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Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
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Comments
Maybe it's cost. I'm sure I've seen an STi manual or two with VTD. Maybe the Japanese RA versions. I'll do some searching or someone else will post info. Even the 276 h.p. UK P1 only has the simple viscous coupling.
-Dennis
Ed
It was a silver auto sedan with about 40 miles on it. It felt a little more responsive than the previous auto I tested. The other auto had a few hundred miles on it and probably saw some hard test drives.
Although it felt more responsive than the previous test car, my biggest complaint is off-boost in the curves. 0-60 doesn't matter as much to me, but keeping on-boost in curves does. Keeping it in "3" helped a lot though. I even dropped it down to "2" a couple of times. This is where the sport-shift would shine. Oh, and brake stands are FUN!
I didn't drive it as hard as I did the previous tester. Maybe because a couple that drove it before me were seriously considering buying it. There was also a ton of traffic. There are a couple of side roads off 31 north of the dealer that's better for quick surges of speed.
I think they prefer to give autos for test drives because there's less of a chance of messing up the tranny. Sorry my thoughts are so scattered, I'm in a hurry. You have to go give it a drive!
-Dennis
-mike
-Dennis
it's a little knob near the handbrake, selects from 35/65 to 50/50 to 50/50 LOCKED.
-Colin
-mike
http://i-club.com/gallery/22b_meet/16.jpg
http://i-club.com/gallery/22b_meet/17.jpg
-Dennis
http://www.rrunracing.com
Jim
Many years ago, we fell in love with an '87 Camry after driving a Honda, Subaru and the Toyota in rapid succession.
The thing we really liked about that vehicle was the sense of absolute "tracking" that we experienced driving the vehicle. We could take our hands off the steering wheel and drive down a straight highway for hundreds and hundreds of feet without any wander. We immediately bought it and enjoyed it for 280K miles before handing it over to our son. A subsequent 98 Camry (and also a Celica and currently a Focus) have not produced this sense of wonderful sureness.
I am not sure what combination of traits caused that performance or if it was the only Camry that ever felt like that, but I was hopeful that a "performance" car like the WRX would give me the same satisfaction.
Unfortunately, I have driven (timidly) two WRX AT wagons at separate dealerships a couple of weeks apart, without experiencing this,
I like the specs and the reviews, but I am not sure what I should do to confirm that this will give me the joy I seek.
I don't envisage any rally driving, but would like to drive in bad weather (on road) with maximum confidence that I won't get stuck.
Is the sense that I need to adjust the steering all the time to keep the cars on course expected and normal (and necessary) for this car or a trip of my own nervous nervous system.
We got so far as to put a deposit down on one vehicle, before realizing that they were asking significantly more than van Bortel or Fitgerald. They were nice enough to accept my request to withdraw my offer. Right now, I am planning to order one 'built' through Fitzgerald, but before I do that I want to get some input from you folks.
Thanks in advance.
Steve
Front wheel drive will "track" differently than AWD. Subarus tend to have almost dead-ahead alignment, which does not make them the best cars for driving down the road without having your hand on the wheel. However they should not pull; you should not have to, for example, constantly keep a little bit of pressure on the steering wheel to the left to keep the car going straight. Road crowns, slants, and surfaces play a role too, and Subies are sensitive to these things; you'll know that the road surface changed sooner in a Subie than in a Camry.
It's the nature of the beast. I happen to like it. In trade, every Subie I've ever driven has felt very solid, very substantial, and very well planted on the road. The Nissan Sentra rent-a-car I'm driving now feels like a feather in the wind by comparison. I might be able to drive it without my hand on the wheel, but that does not inspire any confidence whatsoever. YMMV.
Cheers,
-wdb
TWRX
My other car, which is an Acura 3.2TL (with Navigation) is fabulous and is a total contrast to the Subaru. It does not have the kick or the "riding on rails feel" of the WRX but is wonderful during looooong trips, which I do pretty frequently. I think both our cars compliment each other. The Acura was supposed to be my car and the WRX was supposed to belong to my wife. Now my wife hardly gets to see the WRX, and the Acura has become her daily ride. Driving this vehicle is intoxicating to say the least.
Like my earlier Toyota Camry (donated at 288K miles), my WRX and also the Acura should last for at least 250K miles, before I am ready to buy a new car.
Later...AH
I think you are looking for a Caddy or Lincoln, not a WRX!
-mike
For you detailers out there, make sure you clay the car before you detail it. The ride over from Japan must have really added some kind of contaminant. My 01 Outback (from Indiana) just needed a good washing.
I opted for the stock stereo. I didn't think the upgraded speakers and sub were much better based on my testing. For my personal tastes, I have attenuated the bass to -2 and have boosted the treble by 1. It seems to now give a fairly accurate sound so I won't be upgrading any time soon. I wish the McIntosh on the VDC was an option; I have become spoiled.
My car was delivered with 40psi in all tires for some dumb reason.
Just my first impressions
Mike
The cars are generally filled with a lot of air from the factory, during the long trip from the factory to the showrooms. In case of the Impreza, they arrive from Japan, which is a pretty long trip, especially by ship.
However, the vehicle prep group at your dealership should have taken care of this excess pressure during their prepping. They get paid by the Auto-maker for doing so, which includes a wash, inspection of components, topping off fluids etc.
Later...AH
-Dennis
Gotta love a worn out recirculating ball...
Speaking of which, any of the camrys I've driven have always had a very numb steering feel but I'm not sure I could absolutely say I've driven an '87. The WRX is no BMW, but it has pretty darned good steering feel.
Besides alignment, tires will also play a huge role in 'tracking'. High performance summer tires usually will follow grooves in the road, which is called tramlining or oddly enough 'tracking'. (you're the first person I've seen that called going in a straight line that. the term usually refers to the tires and thus the car following ruts, grooves and other road surfaces.)
Anyway, the WRX doesn't come with tires that track but the tires that many owners will put on them tend to.
-Colin
What this means is that with the OEM tires when the odometer says it has 50,000 miles, with a car fitted with the 215/45R17 tires, it would show an additional 530 miles (phantom miles). The speedometer would also be "off" when compared to the OEM tires/wheel combo. Anyone knows why Subaru has provided such a disparity in its 2 tire/wheel combos ?
Also, the OEM tire/wheel combo has a load rating of 89 (1279 lbs), while the Optional 215/45R17s has a load rating of only 87 (1201 lbs).
The nearest size which would maintain the same load rating and the overall height/diameter is 225/55R17, which is not the size of the OEM optional tires. Anyone know why ?
Later...AH
1% is not significant in terms of speedometer or odometer error.
second, subaru isn't providing any tires, just wheels. they do recommend 215/45-17 and my comments on that are above. many WRX owners choose 225/45-17 instead, which is 0.4% larger; again, insignificant. (I think that's the size you meant but you put 55 instead of 45.)
the load rating on either tire, is perfectly fine. it's only on very tiny tires that you should worry, such as autocrossers choosing a 205/45-16.
-Colin
Stephen
1% is not much of a difference...true but when there was a combination with a smaller difference (225/45R17), why recommend the combo with a larger difference (215/45R17) ??
I saw Tirerack's recommendations too, where they recommend 225/45R17...
I was planning on maybe going for the UK-spec 17x7 wheels (that look exactly like the OEM 16s)..not that expensive too, as per the site below:
http://www.vividracing.com/prod_wheeloemuk.php
Later...AH
Stephen
I don't pretend to know Subaru's motivations but if I had to guess I would say that due to the slightly smaller size a 215/45-17 should never rub on the rear fenders... whereas in some situations the bigger 225 might. You know, full tank of gas, 4 adults in the WRX wagon, Mulholland Drive... ;-)
Warpdrive,
Actually a 225 tire would benefit from an 8" rim, but most folks don't have those so 7.5" is better than 7".
-Colin
Also, the Acura MDX comes with 235mm wide tires fitted onto 16x6.5 rims. That is right out of the factory. But the aspect ratio is pretty large however.
Later...AH
I'm hoping to buy the Superleggeras and that would mean 215's would work fine. 225's are too wide for a 7.0 inch rim (it would work but it's on the edge of their recommendation). Might as well go with what they suggest.
-mike
I've driven the Pilot XGT. Gobs of grip eh?
Driven any summer tires?
-Colin
Also the Pilot XGTs are available as XGT-Z4, XGT-V4 and XGT-H4s with varying levels of grip and capability. Did you drive with the XGT-Z4s ? Another point is that Michelin had come out earlier with a model called XGT-V4 (which was miserable in all kinds of weather, based on owner opinions)....but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the Pilot XGT-V4 however.
Later...AH
I get the impression that most people enamoured of the WRX (who correspond on this board) are auto performance 'mavens'. How did you guys/ladies test the car to satisfy yourself that it delighted you?
Second question - I have heard that it is/is not a good all round car (commuting, long miles on highway, curvy-twisties, ice and snow, altitude, rallying) while others have said it isn't for the non-rally enthusiast. I could see its benefits in rain, ice and snow and driving to upstate NY and into the hills of NJ, but certainly most of my usage would be short commuter mileage or crowded highway traffic to 'offsite' meetings 40-90 miles away. How much of the time do you use this for 'everyday' driving and is it good for that in your opinions?
Thanks in advance.
Steve
Stephen
While the WRX is certainly performance oriented, to say that it "isn't for the non-rally enthusiast" would be quite unfair IMHO. Performance aside, the WRX (particularly in wagon form) has tremendous utility. It is quite comfortable and reasonably roomy for a compact car, and the ride is certainly more compliant than the Acura Integra I was driving before. What the WRX is not is a luxury car, so if you MUST have leather, sunroof, real wood trim, etc... the WRX is probably not for you.
I would say that driving a stick shift in a WRX is no more difficult than driving one in any other compact car. Whether you want to deal with a manual for daily commuting is something that you can only answer yourself. There's alway the automatic, though I think the fun factor goes down a notch or two without the stick. The only reason I don't drive mine daily is that I don't want to park my baby at the train station all day...
In conclusion, I think the WRX does a LOT of things well (but I'm probably biased). I do think you should test drive one and see how it suits you in every way you feel a car should (performance, space, comfort, styling, price, etc...). It may or may not turn out to be your cup of tea, but to dismiss it because someone thinks it's not for the non-enthusiast would be a big mistake!
good luck,
Phil
Initially I had a feeling that on long trips the WRX might be tiresome but I can honestly report that the WRX is comparatively quiet on the hwy (2900 rpm at 70mph) and is a real pleasure on long trips (after doing a 400mile round trip in the WRX to DC and back). Its all-weather capabilities and other mechanical abilities are a big plus (especially since they are not even available in other cars) but it is the car and the ride itself that I really love. I would estimate the WRX to be a bargain at which it is being sold for. Calling it a car only for rally-enthusiasts is a disservice to the car (from ill-informed folks, who probably have not even driven the car... IMHO).
Later...AH
Stephen
I live in a small city (120,000) and commute 10 miles to work from a suburb each day.
City: I don't deal with bumper to bumper, just stoplights and some open stretches. Of the 3 stick shifted Subarus that my wife and I have owned I can honestly say that this has the smoothest clutch and shift. I have only owned 5 speeds so I can't say how you would like one in the city but mine is really easy to drive. With the low torque at low RPM it's not like this thing is an uncontrolled monster that will get away from you when you drive it in traffic. It is an extremely easy car to drive. Very practical in the wagon format. Just packed it to ceiling the other day when moving all of my science supplies from one school I taught at to another. Had 5 large boxes of rocks, 3 fifty lb. tubs of sand, a stream table, 3 computers and numerous other smaller items.
Highway: again one of the reasons for getting the wagon was room on the road. I like to do round trips to Colorado in the summer from here in Indiana. Married with no children so a wagon this size is great for 2 weeks or more luggage and gear for the 1000 mile trip each direction. AWD in Cclorado, what a blast my Forester was out there. Longest trip so far in the WRX has been to Indianapolis and back (about 350 round trip.) The sport seats are great. I have serious back problems and the lumbar in my previous Forester was great but the firm support of these seats is just as good. Also at 6 foot I fit into this car with about 3" of head room to spare. Tall cars are in vogue right now but don't tell Subaru that because low roof lines have not been in the cards for them for years (funny, after the lower sleeker Camry and Civic, their new body styles in the "taller" fashon look clunky where as Subarus look well proportioned) Also, leg room on passenger side is vastly improved from Forester I owned and RS my wife owns. Also WRX has the best back seat room of the three. The best and most unexpected aspect of travel in one of these is the quiet and low wind noise. That together with the rock stable handling of the wrx makes it way too easy to cruise effortlessly at 80+ (Gas mileage plummets to 22 or 23 hwy that way. 65 does yield 27 mpg) My one complaint about WRX wagon and travel is the lack of three useful features that my Forester had (rubber bumper cover to protect as items are loaded in and out, rubber mat to keep cargo area clean, and rear power outlet.) All of these are standard in the less expensive Forester L and Outback Sport and all Subie wagons should have them. The first two are availabe as low cost options which I bought but no rear outlet without doing your own wiring modifications I guess. That electric cooler in the back for long trips was just too nice in the Forester.
TWRX
(2) I saw the note in the brochure that for a limited time, WRX sedans could be ordered in "BLAZE YELLOW". Is there a way to order a WRX station wagon in this color (or another sensible way of getting a yellow paint job for a brand new vehicle)?
Steve
As far as I know, the "Blaze Yellow" is a limited-edition sedan-only color. Don't know if you've seen the color in person, but it's a rather pale yellow. It's not the bright canary yellow one might associate with Porsches and Vettes. If you like to be seen, then the blue is likely the color for you, the silver is probably the stealthiest.
Phil
driving lights for better distance illumination at night. I think Hella Inc. may have what I want but I could be barking up the wrong tree.
One of the WRXes in Sport Compact Mag. had after market lights in place of the factory fog lights. Does anyone know of sources.
E mail me at sch8988@aol.com
Thanks in advance.
The factory fog lights are mounted pretty low... to get a lot of distance from that angle, you'd likely be shining those lights into oncoming traffic or the guy in front of you. Just a thought...
Most driving lights for off-roading are mounted on top of the car (or at least fairly high) if I'm not mistaken.
Hmm... that wasn't much help, was it? Hope you find what you're looking for.
Phil
-Colin
But look at the yellow Porsche used on the Boxster, it's almost identical.
-juice
Bob
It's not a new color for Subaru. JDM Imprezas have been available in that color for a long time, but I didn't like those either.
-Colin
Honestly? Subaru's yellow almost looks like a primer. Did they forget to paint it? ;-)
-juice
I personally like the lighter yellow a/o/t the other yellows on the market - never wanted to drive a taxi.
Ed