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Subaru Impreza WRX

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Comments

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well let's see:

    Silencer Removal- Nearly Free
    Hella Dual Trumpets- $40
    Tires/Rims- ~$1000
    Springs- Prodrive ~$500 range(w/installation)
    Sway Bars- <~$500 installed
    Brake Pads- ~$200-$300ish

    That's what I'd start with.

    Depending on how much $ you want to outlay that is. You could also get a set of allseason SP5000s for the stock rims and then make those your winter tires/rims.

    Lots of possibilities.

    -mike
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    I don't disagree with your points, but you had implied that wings aren't useful....but my point was that they can be with any drivetrain type at sufficient speeds

    It's obvious they didn't test the TT enough...it's a matter of style over function.

    Whatever the technical reason, the spoiler of the TT was indeed reputed to double the amount of rear end lift over the original TT according to some of the original press releases. Pity, because the original TT was a more lively car to drive.

    The spoiler/wing on the STi is INDEED functional and generates a noticeable amount of downforce. Not that the unspoilered car is unstable.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm of the school that unless you spend a lot of time >100mph you are talking about 95% style as far as spoilers go.

    -mike
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    I seem to recall that the major mod done on the early TT's was a sway-bar swap, and that the lip spoiler was just a minor thing.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Yep, according to my friend in Switzerland there were some suspension mods as well. I don't think they were spinning off the autobahn, but actually flying off!

    A great free mod is doing an ECU reset.
    http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm#2.4.1.1

    I can't find the link, but Shiv of Vishnu Performance has a detailed explanation and said that this adds 10-20 h.p (dyno proven). I used to do it in my 97 Outback Sport because it had a problem with hesitation.

    -Dennis
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    ok man thanks again.

    You dont have to say if its too much of a hastle but I was just wondering(since im not too familiar with all mod parts) what the silencer removal is exactly, the dual trumpets, and the prodrive springs and sway bars.

    And about the break pads: do they boost performace? if yes in what way?

    THanks alot
  • lippoldslippolds Member Posts: 39
    Saw my first 04 the other day during an oil change. They had it right next to an 03 so I took some pictures.

    Personally, I think I prefer the "bug eye" look. The 04 hood scoop is also different and is more noticeable.

    image
  • philwang66philwang66 Member Posts: 61
    The silencer is a plastic box in the fender that quiets the air just before the airbox. There are claims that the turbo spools up faster if it is removed. See the following link for more info:

    http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?s=683b31afd72694f- 53f843abcfc751cfb&threadid=113

    Hella dual trumpets are aftermarket horns.

    Stiffer swaybars and springs will reduce body roll and improve handling.

    If you've had modded cars before, I'd suggest you get the car first and see how it feels.
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Ok, Ill see how much I can spend on this.

    You think I should get the stock spoiler with WRX, or be better to put money on custom spoiler? And how many inches on the spoiler?
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    The stock spoiler does almost nothing as tested by Tirerack when they ran the car through the windtunnel. The STi-branded spoiler does more, so go with that if you actually care that the spoiler does something, but they are very very expensive.

    The best thing is not to put a spoiler at all. The car doesn't need one unless you think it looks better with one.
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Ok, I kind of figured that cause the thing is so small.

    If I wanted a spoiler for style, wheres the cheapest and whats that I can get?
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    "paisan's Legacy L is quicker around the turns? That's embarassing."

    And stock Neons have been known to put M3s to shame. Autocrossing is 95% driver, 5% car.

    Where are the brakes and suspension to go with that 215hp?

    The SRT4 stops better than the WRX in stock form. It has upgraded brakes over th standard Neon, with 11.0" discs up front and 10.6" discs in the rear.

    Braking distances have been great in magazine tests, in the area of 120 feet or so, about 10-20 feet shorter than a stock WRX. Of course the tires on the WRX can be a major problem why those distances aren't shorter, but the SRT4 is certainly fine in the area of braking.

    As far as the suspension, I still say the SRT4 wallows just as much as the WRX, or perhaps less. ACR bits should bolt right on, although I haven't heard of anybody doing it yet though. Nice knowing there are performance bits available that were tested by the factory to work with the car though.

    "but the SRT is probably about at the limit of that chassis, while the WRX is just a blank template ready for 300hp or even more."

    Dodge doesn't think the chassis is at the limit, Mopar performance packages with up to 300HP and 300 lbs-ft of torque will be available this summer from the DEALER.

    -B
  • aa717driveraa717driver Member Posts: 41
    Since you all have put more miles on your Rex's since I started snooping around, how are they holding up? I've read the big component messages but how are they in the wear and tear/squeek and rattle department?

    As for subaru's pricing, if I wanted an Accord, I'd buy one. I'm in the market for something that's high performance--I'm not much of a garage mech. This car is hot out of the box for a reasonable price. I'm 44 and won't spend $50k on an S4/M3 when I can get a rex for $25k.

    Re: GTO--I am a confirmed member of the anti-domestic car club. If any of the "Big Three" even touches a vehicle or has a hand in the mfg. process, I stay away.(yes, I know GM has a minor investment in Subaru--no hands on activity from what I can tell, though). Until GM starts building a vehicle with the same reliability as Honda, Subaru or Toyota, they can forget me as a customer. Your opinion may be different, I respect that.TC
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    I have 25,000 miles on my WRX wagon. Absolutely no squeeks or rattles. Interior fabric is perfect. Some scratches in the plastic in the cargo area. I'm keeping the carpets in good shape; I bought the rubber floor mats and the rubber cargo tray for the back.

    Now the bad part. The car seems to dent easily. I've got about 4 dents including on on the hatch that looks like one I have gotten by slamming the hatch. Also I have a major scratch on both front and rear bumpers. Looks like the paint is bad about scratching on the plastic parts.

    TWRX
  • bruticusbruticus Member Posts: 229
    Got my first dent & scratch this week on the rear-passenger door, looks like somebody ran a grocery store cart into it. 95% of the scratch came out with some compound, but the small dent is still there.

    Anybody in the Somerville NJ area have one of those dent-remover kits, and do house calls??

    DjB
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think the factory spoiler is the best bet if you're just after looks. Either get it with the car as an option or add it yourself afterwards. They come prepainted for about $250 if I remember right. Easy to put on.

    I got the factory spoiler on my Red WRX, for looks, but would not have gotten one on a black car. The WRX really has different personalities depending on what color you get. Black seems to stand on its own to me, but I feel that the other colors look better with a spoiler.

    Craig
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Hook up with a dent doctor. Might be in the phone book under paintless dent removal or dent repair. For $50 per dent (or so), these guys can work miracles. Ask if you can watch -- you will be amazed.

    When I picked up my new WRX from the dealer, I noticed a small dent on the front fender, right near the end of the "crease" that blends into the mirror. I was pretty disappointed. Turns out that the dent doctor was onsite, repairing some other cars at the dealer. He worked on my car for about 10 minutes, and it looks perfect. Was about the coolest thing I have seen. I went from feeling depressed about the dent to being totally elated after watching the procedure. It was that cool. Anyone that has obsessed or fretted over a dent, this is the way to make it all better.

    Craig
  • cinosweivecinosweive Member Posts: 166
    At about 20,000 mi my wagon is developing its share of extraneous noises. The dash rattles now and then over the instrument cluster, the driver's seat squeeks depending upon how I sit, and there is a rattle of unknown origin coming from somewhere in the back.

    Everything else seems fine except for the damned clutch chatter in first when cold. No other mechanical or electrical problems. I can't tell if it is using oil because I have never had a consistent read on the dip stick.

    Fuel economy seems to improve with age, as does the smoothness of the shifter. The passenger seats are all in perfect condition, mostly because nobody will ride w/ me :)
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I have always wondered about this -- a lot of people have talked about clutch chatter here on Edmunds, but I never experienced this in my 00 Outback or my 03 WRX, over a range of temperature and weather conditions. Why would this be present in some cars but not others? Or is it a driver-related thing, based on how you engage the clutch?

    Craig
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Im thinkin about gettin an apex BOV, and some kind of intake. Also I wanna change the Y-pipe from the intercooler. I dont think I need springs or swaybars, and ill change the break pads after 5k miles. Any mod that will boost my horsepower besides those?
  • ppekppek Member Posts: 58
    I also experience the clutch chatter when the engine is cold, while everything runs fine when the engine warms up. It's annoying; especially when I have a passenger on board and it makes me look like an inexperienced driver.

    I have always had a stick and have driven several different MT cars over the last 15 years, and have never experienced this. However, once the car warms up, the WRX has the best shifter I have ever driven.

    I kind of chalked it up to issues with a higher-performance clutch. However, I think I have seen some posts about Subaru changing things with the clutch after the initial release of WRX's. I think I will do some more digging and push the point some more.

    Of course, any time I bring it in for service, the car is warm, so the service techs can't duplicate the problem :-(

    Take care, Paul
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181

    And about the break pads: do they boost performace? if yes in what way?


    Well if you do power upgrades you'll want to upgrade the brakes so that you don't loose control and thereby make your car extremely slow. An in-control car is much faster than one sitting at the body shop. :)

    -mike
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Im also gonna get stainless steel headers. Cold air intake.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Make sure it's not a High-flow HOT air intake. Also any reason for SS Headers other than bling factor?

    Most Cold Air Intakes IMHO are not worth the $ they cost.

    -mike
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    Today's my 1 yr. mark w/ my silver sedan @ 16.9k miles and still having a good time w/ it. My experiences has been nothing but great w/ this car. If I knew then what I know now, I definitely would have waited for the STi. If I'm having fun with this one, I can only imagine what the STi has in store.

    No regrets though, I'm pretty satisfied. Took me a while to adjust to the boxer engine, too smooth and quiet. Can't see going back to anything but AWD. This car is definitely on it's own category, a driver's car.

    Aluben - w/ all the mods you plan on getting, seems like you should just get an STi. I say get acquainted w/ the car first.

    AA - as w/ previous posts, no major complaints here. All the minor squeaks, int/ext "don't haves" are all forgotten when the tach starts pegging and the tires start rolling.

    Have a good week everyone.
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    actually i checked all the prices for the mods i want and they accumulate to 2 grand, the STi is 30 grand, and I dont need a ridiculously fast car like that. I have a budget to worry about.

    -paisan what do u mean by hot air? why would i get that? cold is what keeps it cool and gives it more horsepower, so its easier on the intercooler. And im gettin exhaust mods and headers and intake cause i want to upgrade the ecu chip, and i need high performance parts so I can take advantage of the chip

    -sensei1 what do u mean get acuainted with the car before i get mods? you think i might not need or want mods? can u elaborate a little bit more? thanks

    -chunter u know I dont like how the stock spoiler looks, its too grand prixish, and it doesnt really stand out, maybe ill consider buying a spoiler that has both perforamnce boost, and style. thanks
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    It's pretty hot under the hood. :-)

    -Dennis
  • axp696axp696 Member Posts: 90
    CAIs are a terrible idea on the WRX because they throw off the MAF and will lean out your A/F ratio. It's also unnecessary because you're running forced induction with a good intercooler. Aftermarket BOVs are also a terrible idea because they vent to the atmosphere instead of back into the intake, and will make you run rich between shifts, which can bog down your engine. They should put a big warning sticker somewhere, these are the first two mods that a lot of people do without having any idea about the consequences.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    CAIs suck hot air from under the hood. This negates the "higher" flow rate.

    Axp696: CAIs and BOVs are my least favorite upgrades.

    -mike
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    CAIs don't suck hot, underhood air -- short-ram intakes do. The filter-end of a true CAI is located outside the engine compartment where it gets lots of fresh, cooler air.

    On a n/a engine, you will see gains from a (good) CAI. I added 6 whp on my Prelude, and my cousin jumped up 11 whp on his Integra GS-R.

    On an intercooled f/i car, I'll agree that a CAI is a waste of $$.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Himiler, I was refering to the ones that 90% of the kids throw on their cars these days. CAIs can help gain power, if they are done correctly.

    -mike
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    I figured as much, but a CAI is a CAI, not a SR intake. Using "CAI" to describe both types only adds to the kiddies' confusion.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The majority of people refer to any intake as a CAI, so you have to use the nomenclature that people are going to hear on the streets and in most ricer shops.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Imagine how (un)reliable a Neon would be with 300hp. Dodge is crazy to offer that kind of kit from the factory, and surely it won't carry their warranty.

    I'm sure it comes with 17" tires and lower profile tires, which explain the braking numbers vs. a WRX with 16"s.

    -juice
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Lol you guys just lost me there with the technical stuff lol. Whats a CAl? and cold air or hot air intake is a waste of money? Im so confused now... can someone explain to me whats a waste of money and whats worth the money? lol thankss
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    A CAI (cold air intake) replaces the stock filter and airbox with a wider, internally smooth, and sometimes acoustically-tuned aluminum tube.

    There's a conical filter on the business end, sometimes called a "velocity stack" filter, which increases the rate of air entering the intake manifold. The intake air charge is cooler than the underhood area, which gives a denser charge and more efficient combustion.

    CAIs work great in most normally-aspirated engines, but not so well in a forced-induction set-up. The WRX's stock intake system already does a good job of grabbing cold air, so you might only get a bit of an increase in velocity with a CAI. In other words, there are better mods for the WRX for the same money (~$200).
  • alubenaluben Member Posts: 30
    Now I get it, thanks. So I should still go with the racing headers, and the y-pipe, and the ecu upgrade?
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    is all I'm saying. The car has plenty to offer without any mods, to an average driver and everyday street driving.

    Everybody drives differently and looks for different characteristics in cars.

    Do you put salt, pepper and all the seasonings in your soup without tasting it first? Unless you've driven the car a lot, how can you know what upgrades to put in?

    Good luck.
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    taste first before your season it. :)

    Drive it for a while. Get a feel for the car so when you put any mods on you can tell the difference.

    -Dave
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    Well it can't be that unreliable if DC will be offering it from dealers.

    Looking at another way: A large automotive company feels confident enough in the rest of the car that it can handle that much more power without additional modifications. Fairly impressive if you ask me.

    The braking numbers for the SRT4, 17" tires or not, are impressive compared to all cars, not just sport compacts. Outbrakes many more expensive sports cars.

    As far as WRX content. There were rumors about some minor changes to boost low-end power for the 2004 WRX. Anybody hear anything new on the subject?

    -B
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Can you tell my wife that thing about the salt? LOL

    It's good to see Dodge will offer dealer installed accessories, I'm curious to see if they warranty them. FWIW, Subaru does not, even the tiny selection offered by SPT. If Dodge guarantees the work, that would be something. Otherwise it's just a company out to make money. Ram pickups have a huge (and profitable) aftermarket, and that's what it's about - profit.

    I think the JDM 2004s got that change in the engine, but not the US models, correct me if I'm wrong folks.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I've found that most domestic companies will warranty anything and everything on their cars. The problem for me is that I dislike being without my car for 2-3 days or waiting for weeks to get a part in stock. After a certain point do you care that they'll warranty fix everything if you have limited use of your vehicle?

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not a concern for me - in fact I'd tell them to take their time and get it right. Don't you have a 2nd car also?

    When my Miata was in the body shop, I sent it back twice until they got it perfect.

    Try to get a loaner if it's gonna be that long.

    -juice
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,941
    they will warranty it if the dealership does the work. Found that out when I had my dodge truck and looked into performance gains for it. Granted, we're not talking anything near a 300 horse Neon. That WOULD still surprise me.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If they can make that thing real-world livable, I'll be impressed. I'm talking no lumpy idle, no pinging, reliable, etc.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But I still don't like being without either of them for an extended period of time.

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Ha! I had problems getting two different dealers to fix things under warranty with my '95 Neon.

    It was the straw that broke the camel's back and pushed me to get a Subaru (keeping it on-topic ;)!

    -Dennis
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    A New England Newspaper is looking to interview New England residents who own the Volvo S60R or Subaru WRX STi. Please respond by wed April 30 to sylvia@edmunds.com

    Many thanks!
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,941
    Is either available right this minute??

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    the newspaper that I would have STi if they can sell me one ,with reasonable price.
    My sources do not have any available now, even for unreasonable price.

    Krzys
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