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Comments
-mike
I have Nitto NT460 touring tires on my Forester, though they are a 60 series profile. They are very quiet and the 460 in this case is the treadwear rating. They have 18k miles on them now and still look brand new.
So for your criteria, road noise and wear, I would give them an A+. They are not good in snow, but wet and dry drip is good for a touring tire of its size (225/60R16).
-juice
Having said that, I don't mind it coming on when I turn on the defrost. It does help clear the windows quicker. I also try to crack a window open a bit too when the windows start to fog up.
-Brian
Ray
Tires are for my blue WRX wagon Im picking up on Saturday! Its been the longest 10 weeks of my life waiting for it to be delivered
Im looking at 17" wheels and 225/45-17 tires. I was considering the Bridgstone SO3 and Michelin Pilot Sports also. BUT, price is a factor...
-steve
Stephen
-Colin
-mike
They wear fairly good and have decent grip, decent water evacuation. Good tire for the money but not in the same league of pricey tires.
-Colin
Aspire is one of the world's worst car names, in my opinion, also. do people really aspire to own that car?
back on topic - Blue is probably the most popular WRX color where I am followed very closely by Silver. hardly any black, red, white, etc.
Which one looks the best dirty? That's often how my cars are, since I don't wash them 2x a week (or even 1x a week) and I'd like it to look good most of the time.
-mike
I do put in a vote for the Toyo T1-S also. A tad bit louder than RE92's but a great all-around road tire.
I would have to agree with mike paisan May 14, 2002 7:18am, well, I won't as far as blanketing all Americans =D but it's pretty accurate to say that the irresponsible many gave rise to regulations that erks the responsible few.
I've gotten used to the locking system, but there are one of those days I forget and leave an imprint of my side profile on the window. :-)
-Dave
"IS THAT A STATION WAGON, WAIT NO, THAT'S TO SHORT TO BE A WAGON"
I explained to her it is considered to be a sport wagon by subaru.
"DOES IT HAVE A 4 CYLINDER IN IT?"
THis is when the challenge came, I told her it had a 4 cylinder in it with a turbo. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to explain to a 70 year old lady what a turbo is, but it's like teaching a dog latin. None the less, she was very nice, and ended the conversation by saying she drove the gray grand marquis down the road, the same gray as her hair color as she pointed to her head. What a funny woman.
Krzys
-juice
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Stephen
Heather
Stephen
Heather
Stephen
Wish me luck.
Heather
-scott
I'd like the extra utility of the wagon, but wouldn't want to sacrifice a significant amount of performance to get it. I was under the impression that there wasn't much of a difference.
I'd love to be able to post this message on I-club, but I haven't received a confirmation email yet. It's been almost a week.
The difference between the wagon and sedan in subjective differences are minimal, they do seem to be measurable (say .1 to .2 seconds slower to 60) and a slight decrease in skidpad. For most of us, this is not "significant" as the packaging of the wagon is so much more desirable than the sedan. Not to mention that the sedan's rear end styling is not my favorite feature.
-juice
I am sure you all know my story. Here's a summary: Traded OBS in for L.L. Bean 7 weeks ago. Feeling very sad over loss. Want Impreza BAD! WRX wagon in manual. I tried reading through the 1,800 past posts but I kept getting disconnected and with a 20 month old running around and getting into everything I have no time to read them. Wish I could, fun reading!
O.K. now the questions:
We'd be trading in a 2001 Outback manual with 6,000 miles on it. It is not as fun as the Impreza.
1) So the i-club mentions that the WRX engine is not as reliable as the 2.5. Is this true and if so, where is the data to back it up?
2) Worried about gas mileage. Bean gets 19 - 20 around town with preminum fuel. I know I need preminum in the WRX also but does it at least get 20 around town if I hold back just a little?
Anyone have engine trouble at all?
3) Are you all still inlove with your Impreza's after a year or so? I was inlove with my OBS and did not realize I still was after 3 years 3 months and 3 days when I traded her in. My heart hurts from it and the L.L. Bean does not heal that pain, although it is a practical nice car. I WANT FUN!!!!!!
4)Is it selfish of me to trade-in a more practical car (2001 Outback) for a less practical car for my family because I feel I need it to enjoy life? If an OBS makes my heart beat faster and causes me huge smiles, then just imagine what the WRX will do for me...
5) Anything I left out? Any comments or concerns about your WRX wagons in manual?
6) Any options I should get? I found a White Wagon in Manual with Security system, Preminum sound, and Compass mirror. I don't like the short shifter- I found lots of those around. Does anyone love their short shifter?
Please don't hold back. I want graphic details!
Thank you so much, Heather
2) If gas costs are a big concern, stick with the OBS. You don't want to cut corners here, stick with premium, and of course you'll be tempted to drive fast (and get 18mpg in hard city driving).
3) Wish I had one to be in love with!
4) No, if the car still gets the job done
5) Not that I can think of
6) I have the STi shifter in my Forester. It feels more direct, more metallic, less rubbery. But you do give up some rubber insulation, so it will shake/vibrate more. That's the trade off for the better feel.
-juice
Take what you read on i-club with a big grain o'salt! The 2.0 engine is every bit as reliable as the 2.5. Remember, the 2.0 has been around worldwide for quite a while, it's only new to N.America.
I will list a few negatives just to be "real".
First off, I have a couple of buzzes (or maybe 1 that just moves, LOL) in the center stack. Quite a few folks have experienced the same. This buzzing happened fairly early on but is intermittent.
First gear can be a bit notchy and difficult to get into when shifting down from 2nd...like when I'm pulling into my driveway.
The ABS is very sensitive to uneven road surfaces. I've had a few scary moments at low speeds and bumpy roads where I had "no brakes" for a moment. This is or isn't normal depending on whom you talk to. I found that after I upgraded to 17"tires/wheels this only happened once and I was driving very spirited! BTW, the WRX was designed for 17"wheels/tires and comes std as such in every other market except N.America.
The outside mirrors whistle a bit. Only noticeable when the windows are opened.
The a/c can be a bit weak at times. I have to remember that even though the WRX has oodles of HP, it's still only a 2 liter motor.
My passenger seat developed a bit of creaking when a passenger sits there. I keep meaning for the dealer to check this out. It may just be a bit loose.
The windshield really seems to crack easy. I have to have mine replaced after last winter.
The visors seem a bit cheap.
You have to be careful not to slam or rest anything heavy on the hood as it's aluminum and will dent fairly easy. It's aluminum because it dissipates heat better.
Well, this is all I can think of at the moment. :-)
Stephen
-Colin
My mirrors used to whistle also; if you fold them, look for inspection stickers and remove those. The whistling should stop
S.................
Stephen
I think i-clubbers are more prone to modding their cars and pushing their cars performance wise than most.
2) Worried about gas mileage. Bean gets 19 - 20 around town with preminum fuel. Anyone have engine trouble at all?
I average about 21-22 mpg in mixed driving, about 19 in stop and go. Most I've gotten on a tank was 25.5 - all highway with A/C on. It's pretty darn difficult to lay off the throttle when you know the rewards of doing so. The only thing I've had to bring the car in for was a CE light reset.
3) Are you all still inlove with your Impreza's after a year or so?
YES! Got the car last May. My wife thinks I'm nuts. Can't wait for a decent weekend, I think the car needs a new coat of wax.
4)Is it selfish of me to trade-in a more practical car (2001 Outback) for a less practical car for my family because I feel I need it to enjoy life?
Perhaps... but the WRX wagon is pretty practical for a performance oriented car. You'll probably take a beating on the trade-in.
5) Any comments or concerns about your WRX wagons in manual?
Manuals are fun! I don't have the short shifter, but I did notice that the shifter action became a bit less notchy after a few thousand miles.
6) Any options I should get?
I got the security upgrade and the cabin air filter from the factory, then ordered the rubber floormats and cargo tray from subaruparts.com. Most accessories are cheaper via mail order.
best of luck in your decision,
Phil
Though all three were much lower than retail, even with shipping. In fact, they were more than 10% lower than retail (I had a coupon and comparison shopped all those places).
-juice
Yes, take things on the i-club with a big grain of salt. I rarely visit the Warranty Forum any more because I always got into fights with people.
One moron wanted everyone to complain to the NHTSA about Subaru's weak transmission. I did a search with his name and all of his other posts were about racing, constantly going above 4000 rpms during break-in, high rpm clutch drops, you get the picture. He since went back and edited every one of his posts! There is some excellent info there though. Just be wary of the whiners.
-Dennis
Well I took a test drive (sedan, close enough) and I tried to see what I could tell about some of the various issues people have spoken about (though the car had only 50 miles on it, so I tried not to beat it up too much)...
- engine was super smooth and yummy growl. has more power on the low-end even w/o the turbo than my honda accord (150hp)
- acceleration is awesome :-) (even w/o pushing rpms too high)
- transmission felt quite reasonably smooth -- some care is needed shifting into 2nd because of the power, but then I'm just not used to that kind of power compared to my accord. did not notice anything but smooth transition shifting 3rd to 2nd.
- shifter (stock) was very smooth, better than I remembered from the last time I took a test drive even. no problems at all shifting into 1st from 2nd when slowing down (smoother than my honda even).
- clutch take-up is really nice, smoother than my honda
- brakes: braking action was markedly stronger than the accord, nice pedal feel. tried to elicit the abs jiggle on bumpy surfaces, of course wouldn't you know when you bumps, you can't find them. Well I still did hit the brakes a few times going over some bumps and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I guess that doesn't mean it's not necessarily a factor, but at least it didn't happen to me this time (or I would certainly stay away from the car). The salesman said he never heard of that problem, but then who can believe a car salesman anyhow...
-overall: I came away more impressed with the car than I was the first time I tested it, and even more so given all the stuff I have read on the internet. Of course I have no way of knowing how it will hold up over time, but it sure seemed smooth and sturdy enough to start.
Anyone want to buy a 2yr old Honda?...
Hillel
The slalom mph numbers were very similar between wagon and sedan, so I'm not sure how important the skidpad number really is. Does this mean the wagon enters a controlled drift earlier?
I've driven the wrx sedan, and liked it very much. I will certainly test drive the wagon before buying, but I'm sure it doesn't handle like a saturn wagon
I'm very glad to have this tough decision, though. Subaru got it right by offering the new wrx in 4 door sedan and 4 door wagon, in my opinion.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?news/ae_news_story.php?id=26677
Bob
-Dennis
2) mileage? I got 27 on a long trip. Don't think I've ever got under 20. Hear it can be bad at first and gets better as the engine breaks in and the ECU learns. Seems bad to me since my '84 civic was still getting 30 at 300,000 miles (it got 40 new) but you can hardly buy a car that gets more than 30 these days.
3) In love? Had mine 2 months. 4000 miles of fun. I am obsessed. Never been so excited about a car. Previously I was a "reliable a to b car" person. Now I'm looking into autoX, reading about modding, posting online. Probably early male menopause.
4) Selfish? No sense being unhappy if money can fix it and you can afford it.
5) transmission? I have found the WRX transmission takes a bit more work to drive it well than I'm used to. It much prefers shifting above 3500rpm particular from 1 thru 3, which is fine when you are "driving" but can be a bit wearing if your tired and you just want to get home. 1st has a high ratio that does not like hill starts. Requires lots of revs and slipping the clutch to make this work. Reverse is similar. Its getting better now the clutch has seated but took me a few stalls to figure it out. Now I find 1st is getting finicky if I'm even the slightest bit lazy on the clutch (ie not pressed to the floor) and for some reason the clutch pedal seems a bit more resistent for the last half inch this week. Maybe I'm just getting weak as I approach my dotage. Not sure if any of this is "normal" since I've not owned any sporty cars before or a Subaru.
6) Options? I think the cargo net and cargo tray would be useful to you. The cargo box looks to fussy to me. The center console box provides a extra space for do-dads but it is a bit small (and costly) and some people find it gets in the way when shifting (try before you buy). If you like gravel roads the diff protector might be good idea but don't bother otherwise. The stock radio/tape/cd player is plenty adequate imo. The cross rails are useful if you need to get bits of wood from Home depot occasionally. If you rack stuff like bikes you may want to consider Yakima of Thule instead. The OE cross rails are quiet and look nice tho.
But don't be too concerned about options since you can buy them online at a discount afterwards. Just try not to pay for options you don't want. On the short shifter, you could always get it swapped out if your really don't like it. Can't imagine it would cost that much to do.
7) Other things.
Interior fabric. attracts lint. Pet hair is difficult to get out. Probably will not take to scrubbing well. Suggest splatter mats for 2yr olds. Hairless pets are probably a good idea too
Blind spots. Really needs larger side mirrors. Merging requires too much head bobbing for my taste.
Tim
Keith.