Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    on the www.mysubaru.com for my WRX, it says every 7500 miles for an oil change. I thought turbos had to have their oil changed more often than other cars. I guess not.

    Of course changing the oil more often will definitely not hurt the engine!
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    on my WRX wagon now for a little over 3k miles. The only problems I have is that the (so far...so good) the stock EGT probe came loose from the new uppipe 2 times. There was a bad seat to the thread. The other problem I have is that one of the gaskets (they were new w/the new uppipe) has a small leak in it. It's noticeable when I first accelerate (into boost) before the WRX warms up completely. Once it warms up, the uppipe connection expands and all is fine. I plan on having it checked out at a muffler shop or just wait until the Stage 1 comes out and I purchase. The Stage 1 is a turboback exhaust system w/one performance cat and some additional electronics. As a side note, I am getting approximately 1mpg better in the city now w/the Stage 0. Overall, I am quite pleased with the Vishnu pkg and would recommend it. :-)

    Stephen
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    Does your one-touch open/close sunroof reverse direction, if an obstacle is in its path ? Something like a child's hand/head ?

    Basically, some automakers deliberately don't provide such functionality due to liability issues with one-touch open/close functionality.

    Later...AH
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    It's every 7,500 for normal driving and every 3,750 for severe driving (frequent stop & go, short trips, etc.). It's been that way on all Subarus for some time now. My '97 OBS has those intervals. I usually never go past 4k just out of habit, and it's a cheap and easy DIY item.

    -Dennis
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    My manual calls for checkups every 6000 km(3729miles) and they usually change the oil then.

    Does the USA manual really call for 7500 mile intervals (12000 km) which is twice the distance?

    I guess they assume all Canadians are "extreme usage" owners.
  • dop50dop50 Member Posts: 162
    Yeah, the USA manual says 7500 mile intervals under "normal" driving conditions.

    Maybe they figure Canada is extreme "cold". :) I guess that depends on where you live.

    Anyway, keep in mind, Subaru is making these recommendations for the use of "Regular" oil.
    And it's up to the owner to determine what his/her driving conditions are and to change the oil accordingly.

    Happy motoring!
    Ken
  • aa717driveraa717driver Member Posts: 41
    Ok, I'm an old f**t(soon to be 44) and used to being coddled in a Lexus. Is the ride in the WRX so sportish that my family won't be comfortable around town?

    We have had a GS400 with 17" wheels and have had Civics and Accords in the past so our cars haven't been "floaters". I just know that any teeth jarring will be a deal-buster. Thanks in advance.TC
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    But it is not too bad. You do notice bumps more, but the ride is not that harsh (just on the occasional bump on the highway). I am comming from a Camry, and find the WRX to be acceptable. I also drive the WRX a great deal on highways. The car is designed with a super-stiff chassy, but long strut travel to help make for a softer ride, yet good handling characteristics. Basically, that is why I chose the WRX over other similiarly priced sporty cars.
  • dolivettedolivette Member Posts: 17
    Does anyone have experience using a child seat in the back of the WRX sedan? How much room is really back there?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well I had a WRX out over the weekend for an extended test drive ;) Actually it was a friends that I got to drive.

    17" rims
    EBC (Blitz)
    Tien Coilovers

    Car ran nicely, first extended drive of an MT WRX. Shifter is boat loades easier than my 6-puck copper clutch on the XT6 that's for sure! I was very disappointed in the lack of torque below 3K rpms and then the jolt kicks in. Having always driven at least a 6-cylinder I guess I'm spoiled. On the top end though I can see how I'd be getting a lot of tickets!

    -mike
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    Does anyone have an opinion about which is better? I am down to the vishnu stage 0 or the turbo xs stage 1. They are similarly priced and offer about the same amount of performance. However, there is a dealer fairly nearby (I live in northern NJ) that does install the turbo xs kits. Both companies have good reputations. Cobb is not an option because of price.
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    I know Vishnu specificially designs peformance upgrades for Subies. Even many of the tuner magazines use Vishnu. Also Stephen here has installed Stage 0 on his WRX to great success.

    Have no clue and have not really heard about Turbo xs. If I was upgrading the WRX, would probably go with Vishnu.

    Just my $0.02.
  • dop50dop50 Member Posts: 162
    I'm 52, 6'-1", 250# and get lower back pain pretty easy when driving.
    My wifes Legacy Wagon GT is much less comfortable than my WRX. I dread the thought of taking long road trips in her car. I am most always stiff after about 2 hrs of driving.
    With the WRX I can drive all day and not get tired or stiff or achy.

    I live in West Central Illinois, the roads here are not the best, but I can not say I have experienced any "bone-jarring" bumps with the WRX. It is a little stiffer ride, but it seems to absorb the bumps and pot holes quite well.

    I find the WRX to be quite comfortable in the front seats, but I would feel sorry for most any adult that had to ride in the back seat for any extended period of time. (Kids would be fine, I'm sure.) There just isn't a lot of room in the back for big people. Especially when you get a guy like me in the front. :) Although, we did haul 3 college age adults in the back once, but that was just around town for short periods. (nobody complained.)

    If fit is a concern, I would take all the people you normally would have riding in it go along for the test drive.

    Don't know anything about child seats fitting in the WRX sedan, but will find out in about 7 months. :) Our first Grandchild should be here in April. :)

    Have a good one!

    Ken
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    aa717driver: My parents always complain about the back seat for not comfortable. The front seats are great, good support and comfort.

    nschelman3: I think you should go for Vishnu. Why don't you buy the kit only and let your local dealer to install it. I expect you will go back to your local dealer for some problems and questiond after they installed the kit.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Neil, there is a guy in NJ that will install the Vishnu. He even comes recommended by Shiv.
    His screen name on the i-club is WRBLUEWAGON (or something like that) and his name is Eric.

    -Dennis
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << I was very disappointed in the lack of torque below 3K rpms and then the jolt kicks in. >>

    Welcome to the world of high-powered small engines. The same can be said of the Honda S2000, and a number of small-bore motorcycles&#151;especially some 2-strokes from the mid-70s. These kinds of engines require the driver to "drive" (right gear, right time) and not on lazy driving habits learned on big-bore engined cars.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well there is nothing you can really do to keep the revs up off the line, once you are moving it's not so bad, but making a turn out of a street onto a main road was not fun. :( I definitely liked the mid range though.

    -mike
  • aa717driveraa717driver Member Posts: 41
    My WRX would be for around town or trips by myself.

    On upgrades, someone said the Vishnu doesn't void the warranty. Is that true and can you get the system through a dealer? Does it affect drivability?

    dop50--Where'd you get yours? I live in IND but have gone out of state for the Lexuses because of dealer monopoly. One of the Subie dealers here is owned by the same [non-permissible content removed] that has a lock on the Lexus dealership--he won't get my Subaru business, either!TC
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    No modifications void your warranty, however, any mod that can be related to a particular failure can render that particular repair not covered.

    Lets say that your turbo goes out, then the up-pipe would DEFINITELY be called into play to void your warranty. Even parts that a dealer installs can void your warranty if they are found to have been the cause of or related to the problem at hand.

    My suggestion? Always change back to stock parts when having a repair done.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << Well there is nothing you can really do to keep the revs up off the line >>

    Rev the engine, and slip the clutch.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If you slip the clutch you are in the boost range but not getting the power to the wheels, not to mention I don't think you'd want to do that at every stopsign/light! :)

    -mike
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    I have done it a few times. A couple of times, when I was not paying attention to the Tach, ended up chirping all 4-wheels and received a nice jolt.

    I would have to argue with not getting the power to the wheels. If you slip the clutch, the thing takes off like a rocket. Do not recommend doing this though (do it enough, with boosted power, and you will end up on iclub whining about your manual tranny giving out.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well if you can't do it repeatedly then what's the use? I want something I can wring out of every stop sign, every traffic light etc. Just was annoying IMHO to have to make a concerted effort to get off the line power :(

    Also isn't what you described "dropping" the clutch rather than "slipping" the clutch? Not perfectly sure of the difference. I thought slipping meant you let it slip, dropping was reving it to 4K and just letting it out quickly.

    -mike
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    If you have any info on how to contact the guy that will install vishnu kits in jersey, please let me know.
  • dop50dop50 Member Posts: 162
    I got mine at Lou Fusz in St. Louis, Mo.
    I had basically 3 choices, St. Louis, Mo., Columbia, Mo., or Peoria, Il.
    I am completely happy with the dealer I chose.
    If you are in Indiana, I guess it depends on where, as to where I might suggest. It's definately good to find a dealer you like.

    Warranty-after-market-upgrades????
    Guys, if the warranty is so important to you, why not wait till it expires, then do the upgrades??
    It's only what, three years?
    Otherwise, take your lumps as they come. :)

    My plan.... Drive it like it is for the three years, then buy the STI version, if it is available.
    If the STI is not available then, then I'll consider a possible upgrade, maybe.
    The way I see it, money put into upgrades is money thrown out the window. You'll never recoup any of it. In fact it will detract from the value of the car, in most cases.

    Have a good one!

    Ken
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    "Just was annoying IMHO to have to make a concerted effort to get off the line power :("

    Awwwww, poooor baby :)
  • stoner420stoner420 Member Posts: 165
    kevin: sound like you dumped the clutch a bit too fast at high revs... slipping it with revs too high will provide that lovely stench (did that once trying to climb a steep gravel hill from a stop :-( ), but avoid the chirp and jolt

    paisan: true, there is little low-end torque, look at the dyno charts people post of stock wrx, the curve is really steep toward boost territory, however I find that once you hit about 2k rpm you have enough torque to produce adequate non-bogging power (enough to avoid the "not fun turn onto busy main road" syndrome).. You should be able to slip the clutch and launch at around or just under 2k rpm without causing undue stress on the drivetrain or clutch (beside clutch disc is much cheaper to replace than gears...). The challenge with this car is to really learn how to keep the revs in optimum territory at all times!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << The challenge with this car is to really learn how to keep the revs in optimum territory at all times! >>

    Aka, driving skill...

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    AH: good question, I think it does sense an obstacle and stop, but I'm not sure. I'll have to try it (on a swimming pool noodle, not my arm).

    Bob is right, some VTEC Hondas have more lag than the WRX has turbo lag. Torque can peak at much higher rpm that it does in the WRX, for sure.

    But what if you do NOT want to drive fast? Try driving a V8 Mustang with your mother-in-law in it - and then good luck finding a new fiance!

    The throttle feels like an on/off switch, full power or no power, with nothing inbetween.

    The WRX is a docile, efficient commuter car below 3000 rpm. To me that is one of the most appealing aspects of it - it's a livable, smooth, quiet, even refined car for the times you are not driving all out.

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Try contacting him via the Tri-State forum of the i-club:

    http://forums.i-club.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=16

    You can send a private message and find out if he still installs them. You could also search or post for info.


    Disclaimer: FYI, I don't know him personally.


    paisan - Do you know him? Or do any of your other buddies do the complete install?

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << The WRX is a docile, efficient commuter car below 3000 rpm. To me that is one of the most appealing aspects of it - it's a livable, smooth, quiet, even refined car for the times you are not driving all out. >>

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Bob, I completely agree. It's like having two cars in one.
    IMHO you have to learn to control the turbo, not let it control you. :)

    -Dennis
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << It's like having two cars in one.
    IMHO you have to learn to control the turbo, not let it control you. :) >>

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    half the fun of driving a WRX is running through the gearbox, and keeping it "on-boil."

    Speaking of vehicles with narrow powerbands:

    Hop on a late '60s 250cc Suzuki X-6 Hustler sometime (if you can find one!). That lil' sucker was the forefather of Japanese superbikes. 250cc, 6 ultra-close gears, 350 pounds, I forget the horsepower&#151;but it was the class leader back then, and it would shame bikes twice as large. The powerband was like a light switch&#151;all or nothing&#151;and a heck of a lot of fun.

    Same could be said of my old 1970 Kawasaki 500 Mach III triple. Below 4400 rpm it was a dog; above 4400 rpm you had better be leaning well over the handlebars, or you'd be doing a serious wheely! I once had a passenger on the back, and the bike hit the 4400 rpm sweet spot, and I thought the bike was going to go over backwards!

    Ah... nothing like hot 2-strokes!

    Bob
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    I'm going to put my $.02 in on this one. There is no doubt that you have to learn how to drive the WRX. It is not intuitive and it takes some experience behind the wheel before you learn how. But .. when you get it ... you get it !

    Slipping the clutch (easing it out slowly with about 3.5 - 4k on the tach) is my method of choice for quick starts. It becomes instinctive after you've driven it awhile. I'm not talking about burning the clutch up and I would never suggest dumping the clutch. Using this method, I can put the proverbial "hole shot" on damn near anything on the street.
    - hutch
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    2 strokes are LOUD though. Boy are they.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    << But .. when you get it ... you get it ! >>

    OK, I quit... I promise... ;)

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    These were road bikes, not racers using expansion chambers.

    Bob
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    Was effortless, even with the A/C on! Open highway road with no one on. Of course, slowed down after I hit 100. =). Just wanted to see how easy the car could get to 100.

    - In terms of dumping the clutch, did this twice, both by accident. I was not paying attention to the tach, was tired, and entering a busy road. How bad is this for the tranny? I have not upgraded the power in the car.
  • feverhartfeverhart Member Posts: 144
    You are so right about the Kawasaki Mach II. 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. The downside was cleaning the baffles every 2000 miles that seemed to wield themselves in and the torque was really hard on the sproket.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It was the Mach III, which was 500cc. I also had a Mach II, which was 350cc&#151;and was actually more fun to ride than the larger 500; MUCH better in the twistys! :)

    Bob
  • legion334legion334 Member Posts: 8
    One thing that i am definately happy about, is that Paul Hogan is not in a WRX commercial like all of the outbacks. I would be thoroughly pissed off if they ever make a WRX commercial with anyone "Australian" in it...
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    When one of the car magazines a while back did their eval (R&T) I think, they mentioned about the trick was keeping the tach @ 3k while shifting to sustain your boost which makes sense w/ the WRX's 3k boostr point. Tried it a few times, takes some practice to get it down. And since this was a test car they did some "unthinkables" as they mentioned. I for sure wouldn't unless that was my job. One evaluator dropped the clutch @ 5k to see what would happen. He was expecting the tires to turn loose but mentioned that it only did for a split second till the AWD took over. So not in the dragster category for sure. But definitely wouldn't be left in the dust either.

    Hey, honeymoon is not over with mine, cracking a grin every time I get in it.

    Right on Kevin!!! Happy motoring everyone.
  • legion334legion334 Member Posts: 8
    I just ordered a Silver WRX sedan about a month ago. It is a 2003, 5-speed, with a spoiler, short throw, turbo gauge, titanium shift knob, armrest and upgraded stereo and speakers.

    One of the dealers i went to were total [non-permissible content removed] bags about ordering a 2003 for me. They said that with my options, the only price they could give me was about $26k. I left and found another dealership to give me a 2003 for a lower price than the "lowest" price that the other dealer could on a 2002.
  • dop50dop50 Member Posts: 162
    Hey, what'cha got against Paul Hogan? I think he's a pretty cool dude. (For an old fart!)

    I like the new one with the two guys listening to the radio and the driver says, "here comes my favorite part" he turns down the radio and they cut away to show you a really twisty road. Then they cut back in and show the driver firmly pressed against his door. COOL!!!
    (Besides, it's a silver one just like mine!) :)

    I also think their dissclaimer is pretty cool, "Professional driver on a closed course."
    "Obey legal speed limits" Yeah, Right!!! These cars don't like to go slow.

    I'm waiting for the Gateway kid to do one, and say something like...."Hey, Dude, you're getting a WRX!!!" Hahahaha!

    Kevin111, Told ya' so! ;-) Didn't believe me, huh!? Had to go find out for yourself.
    Can't say I blame ya! :) BTW, how's the screen holding up? Mine is doing a great job!

    Can't believe this car still attracts attention wherever I go. Most cars, that kinda wears off after about 6 months or less. This one is still going strong after almost a year. There's only a couple of them around here, but only one is local besides mine that I've seen.

    Enjoy!

    Ken
  • dop50dop50 Member Posts: 162
    Congratulations!!!!

    You're gonna love that "Silver"! Easy to keep clean, and looks like a bullet!

    Ken
  • legion334legion334 Member Posts: 8
    I havent seen that new wrx commercial. What channel have you seen it on? im gonna need to watch tv just to see it.
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    I have driven other cars that used to really struggle once you get past 80, this car had no problems. Was a little sluggish in 5th getting to 100 (did that a few weeks ago), but with 4th, the car zip right through.

    The screen is doing great! It is holding very well, thank you! How many mile have you put on it? Have had the car for 3 months and have put about 5300 miles on it already! :-)

    In terms of attention, because it is not a main-stream car (even though they did sell 35K last year), it does seem to get more attention than other cars. Like my old Camry!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm sure if I bought a WRX I'd find a way to launch it quickly every time. Just was a bit concerning for me is all.


    As for theupipes etc. I have a few guys who can do the job (electronics, hardware etc) check out http://www.iace.com/azp for their contact info.


    -mike

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