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Comments
Subaru, end of discussion.
-juice
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I am more concerned w/ the a/c. A friend's 02 needed the compressor and radiator replaced. $2200.
-juice
2018 430i Gran Coupe
-juice
Bob
Why are you trading in such a new Impreza, and will you sell it to me?
-juice
vroooooom
*psst*
vrooooooooom
*psst*
Vroooooooo
-juiced
I was hoping for some information from all WRX Wagon owners. I'm thinking of buying one from either 2002 or 2003, and was hoping for some feedback from current owners.
What year is it?
Are you happy overall with the car?
How many miles do you have on it now?
What sort of maintenance costs have you incurred?
Thanks a ton!
Dan
dino001, "Subaru Impreza WRX" #11388, 17 Feb 2006 5:02 am
2018 430i Gran Coupe
-juice
Because I've owned mainly Toyotas and Hondas, I've become accustomed to two things; excellent reliability and fuel economy. I guess I'm now looking for something more fun to drive (which the Suby definitely is), but I don't want to give up what I have/had with Toyotas and Hondas.
I've never personally owned a Suby, but from what I've read about them, they sound like well built, reliable vehicles. However, I have also heard that turbo charged engines don't last as long as naturally aspirated engines unless they're built specifically for use with turbos, and they're cared for properly. Is the 2.0 liter engine in the WRX built specifically to be turbo charged, or is just an engine that already existed and Subaru just decided to slap a turbo on it? I am used to having my cars last for 200K-300K miles before I have to replace them. Could I expect a WRX to last this long with reasonable care, and without an excessive amount of repairs?
Also, with never knowing what the price of gas will be from day to day, I want something that's going to be as easy as possible on gas. What kind of real-world mileage can I expect a 5 speed to get? I realize the more you stick you foot into it, the more fuel it's going to burn, but I guess I'm looking for what kind of mileage this car is capable of on the highway with the cruise control set. The reason I'm asking this is because I do a lot of highway driving. I now get an average of about 35 MPG with my Corolla and I would hope the Suby would get close to this when being babied.
I'd really appreciate any input you can provide. Thanks.
The WRX wins hands down on the "grin meter."
Having said that, you do have to use premium gas, and I'm getting around 22 mpg in stop and go driving, with 26 on the highway driving at very illegal speeds.
As to reliability, my guess is that Honda and Toyota still have a small edge, but I wouldn't worry about it. I haven't heard of any real problems. The WRX does tempt you to abuse it, so that could play into the equation too.
Bob
However, as a new convert you need to know:
1. No more el cheapo oil - synthetic only, even if it is not specified by the manual (still do not get why) - just bear in mind turbo scrolls at 5-10 times speed of the engine and you get an idea. It probably does not need to be as specific as German cars, but except initial breakin, do not try to "save" 20 bucks.
2. Do not expect anything near Corrolla/Civic. Fun costs, if you have no money, don't bother getting one. You'll need to use premium gas and expect highway mileage between 25 and 28 mpg, depending on your driving habits. Push north of 75 mph and you mpg goes south. City - stop and go will get you close to EPA 18-19 mpg, longer trips more like 20-22 mpg. On my every day commuting (70% interstate at 40-70, 30% local at 30-50) I consistently get 22-24 mpg. Performance cars have a nasty habit of low spread of mpg numbers.
3. Also in driving, you need to take some precautions: no red line in first few minutes on a cold day, no sudden shutting off the engine after you just made this run from the red light and smoked that 325i out.
So - it is gonna cost ya - just figure if the "entertainment surcharge" over you beloved Corrolla is worth it and whether or not you can afford it. I would say expect cautiously about 70%-100% increase in you yearly vehicle operation cost (on top of the vehicle price difference). Reward is big, but anybody trying to convince you that it's free will be lying.
By the way - '06 WRX has already 2.5 turbo, not 2.0.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Think about it: Corrolla is really cheap to operate. premium gas (10-15%), significantly lower gas mileage (23mpg highway vs say 30 mpg is 30-40 percent), more for oil changes, high-performance tires ($70-120/pop after 25-40K). There is bunch of smaller things that are not in Corrolla, like cabin air filter. If you, as you say, want to "baby" your car, things like more frequent filter/other than oil fluid changes are not out of question.
Things cost, face it. Perhaps not 70% if you are frugal, but 20-30 is not gonna happen.
To ease your mind - there are Subaru Bucks (best kept secret): Chase Mastercard with full 3% "cash back" an ALL purchases up to $500/year. "Bucks" are good for new purchase, PARTS AND SERVICES. Hands down the best rebate program in entire automotive world - GM Card doesn't get even close.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Nah...
20-30% over what you spent on the Corolla would sound more realistic.
I drive the '03 WRX wagon, and it's a chook-a-matic.
20% City / 80% Highway with a moderately heavy right foot and often beyond legal speed limts, the car is consistently yelding 22mpg. Best recent number was 28mpg, and that's driving kinder and off boost.
Expense wise, gas and maintenance, no difference between my '98 Outback Ltd.[deceased] and '99 Outback Sport.
If you put modding into the equation, that's a whole difference general ledger.
-Dave
20-30% over what you spent on the Corolla would sound more realistic
Keep telling it to youself, perhaps you feel better, it won't change the truth. Did you see basic math above? Just for FUEL ONLY you get well above 30% and that's not the end. So tell me how 30/22 mpg plus (premium minus regular) equals less than 30%???? :confuse: :surprise:
I do concede, I might have put too much. I will change my estimate to 50-70% provided you don't use Subaru Bucks and do take care of the car the way you should. With Subaru Bucks you may get below 50% mark, but with some frugality involved.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Why do you guys think, Subaru does not require synthetic with the turbos? Everywhere else in the world they would not even dare to put a mineral oil in an engine like that. Plus, dind't VW sludge problem (dealer's used mineral with 10K intervals) or Chrysler's engines teach them anything?
If I am afraid of anything, it is exactly a wave of 4-6 year old blown up engines in next couple of years due to wrong specs in the manuals.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
So, it actually depends on your circumstances. It may weigh the total operating cost ratio up or down (as it is a large number on its own), depending on the actual rates. I would call the insurance in advance to get an idea.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Find a nice 03 with reasonable miles that hasn't been modded or trashed (have a mechanic check it out), and you'll be set for many happy years.
Tires - I just got BFGoodrich - $80/pop from tires.com, a bargain compared to what you may have. I would not go with anything less than V-rated, as originally installed. I can see a cheaper possibility, but it kind of defeats the purpose - AWD is as good as the shoes...
What I tried to say, is things add up - one may not even realize that if not tracked carefully. There are possibilities of cuts, but many are against common sense - if you get a performance car, you don't install "economy" tires on it or skimp on engine maintenance. If you want to do that, get an economy car - that's what they are for.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
If the economy of the the Corolla (or Civic, et al.) makes you happy, then you don't want a WRX. It's not that the WRX is a gas hog (it's not), but it's not a gas sipper either. People do not buy WRXs because they are economy champs. They buy them because they are a hoot to drive. It's a sports car dressed in either sedan or wagon clothing.
Bob
Whether or not one is willing or can afford to pay the "entertainment fee", is a different story - not for me to jusge.
I would of course say "go for it" to anybody who can trully afford it. However, I would advise against it to people who lives on a Corrolla budget and want to jump to a used WRX (same price) without means to support the extra expenses. Just because you pay for it, does not mean you can afford it.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
The premium gas will cost more as will the lower mpg. I get an average of 25 mpg and mine is supposedly making around 280hp.
I know many civics and corollas that have reached and passed 200K miles but no wrx that has...and that's because they are so new. The highest mileage wrx I know is a friend's with 110K miles...drives as well as when new (actually a bit better w/ mods) and burns the same 1/2 qt of oil every 3000 miles it did since new.
My 03 wagon has been to the dealer for steering rack bushing and rear diff noise and a few recalls of minor significance. The 02's had clutch judder issues that is covered under a service bulletin. The paint in the early coolant reservoirs was known to peel. I do not know of any common issues that affect wrxs like the leaking head gasket issues subaru had w/ some of their engines.
Yet to be seen but wrx's commonly reaching 2 to 300K miles wouldn't surprise me.
The Corolla is a great car, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for well-built, reliable transportation. With minimal ownership costs it's a car that will run for years and years without a problem. I actually even managed to have a little fun when driving mine, in the sense that it can be fun to drive a small car to its limits and the Corolla's limits weren't that hard to reach.
A Subaru turbo is an entirely different breed of car, though. If efficiency is the #1 thing on your mind when deciding to buy, then you're looking at the wrong car. If you're the kind of person who wavers between the WRX and Corolla because of cost concerns, you probably aren't ready for the WRX.
If you want a little more excitement than your 'Rolla but still prioritize efficiency and cost of ownership, check out something like the Mazda 3. Maintenance on the Mazda might be slightly pricier than your Toyota, but Mazdas have a reputation for being fun to drive, whereas Toyota prioritizes comfort over handling. For that matter check out the normally aspirated Impreza, which would also provide a few more thrills than your current vehicle.
Doug
Bob
Regarding synthetic oil: it is American market phenomenon to still use non-synthetic oil. Europe and Japan use synthetics basically everwhere, even in their small engines. It may be a part of their automotive culture - go with longer intervals and not mess with grade of oil. Non-synthetics are basically all but forgotten there.
Here is where I developed get my synthetic recommendation: it is a car originally developed for those markets. There is also a track record of other brands (VW, Chrysler) with sludge/coking problems, which exactly contributed to "low lifespan" turbo reputation. When you look at Impreza manual it makes no distinction between engine maintenance of WRX and RS/TS/2.5i (same interval, same oil) and it is simply against common sense when considering a turbo scrolling at 5-10 TIMES speed of the engine (not to mention smaller size of the bearings etc.). In my opinion, not requiring synthetic oil on engines like WRX may do a long-term disservice to both the brand and the turbo. I may be wrong about that, but I would rather "overpay" for this component than look for a new turbo at 80-100K. Cutting interval to 5K for non-synthetic is probably good (actually local dealer simply cut 7.5K in half), but IMHO doing original schedule with $20-$25 per 5-quart bottle synthetic Mobil1 is a better idea. It's just me.
I think we will see in next couple of year whether or not WRX engine is "nonsynthetic-proof". If it is not, some portion (not saying all or majority - just larger than those NA engine) of those 02-03 WRX will start failing at their 80-100K miles. I want to be wrong, but beforehand I'd rather be safe.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
yes, i've got more automotive costs with my Subie versus the old Corolla. i've got almost 21K miles on my year-old WRX, and i have never been happier owning a car than i am now. hard to put a price on that.
WRX is the driver's choice.
End discussion. :P
-juice
WRX: wagon & 4-door hatchback (the wagon would have more rear overhang, for a larger cargo area).
STI: 4-door hatch
Outback Sport: wagon
2.5i: 4-door sedan & wagon
So I'm hoping they will offer a 4-door hatch in addition to the current models.
Bob
-juice
Bob
http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/funonwheels/03/30/subaru_police.reut/index.html
Bob
-juice
As an '06 WRX wagon owner, I think this write up is pretty much spot on.
Bob
As an '06 WRX wagon owner, I think this write up is pretty much spot on.
Bob