sport SE.. but.. there's just no sport wagon to fit the bill
I am not sure - it might even be a little worse, but you don't look back in a car like that very often.
I think the purpose of some changes was to reduce the noise and I think it might be successful, although it is hard to compare my '05 Impreza Outback with a WRX. It is a different suspension, so I would expect more noise from there - overall, probably the same noise.
Just get a test drive and see for yourself.
My '05 did not feel too jittery at 120MPH, so I'm not sure what you're talking about. I expect the WRX to be stable at 150.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
i even considered decking out a 2.5i, forgoing my turbo desire - but they won't even offer seat warmers in that car!! and while my Outback Sport is not gorgeous, i really don't know if i could trade up to the '08 OBS, especially in its awful lack of colors.
I want to like the WRX... but.. $28k?? pshhhh.
It's old school Subaru at its best.
GTP values are awesome. I hope my 2002 Legacy qualifies when the 2009 Foresters come out!
Will see next year, again. It's the third year they extended GTP to 2002, at least for Impreza don't know about other models. It's like some magic number. Maybe they'll do it again. If 2002 makes it next year than my '03 will make it year after that.
2018 430i Gran Coupe