Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon

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Comments

  • aa717driveraa717driver Member Posts: 41
    Anyone lease? Through Subaru? Residuals, length and payments? Also, some people are getting in for $23K. Does that just require some shopping around or can I walk in and tell them what I want to pay? Thanks, as usual.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I wouldn't lease any Subaru-- crap residuals.

    -Colin
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    the residuals were quite high.

    I think for the '02 models last year they had the same residuals as MB.

    -mike
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    I just turned 50 two days ago. I don't see me giving up a manual WRX any time soon. My '92 Toyota pickup that I bought last spring is the only auto I have ever owned. My wife who is having hip and knee problems is looking to buy an auto tranny soon. I got her to test drive a new Legacy GT with the sportshift last weekend. I was unimpressed. I did not like trying to think my way through back and forth to shift rather than an H pattern. So I'll be happy to stick with the clutch. As I see it the only way to make me abandon a 5 speed is to buy a car with a 6 speed.
    BTW you are only as old as you feel. My mother still enjoys the clutch and shifting in her 1998 Civic. She turned ninety back in June!
    TWRX
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    paisan, I can't possibly see how that is true considering the resale value (as a % of original price) of a 1-2 year old merc vs. a subaru of any model.

    but whatever. this is a wrx wagon thread, there's FWI for serious lease questions...

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    aa717: check out fitzmall.com, they have a payment calculator. Their no-haggle pricing lets you figure out the exact starting costs. I haven't used their leasing tool yet, but try it, you have nothing to lose.

    -juice
  • aa717driveraa717driver Member Posts: 41
    Thanks all. I think I may buy. I can lease an IS300 for about what I can buy a WRX but I still have mileage overage charges AND I don't have anything after it's done.

    From what you all say, the WRX is a good one to keep. BTW, who has the highest mileage WRX around? Anyone ask your service people about that? Thanks again.TC
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I've seen some with 40K-50K miles.

    -mike
  • strider98strider98 Member Posts: 89
    1000 mi on mine last night! To celebrate, took it up over 5k rpms coupla times to let it loose. Could not stop laughing after that, b/c it was so fun. Man, I love this thing!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Awright, no fair, some of us own N/A engines here. ;-)

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I just read the Automobile magazine long-term review of the WRX wagon. In general, they had only positive things to say. The wagon received 5-stars.

    Two things that the reviewers didn't like were the styling and the way the sloping rear hatch cuts down on cargo space.

    There were mixed reviews on the tranny -- one reviewer liked it while others seemed to be concerned about the 1st gear synchros.

    Ken
  • strider98strider98 Member Posts: 89
    with them on the hatch sloping too much. I've been changing apartments the last coupla days and tried to load my mattress into my wagon. Wound up driving about 20 minutes with the end of the dang thing propped up on top of my head. Glad I did it at night, otherwise I would have looked very stupid. If the hatch was a little more upright in the back (sorta like the GTI) I would probably have had less of a problem.

    They wouldn't have concerns with the 1st gear synchros if they didn't try ramming it into 1st at anything above a dead stop, IMHO....
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, if you square off the back of the Impreza wagon, you have a Forester. :-)

    -juice
  • ponmponm Member Posts: 139
    I wouldn't say it is high mileage but a friend of mine has put roughly 35,000 hard miles on his wrx. When I mean hard, I mean an auto-x every weekend, several rallies in full blown mud. He actually practices in cornfields and hasn't had one problem.
    -scott
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
  • crazy1crazy1 Member Posts: 10
    This past summer in Baltimore I was too late leaving work to put my WRX in the garage. The
    thunderstorm hit and we ended up having hail about 5/8 in diameter. A few weeks ago I noticed some very small dents on the aluminum hood. I counted 5 of them. I wanted to warn everyone
    about the problem. One solution already tried is as follows. If you cant go home just in case it
    hails, carry 1 or 2 quilted blankets like the
    movers use. If it starts to rain and hail is
    forcasted, spread the blankets over your hood and
    roof. Once the blankets get wet they will stick
    well enough not to blow off. They will prevent denting onless the hail gets too large.
    You will need some type of container to put the wet covers in to take them home for a spin in the washer to remove excess water, or hang them over a railing to drip dry. Sorry I bored you all with too much detail.
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    Also, some of the thicker car covers like Evolution 4 fabric have got to help in the case of hail also.
  • senturkrssenturkrs Member Posts: 1
    I am considering getting a 2003 wrx wagon. Any suggestions on options? 16" or 17" wheels? How about the turbo boost gauge? Thx.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    IIRC, it's "If I Remember Correctly". :o)

    Saw a couple more acronyms in the last day or so:

    WTLW: welcome to last week
    DOD: displacement on demand
    HSD: hybrid synergy drive (on the Prius)
    PZEV: partial zero emissions vehicle

    Trivia: did you know that the California Outbacks actually qualify as PZEVs?

    -juice
  • outbacker2k2outbacker2k2 Member Posts: 24
    Well I went home for the weekend from school this past satuarday and sunday to find out my dad had bought a shiny new Audi TT Roadster with a six speed. Needless to say after a little practice I was hooked. So now that my transmission dillema is sorted, does anyone know if SoA plans on offering a cold weather package on the impreza or a 6 Speed Manual any time in the furture?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Is due in the upcoming STi version.

    -mike
  • himilerhimiler Member Posts: 1,209
    16" wheels = fine handling, comfy ride
    17" wheels = marginally better handling, more $$, less ride comfort

    Put some good rubber on the OE rims and you'll forget all about bigger wheels.

    No cold weather package for the WRX...yet.
    There will be a 6-spd in the STi coming in early 2003, but you're going to need $30-grand-plus to play in that game.
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    The problem with the stock 16" rims (16x6.5) is that they are too narrow to accomodate any kind of brake upgrade (if you intend to have better brakes down the road), like the 4-piston Subaru STi brakes. Even some 17x7 rims cannot accomodate better brakes - like the BBS RK rims sold by tirerack. The BBS optional rims of Subaru can accomodate the 4-pot brakes.

    The earlier RS 16" rims could accomodate the 4-piston brakes, however. So if you can get the earlier 16x7" RS rims, that should ensure everything that you need to look for, without the big expense of going for the 17s.

    Later...AH
  • WarpDriveWarpDrive Member Posts: 506
    New tires on the 16" wheels are the best bang for the buck. However, if you really want to experience the Subaru the way it was meant to feel, go for an aftermarket 17" wheel (after all, most WRX's around the world come with 17" wheels). Besides I never liked the 16" stock wheels for the looks alone.
  • nschulman3nschulman3 Member Posts: 125
    I upgrade recently to 17" rims and tires. IMO, the rota attacks in steel grey and the larger rubber (225-45-17) make the car look much more agressive and give it that rally car look. also, the ride is still decent, although a bit harsher. However, the bridgestone pole position so3 tires i purchased follow the grooves in the road way too much. The car is all over the road in anything but high-speed driving. Perhaps i should fiddle with tire pressure, but i have heard that the toyo-proxess t1-s is a better all around performance tire.
  • prayerforprayerfor Member Posts: 161
    WRXs in Canada come with heated seats standard... I'm sure you could get this retrofitted to a US-spec car if it really meant a lot to you.

    I find heated seats much less necessary with cloth seats vs. leather seats... my butt's never been uncomfortably cold in my WRX (or previous GS-R), but man, getting into my wife's STS on a cold day is most unpleasant! Then I find the heat hits the underside of my thighs just fine, but the sides that are touching the bolsters remain frigid.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Interesting that the Automobile magazine update mentioned that they decided not to upgrade the wheels to keep road noise down.

    Ken
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    is that the US of A WRXs are not prewired. I originally investigated this. Don't ask why they aren't...it didn't make much sense to me since Canada and the USA are the N.American market!

    As a side note, there is an aftermarket leather installer on the web that offers heated and/or massaging features w/their leather kits! There have been about 4 group buys over on the i-club for this vendor. Those that have bought and installed have good things to say about the product. :-)

    Stephen
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Current rumors have the Forester getting a 2.5l turbo, not the 2.0l from the WRX.

    Get 17s if you can use the OE 16s for snow, then it's not wasted money. You can sell the 16s with tires for $400-500 or so, though.

    -juice
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    today. Got to say that the WRX caught my attention. I'd have to be careful - I'm not able to afford the many speeding tickets I could get driving it! I also liked the OB limited. We also drove an auto Forester and quickly came to the conclusion that we should definitely get a MT for our uses. I think I could (sadly) forgo the heated seats for the fun of driving the WRX. My only problem now will be waiting until after April to get it - I'm still not willing to give up the Wrangler, so I have to wait until it is paid off and I can afford to take a big hit on the Taco. I guess I'm off the fence and definitely a Wanna-be Subie owner.

    My only question now is how do people deal with the lack of decent cup holders? Because of our long daily commute we are always drinking something, either coffee, water or soda and others must have come up with solutions. I'd be interested in any ideas.
  • xcskierxcskier Member Posts: 34
    I have a silver wagon which I got middle of last winter.

    Has anyone had success attaching a full-size ski box (Thule or Yakima) to their WRX wagon and still getting the hatch to open?

    I set one on the roof last winter just for fit, and it overhung so far back that I could only open the hatch a foot or so.

    I'm considering sliding it all the way forward so that the open hatch can clear the rear of the ski box. My concerns with doing this are having too much length hanging over the windshield and hood. I'm sure it would look pretty odd, but more importantly, it might catch the wind and be noisy, vibrate, or even buckle or otherwise fail.

    I've even considered reinforcing the inside with some steel straps running lengthwise on the floor of the box. I doubt if Thule would condone such an approach, but it might work fine. I just hate to experiment with a $400 setup and find out there is a big problem.

    Anyone played around with this and found a good solution?

    Thanks, and think snow!
  • outbacker2k2outbacker2k2 Member Posts: 24
    Well, you're in luck. I work at REI and we sell alot of these things. How big of a box do you want? If you just want one big enough for your skis and poles, and maybe a little extra gear then I'd go with the Thule Evolution 1200. It has quick release hardware, it has about 5 inches of adjustment front to back and more importantly its' not huge. The evolution series is definitely my favorite cargo box out there.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    The wheelbase of the new Impreza wagon is still at 99.5 in., I presume?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • xcskierxcskier Member Posts: 34
    Outbacker,

    It seems like any box long enough to hold skis will have the problem I described. BTW, I should clarify that my longest skis are 210cm Nordic skis.

    I am familiar with Thule Evolution, and like any others, it will interfere with the hatch unless it is pushed all the way forward.

    Do you think this is advisable? You would have to drill new mounting holes in the bottom of the box (a simple task through the plastic), but I'm concerned about the long length haning off the front, as I described in the first post.

    Thanks.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    Yeah, and why do you have to change the differential fluid in Subarus at a certain mileage? Is this important to the car's long-term survival?
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    it needs new fluid just like any tranny or engine!
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    They have a separate Transmission and Differential fluid compartments in their Auto Trannys. Aparently, when these cars would have their oil changed at mechanics, the mechanics would either forget or not know about the differential fluid compartments!
  • outbacker2k2outbacker2k2 Member Posts: 24
    No i'd HIGHLY advise against drilling anything into an evolution. The quick-snap hardware needs a very specific hole size in order to ensure it won't rattle while driving. As long as you maintain a minimum of 23" on your crossbar spread then you can push the box as far foward as you want and not worry about it.

    I'd reccomend you visit a thule dealer and ask them to if you can try the box out on your car in the parking lot. The sales guys should be able to adjust your crossbars and the box to ensure a stable fit while pushing it foward far enough to let you into the hatch.

    FYI the evolution 1200 is 91" long which I think should just accomodate a pair of 210s.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Another option is to remove the rear spoiler. I'm not sure how easy it is, but I have seen pics of it on the i-club (i-club.com/forums).

    -Dennis
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    Anyone have a picture of a 2003 sonic yellow wrx wagon they can post or point me to? Looks like it could be an attractive color.
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    saw one at the dealer, looks like the yellow on the new mazda protege. audi had a yellow like that once too
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    Joseph: there's a little picture on the welcome page of a fun Seattle area dealership. Go to

    http://www.cars101.com/


    If you look around, there's some fun stuff here, including a bird's eye view of a Forester moonroof. In the photo section they've got a pic of a 1970 Subaru Sambar minivan (360 cc 2-stroke) that is way cool!


    Steve

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I hope I agree when I see it in person, Mazda makes gorgeous yellows.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Don't go by what you see on screen. In real life they will look much different, that I guarantee.

    Bob
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    Thanks for the link!

    So those that have seen the sonic yellow - thumbs up or down?

    I like the yellow that the Protege 5 had last year. A little bit of black in it.

    Any bigger pics? A nearby dealer has one in inventory I just might have to check it out!
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    FWIW I liked the one I saw last week. Not a "hard" yellow. More buttery. But that's all just a matter of taste.

    Steve
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    I don't like it. It has too much orange in it, making it look like a taxicab. Just saw one again today at Carter Subaru (same as the cars101 link above). It is definitely not the same yellow as Mazda's.

    Stephen
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I like it, but then I like all yellows. Having said that, would I buy a yellow car? No.

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I like it, but then I like all yellows. Having said that, would I buy a yellow car? No.

    It's like riding in a speeding ticket waiting to happen. I don't need that. I much prefer stealthy cars...

    Bob
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