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Comments
So here's the question: How old are the wagon owners who frequent this forum?
I'm about to turn 32 and plan on keeping the car for at least five years if not longer. It occurred to me this morning that I'll still be driving my WRX when I'm pushing forty. To me that's a good thing because I'm a car guy and the WRX is a great car. I figure we're all car guys (and girls?) and age shouldn't matter, nor should what other people think. But I had to ask anyway.
Am I a bit too old to buy a WRX?
Thanks,
Jim
PS - Hope I didn't offend, just looking for reassurance.
Owner's age ranges from 20s to 60s.
I'm 43
-Dave
I've seen lots of older people drive the WRX.
The WRX is one of the few cars that appeal to old and young alike.
There are folks from their teens to their 60's driving WRX's. I'm 36.
Come down to Colonial Park in Somerset County on June 22. There's going to be a nasioc tri-state meet there. Just hanging out, bbqing and checking out cars. :-) Stop by even if you don't have the car yet.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=360599&am- p;referrerid=767
-Dennis
I also have this theory that wagon drivers are older (less wild) than the sedan crowd. Obviously the choice of a wagon indicates that the car will be used for more than racing, and my insurance agent informed me that the wagon is significantly less expensive to insure than the sedan. I'm assuming this is because fewer wagons are being peeled off of guardrails by the highway patrol.
Dennis - The meet sounds great. I have an 18-month old son who speaks only about five words, with "car" being his favorite. He'll have a blast at the bbq. I'll even try to drag my wife along (she sees cars as appliances - but I love her anyway!).
-Jim
bluesubie, Where is colonial park? I live in hillsborough but I am relatively new to NJ.
Don
http://www.park.co.somerset.nj.us/colonialpark2.htm
Directions:
http://www.park.co.somerset.nj.us/colonialpark_dir2.htm
More info will be posted later on nasioc. You guys should sign up over there too.
-Dennis
Serge
My eldest loves telling his friends that my car is based on a real rally car. It beats having a child say he wishes his dad had a taurus like they drive in nascar.
John
Also 25k report. Biggest gripe: paint has several scratches and dents.
Good news: everything is mechanically OK. Clutch action at 25 k much better than my '98 Forester's clutch ever was. Much fun with short throw shifter and plenty of revs to play with. Mileage is still good (EPA estimate of 20/27 all of the time.) Second the opinion on interior wear--none! Front RE-92's are starting to wear. I should have had them rotated but I did not rotate the Duelers on my '98 Forester and had equal wear in the mid 40's the point were I replaced them.
6 months to go till it is paid off!
twrx
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25- 5849
-mike
It's also going to be cool watching WRC on Speed with my son and point to the Subies and say "see, it's like daddy's car." Instant boy cred.
I'm hoping to pick mine up sometime early next week, if the dealer can locate a silver '04 wagon with the premium sound package (he's been trying for over a week now). I cannot wait much longer!
-jim
-B
Now a Legacy B4 Turbo is a different matter...
Just my opinion.
-jim
Honda gave us the option for buying the extended warranty on my wife's Odyssey any time within 3yrs/36k miles. It was a real comfort knowing we could extend it if we wanted to.
-Jim
- No you do not have to buy an extended warranty at the time of purchase, but might be able to get a discount on it. I have had my WRX sedan for a year (29 years old), and they keep sending me brochures to sign up for the extended warranty.
- Have heard you can negotiate on it at time of purchase, but it is tougher afterwards.
-PS have 23K miles on it. Have had a couple of squeeks and rattles (plan to bring it in soon on one), and have this plastic fastener above the dead peddle that keeps working its way out. Other than that, have been very happy with the car. Still gives me thrills driving it.
The XT solves the power issue for the Forester, but does not spice it up enough for me to consider it before a WRX.
What do you mean by spicing it up?
Interesting, since I'm in a similar position. I'm driving a 98 Forester S now and while the XT has a better engine, nicer interior and almost identical slalom performance, I just can't get the WRX wagon off my mind.
Ken
I feel cars should be a reward and a joy, not just transportation. To me the WRX is a treat while the XT is a pumped-up Forester, which I see as almost appliance-like. It's a perception thing.
I agree with John about the low-end torque superiority of the 2.5 turbo engine and I also agree that the Forester has a nicer interior than the WRX. But the best cars you'll ever own are the ones that are a reflection of you, and I feel a real connection to the WRX, just like I did with my '93 Civic Si. I think my current Forester is a wonderful vehicle, but to me driving it is like kissing your sister.
And even if she's gussied up, she's still you sister!
Give me the XT drivetrain in the new Legacy body, and then you've got me. Til then, I'll take a WRX.
-jim
kens "Forester Turbo in 1 year" Jun 13, 2003 9:11pm
In short, the XT auto not suprsingly has much better power delivery than an auto WRX. However, it didn't do the same for me what a 5-speed WRX did. I need to go back and try a 5-speed XT when they get in.
Ken
I too wish the low end torque on the 2 litre engine was more like that of the 2.5. For just $400 - $500 you can change that by doing the Cobb reflash, which will offer 250+ lbs/ft - even more than the 2.5 litre has. Add a good stainless turbo back exhaust and you can expect around 280 hp and lbs/ft tq. This is what I plan on doing, as my exhaust is already rusting quite badly (the excuse to the wife).
You will never get that immediate rush like you do with a large displacement v6/v8, but that isn't what you are going to be driving. I love the sleeper aspect of the wagon, however, most people know what the wrx is - wagon or sedan, so don't expect to sneek up on some unassuming porsche. Just the other day, I was passing a pickup truck on a stretch of road that goes from 2 lanes in one direction to 1 - I wanted to be sure to get ahead of him for safety/visibility issues. The next thing I know he proceeds to start racing me! I ultimately got ahead of him, but it just shows you that the sleeper thing doesn't work.
The utility aspect does, as I have carried 4 store fixtures and 400lbs. of paper in my wagon for delivery to a store (I sell paper). It was a tight fit, but worked fine none the less (it also gave me that low rider look).
I ramble - get the wrx wagon, you'll love it.
John
Still, the XT is a great car, as I drove one (a 5-speed) yesterday. The powerband is very friendly, and easy to use. It felt like a big V8.
Bob
The Europeans first got the turbo Forester a few years back and CAR magazine in Britain described it as "fast, sideways, and barking mad", so it does sound like you can push it a little harder through the corners like a WRX
Bob
With a lower-end version of the 2.5L turbo from the STi, nobody is really sure yet where the Forester/Baja motor tops out modification-wise.
I need to test-drive a XT, but I was disappointed with the low-end response of the WRX I drove. We shall see!
-B
FWIW, several current Forester owners considered a WRX wagon as their replacement, including myself, Ken, Frank, Ed, the list goes on. These will definitely be cross shopped.
I think those with families may lean towards the Forester. Empty nesters and young singles might prefer the WRX.
-juice
The one thing I do wish the WRX wagon had was just a tad more cargo room. When I look at the caro space in the XT and then the WRX wagon, there's a noticeable difference in size.
Let's throw another one into the mix -- Legacy GT turbo! :-)
Ken
The http://auto.consumerguide.com website said its extended test drive 2002 WRX wagon only got 21 mpg in mostly highway driving. Is that about right?
I would definately consider a Legacy GT Turbo, but when faced with the price difference probably lean towards the WRX (as it is a the top of my budget range as it stands). If all goes according to plan and I get the WRX wagon next week, I'll probably replace it in 6-7 years with son or grandson of the upcoming Legacy.
I'll just have to "suffer" with the WRX... ;-)
-jim
The review in the link only rated the Rex 7 points out of a possible 10 for acceleration? And the STi an 8? Makes you wonder what kind of cars are these guys accustomed to driving
You don't buy these for economy anyway. But on a long trip, if the revs aren't too high you could have great range.
Best of both worlds?
-juice
- One thing I do notice is a bias towards some cars than others. An example would be BMW and Toyota.
- To give an example, the WRX was posted as having a 0-60 of 6.3 secs by them got a 7, yet a 540i with a 0-60 6.5 secs got an 8 rating. This also applied in other areas as well (especially the subjective areas).
- Now if you put the WRX's engine on a Camry, this might be one of their all-time favorite vehicles! This even though the Camry's ride and noise insulation has deteriorated in the past couple of years IMHO (testdrove an '03).
-B
I also ordered an STi/SPT swaybar and bushing kit from Langston Subaru. They have 20% off everything in the SPT brochure. http://www.spt.subaru.com
Their website is http://www.langstonspeed.com and they also have a post on nasioc.com's vendor classifieds.
-Dennis
- Then, in theory the WRX would have more oomph higher in the rev range to make up for the lack of low end grunt.
BTW, if the STi only received an 8, how the heck does the 540i get the same rating?
On the BMW 5-series:
"Quick cars all, and performance rises with price. Test manual-shift 530i did 0-60 mph in 6.7 sec. Test automatic-transmission 525 wagon showed surprising all-around verve. Potent 540s needed about 6.5 sec with automatic transmission, about 5.7 with manual in our tests. We clocked an M5 at just 5 sec 0-60."
540i - 8 on accel, M5 - 9 on accel
For comparison
WRX - 7 on accel, STi - 8 on accel
"Subaru says the STi runs 0-60 mph in about 5 sec, which felt right on a preview test drive. Regular WRXs are almost as quick--6.4 sec for a test manual-transmission sedan--but suffer turbo lag and tepid low-rpm throttle response that STi doesn't. Other Imprezas have adequate pep with either transmission. AWD negates torque-steer pull in any model. Manual shifter demands a firm hand--and frequent use in nonturbo models."
WRX's accel # = 540i; STi's accel # = M5, yet ratings are different! No biasness here!
-Colin
Now I said most, not all. Fuel economy and the thrill of high-end revs does appeal to some.
On a similar subject, are there any gains with a change in the latter part of the exhaust system? I thought replacing the downpipe was the first step in opening up the WRX in the lower part of the rev range. Just thinking about ways I could live with the WRX versus XT...
-B
I have asked the exhaust question to many and have received different answers. I am under the impression that the down pipe is the most restrictive part of the exhaust and that changing it will give you power earlier but no greater than stock.
None of which is to say that I'd buy a Bimmer before a Subie! There are other matters to consider besides acceleration. The biggest one for me with BMW is maintenance cost, followed closely by longevity. I've seen BMW's that last a long time, but I can't help but think that it costs a lot to keep them, especially compared to a Subie.
rgds,
-wdb
-mike
http://www.spdusa.com/stock_engine_mods.htm
Ken
subaruwrxparts.com, subaruwarranty.com. I got mine from subaruwarranty, the dealer who sold me the car laughed when I told him to match the price, one other local dealer was willing to match it but wanted me to drive 30 miles there to do the paperwork in person, subaruwarranty.com sent me the paperwork to fill in and send it back to them in a SAE.Which is exactly what I did!