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Comments
You could cover the foglamps directly with Xpel, then take off the mesh covers whenever you wanted and still have good protection!
Dennis: so true, in years 5-7 with our 626 we spent $2500 in repairs, and that was a highly reliable car per CR ratings. Repairs just cost a fortune nowadays. A wheel bearng was $820 IIRC. Ouch. $220 for an O2 sensor - just PARTS! It was much more with labor.
That was my wife's car. We got a Gold warranty for her new Subie. I didn't for my Subie, but then I do all the service myself and have a spare car if I need to wait for cheap wholesale parts.
-juice
So it looks like those Cobb upgrades we've been discussing would make the WRX very competitive since the Rex weighs in at only 3085 for the sedan and 3165 for the wagon.
The EVO brochure, BTW, was a real hoot to read.
Here are a couple direct quotes:
"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THINKING OF BUYING THIS CAR?
You might want to think twice. The Lancer Evolution VIII isn't for everybody. The high-performance nature of this vehicle demands a greater level of maintenance and care. The high-friction, soft-compound Yokohama ADVAN tires need to be rotated every 5000 miles. And the Mitsubishi-built turbocharger, with its impeller rotating at up to 170,000 rpm, requires a fully synthetic oil (factory-filled with Mobil 1 with SuperSyn). For a complete specialized maintenance list, visit your local dealer."
And:
"Yokohama ADVAN A-046 low-profile tires. The soft rubber compound is exclusively made for the Lancer Evolution VIII. In other words, keep your nose clean. Forensics won't have a problem tracking you down."
No kidding about the last quote. It really says that.
The Lance Armstrong commercial is kind of cool.
-mike
The time to budget funds for new tires is when the tread depth hits 6/32, the time to order them is when depth hits 4/32, and the time to mount them is as soon as possible after they arrive. If you wait until the bars show before doing these things, you'll have to drive for a few days, maybe even weeks, on tires with dangerously thin tread. Many people (me for example) go through irregular and unpredictable periods of driving long distances, and if one of those times coincides with having low tread depth you could be in trouble.
In the few months before I got my WRX, my Neon's tires were at the point when I normally go through the replacement process. But since I was planning on getting the WRX I didn't want to spend a few hundred dollars on new shoes for a car I would be giving up in a few weeks. Sure enough, about 3 weeks before my WRX arrived one of the Neon's front tires failed. Fortunately it happened while I was driving slowly through the town I live in, not on the highway, and I was able to limp into an empty parking lot to change it.
So, to sum up, don't wait for the 2/32 bars to show because a) your tires have lost a large % of their as-new grip and b) it may take you a while to get those new tires on and you don't want that risk.
DjB
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/general/replacewhen.htm
-Dennis
-juice
Craig
They have excellent rain grip.
Also consider Dunlop SP9000 ($129 each). Again they wear about the same as ES100, but are quieter than the ES100. Excellent rain grip too.
Most hi-perf tires are moderately noisy. I've gotten used to the noise from my T1-S.
-mike
Speaking of which, the spare in my 98 Forester is the original.
Ken
-juice
DaveM
Krzys
-juice
DaveM
P.S. Jelly donuts don't hold up well no matter where you store them.
- Sure if it is a small puncture. If you put a big gash in your tire or schred it, SOL.
Believe it or not, C&D had commentary on this and stated that the doughnut was probably the best solution (that or a cell phone a AAA).
-mike
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
DaveM
And then you'll wait til morning for them to fix your tire, and you'll pay the AAA shop price to have it fixed or replaced! Could cost you like $200 for a $100 tire, plus a night in a hotel, and you'll be late to whatever it is you were driving to!
-mike
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Don't know about the sedan, but my Rex wagon has a decided tendency to swing the tail out, especially in slick weather. That's why I'd like to get that extra 25 lbs out of the rear. Plus, then the car just weighs 25 lbs. less altogether.
If you remove weight from the rear, your tail might swing out even worse. You'll have less traction at the rear tires, more on the fronts.
You're probably taking the pendulum effect into consideration, but I don't think it's heavy enough nor is it far back enough to cause that, IMO.
-juice
Shoot, maybe it's just time for me to get rid of these crappy RE92's and get some real rubber back there!
leave the donut in and air down the rear tires a tad.
Do you by any chance have the sedan 20mm sway bar on the wagon?
-Dave
Actually, the guys at Sports Compact Car loved the wagon's "hooligan drop-throttle oversteer." And it is fun as long as you are looking for it. But if it catches you by surprise, look out!
For just the 7 or 8/10ths driving I do, I'm thinking a new set of Conti's or SP5000's will help settle things down back there.
If you've got free time, then by all means.
-mike
reason I'd asked is that I hear it gives the wagon a neutral feel, but has a tendency to be tail happy in slick condition.
-Dave
ps- inflat the donut with helium to offset the 1lb can ;-)
More frequently, I find a nail or screw in the tire, and fix it myself with a plug kit (the kind with the sticky cord plugs and rubber cement). Once you get good at this, you can fix the tire while it's still on the car and do it without losing too much air. We're talking 5-10 minutes tops. I keep the repair kit and a cheap 12V compressor in the car whenever we go on trips just in case.
Definitely make sure to keep the rear tires 1-2 psi lower than the fronts -- it really keeps the oversteer in check.
JP: you're one of the few people here with an 04, so we're looking to you for answers!! I would not be surprised if the manual was wrong. In my Outback, you have to hold the button down, but in my wife's Forester, it's one-touch. On both cars, the shade will automatically retract with the roof (this applies to the rear moonroof on the Outback, as the front one only tilts and you have to manually open the front shade).
Craig
leave the donut in but fill it with helium. That'll lighten the rear by more than 25 pounds!
;-)
DjB
I don't know where you live, but I can assure you for many of us it's completely the opposite. I can count on one hand the number of times I've hit a nail or had a slow leak that fix-a-flat would have been able to deal with, but at least once a year I blow a sidewall or tear a nice gash thanks to the New England potholes that reside in my area for a good 6 months of the year. Of course, having both a spare and fix-a-flat is a good solution, as already mentioned.
Don't know if that's going to help the oversteer problem any ;-)
-Dave
I did bubble a few sidewalls due to potholes, but the tires always held air until I could replace them. I guess a ruined tire on the rex means a whole new set though. That might be a good reason not to inflate them over the recommended pressures?
Thanks to everyone for the advise on tread depths. I guess the consensus is 4/32". I've probalby been pretty foolish about this in the past. (and lucky).
I'm jumping in here because I am down to two choices for my new car: The 04 WRX and the 03 Mazda 6s.
I've been a huge subie fan for a number of years (I actually sold my dad his Outback wagon; the salesperson just stood back and watched! :P) I was not happy with the look of the 02 WRX, and was very excited about the new look. (I know, I know....everyone has different tastes.)
I became a fanatic on turbo/awd cars when I bought a 90 Eclipse GSX. I've been looking for a car that would give me that level of performance and peace of mind handling ever since. Since that car is my base line of experience with turbocharged engines, I have to ask if the rules of thumb that applied to turbo cars back then are still applicable to today's cars.
Do you still need to let your car warm up for several miles before WOT?
Do you still need to let your car idle at least a minute before shutting down?
Mobil 1 is a given, of course.
What about maintenance on the front and rear differentials? My GSX needed these serviced every 30K.
Also, I wanted a couple of viewpoints on some of the accessories. My local dealer told me that all accessories are installed by the factory, and that the dealers have no way of modifying or altering the car's content. Can this actually be true?
If so, it seems that I will have to custom order my car from SOA, as what I'm looking for is deviates from the majority of the examples I've found in my Internet Searches.
the *Must Haves*:
Armrest Extension
Rear Spoiler (not a problem, I know)
5 speed (ditto)
Security System upgrade
*Would Really Like to have*
Autodim/Compass Rearview mirror
Speaker upgrade w/ subwoofer
*Wouldn't MIND having*
Performance Gauge pack (goes in center stack)
One other thought...has anyone installed a vinyl front end cover (bra) on their WRX? My dealer assures me that it is available for the 02 and 03, so he figures that one will also be made for the 04. Funny, tho....it isn't listed on the subaru website as an available accessory. I am a big fan of these as they really save wear and tear on your front end, plus I think they look great, also.
What's the concensus? Am I likely to find such a vehicle out there? Are there any aftermarket alternatives that under the hood neophyte would have a chance at installation?
I'm cursed with a severe case of anal retentiveness when it comes to my cars. I hate shelling out significant amounts of money and then having to 'settle' for anything less than exactly what I want.
Thanks for all your insights and enthusiasm! Looking forward to becoming a member...
One last thing...I've heard lots of chatter about the 'breaking in period'. Is it any different than any other new car? Avoid WOT, no hard braking, avoid constant speeds for any period of time, etc?
Thanks again!
Respectfully yours,
Quinn J. Adkins.
Welcome to the board, and great questions.
* Yes let your car warm up before going WOT. Personally I just monitor the temp gauge and when it goes past the 1/4 mark I feel free to let 'er rip if the opportunity exists.
* Cooldown and turbo timers are said to be unnecessary with the WRX. Fluid continues to circulate after shutoff. Having said that, a little common sense should prevail, and if you've been really on it for an extended period a few minutes of idling is advisable.
* Obviously Mobil 1 has many many devotees, however my local Subaru service guys say it's of course fine to use but not necessary.
* Your Subaru guy is full of it. Aside from the manual tranny, all the other options you listed are installed at port I believe (not the factory). It's easy to find them online too and add them yourself later. Try www.subaruwrxparts.com:
Armrest Extension $105
Rear Spoiler $330
Security System upgrade $140
Autodim/Compass Rearview mirror $130
Speaker upgrade $125 w/ subwoofer $180
Performance Gauge pack $550
Mix and match to your heart's content.
* I personally would favor a transparent paint protection product like 3M's Stongard over those vinyl bras. With a bra you risk trapping abrasive material and scratching the paint anyway, not to mention the uneven paint fading that can occur. Stuff like Stongard is invisible and works great I hear.
* Breakin guidelines are as you describe, and explained in the user's manual... now go get yourself one!
I upgraded from a '92 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD that I purchased new, and upgraded to a 2002 WRX Sedan 5-speed. With that, I know what you are going through in comparing the two cars, since I did the same thing. Since you are already very familiar with a 5-speed Turbo, you know the biggest drawback (I know, that’s a bit harsh), which is the Turbo lag. When comparing the lag on my WRX to my old Talon, the WRX spools up a little faster, and is definitely quicker off the line, and once you hit 3,000 RPM, it has way more power than my Talon did.
When I was looking for my new car, I wanted something that was at least as fast as my Talon, still had AWD, and had 4-doors (a wife and 2 kids came along since I bought the Talon). With that, the WRX was the perfect match. The only other cars I was considering were either much more expensive, or did not have enough power (A4, 325/330xi, Legacy GT, Passat)
As far as your other questions, prayerfor is right on. The accessories on Subaru’s are port installed, which means they come off the boat without them, and then they get added prior to being shipped to the dealer. However, you can easily install these yourself, just take a look out on www.subaruparts.com, you can even find installation instructions. I also agree with all the other comments from prayerfor.
Comparing the Mazda 6 and a WRX are not really apples to apples. The Mazda 6 is a little bigger, much slower, more luxurious, and does not have AWD. If you liked your Eclipse (as I did my Talon), I think you would be much happier with the WRX. Do you want to upgrade to a car that is faster than your Eclipse and still has the traction of AWD, or do you want to choose one that is slower, bigger, and a little more luxurious?
These are just my thoughts, and of course I’m biased towards the WRX, but hopefully they will help you out.
Take care,
Paul
A bra (or maybe just a hood protector) was initially offered on the '02 WRX. They found that it impeded air getting to the intercooler, so they dropped that option.
I have the auto-dimming mirror and it's great. I also have the subwoofer and it meets *my* sound needs for a car system. Bring a CD along to the dealer.
The owner's manual states that the front and rear diff fluids should be inspected every 30K. "Severe service" calls for it to be replaced every 30K IIRC.
The Mazda 6 is more in the same class as the Legacy, instead of the Impreza.
-Dennis
Definitely, definitely, put it in! It is the best insurance protection you can give a high-performance turbo motor.
It has soooooooo many advantages over conventional oil it would take us all day to discuss, so many in fact, that I tell guys they are crazy to even think about using conventional oil after investing $25,000 in their Rexes.
But let's not go into all that here. There are many posts all over the place in Edmunds that demonstrate what great stuff it is, and it sounds like you are already knowledgable about its benefits.
Hope you enjoy it here and we'll try not to drive you completely crazy! ;-)
During my test drive, I has to make a 90 degree left turn, then accelerate up a ramp to merge with high speed traffic. So I punched it, while turning, and found that Mazda did not break the laws of physics. ;-)
I had to wrestle the steering wheel to keep it on the road. The thing tugged worse than any car I've driven except the Altima, which was even worse. I had tires chirping even on the 2nd shift.
That I found the limitations on a 5 minute test drive says a lot. The WRX has no such limitations, AWD rules!
I did like the space, though there is no toe space under the front seat, a big no-no. That makes the back seat not-so comfy for adults. My other complaint was the mirrors do not break away. How long before those break in a parking lot? Other drivers, not you.
Likes? Styling, front room, dash layout, styling. Did I say that twice? It's very handsome.
Warranty is just 3/50 vs. 5/60 for the WRX powertrain, and it's a version 1.0 with a Ford block. Hmm, I'd wait until it proves itself.
-juice