YWRX is a dream. Everything is great with it. I drove it to Indy yesterday and it now has over 800 miles. (300 on it when I got it) so breakin will be complete soon. Here is the killer with this car: I got 27 mpg on it with less than 1000 miles on it! On my first road trip on the 2002 wagon I only got 23 mpg. It was 3000 miles before I got 27 mpg for the first time.
Bamawrx: sorry to hear about your wreck. Glad that the car kept you safe. Collect any info in your favor (like pictures of the stop sign) because if you are found at fault then the lawyers will be coming after you. I know from a fender bender I had 3 years ago.
Same here, as to what has already been said about your misfortune. Good to know you're OK and the car did well, in protecting you that is. Also encouraging to know that you and TWRX are going for seconds.
Like Craig, I also switched to 17's about a month ago (225x45 17s) and went the All-Season route instead of the summer tire route. I can attest to what Craig mentioned about the ride. More feedback and more nimble for sure which is fine with me. Not that it wasn't already.
17 wheel wheels are a luxury. Their improvement in handling is incremental but noticeable to me. I like it because I can go to a wider tire, and get a bit more grip. I can definitely bear with the slightly stiffer ride. And besides, it just looks better also...because the stock ones just look a bit too small. The fact that Subaru WRX's are sold with 17's in many other markets. So you are getting the car the way Subaru meant it to drive.
Check it out. My local tire dealer is giving me over $90 each for my Potenza tires off my new car. That way I can replace them with the pilot sports for a balance of about $60/each. Well worth it. On a side note, I will be going to take pictures of the stop sign. dang lawyers.
Hi everyone, I have some suspension questions for my 02 WRX Sedan. There is something wrong with my rear right suspension (making some abnormal noise). I think it is time to upgrade. I really appreciate your input.
1/ Can I keep my stock Spring if I install the STI Strut?
2/ Is the STI Suspension Kit come with the STI Spring? What is the different between the STI Spring and the stock? Height different? Stronger?
3/ Anyone has experience with the STI Suspension? Any improvement? Should I keep the stock suspension or go for aftermarket?
The site is very handy. I live in Queens, NY. After looking at the Spring Rates list, it looks like the higher version of STI Spring is only good for track & autocross. Eibach seems like the one I should get.
The site is very handy. I live in Queens, NY. After looking at the Spring Rates list, it looks like the higher version of STI Spring is only good for track & autocross. Eibach seems like the one I should get.
The site is very handy. I live in Queens, NY. After looking at the Spring Rates list, it looks like the higher version of STI Spring is only good for track & autocross. Eibach seems like the one I should get.
The car was found about 15-20 miles from the crime scene and had over 300 miles on it. Car was trashed and had lots of dents and scratches.
The wheels (P1's) were a little scraped up and my wheel lock was missing. I suspect they were about to strip the car but the cops found it first. Might have been better to find just a shell.
I know it's a real pain when your car gets ripped off, and insurance never really covers the complete extent of the damage that can occur. My condolences go out to anyone who has had this experience.
I'm just curious, of the WRX's and STi's stolen, how many had the factory security system? And was the security system operational at the time of the theft? Just would be interesting to see if it deters theft or not. I know if they really want it a professional will get it anyway, but maybe it works against the unprofessionals.
Not sure about that. My next vehicle will be more toned down than my WRX Wagon was. Although the only thing I did visually was tint, anthracite P1's and an i-badge.
I have gone the opposite route with my WRX -- bright silver wheels and Prodrive exhaust makes it stick out. Looks good but definitely sticks out, and I have mixed emotions about that.
The other day, I saw a guy driving a totally debadged silver WRX with stock wheels and stock tailpipe. However, he had a front mounted intercooler and I could see other mods through his (now redundant) hood scoop. I'm sure the guy was pushing a lot more horsepower than stock, but the car is probably invisible to all but Impreza enthusiasts. Pretty cool. The guy was driving very sensibly too. I like that.
I was planning to go through the list of stolen WRX's to see who has the knob. I definitely don't want to keep it. I'll PM caraccia.
mike - When my friend Andrew (that you met at an auto-x) had his car stolen a couple of weeks before me, I couldn't believe he wanted to sell it. Now that it happened to me, I can see why.
In his case, it happened near his girlfriend's house. In my case, it was taken from where I take the bus everyday. I can't take the chance again (wife won't ride in the car anymore anyway).
I've been battling my service department to get my clutch shudder fixed (MY02 wagon). Are you saying they did the TSB work and you weren't happy? What happened?
I don't think you can tone it down anymore. With all the hype and publicity, everybody knows what it is now, specially the teen-tuners. What used to be strange looks when the car first came out are now "drooling" looks.
And the "have-nots" will always be looking at the "haves". Kinda getting paranoid now with Dennis' story.
I guess the car is safest when you're moving on the road.
I own a 98 Outback and only recently have begun lurking here in the WRX forum. I am in the beginning stages of considering the possibility of buying a new vehicle (how's that for a commitment?). Anyway, the Subaru web page and my local dealers newspaper adds mention "limited term" 0% financing on 04 WRX's. The fact that there is no term specified tells me that it is something short, like 24 months. I think if it were longer they would be making a bigger deal out of it. Does anyone know what Subaru is offering for interest rates? A good deal might be enough to push me into taking action.
I'm thinking of purchasing a rear cup holder and snap-on clear fog lamp covers from Subietech.com. These are Subaru accessories imported from the UK. Has anyone here tried these? With the fog lamp covers, I'm wondering how noticeable they are (what I'm looking for is protection without changing the appearance), and also how they might stand up to sub-zero winter temps here in Nebraska. With the rear cup holder, I'm wondering if it will hold anything larger than a 12oz bottle/can (say a sports drink bottle). Thanks.
the rear cupholder from a Forester fits in a WRX, its the wrong colour though (grey instead of black).Its a dual cup holder with a fixed diameter ring, its bigger than a 12oz can. I got mine from subaruwrxparts.com. You could probably get the cupholder from any Subaru dealer but my local guy swore it wouldn't fit, he was clueless.
I currently have a 2002 Miata LS as my daily driver so some of you may take what I say with a grain of salt. Overall, I'd have to say that I was underwhelmed by my experience. This was partly due to the car, partly due to my expectations.
1. The ride was far more smooth than my Miata, not harsh at all. Cornering was still quite good however.
2. Acceleration was less impressive than I thought it would be. It was faster than my Miata (duh) but it seemed like you had to really destroy the car to get it to accelerate hard. In all fairness, for my personal experiences, it didn't accelerate as smooth as I'm used to with the shifter being waaaay different from my Miata, and my power senses have been ruined by a few hundred miles in the seat of a C5 Vette.
3. Shifter/clutch. Probably what stuck in my mind the most. The shifter felt very pedestrian and vague. I could not tell for sure if I was in gear much of the time until I let out the clutch (which seemed far touchier than my Miata). I also couldn't get used to waht gear I should be in to get performance. Again, to be fair, I'm used to the extra gear ratio I get in my 6-speed Miata.
4. Turbo lag. Not quite sure what this is but what I sensed was that at 3k RPM or so in whatever gear that I would step on the gas and not much would happen for a second or two, then it would accelerate a bit faster. Is that the turbo lag? I was hoping to get more power without having to downshift like I do in my Miata. While I do find it fun, I was expecting more out of ~80 extra horsepower.
Overall, I think that I may be able to get used to it. Since everyone says what a great car it is, I guess my expectations were just really high going in and they were not met. Maybe over time I could get the true performance out of the car, once I got the hang of the shifter and the computer got used to my driving style. I think that I'll stick with my Miata and a winter beater car. Its a bit more expensive but the local dealer still wants MSRP for the WRX and my Miata is literally like an extension of my body when I drive it...completely in tune with that car. Never ahd that feeling with any other car and I don't thnik I can give that up.
Comments
Bamawrx: sorry to hear about your wreck. Glad that the car kept you safe. Collect any info in your favor (like pictures of the stop sign) because if you are found at fault then the lawyers will be coming after you. I know from a fender bender I had 3 years ago.
TWRX
Like Craig, I also switched to 17's about a month ago (225x45 17s) and went the All-Season route instead of the summer tire route. I can attest to what Craig mentioned about the ride. More feedback and more nimble for sure which is fine with me. Not that it wasn't already.
I'm running about 35/34 front and rear on mine.
Wish you the best. Keep us posted.
-Dennis
Can I post pictures here?
1/ Can I keep my stock Spring if I install the STI Strut?
2/ Is the STI Suspension Kit come with the STI Spring? What is the different between the STI Spring and the stock? Height different? Stronger?
3/ Anyone has experience with the STI Suspension? Any improvement? Should I keep the stock suspension or go for aftermarket?
Thank you.
Luke
-mike
this site might give you an idea
Spring Rate
-Dave
Where you located? If you were local you could see our 27min WRX spring install
-mike
Seth: glad you're OK. You could probably sue the city for the errant sign. Ugh.
-juice
-mike
Another WRX and STi recently stolen from NJ were found burned (WRX) and just a shell (STi).
-Dennis
-mike
-Dave
-juice
Keep us posted, if it's ok with you.
-Fredy
The wheels (P1's) were a little scraped up and my wheel lock was missing. I suspect they were about to strip the car but the cops found it first. Might have been better to find just a shell.
-Dennis
-Dave
I'm just curious, of the WRX's and STi's stolen, how many had the factory security system? And was the security system operational at the time of the theft? Just would be interesting to see if it deters theft or not. I know if they really want it a professional will get it anyway, but maybe it works against the unprofessionals.
Thanks,
Ken
-Dave
Decisions, decisions.
-Dennis
BTW, Flemington does wheel repair now.
The other day, I saw a guy driving a totally debadged silver WRX with stock wheels and stock tailpipe. However, he had a front mounted intercooler and I could see other mods through his (now redundant) hood scoop. I'm sure the guy was pushing a lot more horsepower than stock, but the car is probably invisible to all but Impreza enthusiasts. Pretty cool. The guy was driving very sensibly too. I like that.
Craig
An Impreza entusiast stole my car. He even installed his own STi shift knob. :-(
-Dennis
-Dave
So you'll let them win dennis? I'm suprised.
-mike
mike - When my friend Andrew (that you met at an auto-x) had his car stolen a couple of weeks before me, I couldn't believe he wanted to sell it. Now that it happened to me, I can see why.
In his case, it happened near his girlfriend's house. In my case, it was taken from where I take the bus everyday. I can't take the chance again (wife won't ride in the car anymore anyway).
-Dennis
-mike
they [Dealer's Service] did a Totally Screwed-up Banged-up job on twrx's wagon. That's why he wasn't happy. ;-)
-Dave
And the "have-nots" will always be looking at the "haves". Kinda getting paranoid now with Dennis' story.
I guess the car is safest when you're moving on the road.
Thanks everyone.
36=2.9%
60=3.9%
These are the current rates from Subaru.
- Chris
1. The ride was far more smooth than my Miata, not harsh at all. Cornering was still quite good however.
2. Acceleration was less impressive than I thought it would be. It was faster than my Miata (duh) but it seemed like you had to really destroy the car to get it to accelerate hard. In all fairness, for my personal experiences, it didn't accelerate as smooth as I'm used to with the shifter being waaaay different from my Miata, and my power senses have been ruined by a few hundred miles in the seat of a C5 Vette.
3. Shifter/clutch. Probably what stuck in my mind the most. The shifter felt very pedestrian and vague. I could not tell for sure if I was in gear much of the time until I let out the clutch (which seemed far touchier than my Miata). I also couldn't get used to waht gear I should be in to get performance. Again, to be fair, I'm used to the extra gear ratio I get in my 6-speed Miata.
4. Turbo lag. Not quite sure what this is but what I sensed was that at 3k RPM or so in whatever gear that I would step on the gas and not much would happen for a second or two, then it would accelerate a bit faster. Is that the turbo lag? I was hoping to get more power without having to downshift like I do in my Miata. While I do find it fun, I was expecting more out of ~80 extra horsepower.
Overall, I think that I may be able to get used to it. Since everyone says what a great car it is, I guess my expectations were just really high going in and they were not met. Maybe over time I could get the true performance out of the car, once I got the hang of the shifter and the computer got used to my driving style. I think that I'll stick with my Miata and a winter beater car. Its a bit more expensive but the local dealer still wants MSRP for the WRX and my Miata is literally like an extension of my body when I drive it...completely in tune with that car. Never ahd that feeling with any other car and I don't thnik I can give that up.