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Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
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While I'm here, a few words about my WRX:
I've had it since December and the novelty still hasn't worn off in 9k miles. The acceleration in 3rd is wonderful, in the dry it has more grip than I have guts and I personally think it looks great. The car is bog standard apart from upgraded spkrs, roof cross bars, trunk liner and a rear bumper guard I got from Subaruparts.com
Problems/minor gripes:
Front brakes needed resurfacing at 1000m oil chg (they were showing an odd wear pattern with big grooves). Got new pads too, all under warranty of course.
Pressing the clutch sometimes makes strange 'sproing' sound when changing up at about 4-5K. Anyone else get this ? I mentioned it at the last service (Lynnes in Bloomfield, NJ) and even took out a tech to demonstrate, got told 'they all do that' -not too impressed, can anyone recommend a different service dept in Northern NJ region ?
Clutch sometimes judders when car is cold, I believe this is common, will have it checked at next service (probably at a different service dept though).
Maddening squeak from passenger seat (only when occupied) traced to seatbelt mounting. A 1/4 turn with a spanner fixed it in 20 seconds.
Despite these minor faults, I still love the thing to bits.
This is a great forum btw.
Alun
Prodrive has designed springs for both the WRX sedan and wagon to work in tandem w/the stock struts. They are currently available through Tirerack but don't appear on the website. You have to actually inquire about them.
Stephen
Also, I think it would be a good idea to check out the STi suspension from the dealer. It maintains the stock height perfectly but the performance difference is like night and day. Of course, you get stronger struts, springs/dampers, and a rear stabilizer bar. If you go for the whole shebang (not available from the dealer but is manufactured for the STi), it would also include front control arm bushings, rear suspension cross-member bushings, lateral link bushings, lateral links, pillowball swaybar links and trailing links. The total effect is supposed to be magical. With the pillowball sway links, the suspension develops a plush feel and maintains the stock compliance but handling feel is phenomenally better. And all of these are Subaru FACTORY stuff.
Later...AH
Do a search in the Tri-State forum at i.club.com and you'll find a few not so good things.
I've never had service in Northern NJ, but Liberty in Oradell is supposed to be decent. Town Motors in Englewood is supposed to be good as well (local i-clubber is a tech there). Definitely check out the tri-state forum for local events and misc. ramblings.
-Dennis
http://www.ngs-subaru.co.jp/newcar2/impsti/ra-c/
Yeah, I'm also interested in the STi setup as offered by the dealer. Basically looking at either the STi setup or just the Prodrive springs w/stock struts.
Stephen
Unless you can save several thousand dollars over the actual cost of a brand new one, buying the used one might not make sense. I only paid about $400 over invoice last August, and even better deals are probably now available since the '03 models will be out in the next few months. If you decide to go with the used one, I'd recommend taking it to the best independent Subaru mechanic you can find and have them go over it carefully looking for signs of abuse, and I'd do this even with a certified used car. That inspection would likely cost $75 to $100 but it would be money well spent.
One problem: brakes applied hard started the wheel shaking about 3 months ago. At 15k check up they told me that front rotors needed machined ($70). Told dealer to call Subaru rep because I could not believe it was not on warranty. That fixed it and amazingly with in an hour the dealer decide it was free after all!
Improvments & things it needs: Sunroof and rear power outlet and no DRLS (yuck!)
Raves: well obviously performance but the thing that some worry about "is it too small, too noisy, etc. to be a good road car" just is not true. One reason I tend to go fast in it is how quiet and solid this thing is a high speed. The combo of the Momo wheel, shifter and pedals just work fine and best of all are the sport seats. These are the best seats in any car I have owned. And by being cloth I could care less if they are not heated and I don't like leather anyway. I'm 6' and 250 lbs. and this thing is great for 300-400 mile days I have done with it. I don't have kids so being a wagon the room for luggage is great. Also I have had 3 passengers in it on the road several times. No complaints from the back seats. Back seat room is better than my Forester but the trick here is that the front leg room seems much better than my wife's 98 RS so the passenger side front seat can go quite a bit forward to help out the passenger behind.
Everybody raves about WR Blue. Super car, no regrets.
TWRX
Bruce - Thanks for the 15K write-up. Are you ever nervous you'll encounter that TO bearing squeak again?
-Dennis
-Colin
Bob
Another happy WRX owner
I asked a lot of questions of the owner, contacted the dealer he bought from and discussed with them the car's history, and ultimately got myself over all the concerns I could think of. (My car has a 6 year/100K extended warranty that transferred to me, so that helped a lot too.) I got the car for $20K so I probably saved in the neighborhood of $3500 over a new one with the options mine has (pkg 3A, sound pkg, carbon trim, and cargo tray: MSRP $25048 inv $22741).
We have a 3-month-old and the wagon is just perfect for me and my wife -- enthusiast drivers on a budget, and with a need for versatility and practicality. It's a fantastic package... for our needs nothing else is even close.
Do your homework and if the car checks out, go for it!
actually the M3's sunroof is FAR nicer as far as sunroof go-- it can tilt or retract into the roof and is much quieter in use (especially when slid back) than the Impreza's.
the bimmer also doesn't creak when entering or exiting driveways like my Impreza did-- yes, with the sunroof shut.
I don't like sunroofs in general because of the loss of structural integrity, added weight and low usability.. cool weather or night only and in those cases I'm perfectly happy with just windows. I wouldn't change my tune somewhere with "nicer" weather like SoCal either; I'd buy a genuine roadster instead of a convertible or a coupe/sedan/wagon with a sunroof.
-Colin
Read the fine print, covered components and excluded components VERY closely on any extended warranty. Almost every time I do I see something that makes the warranty a lot less useful than you'd think or simply decide the cash outlay isn't worth it. For example, very few of them cover any sort of electronics (the ECU and sensors being ones to have concern about). They often don't cover engine accessories either, like an alternator or water pump.
-Colin
http://www.subaruwarranty.com/GoldPlan.htm
No problems with either sunroof on my wife's OB. Maybe because they're used only 5% of the time.
-Dennis
Later...AH
cloth, non-sunroof cars are popular for motorsport enthusiasts but hard to sell to anyone else because they do want the comforts and they tend to be skittish about a car that's spent time at the track.
-Colin
I agree. Japan gets stripped down WRX STi's, but I would bet a WRX LL Bean would sell like hotcakes in N. America.
-Dennis
With the added weight (probably a good 300-500 lbs.) talk about your 0-60 going to the waste basket!!!
Maybe an Impreza LL Bean, but please not the WRX!! That is almost sacriligeous!
just my opinion.
Aparently, fold-down rear seats decrease structural rigidity, thus reducing slightly the sportiness of the car by making it less stiff.
I'd probably rather have the fold down seat and sacrifice the .01 G of lateral handling, myself, but I think they could probably find a way to have a fold down seat without seriously impacting body stiffness.
Just my opinion, and I've been known to be wrong before, though
-Colin
-juice
as was said above, car will follow grooves more, but overall the wheels/tires improve handling a great deal.
HG
TWRX
twrx--we get a lot of cracked windshields here in Colorado, I think because we have so many big SUVs and PUs (more per capita than any other state in the union). The wider grooves in their tires pick up small rocks really easy and shoot them back into rear-following traffic-- at least that's one theory why auto glass repair places are doing such a booming business out here.
Stephen
Stephen
YOU WON'T! I hate saying stuff like that and then it happens to someone...
-Colin
Getting off my soapbox in Seattle,
Stephen
I wouldn't say the Falken Azenis (RS) is "not the same class" because that implies (to most people) that it doesn't perform as well as the T1-S or S-03.
Which is untrue of course. It handily outperforms them, problem is it doesn't last long, it's noisy and it rides harsh. And it can often be hard to find since they aren't importing many sizes or much volume in the sizes carried.
-Colin
Stephen
July issue of EVO magazine tested max performance tires. The T1-S placed third overall with the only real complaint being harshness over bumps and a bit higher road noise. They topped the wet tests. S-03's placed seventh behind Dunlop SP9000 and Michelin Pilot. I don't remember what was second, but some variant of the Eagle F1 was first. Their tests included skidpad, slalom, road tests, and track tests. and So overall, you won't go wrong with the Toyo T1-S.
When I buy a tire, I look at the whole story, wear, all roundedness, support, availability. The Falkens are cheaper but you give up on some aspects for their great dry grip. I think it's definitely worth it to spend more. Like the poster above, tires are the single most important safety feature and upgrade you can make. You should buy the best you can afford. You have a $24K car so it's not worth saving $200 on tires.
I agree that it's smart money to buy good tires. There's a difference though between the best tires that money can buy, and the best tires for the money spent. ;-)
I wouldn't use the Falken Azenis RS as a daily driver myself.
-Colin
-mike