Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon

ponm

The new truck is working our great, although I do miss my rex wagon. Now that I look back, I realize that buying the wrx was fullfilling my fantasy in owning a car I read about and watched on tv for years. Finally it comes to the states and I jumped on it, which I probably shouldn't have done. I live a life style that the wrx couldn't fullfill. Oh well. By the way, I mentioned to you earlier about my friend who does custom suspension and such for jeeps. I stood by his jeep last night and the bottom(foot well) of his jeep was as high as my waist(i'm 5'10) He actually has to cuff his hands together to help boost his wife up into the jeep. I'll have to send you a picture of his jeep sometime. Take care and tread lightly(I can say that to you now)
-scott

bluesubie

I'm not exactly sure when they'll be out but, $500 over invoice isn't a great deal (but that depends where you are).
Some dealers are selling '03's for invoice or a couple of hundred over.
More than likely, there will be an increase in price.

-Dennis

j0elboy

i did it. Been lurking here reading posts and doing my homework. Some of the tales on here made me want to move up to this car. Just had to...picked up new '03 Sport Wagon last nite. Silver, 5 speed, Got real sweet deal, traded in '99 Forester S. Thanx for encouragement and insights. I'll be back, after all it's only got 52 miles on it now...

J0elboy

bluesubie

Congratulations! You will now have a permanent grin on your face. :-D

-Dennis

revka

We look forward to hearing more.... Happy motoring!
 
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

coskibum

My lease is about to expire on my '01 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4. I'm really not happy with Ford quality or the gas guzzling nature of truck ownership. I've been looking long and hard at the WRX wagon. I haven't driven it but my wife owns an RS and I like to way it drives. My question is, has anyone moved "down" (height wise) into the WRX and been happy?

ateixeira

That's just what'll make it feel sportier, the lower center of gravity.

If you feel it's *too* low, try a Forester. We're supposed to see a turbo in July, and latest rumors have it getting a 2.5l turbo with 225hp/240ft-lbs, plus it sits a little higher, maybe half way between the two you're considering.

It's also supposed to get shiftronic and a 5 speed auto, with a manual a little later on.

Worth the wait if you find the WRX wagon too low or too small.

-juice

twrx

I'm 6 ft and I have plenty of headroom in my WRX wagon. I previously owned a Forester and I does have better headroom. New Foresters also have a better backseat than the first gen ones. I feel as though there seems to be better back seat room in my WRX wagon than the previous Forester I owned. BTW I have the best of both worlds now: last year I put out a few thousand and got an old '92 Toyota pickup in addition to my WRX wagon. No quality control problems here!

TWRX

stupendousman

I "moved on down" from a Jeep Wrangler with some stocky tires... It took a bit of getting used to, but it's not bad at all.

Even though I am lower, I actually feel more comfortable and "safe." A big part of this is braking. My jeep took a long time to slow down and I didn't have ABS. It was scary sometimes.

The other thing about the REX is that the seats can raise and lower quite a bit, so you can still sit pretty much upright with the knees bent if you want, you'll just be lower to the ground.

Personally, the height is easy for me to adjust to, it's the "legs straight out" feeling some sporty cars have that I can't adjust to, and the REX doesn't have that.

breto

Hello all. I took a '03 WRX Wagon out for a test drive today and I'm sold! I got a price of $21, 774. I filled out all the paper work, said I need to sleep on it just to be sure and said I'd be back in two days. I just found these msg boards and read that the '04 were going to be out in March. I'm still interested in the '03 and I'm considering waiting until the '04 comes out and get a better deal. So, I have a few questions...

Does anyone have specifics on dates for the '04's? Is $21,774 a really good deal? Should I wait? The only way I can get this car is if the 3.9% for 60 months still around... any info if it is still going to be around when the '04 are here?

Thanks!

wili

Does anyone out there with a WRX Wagon have kids?
How does it do as a family car with a kick, or am I dreaming and have to go with the Forrester?

philwang66

The WRX is good enough for my family. We can fit a car seat and two smallish adults in the back. Half of the back seat will still fold down with the carseat installed for extra cargo.

Not sure what your space needs are - it IS a compact wagon with a somewhat sloped rear hatch. It is not going to have as much usable cargo space as a Forester.

I'd suggest going down to a dealer and seeing for yourself whether it has enough room for you.

Good luck!

robmarch

that price sounds pretty good to me. But, the 2004's will have a redesigned front headlamp and hood area. If you like the current styling, you might be able to squeeze another couple hundred off, but I think you have a decent price. If you prefer the new style, I don't think you'll get close to that price for a while.

Good luck!

lippolds

As a secondary car the WRX Wagon is fine but I would not consider it a great full time family car. The backseats are tight and it is a pain getting my daughter in and out of the car seat. In addition, the left and right tether hooks are all the way in the rear of the cargo area greatly reducing the use of it (I use the center position which is fine if you have one kid but it makes it harder getting them in). Our full time family car is a honda odyssey so it is hard to compare!

socprofinblrex

I've had my WRX wagon for 26,000 miles. I don't have small children as my two girls are 9 and 13 years, respectively and both sit in the backseat most of the time. They are tall for their ages and don't complain about the backseat. This is also my third Impreza ('93, '97) after a Loyale ('91) so my two girls have literally grown up while riding in the rear seat of a small wagon. Again, few problems with the four doors. The dog rides in the rear end, the canoe or topper ride on top when we need it. I've never had a 2nd car to rely on. The Subie has always done it all and the WRX is doing it now! Longest seat time: 5 hours. My thirteen year old thinks she'll inherit the WRX wagon for her first car at 16!

Thomas in Minneapolis

jmgregory5

Like lippolds, I too use my wrx wagon as a second car to our odyssey. When I have had to do drop offs for day care and school I have gotten our infant son, 4 year old in a booster and 7 year old all in the back. It is tight, but it did work fine.

Most of the time it is just me in the car so it has been awesome. I would go for it. The only real benefit to the forrester would be the space you gain in height since both cars are produced off the same platform.

John

robmarch

You must be doing something right if they're already putting their requests in for your car

j0elboy

j0elboy here, adding my 2c's re: kids and the rex wagon. Picked my new '03 on 27th, didn't tell the girls, and when I picked them up from school at the next opportunity, you should have seen the 14 year old's jaw drop! She said; "This is so cool! And, I get to drive it when I'm 16!!!"

She and her 12 year old sister fit in the back seat, but are already fighting over who rides 'shotgun!" I only have 135 miles so far, can't wait to complete the break-in 500. My Acura driving friend is now looking to replace his '98...later, j0elboy.

twodogdraw

Hi everyone,
Just bought a new WRX wagon... it snowed about 8 inches last night, and of course I had to go skiing... I noticed a problem after driving for about an hour in the snow and road slush. As I'm coming to a stop, decelerating from second, clutch in, in neutral, I get this grinding, metal sounding noise. It only happens when I'm applying pressure to the brakes, and disappears when I release pressure.
Any thoughts??? Could this be road slush/ice gunking up the anti-lock brakes. Has anyone else had this?? Suggestions?

harbachj

That surely is the anti-lock braking systems performing as it should. The "grinding" is the ABS pulsing the brake pressure many times a second to prevent wheel lockup. It's a little disconcerting the first time it happens to you, but you soon get used to it. Sounds like you've never driven a car with ABS in slippery conditions before. Now you should be glad you have it!

Jim H.

ateixeira

It takes getting used to. I'd describe it as clunking, you instinctively let off the brakes. Gotta practice so that you overcome that instinct.

-juice

wili

Thanks so much for your responses to having a family and a WRX wagon. From your responses and a little research I found that the difference between the WRX and the Forrester is just a matter of a few inches in cargo space and rear seat room. Like John said, the biggest difference the height. The Forrester drives more like an SUV and the Wagon drives more like a car (a really fun car!) I think as a new mom, I'm going to have to go with the grocery-getter with an attitude!
Thanks again for the tips!

prayerfor

My wife and I got a WRX wagon to replace our 2-door hatchback Integra just after our (first-born) son arrived. So far it's been terrific: a blast to drive (duh), adequate space for the gear, and comfortable for all.

jmgregory5

Wili, I am sure you will love the wrx wagon. As a certified car nut myself, my wife keeps asking me if there are any other new cars I would like better than my wrx wagon. I can't help but tell her I love my wrx. She thinks I'm crazy.

I used to envy those driving the few wrx's I would see in the area - now I am one of them. I don't even find myself lusting after, or even paying any attention to the other cars I once dreamed of owning.

The only thing you will find - much like others here have noted, is that more and more people will notice you on the road and try to pull some sophomoric car races with you. Of course you don't have to put them in their place all the time, but knowing that you can will put a smile on your face.

John

ateixeira

I long for a blue wagon that I see in my garage at work every day. They're nice. :-)

-juice

lark6

So juice, who's going over to the dark side now? ;-)

Ed

manavi

What is everyone's typical driving range in these WRX wagons? i.e., How far do you usually go between fill-ups?

hypov

Sounded like Golf at first.

Farthest I've gone was 270 miles before fill-up with still ~quarter tank left.

-Dave

bluesubie

Would you Forester guys stop it? :-D
Getting another Subaru isn't the dark side. Getting a Chrysler however ... ;-)

-Dennis

saintviper

I've gone as high as 385 miles on a tank in all hwy driving. In mixed driving you can usually stretch it to 300 though the indicator usually looks pretty low by about 275.

lark6

I know, but juice started it when I started making WRX wagon rumblings.

Ed

hypov

First time I saw the Black WRX...

"Darth Vader" ;-)

-Dave

ateixeira

You got me, Ed. ;-)

Actually, the size isn't practical for me (2 kids, 1 dog, plus a nanny), so it won't happen.

-juice

lark6

^
|

This coming from a man with a Miata and a Forester. ;-)

Does the Legacy hold all 6 comfortably?

Ed

ateixeira

The nanny has to squeeze between an infant seat and a booster seat, so it's acceptable but not comfortable. The dog's a lap dog, he's 12 lbs.

I use the Forester on weekends, when the nanny usually isn't around, and the Miata for errands. The Legacy hauls the family around. And yes, it could be bigger, but we manage.

-juice

lark6

Good to know. Was trying to be humorous but guess it didn't come across well.

Sorry,
Ed

subie_wrx

My girls (5 and 9) love riding in our Rex wagon - they prefer it to my wife's minivan! The cargo area isn't big, but we can fit the kid's bikes in or the Dobie when we go to the park.

thedog4

I am waiting for Uncle Sam to send me my down payment (tax return) so that I can get me a lovely black Scooby WRX Wagon. I can't wait!

j0elboy

Hi, it's me again...I am enjoying the good-natured ribbing going on, so I feel compelled to add my $.o2. I too am a lapsed Forester owner, and though that '99 S was a fine machine, I got smitten early on w/ the WRX wagon. So, as you are aware I "bit." We're up to 250 miles so far and still NOT suffering the dreaded buyer's remorse! If you've been looking at the Weather Channel for the last six weeks you're undoubtedly aware of the amount of snow we're experienceing here in NE Ohio? So what do I do? New car, lots of salt spread on the road--an obscene amount if you ask me...And, I only live 3 blocks from work, and that's not enough to get the wagon warmed up enough. Not good for the break-in, huh? I've been walking to work! But hey, that AWD's there if I need it, right?
Made Beth (my SO) drive us to see the Cheiftans in Cleveland last Sat.

One of these days I'll hit the magic 500 mile mark...

BTW, following this practice I'm getting about 14 days per tank!

j0elboy

j0elboy

Oh yea I forgot to add this observation.

I think that from the side, or from a 3/4 view, the Sport Wagon looks better'n the sedan because it does not have those wheel blisters,IMHO...

bluesubie

There seems to be quite a few of them. I wonder if Subaru has stats on how many?

-Dennis

p0926

Joel- Don't you mean the magical 1,000 mile mark?

-Frank P.

twrx

....Forester owner. 1998 5 speed L. Traded summer 2001 on World Rally Blue WRX wagon 5 speed. My only regret is having car payments again. The Forester had been paid off for 8 months. WRX pay off in one year Woo Hoo.
TWRX

j0elboy

Joel says: " Of course I mean 1,000 mile mark...."

That 4K rev limit simply erupts! I wait to use the 6K mark.. Been on the Vishnu site drooling today...worth visiting...

J

kenoka

You guys are killing me. I really do like my '98 Forester S. As far as practical, functional transportation goes it's pretty much everything you could ask for. But in the excitement department? Ehhh. I thought I could live without it. I thought I'd "outgrown" the need for speed. I haven't. Sigh...Hello, my name is Ken, and I am a speedaholic. And I'm looking forward to falling off the wagon (literally and figuratively) as soon as possible.

bluesubie

If you do make the plunge, get it installed by a quality shop. A former WRX wagon owner here had a sharp wagon with STi bits and a Vishnu stage 0.
He installed it with some of his buds and had problems. He went to a shop to try to fix things and I think they patched it up somewhat.

He ended up selling it and getting a Wrangler.

Prodrive's US retail will be open soon and they will sell performance packages. With any luck (ok, a miracle), maybe it will be factory backed like it is in the UK.

-Dennis

corkfish

Some dealers are offering aftermarket mods with warranty. In Connecticut, there are two dealers that will install the Turbox UTEC ECU stage 1 kit which will give another 30 horsepower with no other modifications.

locke2c

the "no revving above 4k rpm for the first 1k miles" rule is simplified to that so your average end-user can understand.

but if you think mashing the pedal at 2k rpm and lifting @4k after hitting peak boost is OK during initial break-in, you are WRONG.

high boost in the low- and midrange is a tremendous stress on the engine, and every bit as harmful as the high rpms they explicitly tell you to avoid.

-Colin

thedog4

Got the $$$ from Uncle Sam. The dealer has the car. I pick up my new black Scuby Rex wagon tomorrow!! The MSRP: $24,708 My price: $22678. According to Edmunds, the price is $100 over invoice. Internet sales seem to be the way to go. Good price and no hassle with a salesman. (except for my test drive.)

wili

Thanks again John for the encouragement on the WRX Wagon. I'm going to pick up my new silver one today!

I compared the cargo, head, leg, and shoulder room between the Forrester and the WRX Wagon and the biggest difference is 4 inches in cargo space and only 1-2 inches in passenger space. The Forrester just looks a lot bigger because it sits 8 inches higher, and it's more boxy looking. It sounds like the legacy is bigger though. I feel safer in the WRX because it handles so beautifully and it drives more like a car than an SUV.

By the way, am I the only mom on this message board? I see a lot of--my wife has a minivan/Forrester, etc. Don't any moms want a sporty car, or has my husband been a bad influence on me? (he drives an M3 and an RX7 and encouraged me not to get the typical 'mommy car')