By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
By comparison, the guys that have the huge HP cars tend to be way more knowledgeable and way more attentive to proper monitoring of engine diagnostics.
Not that that will necessarily save them or their cars over the long haul.
I go to the Highland Park (IL) dealer and they are pretty tight-lipped about upcoming models.
--sonya4
The website that you linked to mentioned "that with both expressed and implied warranties, there are circumstances where the manufacturer can be relieved of responsibility to make good on warranty repairs."
They didn't go into detail about this so I figured some people who are considering mods might find the following info to be useful:
If a "performance" mod doesn't fall within factory specs, the manufacturer can always point to the "unreasonable use" waiver of standard provision, i.e, Section 2304(c), which is a part of the federal minimum warranty standards within Magnuson Moss.
According to that provision, "unreasonable use" explicitly includes failure to provide reasonable and necessary maintenance.
Reasonable and necessary maintenance is explicitly defined by Section 2301 as "those operations which the consumer reasonably can be expected to perform or have performed and which are necessary to keep the consumer product performing its intended function and operating at a reasonable level of performance."
If the "performance" mod can reasonably be related to the problem, it appears that the only thing that really needs to be "proven" is that the "performance" mod caused the consumer product to operate outside its intended level of performance. It's interesting that these same tuners would make excellent witnesses for the manufacturers, given the performance claims they make for their mods, if a "performance" mod warranty denial was ever taken to court. Regrettably, I've been unable to find a single case where a warranty claim denial due to "performance" mods was reversed by the courts based on Magnuson Moss. I would appreciate it if you could provide the relevant case history to assist me and others to be more informed consumers. Thanks so much!
It is then upto the customer to get a lawyer and gather experts to prove in court that indeed the performance mod that he did, did not cause the failure of the component. Very few consumers ever do that, since it involves time, money and effort and deep down he truly knows that the mod he did is what caused the failure. JMHO.
Later...AH
ps: I am not talking about somebody changing a wheel to a different brand and the powerlocks of the car failed and the dealer denying the warranty of the powerlocks attributing it to the fitting of the new wheel. They never ever do that. But doing a "vishnu mod" and the engine failing, is directly correlated and trying to get the engine replaced under warranty, is cheating, IMHO.
-mike
Ken
I'm sure there are certain guidlines to follow, as with most anything, but I'm just thinking that to deny service would need a pretty good reason. I think it would have to be a very obvious attempt to try to pull a fast one, for them to deny service.
Am I wrong again???
Ken
If dealer performs work and manufacturer finds that it was unreasonable I think they will not pay and will keep an eye on the dealer in the future.
Krzys
-mike
I've been shopping around for a WRX wagon and last week found out this: You can select either "Dealer Cash' or low interest loans ranging from .9% for 24 months, or 3.9% for 60 months. BTW they won't mention the cash, and don't dare call it a rebate!
Is there to be a Sport Wagon STi?
J0elboy.
And no STi Wagon. :-(
-Dennis
Is the standard (non-STi) WRX basically the 03 with revised headlights and interior or are there lots of changes that it would be best to let "beta testers" (I mean early adopters!) work out?
The moonroof and AWP have been available in other markets for some time now.
-Dennis
The changes to the front end actually do have a bit more than looks to it. Aerodynamic drag is lower and the hood scoop is supposed to be more efficient.
Ken
I thought I read something about the 04 motor making torque earlier in the powerband than the 03 too.
Can anyone confirm that?
Bob
Ken
I can't believe it.. I wish they'd come out with a wagon version, I just can't get the sedan, it's too small... I'd be trading up for an STi wagon in a heartbeat... omg it's so awesome.. the guy in the office next to me drives an S2000, he might be convinced to get the STi (since it has a moonroof, his main criteria in a car apparently :-P)... I dunno if I'd be able to drive it though, what would I think of the regular WRX after driving that monster?
It is just amazing... wow...
at least they won't think you're just another guy only interested in driving it for kicks and not a real potential customer!
Bob
I fantasize about waiting (and paying more) for an STi, but that is honestly way more car than I'll ever need.
I'm going to contact my dealer and make my arrangements.
DjB
The wife has a Legacy wagon, and I could get a trailer and a hitch for that to do all the rest!
-juice
DjB
-Ian
It's my dream car, more so than even an M3. Watching rally racing changes your priorities!
Don't you mean a STi wagon to replace the Miata and Forester? :-)
Ken
Later...AH
Colors - Don't recall if it's been announced yet.
Stereo - Dealer (or port?) installed option.
Foglights - I don't "think" so. Not 100% sure.
Wing delete option - Yes. You and your took kit. :-)
Sunroof - I don't think so either.
Changing the hood? No way! That huge scoop is functional to get enough air to the huge intercooler.
-Dennis
Luk
-Dennis
You could easily sell the wing if you don't want it, I'm sure you could get $500 for it painted. They cost a fortune even aftermarket. You could sell the rims and the scoop, too. I don't see any of those as problems even if you don't want that stuff.
The 16" rims sell for $400 a set, so you could probably get $600-800 or so for the 17" gold ones and then pay a little more to get P1s or P7s, or whatever you like.
IMO these things are easy to address. Even though I'd leave it alone, keep it bone stock.
-juice
Try fitting a 27" TV in the box, into a WRX Sedan. Now try doing that in a WRX/STi Wagon.
P1s/P7s are 17x7 cast alloy rims. The STi comes with 17x7.5" Forged rims. Why would we want to downgrade ?
I would definitely have loved it, if they could have deleted the wing (have better underbody aerodynamics than have a cop magnet huge-azz wing) and have fitted a more efficient front-mounted intercooler, thus doing away with the hood scoop. But that's JMHO, since I prefer a "wolf in sheep's clothing" than a "wolf in wolf's clothing". :-))
Later...AH
It's Subaru's halo car and I have no problem with the way it looks. I do wish it came in a wagon form as well, but I suspect I'd be more than happy with the "base" WRX (that looks funny as I write it) which already outperforms the majority of cars in its price range and far above.
AH makes a great point that carries some weight with me personally. If I had to go out and buy a new Subaru tomorrow I'd buy a WRX wagon - but even the wagon has some of that "wolf" to it. A Forester turbo with performance not far off that of the base WRX (hopefully a reality in the not-too-distant future) would truly be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Only a subtle hood scoop to tip your hand - no wings, skirts, or lips to alert law enforcement or the testosterone-poisoned.
BTW I fit a 32" TV in its box in the Forester. ;-)
Ed
This is such a speciality, limited production car, with a very specific target audience, that I don't think people will evaluate it based on any truly practical terms. I mean, c'mon. THREE HUNDRED HORSEPOWER! Even if it had a roof rack, that TV would fall off!
Didn't realize the OE rims were forged (no detail left behind!). Guess you could sell the spoiler for $500, and pay a body shop to paint the wheels and plug the holes left behind by the spoiler. Voila, your sheep.
BaaaAAAAH.
-juice
-Dennis
I'd like a wagon too, but in a way, I think that the sedan is the "real" STi. The wagon would be heavier. If I am going to buy their flagship, I want all those tenths of seconds to 60 that I can get.
As for the people that don't want the spoiler, it probably would be easier to sell the whole trunklid with spoiler attached to somebody or trade with them. That would be much cleaner way of dealing with it
-juice
tWrX
Ed -- I hear you with the turbo Forester. If it does get the 2.5 turbo with AVCS, that alone might be enough to keep me from going to the dark side. But if I had to buy a vehicle right now, it would be a WRX wagon.
Ken
I would buy the P1s again in a heartbeat...but Tirerack has stopped stocking Prodrive products, since Prodrive themselves are setting up shop in the US shortly. The Prodrive products on tirerack are on "sale" right now...the Silver P1s are all sold out already.
Later...AH
The pictures are hosted at:
http://homepage.mac.com/nowakj/WRX_STi_04/PhotoAlbum31.html
Enjoy! -- Joe
Not sure about the looks with the wings and the gold-color rims...but since, like twrx, I haven't finished paying off my WRX yet, maybe in another few years I'll have changed my mind or Subaru will come out with something else.
Anyway, there are still people out there who look at my WRX!
--sonya4
1. Is the STi wing deletable? No way.
2. Do the wheels come in any other colors? YES, but the blue STi only gets the gold wheels. He said there would be 4 colors of STi and some would get silver wheels.
3. Will an STi wagon be available? Nope.
4. Is the sunroof available on the regular wagon? He wasn't sure, but he thought so. The '04 sedan (not STi) had one.
I realize this may all be bogus, but the guy seemed pretty sharp, so I thought I'd pass it along. I hadn't heard anything about STi colors, so it will be interesting to see if that pans out.
As far as the regular WRX changes, I think the center mounted tach and new seats with integrated headrests have been mentioned. I found the seats to be more comfortable than the rock hard Recaros in the Lancer Evo, and the interior was nicer to boot. The new headlights look sharp. The fog lights have gone from huge to tiny little 1" or so dots. That's about all I remember. Bottom line I like the '04 changes, and the STi was just plain scary looking.
-Jason