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Comments
Fabio: the GT and XT have 5 speed autos with SportShift controls, indeed better matched to turbo engines to get the revs up quickly. They also have a Sport mode that holds a gear in a turn and even blips the throttle for shifts I believe.
How 'bout a GT with an aftermarket suspension? Maybe even just a fatter sway bar and some real performance tires?
-juice
-juice
Colin is right the stall speed is a PITA. Although amazingly I can get a better launch from my 2.2NA v. WRX.
-mike
-juice
As far as pricing goes, I found the help and market knowledge of the posters here to be very good (as well as very willing to help out a newbie). My car was listed at $18295. I left to go "look around" and the dealer dropped to $17400 on the way out. Based on advice here, I went back with an offer of $16k but had to go up a bit from there (which I was okay with as I wanted the warranty). I'm in New England. Assuming your car is in good shape, as a private sale I'd think you should offer it in the high 16ks and be ready to come down to $14-$15k.
If others here have a different opinion, I'd take their advice as I'm still new to the WRX.
JW
The WRX is, in many ways, the opposite of our Porsches, designman. Both your Boxster and my 911. For those who don't know, or recall, I took my "new" (see above post) to the AutoX this weekend, along with my '93 911 RS America. (This is a lighter -- 2700+ lbs in the configuration I drive -- car than the std. Carrera for the early 90s, though it has the same hp (250 stock, but I have mine chipped, etc. to approx. 298) and the same torque (approx 250 lb/ft.). It has a suspension which is pretty stiff (my set up again is non-stock) and lightweight summer street tires (Toyo T1/S).
Comfort: Here the Sube has it all over the Porsche, and did from its 'birth.' The Sube has space to burn (or, better, fill), seats that are easy to get in/out of, a quiet engine and running gear, air-conditioning that actually works and can be adjusted effectively, and would be comfotable on a trip of whatever length ... I don't even need my usual lumbar support on the seats.
None of this is true with the Porsche. It holds two (slender) folk with the race shells I have in it. The back "seat" is laughable and, in fact, is unusable because I have a roll cage and a harness bar. I drove the car for 350 miles (my house to Watkins Glen) earlier this summer and nearly need a Jaws-of-Life to get out of the car and PT to get limbered back up. And the A/C is pretty much a joke ... it works okay from, say, 70-80 degrees.
Power Delivery: Night and Day, with both night and day being good, but very different, things. Since you know WRXs pretty well on this board, let me tell you about the Porsche -- it has torque from down around 1200 rpm. At 4000, it dares you, even in 4th gear, to reach forward to the dash if you have it floored. I can spin the wheels at 85 mph. The power delivery is eager, demanding, and even (smooth) once it gets into its power band (approx. 2500 -- 6500 rpm). Shift point is at 6250. Of course the WRX also throws you back in the seat, especially in 1st and 2nd, but as you know the car needs to be shifted so it enters the new gear at something more than 3500 rpm, and the delivery of power is very surgy, abrupt ... it's going to take me a while longer to get used to the turbo and the need for higher rpm (my learning curve, and nothing wrong with the car). In an autoX setting, the turbo 2.0 is right at home but feels like it's running out of oomph at the top end of 2nd gear. I'll have to play with that.
Suspension: On comfort, again, the Sube is great. But in hard cornering it isn't so happy. (I won't be making any of the obvious changes which I know many owners have done, since this will be more my car for the street in cold weather.) It rolls a lot, for one thing, and I suspect (having driven a friend's WRX sedan a while back) that the wagon has a different sway bar, and maybe a different spring rate (both softer) than the sedan. Is this true? Meanwhile, any Porsche, modified or not, is going to corner pretty flat and, with some adjustments to tire pressure, can be coaxed to oversteer, or at least be neutral. (The awd Porsche needs an awful lot of encouragement, but that is not a car I've driven on track.) The spring rate of my (modified) Porsche is much less forgiving, and this is a real benefit for its track behavior.
Driving style: Interestingly enough, the front engine awd wagon and the rear engine, rwd coupe, both like to be thrown about pretty aggressively. (This is why the WRXs suspension would like to be firmed up, I think.) On both cars I found myself going quite deep into the corners, tossing the car into its turn in, but the WRX really didn't like the idea of oversteer ... but I'll bet I can talk it into it with some more practice. Both cars like trail-braking. The Sube pulls from the corners nearly as well as the Porsche when I would time my exit correctly. and I really enjoyed the effect the awd has on grabbing traction on corner exits.
None of this is meant to imply that one car is superior to the other, but I thought it would be interesting to compare to dramatically different German/Japanese performance cars. Anyway, that's one person's $.02!
JW
The '02-mid '03 sedans got 20" sway bars, while the late 03s and on received 17" sway bars. The wagon has always had 17" sway bars.
Kevin, do you mean 20 & 17 mm?
JW
The BMW is a 1997 r850r. I test rode a k1200 and oh my god, that's not a bike, it's a herm... it's like riding the terminator. Too much bike for me this early in my life. I'll upgrade in 6 years or so, the 850 is just a lot of fun to ride.
Thanks for the tip on the awd bmw. All bmw's are overpriced, I know the 325 is underpowered, but I've got the ballsy wrx and it's nice, but it's not fun. German cars, for whatever reason I can't explain are just plain fun. Japanese just doesn't seem to do it for me. The awd is only $1500 or so more than the rwd, so except for the power loss, might just be worth it if I'm spending that much money. But I'll take a look at the 325i, thanks.
I live in New York 30 miles north of NYC, in the richest part of the country, westchester (I am not, however rich) I just spend all my money on cars.
The wrx is in perfect shape except for door dings, I never hit anything or allowed anything to hit me. Never raced it, I just floor it a lot.
I've had 3 cars in the past, and there just isn't enough time in the day to drive 3 cars, so one of 'ems got to go, and the gti is probably worthless at this point.
Thanks for the input, all
http://TeamIAC.com
-mike
- Interesting. That is the first time I have ever heard that the WRX was not fun to drive! Heck, that was the main reason I bought the car in the first place!! Well, each person has their own opinion. So it sounds like you are making the right choice.
BTW, even though the 325i seems underpowered on paper, the car has plenty of pep and is fun to drive. Good luck with your purchase!
-mike
Is the job difficult, mike?
-juice
for all old ones the whiteline steering bushings are a REALLY great upgrade.
~c
-mike
~c
Brian
Try working alone with limited tools and 2 kids rushing you to finish. ;-)
-juice
-mike
While the steering wheel is quickly changed, I imagine an airbag equiped wheel would not be inexpensive. Haven't priced them though.
-mike
Edmunds does not compile dealer cost information or TMV prices for Canada. In fact, there seems to be little if any useful pricing information for north of the border available anywhere on the net. Frustrating.
I'd like to visit local dealers with some idea of invoice cost - otherwise I'm flying blind. Any relevant information is welcome.
Also posted a message in the thread about WRX buying experiences.
Thanks,
S.
I have the cross-bars on top (dealer installed option) and wondered if that might be what I was picking up.
Anyone have a similar experience?
I believe the factory crossbars can be removed fairly easily, so take them off and you'll know if they're the cause. The roof rails (not crossbars) alone do not cause that noise.
My solution was to put a fairing on the rack. That took care of the noise. I'm not sure if you can do that with the factory crossbars.
TIA.........Terry
I believe it keeps the revs higher before the upshift occurs. Kind of like a faux sport mode. :-)
-Dennis
those didn't have much a sport program to them, so yeah I bet manually downshifting is your best approach.
~c
Terry
Alwin, I think his name was. Do you have his contact info Colin? Invite him back...
-juice
~c
-Brian
** dig, dig **
heh, I see that he still posts every once in a great while on nabisco. looks like he now owns a Forester S, not sure what year though.
I've sent him a pm to say hi and invited him back to the Subaru Crew.
~Colin
I remember he was shopping for that Forester last time I heard from him, so it's been 4 years!
-juice
My friday took a turn for the worse with the discovery of a flat rear tire after work. Apparently a screw has found a home right in the middle of the left rear tire. I'm not sure how long these tires have been on (Firestone Firehawk SZ50) but they were slightly worn when I bought the 02 WRX wagon 10000 miles ago. Anyway, now my question is...do I try to get 2 tires or 4? It seems as though people think 2 is a bad idea. And also, any recommendations? I'm in Los Angeles and it rarely even rains! I'll probably have to do it at a Just Tires or something as I don't think I can wait to order from Tire Rack. Thanks for any ideas in advance.
-Dave
~Colin
Unless you really want to buy new tires, I wouldn't worry about running a patched tire. That's assuming you are not autocrossing or running on a track. The patch should be fine for normal everyday driving.
DaveM
Great tire for the money IMHO. If I bought summer tires these would be them.
-mike
Forget the CAI and save your money. It serves no purpose for turbo-charged engines - whatever cold air could be extracted would only be heated up after going through the turbo.
-Dave
definitely do not install a cone air filter. not only is there no gain from 'cold' air, but it also will cause your Mass Air Flow sensor to read improperly and performance will DECREASE.
bad idea.
~c