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Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    Car makers do use a curing process, but I would still check the car's manufacture date on the ID plate and count 2 months before doing a good wax rub-down.
    This is to make 100% certain the paint is as hard as it's going to get before sealing it. . . like I said, I'm a paint fanatic!
    If the car has been on the lot a couple months when you buy it, you could definitely wax it right away.

    bruticus--I agree you have to keep the paint reasonably clean to use a car cover without scratching. But the lady at BigSky car cover in Montana says a little layer of road dust won't hurt--it's when the dirt is really caked on there that can cause damage. They recommend their Noah model for all-weather protection on the WRX--about $150. Their website www.bigskycarcovers.com
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    By the time it gets to you, it's usually already been that long. At least if it's coming from Japan (Impreza & Forester do).

    -juice
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    Paisan, I think Brekke was saying he got lucky on that one. Whatever the case, I actually tempered my desire to scream once, and asked a guy for his insurance after doing that to me. He thought I was kidding initially, but, when he started to sort of leave and I said something to the effect of "oh no you don't", he paused and reached in for the insurance papers. This was on my 1995 Impreza Coupe. 1.8 liters, 110 hp, spent 80%+ of its lifetime at redline due to altitude. :)

    Jim
  • sarnysarny Member Posts: 17
    Hello,
    Does anyone have any info on having aftermarket leather
    seats installed?

    Thanks,
    Dave
  • 1subydown1togo1subydown1togo Member Posts: 348
    There was a group buy on leather interiors on the i_club...here is the link. You may want to ask if another group buy will happen.

    http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93499&highlight=leather+group+buy
  • bruticusbruticus Member Posts: 229
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/48571/article.html


    ...that is, read a single review of a vehicle review, react negatively, and then tell others about it.


    But, seriously, c'mon here. It's a BEETLE. $24K for a vehicle that is neither as fast, nor as tightly-handling, nor as (thanks to AWD) all-weather-capable as the WRX.


    Plus...I mean, c'mon...A BEETLE


    DjB

  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    the New Beetle does have its charms, although the 150 hp turbo demo I drove a while back had the mushiest brake pedal I've ever experienced on a production car. Lots of seamless low-end torque tho. At $24K, the Turbo S certainly isn't the smile-inducing bargain the WRX is, especially with almost 50 fewer horses.
    --RA
  • bedabibedabi Member Posts: 149
    It's easy. Take out the stock turbo in the WRX and replace it with one as tiny as the one in the Beetle. Then take away power to the rear wheels. Strange, but ture, it WILL feel faster. WOn't actually be faster, but it'll feel it.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    I don't think you could get another car as fast, good handling, or all weather capable as the WRX for maybe $10-20,000 more, let alone $24k. But by those standards, wouldn't a review of almost any car make you react so negatively?

    In the Beetle's defense (although I wouldn't buy that either), it's a lot better looking on the outside, and vastly superior on the inside. But I think that also goes for the majority of cars in the price range, because interior and exterior appearance aren't exactly the high points of the WRX.

    To summarize, anyone who wants a good looking car, isn't shopping for a WRX anyway - so the Beetle isn't really competing.
  • ppekppek Member Posts: 58
    Long time reader, first time poster.

    Has anyone purchased a WRX recently from a Michigan (or midwest) dealer. The regional dealer is quoting a "no-dicker" price of $1,000 under MSRP (which is about a $1,000 over invoice). This price is pretty close to Edmunds TMV, but from earlier posts, it sounds like several of you have received a price much closer to invoice lately.

    If you have purchased one recently in the midwest at a better price, would you let me know the dealership so I can try them.

    Thanks for your help.
    Paul
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $23,400 is a lot for a FWD 2+2 with 180hp, but it does have heated leather, ESP, and a 6 speed. I think they're targeting the Celica GT-S and the RSX-S, and not the WRX. It would be suicide.

    To get 225hp and AWD you have to step up to the Audi TT quattro and pay $37 grand.

    -juice
  • esqknightesqknight Member Posts: 78
    Check out the Volkswagen New Beetle RSi review at Road and Track. How about $80,000 for a Beetle with a 3.2-liter VR6 engine that cranks out 225 bhp at 6200 rpm and 234 lb.-ft. of torque at 3200 rpm and does 0-60 in 6.4 with 4motion.


    Seems cool, but $80,000 for a Beetle?!!! Check out the link for a good laugh.

    http://www.roadandtrack.com/RoadAndTrack/first_drives/1201_vw_new_beetle_rsi.html

    Eric
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What a great car, add a chip and you may be able to keep up with a stock WRX wagon! Woo-hoo!

    -juice
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    There was no harm done so I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. (I would have spoken up if he had hit the car.)

    Plus he outweighed me by, erm, a lot! He probably could have snapped me in two.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I bet you do aerobics and could whip his...but let's not get violent. ;-)

    -juice
  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    is really a mouth-watering hunk of rubber. With the 3-compound tread and Kevlar FAZ technology, you can see why it costs so much.

    Can we all draw straws to see who has to buy a set so we can find out how good they really are? :)

    The Tirerack info is at http://www.tirerack.com/tires/michelin/mi_pilot_sport_as.jsp
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    I am still debating about the Pilot Sport A/S and the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 for replacing my RE92s with. I know that the Pilot Sport is well worth what Michelin is charging, but then again, it costs $77 per tire more than the Dunlops. It is certainly better than the Dunlops but would I be able to know that much of a difference ??

    Oh well, I guess I will wait until the RE92s wear out a bit and then spring for the Michelins.

    Later...AH
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    Just my opinion of course. Yes, they can make good tires and their top tires (like Pilot Sport) hold their own against other tires, but most of the time the premium really isn't worth it. Every Michelin tire that I've ever bought (owned three different Pilots) are only slightly better (if at all) than cheaper alternatives like Dunlop, Toyo etc. In your case, I heard good things about the SP5000 and that's what I'd get given the price difference.
  • corkfishcorkfish Member Posts: 537
    Several posts on the I club have reported tranny problems. Anyone having clutch issues? One guy is on his second transmission. That one is going bad and the dealer is saying they won't give him a third. There seems to be quite a few complaints on the I club about this car.
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    I know we've recently visited the "i-club vs. reality" topic, but all the anecdotal evidence from people who don't appear to be abusing their cars makes me wonder. It does make it sound like Subaru has some more work to do before the WRX is as reliable as it is entertaining. Personally, I'd be pissed after spending $25K to find I'd bought a bag of problems and had to face stonewalling dealerships.
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    The WRX has been very dependable for the majority of people. Most of us who have taken the plunge don't regret it. The WRX is the flavor of the month and as so has everyone jumping on the bandwagon with both negative and positive comments. I'd take it w/a big grain of salt. Happy holidays!

    Stephen
  • bedabibedabi Member Posts: 149
    Wll, the one guy I know who fried his clutch is All Fried Eggs. He's modified his WRX enough to be dyno'd at over 300 HP to the wheels and goes to the drag strip regularly!

    I know I sound like a skipping record (remember those?) but as long as it's brought up again... I'm at 14,000 miles now with a car that was 928 off the assembly line, and have not had a single glitch. $24k well spent. Man, that fence groove on your butt must hurt by now. We all KNOW you're gonna get one, silver_bullet!
  • rsinger2rsinger2 Member Posts: 19
    I'm resolved now to pull the trigger on a WRX purchase; my motivation got a push with a clutch failure in my '86 Audi 5000 Quattro. There comes a time...

    As for others, the consistency of the grinding transmission observations (tinny and or grinding sound on deceleration, largely in 2nd and 3rd gears, often ~3800>2000 rpm) appearing in i-club is disconcerting for this prospective buyer. Bedabi's report is encouraging, but his car could be the exception.

    Anyway, my question: For you who have swapped 17" wheels in for the stock 16" - much of a difference? Worth the $$? Thanks.
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    But I can tell you from my experience that kind of upgrade makes a HUGE difference. First, the stock tires are mediocre. If you upgrade your tires to real high performance tires, that alone would be worth the switch. The tires are also too narrow for a car that weighs as much as the WRX. The skidpad rating of the WRX is below par compared to its power. Unless you prefer drifting, wider tires are preferable. When you go to a 17" wheel, you will have to add one or two sizes (widthwise) to your tire (either 215/45 or 225/45). That IS definitely noticeable. Also, you will have less sidewall to deal with, so you will feel the road a bit more, but the lessened sidewall with make your car feel less squirmy. Just be sure to buy lightweight wheels and you won't lose anything at all.

    I don't think anybody who is really serious about their WRX is staying with the stock tires/wheels. At least the tires have to go first, and while you are at it, get the 17 inch wheels at the same time. The rest of the world gets 17 inch tires standard. I think Subaru is misjudging the audience (thinking we like softer riding cars) and thus offered the 16 inchers here.
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    Don't go for the $3000.00 BBS 17" tire option. Those BBS wheels are very nice, but there is no need to spend nearly that much. For $280 each, you can get high quality OZ Superleggeras, and then add $150-200 ultra high performance tires like the Bridgestone S-03's (all from a vendor like Tirerack.com) and you'll still be way under the price for the BBS wheels alone. You can always sell the stock wheels or keep them if you need winter wheels.
  • bedabibedabi Member Posts: 149
    My gears may be grinding, I honestly don't know! It's louder than my Maxima, that's for sure, but I just chalked it up to the AWD. Apparently, Subaru has told dealer's that the clutch IS faulty and that they will replace it under warranty.

    People have to realize that manual shifting in this car, due to its AWD, requires much more conscientious effort than 2WD. I used to grind and crunch my gears all the time because I drove it the way I did my former FWD car. Now I match revs, don't stay in the sub 2000 rpm range, and definitely don't do those lazy starts from a stop in second gear. When downshifting, I rev up a bit with the clutch in, and when shifting up, I do it a litle slower so the revs can fall. Getting into second gear can try my patience because 2nd is so darn tall. For instance, when shifting from 1st gear at 4500 RPMs, I have to wait about 2 seconds before releasing the clutch for the revs to fall to about 2800 RPMs. It takes some time and effort. So I'm not surprised that people are already damaging their manual transmissions.

    Oh yeah, the Japanese-spec WRX comes with 16x7 inch rims. Only the UK and Euro-spec WRXs come stock with 17x7". I stayed with 16 because the roads here are notoriously bumpy, and after driving a friend's with 17s, mine just felt, oh.... lighter on its feet during quick turns. Especially with my new Dunlop 5000s.

    Hey Paisan! As an autocross man, what your opinion on handling differences between 16s and 17s during quick turns and manuevers?
  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    The Dunlop has my vote also as the best deal between the two--it's a proven winner with all 7's and 8's in the Tirerack survey categories and it's very reasonably priced.
    If cost is no object, the Michelins are a good bet to be a really outstanding tire.
    Then again, if cost were no object guess we'd all be driving Porsche Turbos and Ferrari 360's instead of WRX's. :)
    --RA
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    I don't see what the big deal is with the michelins. If you want to spend the extra 75.00, go ahead, but you simply are not getting a better tire. I replaced my re-92s with the dunlop 5000s and think they're great. However, after reading about the michelins on this post, i drove my friend's rex with the michelins. I would have bought the dunlops anyway, because i couldn' afford the extra 300 bucks for the michelins. After driving the wrx with both, i can honestly say the tires are close, but the dunlops feel better and more reassuring in the rain. Everything else is a wash, IMO.
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    There are various Michelins around. One of their top tires is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. This is different from the regular Michelin Pilot Sport.

    This tire has come out less than a month back, and I doubt your friend has it fitted on his car. Just driving a WRX fitted with some Michelin tire is not the same as driving a WRX fitted with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

    For instance, the Michelin MXV4 Energy plus is a Touring tire, that is designed to last for over 80,000 miles or so providing a very quiet ride with great mileage. The downside of this tire ? Poor grip in pretty much all conditions.

    Also, the Michelin Pilot XGT-Z4 (I have it fitted on my other car). Expensive and does its purpose reasonably well but certainly is not even close to the Pilot Sport A/S, in grip, quietness, wet traction or snow/ice traction.

    The Michelin Pilot XGT-V4s are decent but are rated lower than the XGT-Z4s in pretty much all criteria, but are cheaper. Same with the Pilot XGT-H4s which are slightly lower to the XGT-V4s and have a lower speed rating and much lower grip and even more cheaper.

    So just driving a car with "Michelins" mean nothing. Which specific Michelin, is of paramount importance.

    The Dunlops are very good tires and should satisfy pretty much all drivers. Most drivers would not need anything more. The treadwear rating is a little less than the Michelin Sport A/S and the load carrying capacity (load rating) is also a bit less than the Michelins and speed rating is slightly less (at 149+ while the Michelins are at 186+ ) and maybe grip in extreme situations might be a bit less but considering the price Dunlop charges for it, it is a very good buy. No arguments about that. But there is a reason why Dunlop charges less and in the tire world, you get exactly what you pay for.

    This is similar to people arguing about a Porsche 911 Turbo vs a Mustang Cobra. The Cobra is certainly a good buy and should satisfy all the sporting needs of nearly everyone but it certainly is no 911 Turbo. No amount of quoting statistics will make the Cobra a 911 Turbo. The top Michelin tires are the Porsche 911s of the tire world while the Dunlops are the Ford Cobras (reasonably priced and provides a lot of performance for the dollar).

    As for myself, I am still on the fence and might decide to go for a no-compromise deal for my WRX, and go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. But then again, I might just decide to compromise a bit and save a pile of dough by going for the Dunlops. Depends on my mood at the time of purchase. Either way, I believe I will retain my RE92s till about 10,000 miles and then go for the new one.

    Later...AH
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    everything in a tire depends on the compounds used in its tread, along with the precision with which it is constructed.

    For instance, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S has a higher wear rating (400 vs 320) than its sibling the Pilot XGT-Z4 (another one of Michelin's Ultra-high performance All-season tires), has a higher load rating than the XGT-Z4 (90 vs 89 in 205/55ZR16 size) and has much better grip (than the Pilot XGT-Z4) in wet conditions, dry conditions, high-performance handling, snow/ice conditions and rides quieter !!

    A contradiction of sorts but that is the way things are. All this technology and precise manufacturing processes, costs money however ! After reading tire-journals, the consensus among them, is that no other manufacturer can make such a tire, with their current manufacturing methods. Michelin only uses the C3M Technology on barely 20% of their total tires manufactured, with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S being one of them.

    Hopefully, Michelin would be able to lower the price of this brand-new tire to a level that is more affordable, as production catches up.

    Later...AH
  • teslamaniateslamania Member Posts: 18
    Ends up that the wagon belonged to someone who does aftermarket stuff for turbos and this was test mule for their company. Inside the front was all torn up. There was a baby seat in the back. I asked how the driver (a woman) how she liked it, and she said that usually she drove the mini van. The blue was pretty, but she said that the silver was more stealth like.
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    After reading tirerack's comparison test, I suspect the SP5000s could be better overall. With all those crosscut sipes, they could easily perform better on snow and ice and that was not tested. Faster lap times were obtained with the SP5000s on a dry track and the difference would likely be even greater in the wet where the Dunlops really shine. For what it's worth, I switched to SP5000s on my SLK320 a few hundred miles ago without any noticable increase in noise or reduction in ride quality versus the OEM Pilot MXMs, which are grand touring tires and supposedly Michelin's "best" tire in that regard. With all due respect to the WRX, any differences in ride quality and noise would be more apparent in the Mercedes. Got caught in the snow in the SLK and it was pretty decent with those SP5000s (with a lot of help from the ESP and winter driving mode) but it wasn't nearly as happy in that stuff as the WRX using SP5000s. We had an ice storm a few days ago and the WRX wagon did remarkably well. Not really sure how the little SLK would have fared in that ice, but perhaps some things are best left unanswered, if you know what I mean. ;)

    PS: If you decide to switch to SP5000s, be sure they get mounted correctly. They have a "mount this side out" stamp that's quite easy to overlook. You also want to make sure they use the right torque on the lug nuts, which my Subaru dealer said is 83 ft lbs.
  • 1subydown1togo1subydown1togo Member Posts: 348
    should be between 65 - 70 lbs
  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    Good to have another favorable owner report on the SP5000s. I'm going with those as replacements for the RE92's--figure by the time the Dunlops wear out we should have some good Tirerack data on the Pilot A/S's.

    Interesting about the 83 lb/torque--I couldn't find a reference to this in the owner's manual and when I called the dealer a while back they said 65 lbs. plus or minus 7 lbs. is the standard for all Subarus. I know that torquing too high in combination with working your brakes hard can warp the rotors.
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    Thanks for the correction.

    My dealer must be smoking something (hopefully not my brakes).

    According to Section 9, Page 11 of the Owner's Manual, "The torque for tightening the nuts is 58 to 72 ft-lb." Mine will be adjusted back to 70.

    Now that I'm a born-again Owner's Manual reader, it's my unhappy duty to report some horrifying language per Section 11, Page 43 (brace yourself): "All four tires must be the same in terms of manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), construction, and size. You are advised to replace the tires with new ones that are identical to those fitted as standard equipment." So that settles the tire debate. RE92s for everyone! (And we all thought they were only good for tree swings, go-kart track bumpers, or target practice.)
  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    must state that anytime you really need to find something out, the information you need is always between two pages that are stuck together! You're right, the torquing info is on page 9-11 and when I finally pried the pages apart, there it was.

    Could it be that the RE92's are on the car because they are less sticky and allow the car to slide around more?--that maybe this is actually a good thing for a rally car--allows you to position it better to get through those really tight hair pin turns?
    Kind of a crazy thought, I know, but it occurred to me that a more sticky tire might hinder the execution of a good 4-wheel drift and take away some of the grin factor you get when the rear end "jumps" a little going through a turn.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    For handing you want the widest and highest rims you can get w/o changing the stock tire diameter. For auto-x or dragstrip you want to get the diamter smaller, for top speed you want to get a larger diamter tire. Less sidewall = less rollover = more control. These are all given controlled situations such as tracks or tarmac auto-x. Once you get into the real world such as rally-x, or pro-rallys, or street driving, you want to have enough sidewall so that you don't dent/damage your rims, giving you a flat on the spot and thus your speed = 0 while you are changing the tire for the donut. Once the donut is on your handling goes to crap! :)

    -mike
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    but RE92s slid way too easily and they squealed even when you weren't cornering that hard.

    Great fun for the driver but it makes passengers nervous. Hearing them scream gets on my nerves.

    After a few thousand miles the SP5000s loosen up and slide more easily (but not nearly as easily as RE92s) and they seldom squeal. The steering response also gets noticably better over time.
  • mike367mike367 Member Posts: 6
    I don't yet have a WRX but plan to get one when my 2000 Maxima SE has enough miles to justify getting a new car. Here are two questions I have though: Are the Bridgestone tires really as bad as everyone says? Will I notice a huge difference in everyday conditions by switching to the Dunlops? My second question is has anyone installed Subaru's short-throw shifter? I've driven a few WRX's with the standard shifter and thought it was fine, but the idea of a Miata-like shifter is very appealing. I'd appreciate any input on these topics. Thanks.
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    http://www.autospeed.com/A_0996/page1.html


    Switcing from RE92s to any decent tire would be a substantial improvement. To get a huge handling improvement you'd want the 17" rims but I think you'd sacrifice some winter capability and you'd have to worry about potholes bending those rims.


    re: STI short shifter

    Have one. Somewhat better than stock (less slop and more precise) but won't be as good as Miata since linkage on Miata is much more direct.

  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    especially the tip about pumping up psi to prevent aquaplaning.. .from our posts sounds like the 17" rims are better for all-out track handling, but the stock 16" is good for rally and everyday driving.

    The RE92s are not so bad you'd want donate them brand new to your local Goodwill. :)
    They're probably good for 15,000 mi. or so of 7/10s driving, so I'm just going to use mine up.

    The stock shifter is perfectly fine once you get used to it, IMO--has a nice "mechanical" feel to
    it and easy to use--just not quite as superb as the Miata or maybe Acura.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Had to share...


    http://isuzu-suvs.com/xt6snow.html


    -mike

  • bruticusbruticus Member Posts: 229
    You'd think there'd at least be a clip of you talking about how much fun that was (I assume that was fun, right?)

    DjB
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It was a ball. We may stop by there during The 48hrs of Tri-state.

    -mike
  • ramiller1ramiller1 Member Posts: 124
    where can I get me one of these babies? Didn't realize the XT6 can double as a Land Rover ;)
    --RA
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep most Land-rover owners in the US wouldn't even think of going down those roads!

    -mike
  • masterwoomasterwoo Member Posts: 3
    Sorry to post something other than tires, just wonder how other WRX owners are driving their cars. This is my first Subaru (it is also my first "new" & "sports car").
    Q1: After the engine break-in (1,000 miles), is it normal to get to 5,000-6,000 RPM once in awhile? With the 5-speed, sometimes it is tough to not enjoy the rush.
    Q2: How would one know if the engine is ready for 4,000 RPM? There is this hill outside my condo. Without getting to 4,000 RPM in 1st, the 2nd is choking. Do I need to wait until the temperature gauge reached the normal level?
    Again, thanks in advance for any feedbacks. Long live the WRX!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Absolutely wait for the engine to warm up. Consider 4000rpm the redline until you reach normal operating temps. In fact, BMW has a moving redline, where little LEDs light up to tell you how many rpms you can safely use as the engine warms up.

    -juice
  • masterwoomasterwoo Member Posts: 3
    Juice,
    I have heard about how German (Benz also) will NOT allow you to rev the engine that may impose danger to the egnine. So is there a 1 min rule or a 3 min rule or something similar that turbo engine/boxer engine owners typically follow? Again, I am not trying to ruin the engine, but 1st & 2nd is geared a little wide. Thanks
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    As a rule of thumb wait until the engine temp guage indicates that it has lifted off of the "C" mark and should be on the C side of the middle. This will indicate that the engine is sufficiently warm to rev past 4K rpms.

    -mike
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