Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The only people I know of with WRX tranny problems are the ones with like 300+hp. The car is designed for 227...

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, I would expect the clutch to give in long before the tranny had any problems.

    The stock shift lever is relatively long and has rubber isolating any vibes from the drivetrain. Check out this photo:

    image

    The bottom shows my Forester's stock lever. I believe the WRX has a similar one, only with a slightly shorter lever. The top is the STi shift lever. It's the same length as the WRX shifter, though the STi shifter gives you more leverage for a slightly shorter throw.

    But a bigger difference is the stock lever has that wide cylinder with rubber for isolation (reduced feel).

    Now, you could go from a WRX shift lever to an STi, for a small change in throw and more feel. Or you could go a step further, and get a Kartboy or Cobb shifter. These have a shorter lever as well.

    Beyond that, you could swap the bushings from rubber to urethane, and then you'd get a snick-snick shift feel like a Miata/MRS/S2000.

    Any how, these are cheap mods, maybe $100, a little more if you want the bushings, too. It's a half day project.

    -juice
  • saintvipersaintviper Member Posts: 177
    Could you pick up some milk and cookies on the way home. Oh wait, this is a forum, that's what e-mail is for.
  • nectalover1nectalover1 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks that is I guess exactly what i was looking for. I just didn't know a solution was going to be that easy to give the feel i like. Again thanks for sharing your knowledge. Late
  • sajohnsonsajohnson Member Posts: 48
    I also read the posts over at www.i-club.com re:hard shifting from 2nd to 1rst gear. I have NEVER had that problem. After reading those posts I checked and my 5MT sedan slips into 1rst at approx. 26 mph every time. You cannot force it but there should be no reason to.
  • nectalover1nectalover1 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks I too have tested my other manual cars and can downshift with out a problem. I will also on the next test drive check out the WRX shifing more carefully. Thanks for the info, it eases my mind some and is swaying my choice of making the trade. thanks
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If you just change the lever (about $100), I have instructions that will for the most part apply to the Impreza line right here.

    There are 10 photos and instructions too.

    -juice
  • saintvipersaintviper Member Posts: 177
    And people say wagons are boring.
    3 more weeks till this:


    image


    Hope I can make it.

  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    That looks like a Protege5 ripoff to me! Seems Subaru is getting smart :-)
    (Nothing wrong with imitating a design that has caught everyone's fancy, and does strike a good balance between utility, and looks!)

    BTW what is that - I thought the WRX wagon has been out a while alerady! (assuming WRX because of the hood scoop - unles its ANOTHER fake hood scoop like the older Imprezas!)

    Oh - and if you created that in Photoshop, you forgot to add the B pillar :-)

    And if you didn't, I can't wait to laugh at the side-impact scores of that figment of someone's imagination!
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    Um, mazda copied subaru and mitsubishi, not the other way around.
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    It was a Cusco coilover suspension, with whiteline adjustable 22-24mm front and rear sway bars, aluminum endlings, eurathane bushings all around.

    About suspension travel, the WRX has 6 inches of ground clearance, and most springs ive seen like H+R and Whiteline, lower the car 1.5 inches or less. So thats still 4.5 inches of clearance, still more than your average BMW, honda, etc. Ive ridden in several last-gen Imprezas with lowered suspensions (including struts, i havent seen any cars in person with just springs surprizingly) and yes, its harder to negotiate speed bumps, dips, and the like (considering I take speed bumps at 25mph+ in my Impreza without problems :P) but its not any harder than driving around a miata or corvette, etc.
    But yes, if you want to lower the car, its usually better to get some struts to go with the springs... However, the WRX struts are surprizingly good, and lots of the springs like H+R, Cusco, Whiteline, etc. will work just fine with them.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I think he posted that saying he can't wait til he takes delivery.

    -mike
  • 1subydown1togo1subydown1togo Member Posts: 348
    The WRX wagon has been out since March, along with the sedan...the above photo is from TireRack's website..it is an application which lets you see what your car will look like with various wheels..it is somewhat dark, but the b-pillar is there. Kosta is 100% correct in saying that the design of the Protege 5 came after the WRX wagon. Here is the link to Viper's pic:


    http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_garage/WheelSearch.jsp?&autoMake=Subaru

    pick the WRX wagon and pick your color and wheels..it's pretty cool

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hmm, the WRX wagon came long before the P5. Also, Mazda copied Subaru's blue color.

    Looks like that photo has dark tinted windows disguising the blacked out B-pillars. The hood scoop is pure function and houses a rather large intercooler.

    Other than the tint and custom wheels, it looks stock. You could have bought that as far back as April, while the P5 just arrived now.

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Sorry there Mazda owner, but the P5 is the rip-off. ROFL!!
    The B-pillar trim is black and the windows are tinted dark black. Hello? Is this thing on? :-)

    Dennis
  • saintvipersaintviper Member Posts: 177
    The picture is indeed from Tirerack. And I did tint the windows with Photoshop. Yes I was lazy and just covered up the B pillar. Just pretend it's there.

    It looks pretty good though. I might have to get those wheels and tint the windows once I get the car.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    20% tint would look good. Limo-black 5% will attract too much unwanted attention.

    -juice
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    Also, before it reached the US, the WRX Wagon/Sedan have been on sale around the world.

    Protege5 ripoff ? LOL.

    Later...AH
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Lets not turn this into a P5-Subie Wagon war, shall we?

    The P5 has been out for years (since 98, IIRC) in Japan, (other parts of) Asia, and possibly Europe and Australia in the form of the Familia Wagon and the Familia Sport Wagon (which is an AWD 180+hp dream machine - that 'I' would prefer over a WRX wagon any day). In Europe, its called the 323 wagon, I believe.

    So what if it was released later in North America than the Impreza wagons.

    I'm sure both Mazda and Subaru are the only remaining pioneers among [non-permissible content removed] car designers, and car shoppers everywhere are the happier because of that - lets just leave it at that!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's a wholely owned subsidiary of Ford.

    -mike
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    ...that the P5 is a far better looking wagon. It certainly hurts me to say that since I've just ordered a WRX wagon for myself.

    I really don't think either car ripped off the other at all...just a minor coincidence due to the growing trend toward sportwagons. Certainly the P5 is a great value but there's no beef to it (which I hope they will fixed *someday*)
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    Lots of very good products, decent prices, fast shipping, and some pretty strong advice :)
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    but it's still Japanese. Opel is GM, but I consider them to be German.

    Bob
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Mazda is as Japanese as they get. More than Honda, Toyota, Nissan IMHO. The Protege and p5 are made in hiroshima (or another town) in Japan, with 97% Japanese parts content.

    Whats the deal with Subarus, are they also assembled overseas (outside Japan) now?

    True, Mazda was revived by Ford money and their (IIRC) 40% stake in it in the early 90s, but its Ford that is undergoing a 'Mazda-isation', with Mazda designing the global compact and midsize platforms for use by Ford, Volvo, jaguar and Mazda. And most of the engines too (I'm talking about 4 cylinders, the Ford Duratec V6 is used in most 6 cylinder Mazda vehicles, but that engine is truly one of the few things Ford has ever gotten right!)

    Oh, and wait for the Mazda 6, RX-8 and the new van-like utility behicle (I forget the name) coming out soon - more power to car shoppers everywhere!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    North American Legacys and Outbacks, which are built in Indiana; have been for several years.

    Here's the link to the U.S. operation:

    http://www.subaru-isuzu.com/sia.htm

    Bob
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    Yes, Legacy's and Outbacks have been assembled in the US, even though the Engine, Transmission, and other major components are Japanese.

    The Impreza line which includes the WRX and also the Forester are built exclusively in Japan with 99% Japanese components.

    Currently, no Mazda product excepting the Miata interests me at all. The "626" and Millenia are pure jokes in their segments. The Ford escape twin, is a good design for its market segment but I am not interested in "SUV look-alike wagons". The protege is an econo-car in the Civic/Corolla segment, where it has been fighting a miserably losing battle for years, even though the Protege5 and other econo-products with good styling elements (no substance underneath) have been doing the rounds. I am told that the new "6" is a good looking car.

    Later...AH
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They are both cute, small sport wagons, but there are huge differences in the front-end styling. Profiles do look similar, but you can't look at an Impreza without noticing the huge lights/fogs.

    Impreza in built in Gunma, Japan, along side the Forester. The Protege has remained pretty much Mazda, but the next one may be a Ford Focus clone. That would be a shame, IMO.

    Mazda has let Ford creep in to their products, but I wouldn't be surprised to see GM creep in to Subaru products soon, either.

    At least the Mazda 6 is mostly Mazda:

    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/preview/articles/47610/article.html

    Only the basic engine block is Ford, though I wonder about the transmission. The current 626 has a Ford CD4E notorious for problems.

    -juice
  • normanr2normanr2 Member Posts: 6
    New guy to list here considering a purchase of a WRX in the near future. I've read some of the 3500+ posts but not all and have two questions. 1)I note some of you have commented on less than optimum brakes. Has anyone upgraded your brake system with pads, rotors and/or calipers? What did you use?

    2) Do the aftermarket chip or exhaust systems do anything to improve the low torque at low RPM often inherent with low displacement engines?

    Thanks,
    Norman
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    The brakes are fine. They don't have the progressive (read: mushy) feel of some other brands of Subaru. There has been some discussion about the overally sensitive nature of the ABS though, especially concerning braking on rough surfaces.

    The unichip made by APS does increase the low-end torque a bit but to realize a greater low-end push below 3k rpm one also needs to go to a turbo-back exhaust. Basically a freer flowing exhaust utilizing only 1 performance catalytic converter right after the turbo instead of the more restrictive stock exhaust system w/the 3 cats. As a rule w/turbo cars, the more you can free up the intake and exhaust, the more power across the range is realized. Hope this helps. You can also check out the forum section of www.i-club.com There is a lot of information regarding aftermarket exhaust systems and "chipping" Two companies that come highly recommended are COBB and TurboXS.

    Stephen
  • normanr2normanr2 Member Posts: 6
    From what I've read the WRX is very good, maybe great right out of the box. As a SHO owner, our plight has been to get upgrade a good car to match a very good engine. I'm trying to avoid that experience on my next car purchase.

    Norman
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I test drove the WRX, and it has great brakes IMHO. They are slightly better than my 1 Pot brakes on my XT6, but I don't have the disadvantage of ABS on mine. I was glad to see them nice and stiff as opposed to the last generation of brakes on subies. (the generations between my XT6 and the WRX)

    -mike
  • saintvipersaintviper Member Posts: 177
    The cheapest way to upgrade the stopping ability of the WRX is to replace the tires. The brakes already exceed the ability of the tires, so get some good tires before looking at new brakes.
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    One thing I found interesting about shifting in my WRX - in my '90 Wagon and other 5speed Subaru's that I've driven, I would grab the shifter and pull it into gear. With my WRX, it seems to respond to a nice soft "float" (for the lack of a better description) into place. While I love grabbing the shifter and pushing/pulling it into place when I'm driving in a "spunky" way, it really is nice to just use my fingertips and gently push/pull it into gear. I can't do that in my other 5-speeds. I'm not sure if that is a "recommended" way to change gears - it was just a bit interesting to note.

    Patti
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Patti,

    That's interesting. I know the WRX uses a different type of clutch (push vs. pull) compared to other Subies, but I wonder if there are other differences with the tranny.

    I think you are supposed to be gentle when shifting so that you don't end up wearing out the synchros. Never rush a shift -- let the machine do the work.

    Ken
  • rexmanrexman Member Posts: 14
    Hello Everyone:

    I've been gone from the group for a while - forgive me if this question has been asked before. Is Subaru finally offering mud flaps for the WRX? I want to get a pair on mine before the winter sets in.

    - Rexman
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    The WRX has been out since '93.

    The new model protege P5 with the body kit that looks like a WRX, or an EVO depending on perspective, came out last year. There have been other Protege wagons, but they look nothing like the WRX/EVO.
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    I have a sedona red wrx sedan and recently made three upgrades. I got the short shifter (from subaru to avoid any warantee problems), changed the tires and upgraded the speakers. I really like the short shifter (along with my new momo wood shift knob). The throws are shorter and improve the feel, especially when shifting quickly. Two negatives though; third gear is very difficult to find sometimes and it is more difficult to shift around town. I added rockford-fossgate speakers front and rear. Although these are supposedly one of the better brands, the sound is not much better. Granted, they have more power and are clearer, but something is still missing. Perhaps the stereo itself is lacking. Any thoughts? I kept the stock size tires (205-55-16) but purchased a set of dunlop sp sport 5000 asymetrical tires. They are probably the best ultra high performance all-season tires. A summer tire was not an option because i live in an apartment and have limited space in my storage bin. These tires offer about 8/10ths ofa summer tire's dry handling and are great in the rain, while they're rated very highly in the snow. Anyone else change tires? I like the look of the 17" wheels and tires, but city streets make this impractical.
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    How do you find the Dunlop sp sport 5000s vis-a-vis the stock tires ? Any noticeable improvement in handling, braking ? How about road noise ? Has the road noise increased ?

    I was looking at either the Dunlops or Michelin Pilot Sport Ultra-high performance All-seasons. The Michelins are more pricier ($178 per tire - www.tirerack.com vs $101 per tire for the Dunlops) but have a higher load-factor (1323lbs vs 1279lbs for the Dunlops) and have a higher UTQG rating (400 AAA vs 340 AAA for the Dunlops). I have had lots of good experiences with Michelin before but the price of the Dunlops ($101 - www.tirerack.com) is certainly tempting, especially since both of them are rated Ultra-high performance All-seasons.

    Later...AH
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    Not yet, from what I understand. Originally, I was advised that the "design" of the car looked bad when mudflaps were installed. Thus, they decided against offering them. That being said, we have had some request so I think they are looking into it a bit more. I'm not sure what that means, but maybe we'll here something that will work on the next MY and be able to be retro fitted. I'll post more when I hear.

    Thanks!

    Patti
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Patti, who are these people making design decisions regarding Imprezas? So far their batting average is pretty lousy...

    Bob
  • mjvchicagomjvchicago Member Posts: 149
    I visited the subaru site and looked up the options on the WRX. Apparantly there are stock underspoilers that look quite nice. When I inquired about them at the dealer, they said they weren't available yet. Is this true? Why would it be on the site and not yet available. If they aren't available now, when will they be?

    Plus, anyone know where I can see a more complete picture of the underspoiler package on the Web? I've been looking for some and have only found a few that aren't that great. Thanks!
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    First off, according to the link below (in the protection section I believe),

    http://www.subaruparts.com/

    the mudflaps for the nonWRX Imprezas will fit in the rear and the front flaps will net a bit cut out of them to fit neatly over the WRX side sill. It's actually cheaper to buy the set of 4 than to just buy the rear ones.

    The underspoiler kit can be viewed at the link above as well under the appearance section for the WRX.

    Stephen
  • cupholder1cupholder1 Member Posts: 231
    The local dealer is running a full page screamer ad, claiming 0% financing on ALL '02 Subarus...
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    The Dunlops are great. I can feel a noticeable improvement in braking ( most of the skipping with the abs is gone), and the handling and grip are much improved. Even more impressive is that I cannot detect any increase in road noise. The michelins are much more expensive and not any better. According to the tire rack rep and the survey, the dunlops are actually better. Plus, as you mentioned, they are much cheaper. I would definitely recommend them.
  • wrxguywrxguy Member Posts: 51
    IM a few decisions from buying a tire and wheels for that matter.

    what kind of Dunlop is on yer Subaru>?
    and do you have 17 rims too>?

    no noticable road noise too eh?
    Im assuming that its a max perform tire
    and not an all season?

    Thanks .................in advance!
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    Thanks for the update ! I guess I might go for the Dunlops, after all. The Michelin Pilot Sport All-seasons are a brand new tire from Michelin and even Michelin's site makes no mention about this tire, even though they do mention the "summer only" version of the exact same tire. The technology used in it, including the use of Kevlar and the manufacturing method etc., are Michelin's cutting edge stuff. But a bit too pricey, nonetheless.

    wrxguy:

    The Dunlops he spoke about are Dunlop Sport 5000 Asymmetrical that are classified as Ultra-high performance All-seasons"...

    Later...AH
  • beygobeygo Member Posts: 9
    A few months ago, I bought Yokohama AVS db all-season V-rated tires for my other car, a BMW 318ti. It's priced about the same as the Dunlops, are sticky, and very quiet (now all I hear is the engine). I'm very happy with them.

    Bey
  • huibregtsehuibregtse Member Posts: 24
    I test drove the WRX sedan this weekend - very impressive. The first one I drove did not have the armrest extension, but the second one did. I thought the extension was definitely in the way as I shifted. It's not really a big deal, since the dealer is willingly to swap it out, but I was wondering if others felt this way, too. My current integra has virtually nothing between the seats, and I guess I'm used to this.
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    I find a lot of Ex-Integra owners (including myself) being fascinated by the WRX and going for it. Am I mistaken in my presumption ?

    When I drive the WRX, it reminds me of my beloved 1998 Integra (Purchased in October 1997 and sold a year back). Of course the WRX goes a step beyond the Integra, but somehow, the "feel" is remarkably the same.

    Later...AH
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sporty, compact, high-quality imports. Sure.

    I like my armrest but agree that the fit varies by the driver's height, so try before you buy.

    -juice
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