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Subaru Impreza WRX
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Comments
i love your little comments..what a joke..anytime you are in seattle..we can go to sir and see whos has spent more time at the track..since you must have alot of more experience than me..maybe u can show me what your grocery getter does in the 1/4 mile as well as the road course..
by no means does chipping a 1.8t cause a headache..and it dosent reduce low rpm power..it actually reduces any noticeable lag..and the power band is still pretty linear..and dosent spike..like the drinks you must have had before you got on the computer this morning..
and yes i wll drive a wrx..and whos knows if i like it..i might even buy one..would that make u cry? hiroki or whatever your name is..i geuss your the real "puke" here..try to be more positive..pal
later..
Stephen
When I started to take the car back to the dealership, the salesman asked ME if he could drive it for a while. I'm sold and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Motorsport: Hehe... I feel your pain
the wagon in Asia comes with moonroof, just saw one last week!
Wil
However, considering that I am *supposed* to be taking it easy on the car, I am not going to bother investing in new tires until I have made the wheel decision.
I really like the idea of the Forged BBS wheels, I just can't stand the price. I have been reading i-club but there doesn't seem to be anything remotely similar to a clear winner as far as aftermarket 17" wheels go. I saw a few, but I simply can't do gold wheels. I like the understated look of my silver WRX too much to get crazy with a wheel color.
If ANYONE knows of a way I can get a decent discount on the BBS wheels Subaru offers, I will gladly buy those.
Glinski,
I am glad you enjoyed the car as much as I did and do. Everytime I site in it I am start smiling. Monday was the first day in a long time that I was both early to work, and happy with my morning commute. If I can manage early wake-ups everymoring, I might start taking the long cut.
-Jason
I absolutely love my car, and the more I drive it, the more I love it. Now, I just need to find some forged 17" wheels to put a set of Pole Positions on for the christening of the 1,000 mile mark...
--jeff
Good luck and have fun!
--jeff
Questions:
1) Can someone list links to popular WRX Web sites?
2) Performance upgrades... recommendations, businesses, sites? Cobbtuning.com seems to the be a good place to go. SOA offers exhaust and suspension packages. Has any one purchased and used these?
3) I haven't done my homework yet, but I do know they have tuned-down the WRX from European specs. How they do that? Smaller turbos, ECU?
As you can see I am quite excited about the car. I am looking forward to joining you folks in here and on the road. This is truly an awesome car.
Tuners? Cobb or Rallispec, depends on which coast you live on.
What tires come on the 17" wheels? If they are RE92s, I'd change that first. Then add an adjustable rear sway bar. The STi v5 suspension packages are sweet but very, very pricey. You may want to shop around.
The US WRX actually makes more power than the Euro market turbo, less than the STi (tuned by Prodrive in the UK). Nice thing is all your internals are the same, so there is plenty of room for improvement.
Congrats on the purchase. I'm envious.
-juice
i was just at carter last friday..they had no wrx sedans..just a wagon..im dying to get a ride in one..i saw a yellow sedan yesterday..but i dont know if any of the dealers around here have any inventory..would you be able to stop long enough to have me take a look at your new ride..let me know..
shaun
I just wanted to let people know that although some other cars may not seem competitive with the WRX, some of us do cross-shop some seemingly weird cars. Personally, I'm considering all of the following:
WRX
Volvo S60 T5
BMW 325xi or 330xi (probably not, though because of the price)
Acura TL Type S
Lexus IS300
There are probably a few other vehicles I would consider, as well. I realize that the WRX is truly a competitor of the other vehicles I am considering, but I guess I haven't really decided the exact type of car I want. Obviously the WRX beats the others in terms of performance (except maybe the 330xi) and is far less expensive than the others, but there are a few other things to consider.
Indeed the interior in the WRX does not really compare to the others (and I know it's not supposed to) and I really did like the interior of the others. I drive a lot and haven't decided what is more important to me ... the less expensive performance or the more expensive comfort.
I love the idea of the raw power of the WRX and the AWD handling .. I probably wouldn't do much in the way of mods, either, because it would really be a daily-driver, not something I would take to the track. (Of course, that could all change after buying it, too!) I was thinking about the STi suspension, but would like to drive both to compare.
Just wanted to get people's thoughts ....
My thoughts? The WRX will impress you the most as a driver, while the others will comfort and please passengers more. Is it your car or the wife's? ;-)
That plus I would not touch FWD at that price and power level.
-juice
-juice
-Colin
did you just pay the msrp, or tried some negotiating?
I paid MSRP, got a fair if not fabulous trade-in, negotiated a $500 trade-in on the stock wheels and tires, a small reduction on the Service Plan, and the 3000 mile check-up for free. Apparently there is a dealer in Rochester, NY, Van Bortel, that will discount substantially if you're willing to take a trip there: http://vanbortelsubaru.com/
But I still prefer the wagon.
-juice
They'll be a huge improvement over the stock 16x6.5 / RE92 combination though.
-Colin
I won't buy dry!
I too spent a day looking for a WRX sedan 5spd to drive. Carter, Chaplin's and Melody's all blew me off for driving a WRX, so I called Roy Robinson in Marysville, who gladly offered a test drive of a black 5spd on their lot. I headed up last night and took it for a spin.
I'm actually disappointed by the lack of power, especially at high speed. I'm a bit biased, as my current car is a 405hp modified Toyota Supra turbo which can smoke an Acura NSX, C5 Vette, any BMW and nearly anything else on the road. But with the extra 400lbs my car has over the WRX, I expected a lot more oomph. Then again, I didn't take it over 4000rpm, and knowing most 4 bangers, the powerband doesn't really start until 4500-5000.
I didn't get it into any hard corners, but the steering was very responsive with the overpriced 17" BBS wheels.
I also noticed very strange transmission quirks. While 1st and 2nd gear felt good, 3rd gear at a reasonable RPM (2500-3000) caused the shifter to vibrate almost violently. In general, the tranny felt unrefined, noisy and loose.
I really want to like this car. It looks great in person, the specs looks great on paper(including the price), and everyone who owns one raves about it. Yet I can't buy one until I either
1) get used to it (catch 22 since I'd have to buy one) or
2) drive and/or ride in one with an owner who can show it off to me, not a dealer who just wants a sale.
If anyone in the Seattle area would enjoy helping me out with #2, send me an email.
Waiting for my order...
Well, once they get to know you.
Just keep your expectations at $24,000. The Supra is sweet, but you're probably approaching twice the investment with inflation taken into account.
-juice
-vort
i dont know about this carbon fiber trim option for another 350..no thanks..upgraded stereo was ok..this one was optioned out for about 26k..out the door..a little too much for me..as i would be spending another 1000 on a leather upgrade..all in all it was very econo-box looking but with a neon on crack mentality..the rear wing looks better in person..but the headlights with that orange christmas tree inner bulb..would have to be upgraded..nice car..nothing amazing..no free service..but a good 3 year warranty..
sr
why don't you try racing your Supra against a WRX in the rain?
Sean, who did you talk to at Carter? Nik Forte (and his boss Armand) didn't give me any trouble, and I've heard good things about Joe (though I have yet to meet him).
At around 3700 rpms is when you really get to feel the acceleration, right up until redline (it feels like it's ready to keep going anyway but I shifted like the good test-driver I am. (I'm pretty sure that car is either going to be a loaner or a perma-test-drive car...) It had the short-throw shifter and it seemed to rattle a little more than mine does (I didn't get that option). I can easily understand if you were disappointed with the power if you weren't allowed to shift at over 4000rpm! I had (still have, actually) a '91 Integra and I drove the WRX like I would've driven the Integra at a "Grand Prix du Stoplight"... ie keeping the rpms above 3,000 at all times and shifting shortly before redline. Now, I haven't driven anything with more than 195 horsepower (a friend's Integra Type-R) but I had my socks blown off by how well it seemed to respond.
I'm awfully busy for the next few weeks but if you still can't find someone to give you a (real) ride or take a test drive in one and drive it the way it was meant to be driven, maybe we can work something out.
--jeff
The dealer he dealt with let us/me take out a 5speed (not his, he special ordered it)in the pouring down rain and he let me tear it up. I didn't take it over 4000rpm or 70mph but it stuck to the road with no problem. There were a lot people test driving at the dealer (PA) but they didn't have much of a selection. They weren't real selective with who they let test drive, they let some spoiled little high school brat take one out by himself with his mom as the co pilot (no dealer with them unlike us). It's a nice going to college present - disgusting.
klkrause: Good cars on your list... Bit expensive though :P The 330xi cant touch the WRX in performance (Note: Questionable with the WRX's stock tires though) and I havent seen a 330 for less than $33k
The Type-S sounds like a great car, but its rather unspectacular... Very comfortable though. I dont know much about the Volvo though...
The IS300 is closest to the WRX in terms of "luxury". Cloth seats, hard plastics, fake silver trim... Nothing Luxurious about it if you take out the fancy gauges...
But, personally, after test driving a S4, $40k 330i, and a IS300, the WRX is more "comfortable" to sit in and drive... Comfort and Luxury are two different things
lev: And ECU upgrade/Chip for the WRX will be simular to the VW/Audi 1.8T engine... LOTS of VERY NOTICABLE gains with a single mod. I bet when we get the first numbers for these chips, its going to be around 240 hp with just the chip mod, not to mention more "umph" from the car (which alot of people complain about the lack of "umph")
The WRX wagon DOES NOT handle better for 3 reasons:
1) Width
2) Weight
3) Its got a smaller rear sway-bar and different rear suspension components :P
Danem: Your doing a biased comparison... Try compairing it to other 2001/2002 model $25k cars
Sheesh. What am I thinking? That is kinda nuts. I want to spend around 2k on good wheels and tires. I am thinking that the dimensions aren't hard to match, and the weight wouldn't be far off either. The ony thing I would be sacrificing would be forged aluminum vs. cast aluminum. I would think that a high quality cast rim should be strong enough.
This has turned into a serious delimma for me. Any suggestions?
One problem...maybe. When giving it more than moderate throttle btw 2000 and 3000 rpm, the car feels as it is hesitating a bit. I am not sure if that is due to the car not being broken in yet, or my inexperience with this engine. Has anyone else experienced this sensattion? I will continue to play with it, but I will abide by the 1000 mile break in period. Man, 1000 miles is such long way away.....
Or, spend twice that and get an 18-22mm whiteline adjustable.
BBS makes great wheels, no doubt. So it depends on why you want them. Are you going to autocross, so the unsprung weight is extrememly important? Can you afford them also? Then go for it.
I shopped around and found a special for 16"x7" cast alloys for just $75 each. With tires and all, I paid $643, delivered to my doorstep.
It's not hard to find 17" rims for $90-110 or so on special, so I imagine you could Plus One for about a grand, less than half the cost of the BBS wheels alone.
Some people are willing to pay double for something slightly better, because it matters that much to them. How much does it matter to you? Only you can answer that question.
mic - you may have a bad ECU or 02 sensor. See if it persists.
-juice
Bob
Pretty wild - they take a while to warm up. The meet was at night and the lighting was amazing - it lit up the entire parking lot!
-juice
PS 18" sounds pretty extreme. OK for the track, but I couldn't tolerate the ride they would give on DC's roads
yea i have heard joe is the man up at carter..havent sopke with him yet..i was surprised that i at least got to drive the car although only around the block..for an outsider like me regarding subarus.. i really would need to get some quality time behind the wheel before i could get off the fence regarding the wrx..the more i see it in person the better it looks..i geuss it kinda grows on you..and the wrx brochure i got from the dealer really shows the car off well..i would have to get used to that tinny feeling when u close the door..but hopefully its a reliable car that will keep going and going..
so as far as more performance from the turbo..does anyone have a re-programmed ecu for the car..and is their a boost controller that can be used for this car without throwing fault codes..etc..anyone have a full 3 inch exhaust yet..just wondering..
1) Width
2) Weight
3) Its got a smaller rear sway-bar and different rear suspension components :P."
Reading specs and ACTUALLY driving both cars = no significant difference.
Width: If one can tell the difference in 1in. wider track they ought to be employed by a formula 1 team.
Weight: Again, not significant. Its' the difference between a near empty or full tank of gas or between physically large vs lighter driver.
Rear Suspension Spec: Same bar on Wagon as Sedan. All other parts the same too. The wagon does have 5' less (-)camber at both ends, but that could be adjusted if desired.
I'd be curious to see what the cd is for both cars. I'll bet the wagon is cleaner. No notchback turbulence.
After test driving both, the wagon definatly flings around more in the back, which can be a good thing when done right, but can also decrease grip and the speed at which you can corner, constituting worse handling.
And the rear suspension is different, and why the Wagon costs $500 less (along with the extra width of the sedan and the fender flares)
B: Nitto NT-450
C: Kumho ECSTA 712
How about it? I've got about a month until my WRX arrives. I'd like to have replacements for the RE92's by then. BTW the Subaru dealer and a local (Frederick, MD)tire retailer said they would not buy the RE92's-any ideas?
and I got a chance to use it for 2000 miles
if you want to buy summer tires..go with 'max performance' category tires..and bridgestone potenza s-02 pole position is one of the best IMO..
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/avs_sport.htm
and I got a chance to use it for 2000 miles
if you want to buy summer tires..go with 'max performance' category tires..and bridgestone potenza s-02 pole position is one of the best IMO..
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/avs_sport.htm
Stephen
(silver 5spd wagon)
-Colin