Subaru Impreza WRX

kevin111

The PZero Nero M&S are highly recommended, softer sidewall for a performance tire.

The Micheline Pilot Sport A&S are excellent performance tires and very good in most conditions. They have a stiff side-wall though, so the ride will be harsh.

Another option - dedicated summer tires and use winter tires during the period you mention. Summer tires will handle better and have a better response than most (if not all) all season tires.

sensei1

The consensus of everything I've read is that All Seasons are a compromise of both worlds, not as good as summer tires, not as good as winter tires. Just depends on your driving habits and priorities.

If you want both worlds, some say have two sets. I have the all season ContiExtremes and I'm okay with them. Didn't break the bank and not a pushover either. I guess those are my two worlds.

Check out the "Ask Connor At Tire Rack" forum.
connortirerack "Ask Connor at The Tire Rack" Sep 20, 2004 2:51pm

kevin111

The Micheline Pilot Sport A&S did perform awfully close to the Pilot Sport summer tires in all out performance, and are pretty good in light snow to boot.

The P-Zero Neros are also pretty good, leveraging more towards performance and less on all-season ability.

snarks

Continental Extreme Contact are decent in snow/wet.

bluesubie

The Michelin Pilot Sport A&S did perform awfully close to the Pilot Sport summer tires in all out performance, and are pretty good in light snow to boot.

Here's Tire Rack's comparo:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/mi_pilot_sports.jsp

-Dennis

lilbluewgn02

we replaced the RE92s with Bridgestone Turanzas...great reviews on TR and so far we are both happy with them in Florida's rains.

cptplt

what speed ratings did you get? H or V?
I have the T (which is actually a totally different tread pattern on the wifes minivan and the H on my dads Avalon are great. Have been thinking of getting the V for the WRX.

c_hunter

Are they quiet? I have been thinking about replacing the RE-92As on my OB XT with Turanzas. The RE-92As make a humming noise that is driving me (and other OB owners) crazy.

Craig

lilbluewgn02

I think they are pretty quiet; no excessive road noise. I got LS-V for the WRX and LS-H for Susan's Legacy. Bridgestone had a $50 rebate on 4 tires at the time, so we got $100 back from them.
We are pretty happy with them, both in dry and very wet conditions.

cracovian

Going fast in the WRX is probably "safer" than a Trooper towing a 2100lb trailer at top speeds of 80-90+ over the mountains, Mike...

paisan "Isuzu Trooper" Dec 17, 2001 3:42pm

There was also a post where you mentioned your Trooper being extremely stable at 100MPH+ and I don't recall that happening on a race track...

ateixeira

That was the pre-track paisan.

I don't think mike has claimed he never made a mistake, only that he's come to realize that the track is the best place for speed, and now he's sharing his experience with others to perhaps help others.

I see nothing wrong with that. He doesn't sound preachy to me.

-juice

cracovian

He used to tow that XT6 for track racing - this was no pre-track. I like paisan and I value his opinion greatly but, c'mon, let someone else say they're "clean"...

"My right foot is ALWAYS planted on the floor, at least up to 115ish which is the max I've had the trooper. " - Mike, Aug 2002

That's fast and we're not in Europe anymore...

ateixeira

In 2001 he was probably towing his boat. Back then he was autocrossing, but I'm not sure he'd converted to track events yet.

Let's cut each other some slack, that was years ago.

-juice

hypov

The XT6 was never track raced or towed.
AutoX, yes, still was never towed then

-Dave

paisan

As was stated you are pulling posts from pre-track days...

XT6 was never towed anywhere.

-mike

nyccarguy

looks like they took some of the great new interior pieces from the new legacy and found them a home in the WRX. I like the availability of the premium package with the sunroof and heated seats. I'll have to see the '05 wheels in person to see if I like them. I like the 16" 5 spoke wheels on the current model.

Don't know how many of you know this, but there is a portion of the website that will give you a guaranteed trade in amount for your 2002 or 2003 WRX (obviously if you buy a new Subaru). You enter your VIN number and SUBARU OF AMERICA (not the dealership) will tell you how much your car is worth to them. Just passing along information.

ateixeira

We should credit the Forester, which was the first Subie to get that stylish interior.

Subaru is giving generous trade-in allowances, IMO. Usually you get low-balled a wholesale price.

-juice

kevin111

'02 WRX 50K value per Edmunds -

Trade in - $15,916
Private Party - $17,327
Dealer Retail - $19,801

Subaru no-haggle trade-in allowance they mailed me - $15100 for a trade in, under 50K. (though I have no plans at this time)

FYI

NOT a great deal

ateixeira

Edmunds prices seem extremely optimistic.

For instance, a 2002 at the dealer for $19,801?

I saw a brand-new left over 2004 for that price. At fitzmall.com quite a few dipped under $20 grand.

I'd check with Terry if you are trading in. I think Subaru's offer might be more realistic than you'd think.

-juice

threesin

My SoA guaranteed trade-in price for my '02 OBS was $10,100 if I traded with 55K miles or less. When I actually got ready to trade, I had 57K+ miles on my car, and one or the other, or both, KBB and Edmunds listed my "trade-in" value at about $9800 as I recall. I got $10K for it on trade.

I subsequently went back to KBB & Edmunds to check out the trade-in value again after seeing some unbelievable listing prices on an '02 OBS. I was surprised to see the value above $10K, and my heart did a flip flop wondering how I could have made such a mistake. Then I noticed that the mileage on the checked vehicle was lower than mine; and upon entering the correct mileage, my OBS trade-in value was less than $9800.

You'll notice a very large deduction for mileage when it exceeds the averages used for appraisal prices.

Hope this sheds some light.........Terry

ateixeira

Maybe it's better for some than it is for other models?

Worth a look. Subaru tells you the trade-in allowance up-front, so it's no real work. Then you could try to private-party sale it, if not fall back on their price.

-juice

hypov

hee hee my WRX wagon has no value
"We're sorry. At this time, we are unable to determine the value of your 2003 IMPREZA WRX SPORT WAGON."

-Dave

ozman62

nyccarguy

along with the ultimate bang for the buck factor in the WRX would be a great replacement for my beloved Prelude Type SH in the unlikley event of it being stolen or even worse... But seeing that I'm getting married in less than a month, there'll be no new cars in the next few years:)

km24

HI
WHICH AWD SYSTEM IS BETTER THE WRX AUTOMATIC VTD OR VOLVO V50 AUTO AWD HALDEX WITH TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL. WHICH SYSTEM WOULD PERFORM BETTER IN BAD WEATHER (SNOW ICE RAIN)? I WANT A CAR THAT WILL STICK TO THE ROAD NO MATTER WHAT AND WON'T SLIP AND SLIDE?
THANKS
KHYLE

c_hunter

Volvo's AWD systems are based on a front-drive platform with transverse engine layout. This is a far cry from Subaru's symmetrical AWD layout, which is one of it's key benefits. So I would ding Volvo on points for that alone.

If you have winter tires, either AWD system will be good in winter weather (within reason). To be honest, tires are the most important factor in most cases, and the type of AWD system is secondary.

Craig

ppek

I know there is a forum dedicated to tires, but I got lost with way too much info.

My RE-92s are done and I need to get some new tires. I have winter tires/rims, so my first question is whether I should go to a summer tire vs. an all-season. I'm thinking this would be my best choice, but I do live in Michigan and we could get hit with an early snow while my summer treads are still on. Are summer tires that bad in the snow? What about cold weather?

I'm looking for a tire that will have better handling and close to or lower noise level then the stockers.

I'm currently looking at Eagle F1 GS-D3, Bridgestone Potenza RE750, Potenza RE950, and Conti ContiSportContact 2.

Any thoughts on these tires or others.

Thanks for your help.

Paul

c_hunter

I had RE-750 summer tires on my WRX and they were great. A little noisier than stock, but otherwise great (these are about the quietest summer tires I found after a lot of research). Of course, you wouldn't want to be driving around with these or any summer tires below about 40F temps.

The RE-950 is similar to the 750, but carries an all season designation so you should be able to run them year round. They should be quieter than the 750 as well. I don't have personal experience with the 950, but some of the members here have put them on Outbacks with good results.

Craig

bkaiser1

I just put some Pirelli PZero Nero (M+S) on my WRX and love them. I had put less than 1500 miles on the summer-only Bridgestone RE070 (OEM STi) tires before I pulled them off and went to the Pirelli's, but I couldn't risk getting caught in the mountains without all-seasons on the car.

Compared to the RE070's, the Pirelli's are much more comfortable and livable with a slight tradeoff in "turn-in" response. The RE070's were so stiff that they exhibited virtually no roll at all on turn in, but you paid for that with an exceptionally harsh (and loud) ride. The PZero's are very stable and quiet, and they don't tend to follow every groove in the road like the 070's did.

I personally won't go back to summer-only tires...I don't drive aggressively enough to warrant them, and with unpredictable seasons, it's just not worth the risk of getting caught in the snow with them. If you're taking the car to a track or *really* pushing it on the road, then you might prefer the added response of a summer tread.

Brian

bkaiser1

Since you're comparing to the OEM RE92 tires, I've found that even with the larger size of my Pirelli's, they are still quieter than the RE92's were on the highway. I anticipated a negative impact on ride quality when switching from 205-55/16 to the 225-45/17 inch tires, but have been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the car is in light of the marketly better handling.

Brian

ppek

Thanks for the feedback guys. Even though I have a set of dedicated snow tires (Dunlop Wintersport M2's), I decided I'm going to go with an "ultra high performance" all-season tire, since I will be running these in the cold and possibly light snow.

I have my choices down to Pirelli PZero Nero M&S, and Bridgestone Potenza RE950. It looks like the Pirelli's are a little less expensive and have slightly better performance (from tire rack reviews), but the Potenza's due have that Uni-T technology. Does anyone know if that really improves the wet traction after the tire wears down compared with other tires?

Thanks again for all your help.

Paul

c_hunter

One other thing I thought of -- Subaru's system is full time, whereas the Volvo/Haldex system is part time -- it reacts to slippage, meaning the front wheels have to slip before AWD kicks in.

Subaru's VTD system is AWD all the time and will react to slippage on top of that.

Craig

nyccarguy

I sat in an '05 STi today. The dash materials are very nice (equivalant to those in my Prelude) and I love those seats.

bluesubie

Well that explains why I wasn't that thrilled with the V40's AWD at Car & Driver's Ride and Drive event. They usually had a FWD V40 for comparison, but were able to snag an AWD one for the performance course.

In the hard turns, I couldn't tell that much of a difference between the FWD and AWD Volvo's.

-Dennis

saintviper

I put Potenza RE-950's on my wife's Audi A4 Quattro thinking they were all season tires. Their literature says they are usable in light snow. Our experience is that they are not. She is not an aggressive driver and the Audi was sliding through intersections and the back end was breaking loose in turns. This was in an inch or 2 of snow.

If your idea of light snow is the super slushy stuff that melts as it hits the ground, they might be ok. But if you drive in any kind of real snow, I strongly advise against them.

Other than snow, the tires are great. They are quiet, and have very good grip. They are also very good in rain. Not snow though.

ateixeira

VTD is better. The default split is 45/55, so it's rear drive feel is sportier. Volvo's Haldex is among the best of the part-time systems, but it's still primarily FWD.

-juice

kwrx

I upgraded to 17" shortly after purchasing my '02, putting on Yokohama AVS ES 100's. It will soon be time for another set of tires, and I am having trouble deciding what to go with. I live outside Houston, TX, where the only "bad" road condition is rain, and often lots of it. I have not been unhappy with the Yokohamas, but am wondering if I could do better within the same price range. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

c_hunter

I had 17" Bridgestone RE-750 summer tires on my WRX and they were awesome. I believe they rated higher than the Yokos in TireRack's own tests (ie, not the surveys). When I was shopping for tires, it came down to the RE-750 and Toyo T1-S because they were known to be the two quietest summer tires.

BTW, summer tires like the 750, ES-100, and T1-S are generally great in the rain. As long as temperatures don't drop below about 40F, they can be used year round.

Craig

andmoon

I can't seem to find a definitive answer to the valve adjustment need/interval/method for wrxs.
Anyone know?

I put stock rims and tires back on my wagon for te winter. In the spring I have to get new tires for the 17's. Anyone have experience with Kumhos?

Don

bruticus

Haven't stopped in here in months. Everything's going great. Moved into nice new apartment with a good friend for a roomie. Got season1 of Dukes of Hazzard as birthday gift from my sister (YEEAAAA-HOOOOO!). Spent 4 hours last weekend washing (and washing and washing) and waxing my car. Got the chip in the windshield repaired; looks like it'll hold true. I will probably be able to pay off the note on the car by year's end. I've started actually buying Xmas presents for people.

Hope everybody else is doing as well or better!

DjB

paisan

We'll be around this coming week/weekend.

-mike

bamawrx

My 04 WRX is grinding when I shift into 5th. It happens usually at higher rpms. Problem is getting more frequent. Anybody else having this problem?

c_hunter

How many miles??

What are you using for gear oil?? (stock?)

Craig

bluesubie

Yep, I had it on my FXT shifting into 4th over 4k rpm's and it didn't sound like your normal missed gear grind. It was more of a crunch.

Turned out to be a bad synchro.

-Dennis

bamawrx

Car has 15K on it thereabouts. It does sound like a miss and it is a serious grind. I sounds like I am about to tear the gears up. I have to call the dealer. I thought is was a syncro. Should I insist on them replacing the gear too or whole tranny?

ateixeira

Nah, just the synchro.

Some very early Foresters had premature wear on the first gear synchros, and folks that replaced them never had problems after that.

You'll have fresh gear oil, look at this as a free tranny service.

-juice (the optimist)

bluesubie

My dealer replaced the gears as well, because they were worn. They'll probably make a determination after they open everthing up.

Hopefully, you haven't been flogging through the gears. :-) The dealer will go over the tranny with a fine-toothed comb.

-Dennis

speedbuggy67

Its been awhile since ive been on edmunds, my blaze yellow wrx i bought in 4/01 had the tsb bulletin clutch replacement at 31k miles 3rd gear blew 1k miles later town motors in nj replaced trans and 3k miles later 2nd gear went. Dealer told me subaru won't back blown gears on the weak wrx transmission. Anyone have this problem? Any advice? They said if they take it apart and its a bad gear its considered owner abuse and i will have to pay for everything. Something is def hokey with this. Ive never raced or dragged it. Help.
Scott

hypov

I vouch for Scottie never racing or dragging.

Hey Scottie,
hop over to the Official SOA presences thread

-Dave

ateixeira

Yeah, hop over there.

Call 800-SUBARU3 and open a case number, jot that down.

Then follow up with Patti on the thread Dave mentioned.

-juice