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Comments
I want I really want to know is with so many options out there, what do you think is really worth the money as far as dealer installed options go. I also have seen multiple ground F/X options at some web sites and not others. what's the deal with that.
Thanks,
Doug
http://www.designengineering.com/ss_cool_kit_sc.html
and did it make any difference?
1. The V6 Manual with the sport package is hard to get, so you don't get a good price.
2. It is being assembled in the Flat Rock plant. The Mazda 626s they built there sucked. The Mercury Cougars they built there sucked. I would bet a lot that the build quality on the Mazda 6s they build there will suck.
Hey, anybody see the new "Test Drive" of the WRX by Tom and Ray (you know, the wisenheimer Car Talk guys) - what a laugh. I used to like them but I think they've been getting a bit full of themselves lately. Basically, they call the car a "dog" because of turbo lag, and make all kinds of ridiculous statements like you have to shift into first to take a 90 degree turn, etc. Sounds like they drive like a couple of old women.
Maybe the most absurd thing of all - they talk about the "little add-on tachometer" on the steering column! Can't tell a turbo boost gauge from a tach, apparently.
Oh well, we know the WRX isn't for everyone! and a couple of old lard-[non-permissible content removed] mechanics from Boston seem to be two of those people! By the way, according to them, as WRX enthusiasts we are "Car Club for Men" kinda guys - just thought you might want to know who you are.
Hmm...where does that leave us WRX women drivers? : )
--sonya
The autodimming mirror actually seems bigger than the standard mirror, although I can't tell for sure. The upgraded sound (speakers + subwoofer) is nice enough for me, but I'm admitedly not an audiophile. Like someone else said, bring a CD and test it out - I brought Dark Side of the Moon and I was pleased.
Good luck finding a WRX, you'll love it.
Jason
One of Subaru's ports is down the road from me in Newport News. My WRX went through this port, and I see truckloads of WRXs and Foresters on the highway all the time. I need to take a field trip down there and see what it looks like. Probably a big lot with hundreds of new Subarus...
Craig
I am seriously considering the '04 WRX sedan as my next new car purchase. I went and test drove it today. I felt the upgraded audio system was adequate and I did notice the turbo lag. I have a couple questions for the current owners.
What if any are the biggest annoyances/drawbacks to this car?
Does anyone have 18" wheels on their WRX? Do the 225/40WR18 tires and rims interfere with the wheel wells / turning etc.?
Does the turbo lag get better, worse, or stay the same over time?
Thanks for your insights,
Brian
I have:
armrest ext
sound sys upgrade
security upgrade
rear spoiler
turbo gauge
short throw shifter
Plat Silver color
17k miles later, I'm still enjoying the drive with no fuss. Watch out for that 3rd gear (the grin gear). You obviously are diligent enough having read all the posts. Prayerfor seems to have the most constructive answers and the least biased among the rest of us.
Debating over synth and non-synth is almost like considering using 87 octane to save a few cents on a fine car and worrying about mpg on a turbo hi-perf engine,IMHO.
Sonya, you're part of the "smart and unique" club. You recognize good things when they come along.
"Now go get yourself oneeee...." ;-)
I can't think of any big annoyances or drawbacks. It's a tight squeeze to get in for me, but there's plenty of room once I'm inside. The sound system could be better (radio doesn't have a lot of power). I don't like the looks of the standard 16" wheels. That's about it. I really love the car -- it's a blast to drive.
I would not recommend 18" wheels/tires unless you are ready to have your teeth rattle all the time. It will really degrade ride quality in my opinion. 17" is probably the largest I would go (225/45-17 or 215/45-17). I know 215/45-17 will fit without rubbing (with +53 offset wheels), as Subaru offers this as a factory option. Various folks on NASIOC.com have reported that 225/45-17 can rub in the rear, and 18" can rub all around. It really depends on the wheel and offset. For me 215/45-17 would be a no-brainer upgrade, and anything else would involve some research and careful consideration.
Craig
I would't put a high value on the instrument cluster. I thought that I wanted one initially, but was told that unless I am racing I would only watch the dials sit in the same place, drive after drive. I am glad now that I didn't bother, because I use the clock all the time but never wonder what the oil temperature is.
The arm rest extension ought to be standard.
The best option you can get for the sedan is the trunk lid extension. This is also known as the wagon. :-)
LOL. This is one single option that I would definitely add to the WRX. :-))
Later...AH
By far the best option offered
-Dave
ps: AH, what's your speed @ 3k rpm on the AT? I'm clocking 72mph.
DaveM
Later...AH
My last car (Integra GS-r) didn't have this issue; basically at any speed windows-down cruising was comfortable.
At any rate, that's what bugs me the most.
Brian--we've had our WRX wagon for 2 years, 14,000+ miles. Very reliable, simply great to drive. There's a little rattle in the dash in cold weather when the heater is turned on, but that's my only real complaint. Personally, I like the 16 inchers that came with the car for winter driving comfort, but an extra set of 17" alloys for summer driving is also nice to have.
Don't know if the actual turbo lag is that bad.
I think the Rex is just tuned to be a normally aspirated car below 3000 rpm and turbo tuned above 3000 rpm.
Still, for sure that is a lot of room on the rev counter where not much is happening, and can be a problem when more torquey vehicles want to paste you coming off the line at stop lights.
The Cobb ECU upgrade, K&N filter, and free-flow exhaust should all help bring it on boost sooner.
DaveM
-juice
1. rattles. Not really loud ones. Just little ones in the dash every once in a while.
2. Hill starts. The combination of no low end grunt, a quick clutch and the hills of San Fransico is not fun.
Regarding the turbo lag: It is truly something you get used to. I have adapted my driving style to match the car, and now I'd honestly miss the rush once you hit 3,250 on the tach. Plus, the lag is only a big deal for the first .5 seconds on the way to your 5.4 second cruise to 60...
I can deal with that.
I used to brave those hills w/ my 5sp RX7, and sure felt sweat beads rolling down you know where.
Gotta have a good hand brake and decent clutch. Didn't Subaru have one of those hill-hold clutches?
The EVO's sharper, faster steering; more-supportive seats; and even firmer ride overcame its cheaper-feeling interior, more noticeable turbo lag (the testers reported smelling clutch while doing normally-paced uphill starts) and downright abusive ride over normal roads (ie what 90% of Americans are forced to drive on every day)
The testers especially knocked the STi's wing (which many drivers undoubtedly will replace/remove), noisy tires (they probably NEED to be replaced in <20K miles, and the driver will get better rubber), slower steering and marked understeer (they simply could not induce drift; can anything be done about that?) and the aluminum hood that flexed/warped visibly during high-speed driving (can some sort of hood brace be installed?)
What I felt they SHOULD have stated, rather than implied, is that the STi seems a better choice for those who don't spend their entire driving lives blasting along the mirror-smooth, empty canyon roads of SoCal.
DjB
No offense, but for a single guy, I could just not make due with a wagon regardless of how practical and sporty it is. :-(
Test drove a WRX with 18s and it was not terrible, though you do feel everything in the road. Plan to upgrade to 17s though due to my great deal of highway driving.
- Almost a year, +20K miles, many rattles, getting a few of them fixed by the dealer.
- Do not have the arm extension, and really like the small one. Seems to be the right height for me to relax my fore-arm on.
- O.K. my $0.02 - :-)
- Daily driver - STi a superior car, no questions about it (tires were loud though)
- Auto-X - Evo is better.
Rod Millen comparison, not really fair since the tires on the STi looked like Slicks with a few grooves! Definitely not meant to be driven off road with those things! The Evo tires looked better for dirt. Probably explains the stability that Millen was talking about.
Not to mention Mitsu's penchant for quality in automobiles (O.K., a contradiction - Mitsu cars and quality).
Actually, it was the non-fold down seats that was the deal breaker for me.
- Believe it or not, that WAS a deal breaker back in '98 when I was looking at the 2.5RS.
- BTW, even with the problems I have posted I still REALLY LIKE THIS CAR! It is still a blast to drive!
And yes, a hill-holder clutch would be a godsend in SF.
Bob
I still love my WRX after 23000 miles !
As much as the STi is better for everyday use, I think it should have been more on the edge like the Evo. The WRX can hold its own as the "everyday" performance car from Subaru, and it is available in a wagon.
For the price of the STi, I want a full-on performance vehicle with the slightly rougher ride, quick steering, and the ability to drift around corners at will.
-B
-B
Go out and drive em yourself and see which is better, don't rely on some made-up "theoretical" numbers that are tossed out there by car magazines.
The front LSD, manually controlled center diffy and 6 speed alone should be enough of a reason to get the STi over an EVO, then toss in Subaru reliability and .5l more displacement and 25hp and torque...
-mike
Such a joke.
'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
How many of us are constantly on a mirror smooth racetrack ?? Hey, I live in the real world and my cars do too. JMHO.
Later...AH
Given the 2.5L torque curve, does the STi really need the 6-speed? -- I think it's mostly for bragging rights. It would have been smarter for Subaru to "clean sheet" a new 5-speed manual, and then let it trickle-down to replace the 2.0L WRX's tranny. Come to think of it, the 2.0L car needs the 6-speed more than the STi does.
The Evo is certainly a buck-nekkid wild ride, but I'd rather own the STi.
STI is to EVO as Mustang was to Camaro. Let the new ponycar war begin!
I plan on replacing my '93 mustang and driving my next car for the next 10 years. Right now I am trying to decide between a new 'stang or a more practical and still sporty car like the WRX.
Thanks for all your input.
Brian
The STi is never going to sell really well, it is a status car and is for enthusiasts. Why would somebody looking for decent performance in an AWD sedan spend 30K, when they can get almost the same thing for 23K in the regular ol' WRX? The WRX is plenty for somebody looking for AWD and something different the the V6 models from Honda, Nissan, and Mazda.
People doing daily driving are NOT going to care about the front LSD or the driver adjustable center differential, the regular WRX will be more than enough.
Subaru should stick the 2.5L turbo with about 240HP in the regular WRX along with the 6-speed. In fact, make the 2.5L turbo and 6-speed standard across all of the models with that engine, along with a 5-speed automatic in all turbo and non-turbo models.
Boost the STi up a little more in power, say to 320HP and tighten up the steering and suspension a bit and hold the price to 30K.
Magazines will brag about it, people will show up in dealerships, and most will walk out with a WRX.
-B
'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
- Beanboy, With the comparisons, you have to understand where they are comming from. These magazines are looking for all-out performance period. Livability has nothing to do with these ratings in these magazines! This is where the STi wins.
Also, both cars are pretty hard-core. As mentioned in C&D comparison in the beginning:
"Consider that one of out testers quite rightly concluded after a hard point-and-squirt run on a tight country road in Southern California that he couldn't have gone through the section an faster if he'd been in a Ferrari 360 Modena."
It is just that the Evo seems a little more hard-edged than the STi. NOT that the STi is a wimpy supercar.
TWRX
Here is why:
1) The WRX drives like a regular 50/50 AWD vehicle, with its Viscous coupler center differential.
The STi drives closer to a RWD vehicle with its 36/64 f/r splitting Dual-Planetary gear center differential (True mechanics of the DCCD). This is the same center diff present in the Automatic WRX, with the Auto-WRX lacking the knob that would enable the variation in the default torque split.
2) The WRX has a Viscous LSD in the rear, while the STi has a Torque-sensing LSD in the rear.
3) The WRX has an open differential in the front, while the STi has a mechanical torque-biasing clutch-type differential in the front (suretrac).
4) Much stronger 6-speed vs 5-speed.
5) Inverted struts, aluminium suspension components etc.
6) Variable valve timing and extremely-low-end-torquey turbo engine vs a relatively laggy low-end-torque-challenged smaller non-variable-valve-timing engine.
7) Things like HID lights, Auto climate control etc are just icing on the cake.
Note: The EVO drives like a superbly setup WRX, with its Viscous coupler center diff, and open front differential. People used to driving the WRX, would feel right at home in an EVO. The STi with its funky front/center/rear differentials would have a long but rewarding learning curve. A club level racer would take at least a few weeks of intense practice before learning the nuances of its wild differentials. A professional racer would take at least a few days before being really good at using the STi's true potential. I really wonder how many of these "expert" Auto journalists are masters in driving an unusual car like the STi (with its front/rear-torque-biasing-center/rear differentials), which is completely unlike anything the US has ever seen (including the WRX or the EVO, which are similar to each other in the basic driving dynamics) ?? If so, then are these "expert reviews", a bit premature ?
The quirky thing is that the EVO is closer to the WRX than the WRX is to the STi, when talking about the basic driving dynamics, even though the EVO and the WRX are manufactured by different companies. Both have the 50/50 power splitting Viscous coupler center and rear differentials and the open front differential, completely unlike the STi. In fact, the Automatic-WRX is closer to the basic driving dynamic of the STi than the manual-WRX, due to the behavior of the center differential.
Also note that the US-spec STi's front sway-bar has been increased in size over the Japanese version, to add understeer, since Subaru would not want to be challenged with lawsuits, this early in the STi's lifespan, since as we know, an understeering car is "safer" in the hands of novice drivers than a neutral or oversteering car....But then, what prevents a buyer from quickly switching the thicker sway with a smaller one, that would make the car even more neutral ??
Later...AH
People who drive the WRX regularly can comfortably take test drives in the EVO and feel right at home. In fact, the EVO would feel like a fantastically setup WRX with everything tightened all around and much quicker steering (13:1 ratio). They would be REALLY impressed by the EVO.
People who buy the STi, sight unseen (tough to do when it is your money !!) and who take the time to learn the nuances of its drivetrain, over the next several months, will never drive any other vehicle again. Everything else, in this price range, will seem sub-standard after that. JMHO.
Later...AH
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4152841.stm
-Dennis
When you find Mitsu and Subaru dealers that are amenable to your test-drive plan, please report back! Not trying to rip, but just injecting a dose of reality: aside from automotive journalists, very few folks will have the access to both cars needed to make a comprehensive, firsthand comparative assessment. That leaves the rest of us reading the mags and internet forums...
Of course, the Japanese EVO has active differentials which makes a huge difference. We in the US get stuck with the Viscous differentials on the EVO.
As I was getting on the divided highway, I saw a Neon up ahead of me in the left lane. I blew by him at first, and then noticed that he was trying to catch up with me in a rather obvious way (that's when I saw it was an SR-T, because of the outrageous front grillage). The guy never really caught up with me until the highway went down to one lane and I slowed due to traffic, but he was hanging in there the whole time. Bet it would have been real interesting if I didn't have a headstart....
Craig
I certainly won't argue with the performance. From a roll, SR-T's should be able to take a Rex. But, I will certainly take the consolation prize on that if I don't have to deal with Mopar (sub-par) quality.