Since it's a wagon, anyone of any age can get away with driving it ( after all, it's practical right?). I'd feel a little funny driving the sedan though. I just wish they'd hurry up with the STI version, probably the greatest sleeper since the old small block Dodge Darts or the big block Buick Gran Sports.
Juice- "I hope I still have your spirit at that age" Ouch! Let's show a little sensitivity how about it? 62 isn't that old. I've got a neighbor who's 71, runs 6 days a week, lifts weights 3 days a week and can probably kick all our butts!
A couple of days ago, I was really happy with my cars. I have an Outback VDC for wife (Great car). I have a bulletproof 94 Toyota Supra (non turbo but wish it was) for me. They were our cars for the next bunch of years; I was happy. My mistake is I drove the WRX Sport yesterday; what a blast. I want one. My problem is wife rationalization.
What is best price I can expect against invoice? I ended up at about invoice on the VDC; my Subie dealer has a bunch of WRX sports.
Second question: what are recommended options? I want 5-speed and good sound system (love the McIntosh). I don't need maximized performance, just best fun per buck.
Any other suggestions for convincing wife that 60 year old hubby needs to sell Supra and buy new WRX? Giving her equal funds for jewelry always works but would rather not go there.
My rationalization for my wife was that I was getting rid of 2 cars (MR2 and Civic) and going down to 1. Worked like a charm. Of course you probably don't have 2 cars to get rid of, but there are other practical angles to work. Buying a new car means less money to spend in repairs. Your Supra is probably reliable, but as I found with my MR2 turbo, when things break, it's expensive. Buying a new car with a warranty means no additional costs for a few years.
If the sound system in your Supra is anything like the one I had in my MR2, Subaru doesn't have anything that will match it. Go with the base system and go aftermarket.
Thanks for the comments, but some of you must want to get me killed. She can't drive a 5 speed; getting an AT would probably work since she could pick which car to take, but this will not work for me.
I am working on a long term financial perspective that will show how intelligent it will be to switch now thereby potentialy freeing more income for future vacations. This is actually looking promising as my rationalization tool.
Nobody has yet answered the $$ question. How close to invoice is anyone getting? I am in Dallas area.
Juice- "I hope I still have your spirit at that age" Ouch! Let's show a little sensitivity how about it? 62 isn't that old. I've got a neighbor who's 71, runs 6 days a week, lifts weights 3 days a week and can probably kick all our butts!
Speaking of age, we used to have a Japanese Grandmaster during my Karate days, who was 94. He could singlehandedly kick all our butts, even if all of us were to tackle him together. He could catch the fastest of kicks/chops/punches almost as if it were nothing. You would be swept to the floor before you even realised it. He got better with age, I suppose, like old wine !!
Here in Houston the iClub guys (kids) are saying they are basically getting invoice. I think I saw one guy who mentioned being pleased at a couple hundred dollars under invoice.
Question guys: have a customer here who is getting a lot of stones through the hood scoop and damaging her turbo intercooler. Any ideas? I'm showing her the pictures of the plastic egg crate for the other radiator. You think one could be fastened to the rubber thing around the hood scoop?
Tell her to go to Homie Depot, get some screening and afix it either directly on top of the IC or under the scoop facing the opening of the scoop. A lot of guys up here in NY/NJ have done that.
I purchased my blue sport wagon in July. The car was delivered without a single finish flaw, that you could see with the doors/hood/trunk closed. The paint on the inner surfaces is thin and lacks a clear coat. I've seen the same thing on other imports but never to this extreme. Aside from the obvious cost cutting short cuts, I was very impressed with the fit and finish. Then I waxed it. I used Nufinish in the bottle and applied it with a new, damp cotton wax pad. When I saw it lit up by the afternoon sun I freaked. The entire car is now covered with faint swirls. I tried a clear coat polishing compound on the hood and had reasonable results. I now know not to use terry cloth on the paint, damp or otherwise...especially for drying. Now I have my eye on a Porter Cable orbital polishing kit offered in Griot's Garage specialty catalog. I keep my cars until they start costing me money or begin to rust. I expect to have this car ten years from now, if I can still shift gears. The car saw its first puddle the other day and has never seen a drop of rain. I lightly power wash the dust off the car before I gently wash it with a car shampoo and sheepskin mit. Then I blow the water off with my air gun hitting every nook and cranny. I'm nuts about the car, weak finish or not. My wife is jealous. I haven't figured out how I'm going to protect my WRX from our winter salt and sand once my 16 year old gets her license. She might want to use the third car we promised her.
Over on the WRX Sedans forum (not Owner Experience) people are discussing paint quality in great detail. The 2 main camps are "you should allow the paint 2 months to cure/harden before doing anything more intense than a power-wash" and "the day you pick up the car, the paint is as hard as it's going to get, so the paint quality must be poor."
From my experience in&around my father's auto shop, I know that new automotive paint is SOFT. Not too long after I started assisting in the body shop I REALLY screwed up a fender that had been painted 3 days prior, by simply leaning against it while removing masking paper from the windshield. Man did I catch hell.
However, I don't know how much time usually elapses between when the car leaves the factory and when it's first owner turns the key for the first time. It might be 2 weeks. It might be 2 months.
"Wife rationalization" is one of the VERY few fringe benefits to being single. I don't have to justify my expenses to ANYBODY.
I can't say that I totally disagree with the wisdom of your comment about not having to justify your purchases to anybody, what with you being single and all. But you might want to consider this; my wife's generous contribution to our household $$$$ is what made the shiny new WRX in my garage a comfortable fit. I'm a little surprised you tacked that comment onto your more appropriate response to my experience with soft paint. Furthermore, you have the" justification" part all wrong. One Saturday morning in July, following an evening of Speedvision spiced with WRX commercials and a Subaru "infommercial", I stopped by my local Subaru dealer. I saw, I drove and I spent. Now that you mention it, I suppose I should have taken a little more time to "rationalize" the purchase of the car with my wife. I'll try to remember that next time... But you may have a point about giving paint more time to cure before waxing. Then again, aren't new cars supposed to be delivered with a fresh coat of wax?
Juice- I think you might be overstating the Subaru population in Florida. When you can take a 100 mile drive and not see another Subaru on the road, you know you're a rare bird!
I hope that young lady will sign up on the Edmunds boards soon and see the further advise you have give.
...from watching the married people around me. I often hear a husband or wife going on about "I'm probably not getting a bonus this year, the water heater died 2 weeks ago, and then HE/SHE goes out and buys a (whatever)!"
Yes, I believe the pre-delivery inspection is supposed to include a wash/wax. However, quite often the wash/wax is a very "fast & furious" affair, and might even involve a powered buffer for the polish. If the paint isn't fully cured yet, you can wind up with a finish full of swirl marks that show up plain-as-day when looking at the car from an angle.
I guess it all comes down to "is there a minimum time for a new car's paint to fully cure? Or is Subaru generaly paint quality below-par?"
I usually see around 4-5 Subies a week just driving to work and back...there is a Legacy wagon and a black WRX in the parking lot there. There are 3 dealers down here in the area between Delray and Miami (maybe a 70 mile distance). We have 2, I believe Don has 2...the Subie population is just exploding!
I was at my local bicycle shop the other day and noticed another customer walk in. Then I looked out, saw he arrived in an identical white '01 LL Bean which was parked next to mine! That won't happen too often anywhere.
The "population" is really growing. BTW, there are two other members of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club who drive Subarus--a Forester and a blue WRX (which is owned by a 60 year old man who also has a Forester back north).
Hi I am new to this so I wanted to say hi. Also I want to thank you for your suggestions on how to keep the stones from getting into my turbo intercooler. I do a lot of driving so that will be very helpful. All I have to say is I love my car!!!!!!!!!
What does everyone think about the upgrade on the subie stereo- subwoofer/amplifier and upgraded speakers. I have it but it seems to distort. Has anyone gotten a different system installed and it is better?
Anybody take their wagons through touchless car washes? I'm a bit concerned that the drying element that moves over the car will get snagged on the scoop.
Normally I do the coin-op self serve washes but I like the underbody sprayers in the auto washes.
I'm concerned with rock chips/dings to the front of the hood and was wondering if anyone has used the acrylic deflector. Did it add more wind noise by disturbing the air flow? Thanks for your input.
i-club.com has photos of the subwoofer adjustments. You can go on the forums there and do a search. There are two screw-type knobs that adjust gain and crossover, IIRC.
Actually, wife rationalization was easy. She bought that I had finally come to my senses to get a little practical wagon over the totally impractical Supra.
I drove the WRX again today and realistically don't think I want to pay $335 for the short throw shifter, $140 for the armrest extension, or $275 for the turbo gauge. It seems that they almost all come with the popular equipment group II. I have not yet tested the stereo setups. Am I missing some rationale; I will not be racing anybody, just enjoying the trips to the golf course. Who feels strongly about which options?
on a smooth wife adjustment. My silver wagon has: security system upgrade(can get cheaper aftermarket? not sure, but you do want an alarm on this type car however you get it) carbon fiber trim (looks nice, I wouldn't pay a lot for it though) cargo tray and net (must have) titanium shift knob (ridiculous, I already got rid of it) crossbar kit (indispensible to me, but I'm a skier) air filtration (dunno, its not allergy season yet) bumper cover (get it) armrest ext (I like it - the car is short on storage cubbyholes without it) turbo gauge (fairly useless, I think). I think that's it. Most of this was on the car - I bought it off the lot, and I paid invoice for the extras, not retail. I bought some of these things after I got the car - for dealer cost - that was part of the deal. You should be able to get that easily. The car also had the "cargo bin" (NOT tray) which I don't recommend - I traded that back to them and got the crossbar kit, cargo tray and cargo net for an additional $150, which was a good deal I think. I'm not too familiar with the stereo upgrades, but I think the consensus is you can probably do better with aftermarket stuff. The stock stereo is OK, not great. Bottom line, my "must haves" (and things you can only get from Subaru) are: armrest extension, bumper cover, cargo tray, cargo net. Alarm system - Subaru (why not) if you can get a good deal, aftermarket otherwise. You'll probably never miss the other stuff. Hope this helps, and good luck - you're going to love your WRX!
Something to think about when you go buy one. All WRXes come to the US the same way: Loaded! The options listed (like the ones you mentioned) are all port or dealer installed. You can get the same stuff and install it yourself if you want to. I got mine about a month ago without any options (well, my wagon has the mid spoiler the dealer "threw" into the deal, but I am sure they made a good profit on me.) The price I got was below $23k. The turbo boost gauge is about $190 if you buy it yourself, shoft shift kit can be had for about $100 (after market) or $200 if you like the subaru unit. So I guess my point is, if you are good with tinking, you can get the options you want later on and put them on yourself (or ask your dealer to install it) and get a "base" car if you can find one and leave the options gouging out of the equation.
I have a tire question(s). This January, I'm going to be driving (my WRX wagon) from Texas to California via I-40, and will likely hit snow. Then in February I'm going to drive from California to Seattle, hopefully up the Pacific Coast Highway, and therefore expect lots of rain. My stock RE92s will have about 6K miles on them by then; should I leave those on, or can anyone recommend a tire with good rain AND snow handling? Anyone know where I can get cable chains for this car? Finally, does anyone know a Stongard installer in Central Texas? Thanks in advance
i live in PA and do alot of driving on the pa turnpike. all year long. the winter can be really harsh on paint especially right after the trucks drop salt and chips on the road. my car has chip marks all over the front of it - all up the hood, the bumper and some on the side even (i think that comes from passing the salt trucks). i saw, on new cars that came into a honda dealership in monroeville, a rubbery coating which i assume is for protecting the paint during transport. anybody know about that stuff and where i can get it? i wouldn't mind my car looking ugly all winter - it's usually covered in salt spray anyway. thanks.
For paint protection, many people I've spoken with recommend "Stonguard," which is a clear film that, when applied to the vehicle, protects from stones etc. It's especially good at protecting the headlight/foglights and the immediate front of the bumper.
www.stonguard.com has product details and "locate dealer," because this stuff requires some skill to apply, and an installation will cost more than pocket change but should be permanent and indestructible.
My feeling on stereo kit is that a better upgrade can be had through a good aftermarket shop than a factory deal. There are two reasons for this: 1: auto makers source their kit via huge bulk orders, and are always looking for the best ratio of price-to-stereo name. Even if the stereo says Bose or Monsoon or HarmonKardon, it was most probably 1 of 150,000 units from the stereo maker's lowest price point. 2: quite often the weakest part of a stereo kit is the amplifier, not the speakers. Speakers are only as good as the power feeding them; if they get a strong clear signal, they will make strong clear sound (right up until the speakers blow). If they are getting dirty power, or the amplifier's power-output rating is significantly below the speakers' power-handling, they'll make warbly sound right up until the AMPLIFIER melts down (from being overworked). A cheap-o amp will begin to deliver flawed power to the speakers much more quickly than a good one. Auto makers tout the name-branding on their head units and speakers, and often use bargain-basement amps (parts-bin stuff). So even a high-$$ factory upgrade might have a crap amp.
The other great thing about aftermarket shops is that you can get to listen to the equipment before you buy (as long as they're a stand-up shop). Quite often they've done work on that make/model car before, especially with cars the WRX and other vehicles that people are likely to tinker with. They might be able to put you in contact with a prior client who can bring his car in for you to listen to. One of my friends (whom I haven't seen in years, sadly) ran his own shop for years, and one secret to his success was pleasing his customers, who would then be willing to bring their vehicles in to show them off to new potential clients.
I know that I'm in the minority here, but I feel that you always get a less than perfect fit/finish/mesh with an aftermarket installer. Not to mention that in 2 years when you need to get it fixed cause it stopped working, the shop is generally out of business 95% of the time. Also the face and backlight colors on aftermarket stereos never match your stock dash lights etc. I've had very good luck with stock systems in my Isuzus, and other makes. I am going to be upgrading my speakers from what I've heard that is the weakest point, and for me it'll still look stock
My tendency is to agree with Mike on this one; I have personally never been quite satisfied with my aftermarket upgrades. An auto is not an ideal acoustic environment; the car manufacturer SHOULD be able to match components and acoustics well. McIntosh and Subaru proved that to me on the VDC.
On the other hand, cheap components (speakers / amp) will never sound really good in any environment. My plan is to take a couple of my audiophile quality cd's to the dealer and really test the base system and the factory upgrades and judge from there. My guess is that I will stay with the base system.
I agree with the mikes. Sometimes aftermarket stereos cause more headaches that they're worth. Bad fit/finish, higher chance of theft, interfering with the car's electronics (i.e. possible alarm problems), etc.
Yes, it's easy to get a better stereo, but it's not worth it IMHO. Like the other mike said, take a couple of CD's to the dealer and decide for yourself. Don't forget the the subwoofer has adjustments.
One more vote for the stock system. it is the theft thing that is #1 for me. I don't like to fool with alarm systems and around here it is not car theft but possible stereo theft that would be the only crime problem with the car. I used to do my own stereo installations and I always had problems with where ever I hooked up power I always got ignition buzzing through the system no matter how many noise filters I added. If you are going to upgrade the upgrade that is easy and cheap is to go with aftermarket speakers to replace the ones that are already there. You can't go wrong and anyone can install them. I like the sub woofer that I got which was the Subaru option. Check out previoius posts as to how to adjust it if you get it. The 6 disk changer in the WRX is a very smooth working component. It is first rate in all ways. Also it is rare in that it includes cassette, since there is a trend to eliminate cassette. My previous Forester had an under the seat CD changer which was prone to skipping on many disks. No skips on in dash suggests much better quality equipment. My only beef with stock stereo is lousy speaker placement in the rear doors (instead of on shock towers that I had on previous Hondas). Sund is weak from behind and completly muffled if you pack rear area. (Forester was the same.) So unless you are brave enough to find new rear locations or wish to take up the cargo area with boxed speakers there is not much you can do on a WRX wagon. I understand that the sedan took a step backwards and has the same rear door placement. (My wife's RS coupe has package shelf speakers--excellent placement). If you get a sedan you could probably move rears to that location.
It requires far more power to drive the bass in any stereo system than the higher frequency sounds (more air must be moved) so when a powered (has its own amp) subwoofer is added the in-dash amp only has to produce the mid- and upper frequencies. There's plenty of power in the stock unit to do that efficiently, that is, plenty loud if you want, and without distortion. So if you want to increase the headroom/clarity of your stereo the addition of a powered subwoofer is step one. Step two, as others have said, is better speakers. Watts is pretty much watts, at least the auto environment, I seriously doubt anyone is going to hear the difference in a better quality amp. Better speakers, and yes, speaker placement is absolutely crucial in the home, auto - everywhere - will be readily appreciated.
I agree strongly that the stock head, at least, is great. There are very few heads available incorporating CD and cassette, which is really nice to have. It looks right, has nice large buttons that are well positioned, logical, well lit, easy to use. What's not to like?
But NO manufacturer building a car to a lower price point than full-on luxury is going to throw in high end speakers. I got my wife 4 high end Polk Audio speakers for her Prelude for Xmas and they set me back $180, on sale - so good speakers ain't cheap.
The tires certainly are not snow tires, but I'm having no problems driving these tires in the snow. They seem to grip about as good as my half worn Michelin Pilot Alpins that I have on our other car. Lots of people think the RE92's should be ditched at the first sign of snow, but I think I can easily weather this winter with these tires (with snow tires coming for next winter).
We've had lots of early snow here and I've been surprised at how well the RE92s have performed on packed snow and ice. There's a lot of great info available here, and also the potential for ill informed opinion to get repeated until its "fact". These aren't the greatest snow tires, or summer sport tires either, but they're certainly adequate all-rounders. Anyone tossing them out brand new is wasting a lot of dough.
I live in the Mts. of Utah, and see lot's of very rusty Subarus. I demoed a WRX auto wagon, and was very impressed. Turbos+high alt. = lot's of recovered horsepower, however, anyone like to put me at ease about the rust issue. There's no shortage of salt on the roads!!
Some of our roads are crusted white with salt. Subaru keeps the price down by not "wasting" money on the paint job, for one thing - which leads me to believe the anti corrosion coating where you can't see it is probably not exactly state of the art either. You can't have everything for a low price. I'd say wash frequently in the winter and don't worry about it. Nothing lasts forever. You're definitely right about the turbo at altitude - I can fly over Parley's summit at any speed I choose in my WRX. My normally aspirated Acura used to cough and splutter over the top at 50 MPH max. Can I quietly and just between you and me, without stirring up another big hoo-ha, suggest that the 5 speed is the way to go with a turbocharged engine? You can keep the engine on, or off, the boost, as required, more easily with the stick. Very slowly and quietly leaving the room, so as to be hardly noticed at all...
Comments
-juice
TWRX
-Frank P.
-Dennis
Any how, it seems as if he already found the fountain of youth - the WRX!
-juice
What is best price I can expect against invoice? I ended up at about invoice on the VDC; my Subie dealer has a bunch of WRX sports.
Second question: what are recommended options? I want 5-speed and good sound system (love the McIntosh). I don't need maximized performance, just best fun per buck.
Any other suggestions for convincing wife that 60 year old hubby needs to sell Supra and buy new WRX? Giving her equal funds for jewelry always works but would rather not go there.
Thanks,
Mike
-juice
If the sound system in your Supra is anything like the one I had in my MR2, Subaru doesn't have anything that will match it. Go with the base system and go aftermarket.
Jim
-juice
I am working on a long term financial perspective that will show how intelligent it will be to switch now thereby potentialy freeing more income for future vacations. This is actually looking promising as my rationalization tool.
Nobody has yet answered the $$ question. How close to invoice is anyone getting? I am in Dallas area.
Thanks,
Mike
-juice
Speaking of age, we used to have a Japanese Grandmaster during my Karate days, who was 94. He could singlehandedly kick all our butts, even if all of us were to tackle him together. He could catch the fastest of kicks/chops/punches almost as if it were nothing. You would be swept to the floor before you even realised it. He got better with age, I suppose, like old wine !!
Later...AH
Jim
Thanks all.
-mike
Ed
-juice
I keep my cars until they start costing me money or begin to rust. I expect to have this car ten years from now, if I can still shift gears. The car saw its first puddle the other day and has never seen a drop of rain. I lightly power wash the dust off the car before I gently wash it with a car shampoo and sheepskin mit. Then I blow the water off with my air gun hitting every nook and cranny. I'm nuts about the car, weak finish or not. My wife is jealous. I haven't figured out how I'm going to protect my WRX from our winter salt and sand once my 16 year old gets her license. She might want to use the third car we promised her.
From my experience in&around my father's auto shop, I know that new automotive paint is SOFT. Not too long after I started assisting in the body shop I REALLY screwed up a fender that had been painted 3 days prior, by simply leaning against it while removing masking paper from the windshield. Man did I catch hell.
However, I don't know how much time usually elapses between when the car leaves the factory and when it's first owner turns the key for the first time. It might be 2 weeks. It might be 2 months.
"Wife rationalization" is one of the VERY few fringe benefits to being single. I don't have to justify my expenses to ANYBODY.
DjB
But you may have a point about giving paint more time to cure before waxing. Then again, aren't new cars supposed to be delivered with a fresh coat of wax?
I hope that young lady will sign up on the Edmunds boards soon and see the further advise you have give.
From cold Syracuse!
Pete.
Yes, I believe the pre-delivery inspection is supposed to include a wash/wax. However, quite often the wash/wax is a very "fast & furious" affair, and might even involve a powered buffer for the polish. If the paint isn't fully cured yet, you can wind up with a finish full of swirl marks that show up plain-as-day when looking at the car from an angle.
I guess it all comes down to "is there a minimum time for a new car's paint to fully cure? Or is Subaru generaly paint quality below-par?"
DjB
I was at my local bicycle shop the other day and noticed another customer walk in. Then I looked out, saw he arrived in an identical white '01 LL Bean which was parked next to mine! That won't happen too often anywhere.
The "population" is really growing. BTW, there are two other members of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club who drive Subarus--a Forester and a blue WRX (which is owned by a 60 year old man who also has a Forester back north).
Don
-juice
Normally I do the coin-op self serve washes but I like the underbody sprayers in the auto washes.
Dennis
I drove the WRX again today and realistically don't think I want to pay $335 for the short throw shifter, $140 for the armrest extension, or $275 for the turbo gauge. It seems that they almost all come with the popular equipment group II. I have not yet tested the stereo setups. Am I missing some rationale; I will not be racing anybody, just enjoying the trips to the golf course. Who feels strongly about which options?
Now off to the autotrader with my Supra.
Mike
Most of this was on the car - I bought it off the lot, and I paid invoice for the extras, not retail. I bought some of these things after I got the car - for dealer cost - that was part of the deal. You should be able to get that easily. The car also had the "cargo bin" (NOT tray) which I don't recommend - I traded that back to them and got the crossbar kit, cargo tray and cargo net for an additional $150, which was a good deal I think.
I'm not too familiar with the stereo upgrades, but I think the consensus is you can probably do better with aftermarket stuff. The stock stereo is OK, not great.
Bottom line, my "must haves" (and things you can only get from Subaru) are: armrest extension, bumper cover, cargo tray, cargo net. Alarm system - Subaru (why not) if you can get a good deal, aftermarket otherwise. You'll probably never miss the other stuff.
Hope this helps, and good luck - you're going to love your WRX!
The turbo boost gauge is about $190 if you buy it yourself, shoft shift kit can be had for about $100 (after market) or $200 if you like the subaru unit.
So I guess my point is, if you are good with tinking, you can get the options you want later on and put them on yourself (or ask your dealer to install it) and get a "base" car if you can find one and leave the options gouging out of the equation.
Thanks in advance
www.stonguard.com has product details and "locate dealer," because this stuff requires some skill to apply, and an installation will cost more than pocket change but should be permanent and indestructible.
My feeling on stereo kit is that a better upgrade can be had through a good aftermarket shop than a factory deal. There are two reasons for this:
1: auto makers source their kit via huge bulk orders, and are always looking for the best ratio of price-to-stereo name. Even if the stereo says Bose or Monsoon or HarmonKardon, it was most probably 1 of 150,000 units from the stereo maker's lowest price point.
2: quite often the weakest part of a stereo kit is the amplifier, not the speakers. Speakers are only as good as the power feeding them; if they get a strong clear signal, they will make strong clear sound (right up until the speakers blow). If they are getting dirty power, or the amplifier's power-output rating is significantly below the speakers' power-handling, they'll make warbly sound right up until the AMPLIFIER melts down (from being overworked). A cheap-o amp will begin to deliver flawed power to the speakers much more quickly than a good one. Auto makers tout the name-branding on their head units and speakers, and often use bargain-basement amps (parts-bin stuff). So even a high-$$ factory upgrade might have a crap amp.
The other great thing about aftermarket shops is that you can get to listen to the equipment before you buy (as long as they're a stand-up shop). Quite often they've done work on that make/model car before, especially with cars the WRX and other vehicles that people are likely to tinker with. They might be able to put you in contact with a prior client who can bring his car in for you to listen to. One of my friends (whom I haven't seen in years, sadly) ran his own shop for years, and one secret to his success was pleasing his customers, who would then be willing to bring their vehicles in to show them off to new potential clients.
DjB
-mike
On the other hand, cheap components (speakers / amp) will never sound really good in any environment. My plan is to take a couple of my audiophile quality cd's to the dealer and really test the base system and the factory upgrades and judge from there. My guess is that I will stay with the base system.
The other Mike
Yes, it's easy to get a better stereo, but it's not worth it IMHO. Like the other mike said, take a couple of CD's to the dealer and decide for yourself. Don't forget the the subwoofer has adjustments.
-Dennis
TWRX
I agree strongly that the stock head, at least, is great. There are very few heads available incorporating CD and cassette, which is really nice to have. It looks right, has nice large buttons that are well positioned, logical, well lit, easy to use. What's not to like?
But NO manufacturer building a car to a lower price point than full-on luxury is going to throw in high end speakers. I got my wife 4 high end Polk Audio speakers for her Prelude for Xmas and they set me back $180, on sale - so good speakers ain't cheap.
-juice
You're definitely right about the turbo at altitude - I can fly over Parley's summit at any speed I choose in my WRX. My normally aspirated Acura used to cough and splutter over the top at 50 MPH max.
Can I quietly and just between you and me, without stirring up another big hoo-ha, suggest that the 5 speed is the way to go with a turbocharged engine? You can keep the engine on, or off, the boost, as required, more easily with the stick.
Very slowly and quietly leaving the room, so as to be hardly noticed at all...