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Comments
Ed
-juice
Bruticus--Feel bad for you. I've heard from others that NJ has weird insurance policies. Good luck and do call around for insurance quotes.
--sonya4
2002 Subaru WRX - $319.38 for 6 months.
2002 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon - $289.31 for 6 months.
Anyone can drive either vehichle with our permission as long as they have a valid drivers license.
Keep in mind, the wife and I are both in our early 50's, we've been with the same company - State Farm - for about 25 years. (They are excellent, by the way!)
I have never gotten a speeding ticket or had a serious accident. (Lots of warnings, but no tickets) The wife has only had one speeding ticket. Had a minor incident once and since they happened to have the same insurance company, even the deductible was waived.
We have all our insurance policies with the same company. (Cars, Home, Business, etc.)
I suggest you get with a good company and stay with them, sometimes the rates go up, but in the long run, you'll be better off. Jumping from company to company will cost you more over all.
Good luck,
Anthony123, My WRX has been very sluggish starting, a few mornings when it was near zero outside, unfortunately my car is sitting outside nowdays since our barn was demolished and waiting for a new building to be put up. (All the lawn junk is in the garage now)
Ken
Ken
My wife and I insured both Subarus (Impreza and Outback) as well as our dwelling and even had our umbrella policy with them. BUT, we learned that it is the place in which one resides that determines the rates. Here in southern Florida, the cars cost double to insure and the deductible is even higher! And, that's after transferring all of our previous insurance with State Farm! At least, it's warmer here this time of the year!
Ken is right--helps to be with a good company for a very long time--they don't want to lose your business and will strive to keep rates low for good customers. We've been with USAA (another very good insurance company) for 20+ years, so when we got our Rex, our long-term loyalty really paid off.
P. S. After posting this, I'm spending the next ten minutes knocking on wood ;-)
You mention that your WRX's starting has been sluggish starting. Have you talked to the dealer about it? Do you know if this an issue that Subaru is aware of?
- Anthony
It never failed to start, it was just really slow cranking. And it was only when the temp was in the low single digits. Now that has warmed up a bit here, it cranks just fine. It's supposed to get cold again next week. We'll see what happens. I don't think a weak battery is worth complaining to the dealer about, especially since they are over 100 miles away. If it fails, I'll just go pick up a new one. I doubt the warranty on the battery would be worth salt anyway.
Ken
The Celica looks like a miniature Can-Am car, especially with the new optional tall wing and is a blast to ring out to it's redline.
The RSX-S has that Honda jewel-like precision about it, and its 6-speed shifter is one of the best in the business.
But I love the WRX most of all because it's about the only car out there, IMHO, that's built for high-performance driving in the "real world." Blasting through snowy roads, dodging around pot-holes and dead skunks in the middle of the road, doing 4-wheel drifts on dirt or gravel roads, etc., you really have to give the AWD and all-strut suspension the edge for everyday driving under less-than-ideal conditions. And the turbo gives you a significant power advantage at higher altitudes.
To me, it's really no coincidence that the editor's at Automobile picked it along with the BMW M 5 in their "Best Sedan" category. It really is that good.
But that's just one driver's opinion. I'd say take each one for an extensive test-drive and pick the one you like the best and the one that fits your life-style. That's the one you'll be happy with, IMO.
Best of luck, whichever one you decide on.
The WRX is a fun car, has a wonderful rumble from the engine/exhaust, handles exceptionally well, and is fast. Definitely faster than the RSX-S, and the power comes on around 3000-4000 rpm so it's very useable. The benefit of AWD is awesome. And to me, the car just feels and looks like it wants to play. Friendly and fun!
I think the RSX-S is a fine car, but felt more like something I would want for the image and less as a sports car. The WRX is just plain fun to drive. It totally rocks!
The icing on the cake is that I bought a WRX (two weeks ago) for about $800 under invoice, and got 4.4% APR for 5 years. That made it a no brainer.
You probably know that new 04 WRX models are due out soon (March or May, can't remember which). Make sure you consider that as well. Personally, I prefer the looks of the 03 model myself.
Good luck!
Craig
Been listening to Loudon Wainwright III, have you? ;-)
Ed
I'm trying to decide between the WRX and the Forrester. I prefer the WRX, but is it a practical decision?
DjB
I've even dropped the light down near the oil pan and covered the hood with a blanket if it's really cold. Take care.TC(Indy)
One question for the seasoned WRX owners. I have read many places that a BOV installation is recommended. Do any of you recommed this addition, and does anyone know if it is a warrenty no-no?
Thanks again big time!
Paul
Adding a BOV will most certainly void the warranty in my opinion.
Craig
and uninsured motorist limits at $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
We also get low-mileage and multi-car discounts that amount to about $375 per six months.
We have our life and home insurance through them, so that may play a factor also.
Hope this helps.
-mike
I used a Kanga Roof pouch for trips in the Outback Sport, and recently bought a Thule Excursion to use with the WRX.
We make about two 11 hour trips to SC per year (for a week at a time) and the Impreza has been ok with room. Rear seat leg room is a little tight, but it was comfortable enough for the kids. Cargo room is so-so for long trips and that's why I use roof carriers.
Haven't used the Thule on the WRX yet, but it was great on my wife's Outback.
The Forester may have slightly more rear seat room (it's built on an Impreza chasis), and a few more cu. feet of cargo room.
edit: Doh! Just realized this was the sedan forum, and should've answered your post in the Wagon forum.
-Dennis
Does anybody out there have experience, or have reliable second-hand experience, with this org?
Please let me know. I'm going to try to use this number as a lever on AllState, whose agent should have an interest in keeping me as a client.
DjB
-juice
The other day I was at a stoplight and an elementary school was letting out...a 10- or 11-year-old boy crossing the road with his schoolmates yelled at me, "WRX! Nice car!"
A few days later I was at a grocery store and a cowboy (?--a guy in a cowboy hat, anyway) said "I love your car--very nice" and at first I didn't know if he was being sarcastic because my Rex was so dirty from the snow etc....but then he added, "It's really cool" so I figured he was sincere.
So those two comments made my days...
--sonya4
Compared to the:
RSX-S - Significantly cheaper (-$200 per 6 months)
RSX - (-$120 per 6 months)
Altima 3.5SE - (+$20 per 6 months)
So it was only slightly more than the Altima.
BTW, I am currently paying +$1000 per 6 months out here. Yes I do have a blemmish on my record though. I compared it to a few other companies, they ranged from $1300-$1800 per 6 months. Again, I have 1 blemmish on my record.
Test drove a Mazda 6s (5M without the Sport package) tonight and was well impressed with how it felt on the road; we went a ~10 mile loop of some really nasty roads around here (for those in the know, the stretch of 202 in Flemington I call Dealer Row) and it felt solid and composed.
Steering felt a bit heavy at walking speeds, but got nice at highway travel.
Clutch pedal travel was a bit short, resulting in a couple of inadvertent jackrabbit starts, but once it gets rolling it feels fast and sharp.
Of all things in a car, I'm probably least able to judge shift action (odd since I've only ever driven manual!) But I agree with what I've read; shifter was a bit clicky/notchy, but those things always feel like that brand-new. I didn't want to hammer it because I think that's a good way to piss off a dealer but the few times I did a rolling start (e.g. coasting up to a light in 1st and it turns green) shift action was acceptable and I never felt unsure of what gear I was going into or feared I was going to miss a shift. Plus it was nice being able to cruise at 55mph in top gear, with the engine turning LESS than 3K! (that's my Neon heritage)
Industry mags say it has very good handling but isn't as fast (0-60 in 8 flat) as it feels. Felt pretty fast to me; maybe I'm the opposite of spoiled or something.
Like its looks, even though the Sport package forces the driver to accept that silly wing.
Interior is definitely a notch above the WRX, with soft/smooth/whatever stuff everywhere and a very "hush hush" feeling.
However, I wasn't as impressed with how "busy" the Mazda's centre stack is. Big, tactile-feedbacky buttons, but spaced far enough apart that you can't simply memorize the "row-order" and slide your fingers sideways. Ditto the radio/climatronic display which is at the top of the centre stack, meaning you can't flick your eyes/hands to one location to see the radio settings, change them, and then get back on the wheel. The steering wheel controls looked a bit crowded, but those would probably become second nature after time.
A big hit on the 6, at least when it comes to simply buying one, is that it's brand new and getting one with the options I want is going to be tough. The dealer had 2 on-lot, both without the Sport package. One w/ the Sport setup was inbound, but it also had leather and the cold-weather group which I don't want (IMHO, leather in this segment just doesn't feel right) I'd consider skipping the Sport package except I do like the aero trim; the aero trim is available in the Appearance package, but that is MORE expensive than the Sport group WITHOUT the 17" wheels and included HID foggies.
The dealer agent I spoke with said they have 8 more allocated to them between now and end of March, but doesn't yet know what options are on them.
If an agent can find one with the setup I want it'd cost almost dead-on the final quote from my preferred Subaru dealer. I think it's really going to come down to those insurance costs.
I have eliminated the GTI from conention. I do like riding in my friend's 1.8T, as it's very quiet and the sound system's pretty sharp. I realize that the current ig-coil trouble isn't a harbinger of doom for this car. But it has some big strikes on it. It's very small inside; I don't carry passengers that often, and driving a GTI pretty much ensures that I wouldn't in future (course, that might be a good thing). The interior is super-high-quality for $25K, but also sorta shows the design's overall age. It performs well (in 1.8T) and altho I've not driven a VR6 I assume it's even stronger, but it's heavier than others it competes against, and feels a bit more ocean-liner-ish in turns.
sigh.
DjB
No way to tell if the 6 will be any better than the 626 inthe long run, but it appears to at least be a more capable, more exciting, more appealing car. That can only help. On paper, it looks to be a pretty good vehicle. Hope it doesn't become a Hertz rental fleet darling like the 626 did -- that really kills resale value.
Craig
I agree that the first few years of Ford-majority-ownership weren't very kind to Mazda, and its products in the late 90s slipped a notch or two from where they were before then. But Protege (shared little with a Ford, unlike the 626 and last-gen MX6) always gets high marks (edmunds itself gives it an award), Ford's engines/technology constantly receive high praise, Mazda seems to be hitting some solid shots (altho I think the new RX8 is UHgly) and maybe they'll turn it around. If I could get a match (or even 2 bars and a cherry) on the Mazda6 options slot-machine I may just go along for the ride.
Heh, while I was waiting for the dealer to get the plates etc for the test drive I did a walk around of their showroom Protege. With the options I'd want (audio/moonroof package, ABS/side-curtain airbags, meatier wheels/tires) it'd run 17K. I gave serious consideration to picking some options, leaving a deposit, waiting for them to call me to say it'd arrived, and have done with this whole stupid thing.
DjB
The verdict? Fifty dollars more for each six-month term for the exact same coverage... So, basically, a grand a year for full coverage, maximum liability limits, glass coverage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist. This is in Ft. Wayne, IN... And I have a clean record and no accidents. I was frankly astonished that it was so low.
I do feel sorry for those who are getting gouged, especially in NJ. Having recently moved to IN from suburban NYC, my insurance dropped by over two-thirds to its' present level, and I know that just across the river in NJ my insurance would have been worse still. Amazing.
Still not sure I am getting the WRX, though. Think I'll wait for the '04 model with the "new and improved" bow and see if I like it. If not, maybe I can wrestle an '03 off the dealer's lot at a discount.
-SHOV6
Mike k
A Waste gate is there to bypass the turbo when there is an excess amount of exhaust gas in the manifold from the header to the turbine. It is there to protect the turbine from overspinning and producing too much boost pressure. The waste gate is installed off the side of the exhaust pipe just ahead of the turbine, and it's usually piped around the turbine and the gasses are routed back into the converter, or in some cars routed around the converter into the exhaust pipe ahead of the muffler. If you play with the waste gate pressure settings (stiffer spring, shims, etc.) you increase boost pressure because it allows the turbine to spin faster producing more compression in the compressor side or the turbo.
shov6--The more I see of the '04 Impreza front clip, the more I appreciate the current styling. It doesn't look bad straight-on, but from the side it looks rather bulbous.
We couldn't wait to sell it, and replaced it with a Legacy.
Subaru's problems are sort of the opposite. There are a couple of little things that come up at first, then once they're sorted out you're good to go. Also, parts are much cheaper, perhaps because I know where to shop.
I still have a Miata and it's more reliable, but the new Mazda 6 has a lot more Ford influence - including the engine block. I'd at least wait and see what the first year reliability/quality numbers look like.
-juice
-juice
Impreza:
Outback Sport
TS Wagon
RS Sedan
WRX Sedan and Wagon
STi Sedan
Legacy:
Legacy Sedan and Wagon
Legacy GT Sedan and Wagon
Outback Wagon
Outback SUS
LL Bean
VDC
Forester:
Forester X?
Forester XS?
-mike
I think you're on the money with your discussion. The WRX has a bypass valve in place of a BOV, and a waste gate. As far as I know, the only difference is that the bypass valve routes the air somewhere else in the intake, while the BOV dumps it to atmosphere.
I think there are some pretty good discussions about how the bypass valve works over on www.nasioc.com, certainly in more depth that I know! One thing I picked up there is that if you swap the bypass valve for a BOV, the engine will run rich when the throttle is lifted because the ECU is programmed to compensate for the additional bypass air in the intake by adding fuel.
Craig
and http://media.subaru.com
-Dennis
But I'd take AWD over leather any day.
-juice
DjB