Subaru Impreza WRX

bedabi

I actually like the stock suspension a lot. The road conditions here in NYC are too lousy and irregular for a firmer suspension -- resembles a rally course more than paved roads -- and the stock suspension, for my needs here, is a perfect balance of performance and endurance. Lowering the car would most likely make the car bottom out on the many potholes around here. And for the same reason, I won't go to 17" rims. I'm just waiting for the stock tires to wear out enough to justify replacing them with better ones. I'm thinking of getting a wider tire with shorter sidewall, like a 215/50/16. I hear they should fit our stock rims.

pdefina

Doesn't the WRX come stock with an 18mm bar?

pdefina

I agree. The stock suspension rides awesome and handles ok. But when I traded in my Maxima for this car I was looking for something really sporty. So I'm willing to harden the ride to gain razor sharp handling. Who knows, I might regret it down the road.

cditto1

Well I've had the car for 3 weeks now (5spd) and I love it. It feels so much more solid than my 95 Integra GSR and the power is so linear I forget sometimes how fast I'm going. I love hearing the engine whine as I engine brake in second gear. Thumbs Up Subaru, you did a great job!

Has anyone opted for the optional center armrest? My dealer says its around $130. I want to know if it is worth it before I buy.

barresa62

I should have added "if I find proof that the wagon has a smaller diameter sway bar". There has been a lot of discussion about this over at www.i-club.com SOA says that the suspensions and components are the same on the wagon as they are on the sedan, except that the sedan has a wider track.

Stephen

hersbird

Well my brother's WRX is finally broken in with 1024 miles on it. He took me for a ride today and opened it up. The off the line lag was pretty evident but then I told him to try powerbraking it. The first attempt got the motor to 2000 rpm and then launched. there was a pretty good neck snapping but the RPM dropped off again to about 1700 and had to build up. Then I said to pump up the brakes and hold it a bit longer. It slowly built up to 2500 RPM and launched under boost without loosing any RPM at all, it even was squealing the tires a bit. It was way cool, going like a bat out of hell. I still feel this power braking is less stressful on a car then a 4000 RPM clutch drop on a manual. I have never seen a AWD automatic that squeals tires on dry pavement, the WRX rocks with or without a manual. He also says the car feels much quicker with just him, I think he was hinting I may need to lose a few pounds! (200 pounds should only be worth .2 sec, his butt must be pretty calibrated to feel that)

kostamojen2

pdef, try upgrading to a 22mm rear sway bar, and a larger front bar... Then get some strut tower bars for the front and back (preferably carbon) i heard that helps out a ton...
Over at cobbtunning.com there is a nice set of springs there, check those.

mikebarr

I recently ordered a WRX Sedan. How many miles should be on it from the factory? I want to be sure that the dealer doesn't offer someone a test drive in my car and have it revved to the point of screwing up the break-in. Bottom line... I don't want anyone driving my car. What should I look out for? Thanks!

I got: Black paint, Carbon fiber trim, upgraded stereo with amp and subwoofer, rear spoiler, security system, differential protector.

I can't wait! Expected due date: end of June

Mike

thecat

Mike,

When I picked mine up it had 6 miles on it. I don't think you're gonna do much better than that. Remember they come from Japan so they're driven from the factory to a truck (not much distance) from the truck to a ship at the port of departure (this could be a mile or 2). Again from a ship to a truck at the port of arrival (another a mile or 2)and then to the dealer. Sometimes they're switched from one truck to another depending on the ultimate delivery location.

I don't think any reputable dealer would let a "sold" vehicle be used for test drives. It's too risky. Relax .. all will be well with the new baby Dad !
- hutch

pattim3

Such a fountain of good advise!

Thanks!

Patti

thecat

Just watched the Motorweek test of the WRX.

While the review was very positive it, none the less, was kind of disappointing. They didn't run it through cones or do a 60-0 brake test (standard fare for those guys). They incorrectly stated that the red line was 6k. No comment about the brakes at all, now that I think about it. Come on guys. In a previous vehicle test on the same show they ran a Ford pickup truck through cones .. 60-0 brake test etc. .. ah yeah, that's what most pickup truck drivers are looking for .. a back road carver that can stop on a dime. But those performance sedan buyers wouldn't be interested in that type of data!

Perhaps I should just be grateful that they even reviewed the WRX at all.
- hutch

kostamojen2

I think there comments of "an M3 for the masses" and "Thats as fast as a S4!" Made up for the mistakes

mikebarr

Hi Hutch,

I replied earlier, but it didn't get posted for some reason.

Thanks for the info. I hope a dealer wouldn't do that, but I wouldn't put it past them, either.

Incidentally, I'm about to become a real dad. Baby boy due in about 3 weeks! :-) Yeah... THAT'S the reason I ordered the WRX. It has 4 doors and my current car, a Honda Accord EX-VL Coupe has only 2 doors. Yeah... that's the ticket... it's for the baby! A four-door for the baby. Totally self-less on my part! ;-) The baby might need a chiropractor, though!

Mike

rsholland

Congrats on both babies!

Bob

thecat

Mike,

Congrat's on the boy!

Are you practicing your rationalization on us so you're ready for Mom & Grandmom? If that's the case .. ok .. but that stuff won't fly with this bunch of Soob-heads
-hutch

bruticus

We don' need no stinking rationalization!

{raise your hand if you know the movie}

DjB

corkfish

I have heard of individuals refusing to take delivery on a new car that had more than a mile on it. They specifically told the dealer they wouldn't accept it. Driving a car onto a delivery truck shouldn't take six miles. I took one out for a test drive without the salesman and beat the snot out of it! If I decide to buy one I don't want someone doing that with my car. I have a friend who's a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership and he routinely takes the cars out for a test drive and hammers them. He told me he hammered on a new Northstar so hard he cracked the block. He limped it back and told his boss it was defective.

njaviator

Just test drove a WRX and a A4 yesterday!!! Great day!!!! Crazy about both cars. Can't decide which one. WRX makes my blood boil, it can rrrrrrrip. But oh that turbo lag. I need it for every day type driving and cranking it all the time, well I could see it become tiring after a while. However, it rides great (I would not touch the suspension, too many potholes and ruts around here),it swallows bumps and dips like a dune buggy. It feels like you could run over an open manhole and just keep on going. I guess that's its rally car heritage. I actually found the A4 sport suspension to be a lot stiffer and bone jarring for all the sophistication that Audi claims itself to. The Audi engine however, didn't need that much attention to keep it from bogging. You pretty much get torque right from the bottom. It may seem weird to talk about an Audi here with the subbie heads but I'm sure you're car nuts like myself and except for the engine outputs they seem to me very similar with the AWD. With Audi incentives the prices are very close. The biggest difference is in driveability. I've just been reading some of the other messages here and I have some advise for the clutch smokers amongst us. If you want a car that's going to be smoking you from traffic light to traffic light REX is not for you. Haven't seen to many World Class Rallies but I never saw one that had a traffic light. That's the camaro, fire bird, mustang that you're looking for. This baby can handle. I wished it were raining, when I went for the test drive. That's when this car shines(pardon the pun). Watch the cam, fire,'stang slide into the drainage ditch in your rear view mirror while they try to keep up with you. Anyway, GREAT JOB, SUBARU.

sajohnson

Here in MD this episode will be rebroadcast on Thursday, 5-17-01, at 8:30 PM on Ch. 22, WMPT.

bruticus

I can see doing this if you talk with a dealer first, ask him how many miles a new car has when it ARRIVES at the lot, and then telling the dealer "I won't take delivery if the mileage is higher by X (or at all)"

However, ordering the vehicle and then, out of the blue, refusing delivery because it has a few miles on it, IMHO, stinks. There is SOME driving involved in getting the vehicle from the factory to your local dealer; I'm sure some car makes have to be driven more than others in this process. Refusing delivery because you didn't know this amount is not cool, and is likely to sour that dealer on working for your business.

As for hammering vehicles on test drives, I hope you live nowhere near Tinton Falls NJ, which is where I'm going to order my WRX from. And as for your "friendly mechanic" who thrashed a brand-new car (which probably has a ~500 mi breakin) until it failed, I hope he didn't get a job at a Subaru dealership after his boss at the Caddy dealer fired him.

DjB

klkrause

Quite often vehicles are put through some minor test drives at the factory so mileage between 10 and 20 is quite reasonable. Someone will check for obvious squeaks and rattles and to make sure lights, turn signals, etc. are working properly.

qbrozen

did you order yet or you're "going to" order? Do you mean World Jeep and Subaru? That's where I ordered mine from (coming next month). Great deal! The internet salesperson (Marty Garland) was great.

ateixeira

Gotta remember to tape that Motorweek episode!

Mike - oh-uh, now you need a WRX wagon for the wife. Kids accumulate a lot of stuff, you know? ;-)

-juice

bruticus

Well, my dealer of choice is World. However, I just discovered that my (AllState) car insurance is going to increase to almost $4000 per year after July.

I'm almost 26, and the only ticket I've ever received (and received for an offense I was not committing, natch) still hasn't been processed through the police system for me to examine its ramifications. My AllState agent said that when my father's auto insurer provided info about my being insured under his policy (I've been insured on my own since July 1998, so needed 2 more years to have 5 years) AllState didn't agree and so I lost my Preferred rate.

Thus, I'm going to start digging about tomorrow for better rates. If I can't bring them under control I'll have to scrap my new-car plans altogether because I'll need all the money I've saved for a down payment to pay insurance on my current car instead.

New Jersey is the most ridiculous, frapp'd-up, bass-ackward state. I can't even go online or call Progressive for a quote. I have to drag out the phone book and call every agent one-by-one.

The fact that about half of the people driving in NJ every day either aren't insured in NJ or aren't insured AT ALL really pisses me off. I get a ticket for mis-judging an offramp lane, while people who live and work in NJ have PA plates/insurance.

DjB

bluesubie

When I first started looking for new car insurance in '94, I had quote differences of $800 per year. I made a dozen or so phone calls and found the cheapest rate with an independent agent.

I've since switched to Met-Life auto (800-GetMet1) and save even more. My former next door neighbor is an independent agent and wanted me to switch. I showed him my policy and he said, "Nevermind. Stay where you're at".
Shopping around pays, even though it's a pain.
Dennis

qbrozen

I feel your pain. I've been through it all before (several times, actually). There is no easy solution. You might hear suggestions of this place or that, but the fact is that it changes constantly. The 3 times I've shopped, I've come up with a different place each time as the cheapest. So, you just gotta do the search. Fortunately, I've been allowed back in to New Jersey Manufacturers, so all is well for me. Living in Jersey, I'm sure you've heard of them. No other agency can even touch their rates, but they are near impossible to become insured under.

Good luck. Hope you can still get your car.

bruticus

I sat down for lunch today next to our company owner/CEO and we got to talking about cars. I mentioned my insurance shock and he said that I should be able to get this insurance through the company. I have to check with HR to get the process for applying.

DjB

ateixeira

Jersey is majorly pricey, but definitely shop around. Try Progressive, since they'll even do some of the leg work for you.

If you are a member of Costco, consider upgrading to an Executive Membership, which qualifies you for their preferred rate under Travellers Insurance. I had State Farm before, and my rates went way down.

-juice

subaru_team

FYI - Part of the pre-delivery inspection requires that the dealer take the car for a short drive to check things out - so "0" miles probably will not happen. Most of the cars that I get have about 12 miles on them. From the truck, to the shop for pdi, to the detailer to me -

Patti

mikebarr

Hi all,
I got word that my local Subie dealer had a WRX wagon on the lot and a sedan in the showroom. The wagon was available for test drives, so I immediately went down. Woohooo! Afterall, I had to see what I had already ordered (sight unseen)!

I didn't get to drive it on the type of road I would have preferred (curvy backroad). Just in a straight line on a 45 MPH limit highway in traffic. But... man this thing cooks. It's not a low-end torque-y powerhouse like a Mustang or a 'Vette. It likes to be wound up (as most turbos). The flat-4 "boxer" engine is silky smooth. And sounds saaweeeet! The tach sweeps up effortlessly. When the turbo kicks in at 3000, you can feel it. But, at 4000 rpms, the car REALLY picks up speed. The clutch is quite easy, like a Honda's. The shifter is smooth, but I think I'll be getting the short-throw shifter kit. The seats are excellent! Great lateral support. No sliding around in this car, as the seats seem to literally hug you. The Momo steering wheel is fantastic. The drilled metal foot pedals are pretty cool and also give it that race-car feel. The pedals are also situated in a way that will allow double-clutch / heel-toe shifting if you want.

I got to check out the sedan (which I ordered) in the showroom, which was silver. It will look very cool in black! The back seat leaves little leg room for normal sized adults. However, there is plenty of headroom, especially in the front seats. This car doesn't have all the amenities of my Accord EX-VL, but I guess that's not why I'm getting it, eh? Oh yeah... I'm getting it for the BABY! ;-)

Anyway, that's my nutshell review.

Oh man! I can't wait! My toy will arrive at the end of June...

Mike

mmm3587

"mmm: Its faster cause theres no clutch involved and its a really small throw down to third... I dont know about the electronics though, but when my friend was doing it in his car it was instantaneous :P"

You don't really understand how manual and automatic transmissions differ, do you? The automatic transmission still has to cut power and shift the gears. The power loss and time that it takes to match revs and shift takes longer than a rev-matched downshift. I always love being in a car with someone who knows how to drive a manual but doesn't really understand it. I'll put my left (clutch) foot up on the door so it's obviously not working the clutch, then do a rev-matched full power 5th to 4th downshift. When I did one in the WRX I test drove at about 4000 in 5th, it shifted instantly and hauled [non-permissible content removed]. Of course, it was a test drive, so I backed right off and that was the fastest and hardest I drove it, but it's clear that you're not going to get that kind of acceleration in an automatic WRX.

So it might be easier for you to just knock the automatic back into third, and you will still get decent acceleration, but don't kid yourself into thinking its anywhere near as fast as a manual. For that you need a computer controlled automatic, a la the F40. Even in that quarter of a million dollar car, that's a $10,000 option...

kostamojen2

Ya, im trying to learn manual... Im having trouble with the tech stuff But it seemed nice and quick when he tried it, and it definatly gave the car a shot in the arm speed wise meaning you CAN go nice and fast in the auto unlike most people have been saying... Its still not the manual though, your right.

francophile

Let me see if I have this. You were driving at 4000 RPM in 5th gear, with your left foot up on the door, then downshifted into 4th without using the clutch, while under full power, by which I assume you mean you had the throttle mashed to the floor.

Mmm, okay.

Would you mind telling me what dealer you were at? I want to make certain I don't purchase anything you might have brutalized with such antics.

FYI the Ferrari gearbox is a sequential, manual box in which the clutch and shifting action are operated electromechanically. It ain't no automatic.

-wdb

ateixeira

Mike: you are a very unselfish person and a great father! :-)

-juice

ottos

Unlike the above guy, I also double-clutch when I rev-match to downshift. No clutchless shifting for me.

cvinton

Hi, All:

Less than 12 hrs after my bid, priceline.com called to inform me that a dealer had accepted my offer -- so I am now a pleased but somewhat surprised owner of a WRX -- and all for the low, low price of $23,400 (+ $125 for TTL) -- about $1100 below MSRP (car is bare bones, no options).

Wow. Couldn't have been easier. Much easier than filling out all the forms at StoneAge, Autobytel, etc.

So, worth a shot for those struggling to find a dealer willing to go below MSRP. Be interested to know if anyone can do better!

Happy Hunting,

Cab Vinton

PS Make sure you read all the fine print! Priceline charges you $100 if your offer is accepted & you bail.

kostamojen2

Good shot. I thought priceline was dead :P

sajohnson

The Frederick Motor Co., Frederick, MD, sold me a no-option WRX sedan for $23,000 plus tax+tags.

This was in February, if a similar deal is still available the salesman's name is Paul Wedl.

Good luck!

ateixeira

I think priceline dropped out of groceries and gas. So they scaled back, really.

-juice

hersbird

My brother made it clear to the dealer nobody drives his WRX and it was delivered with 7 miles on it even after the PDI. His even had to sit at the dealer for a week as her was out of town. This was more important with his car as it was one of the first to arrive a the dealer and many salesmen, managers, lot attendants, etc. were eager to take a quick spin. Now all those people have probably gotten their drives (I even got mine!) and wouldn't abuse a new sold car coming in. I wouldn't let them feul the car either unless they can assure you they'll use premium and inform the lot attendant, my brother ended up getting a $20 credit for not filling the tank.

elanjeff

I just ordered a WRX sedan 5-speed from Van Bortel Subaru in Victor, NY (near Rochester where I live.) They're apparently the biggest Subaru dealer in the country and don't do haggling and have the prices on their web site (www.vanbortelsubaru.com) - base price for a sedan is $22,444 plus tax & delivery. (That's about 2% over invoice.) With options (short shift, spoiler, security system) it ended up at $23,890 + tax/del. Preliminary guess is delivery some time around August... if you're in the NY area you might want to check them out. At least one other local Subaru dealer claims to beat any other local Subaru dealer's price, so you might even be able to go lower.

drew_

...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/subaruchat.html



Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

himiler

elanjeff: Who did you deal with at Van Bortel? Would you recommend him/her?

pattim3

Kitty Van Bortel has been with Subaru for a long time. She is wonderful in her commitment to customer's and she is truly a good person. All of her staff is very well trained and commited to customer satisfaction. I never recommend one dealer over another, but I don't mind commenting on one that I have had experiences with.

I think you'll be happy with your sales transaction there.

Patti

kezzie24

When I ordered my WRX, the dealer told me 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. I was wondering, of those who have their WRX already, how long it actually took.

mikebarr

Hi elanjeff,

You said you ordered the short-shifter option. I was told by my dealer it was NOT available yet. Likewise, I was told that the performance suspension wasn't available yet either. I mentioned that it's on the Subaru website, and they shrugged their shoulders and said, "we don't know why it's on there, it's not available yet."

Anyone got the scoop on this? Thanks!

Mike

mikebarr

Hi Kezzie,

Same here. 6 - 8 weeks. End of June for me. :-(

I asked why this was the case when there are dealers in California with WRX's on the lot. They explained that the dealers who sell big volumes get a bigger "allocation." Down here in Florida, we are small potatos, I guess. Subaru has a very small market here.

Mike

Mike

patchin1

Try the section of Pagemill starting from Skyline (35) to HW 280. Mostly downhill and very twisty. It is so windy that the driver may develop motion sickness! Particularly dangerous if you take it at night!

bowenx

I too had ordered the short throw and have yet to get it, I asked the dealer again and they said they don't have a shipment date, nor do they have any idea as to when it is coming in. As for the delivery, I rec'd my WRX about 3 weeks after I ordered it, but I got one from a result of a dealer swap, and got one from an RI dealer, and then they drove it up here (I pray that they were nice to it).
I have no clue when I am getting my short-throw, but think that I might have to complain to SOA pretty soon, not happy about waiting, especially since they might not fix my super annoying clutch prog until the shifter comes in, but that might change very soon. (i just hope the clutch is not destroying itself vibrating like mad !)

elanjeff

I'm dealing with Shawn Pies at Van Bortel. He seems competent and nice enough - I had no problem going in and test driving although I was originally planning on not purchasing until late in the year/early next year (when my 1966 Lotus Elan S2 loan is paid off - but decided I couldn't wait for my WRX! The WRX complements the Lotus, not replaces it, in case that's not clear.) I'm still waiting for the callback from the sales manager to double-check the numbers (I believe I have that info correct - never bought a new car before so I'm pretty green on the whole process) but so far so good. I financed through my employer (6.75% for 60 months), he wasn't sure if they could beat it but offered to give it a try (I declined.) If you give him a call, tell him Jeff Kyle recommended him, maybe I'll get some sort of perk out of it!

I'll also mention that this is the first new car yet released as long as I've been driving (~15 years) that has gotten me excited enough to change my never-buy-a-new-car policy. I've been hoping for a WRX in the States for years!

As for the short shift, it's not officially on VB's list of accessories but Shawn knew their price off the top of his head. I originally didn't realize that it was dealer-installed option but I got no indication that it was hard to get - unlike the guage cluster, which I originally wanted, until I heard it was closer to a thousand dollars, installed (3? 4? hours labor), and currently unavailable even if I did want it. I was actually somewhat disappointed in the feel of the stock shifter on my test drive, hopefully the short shift kit will tighten it up and maybe improve the feel a little.