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Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon

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  • woofie596woofie596 Member Posts: 11
    When on a long trip... use your 'cruise control' (yeah, on a 5-speed, no less) as it will save you from tickets. When I don't use it, it just sorta creeps up to 90-100 (all by itself !!...heh heh)
    Hey, it's like a rock at 100... weird... like a 'real' expensive GT car. I think the little duck-tail actually works !!
    Been a tad faster than 100, but don't wanna say how much... trust me... it will go until the "limiter" says: No More.

    enjoy...
  • fjw2fjw2 Member Posts: 15
    I've glad I'm not the ONLY 48 something WRX owner here. Glad that there are other young folks out there driving this yuppie sports wagon.

    We recently traded in our Nissan Pathfinder to a BMW M Roadster, and my husband drive that for one week, and I drive it for one week. But that was when I was driving an Oldmobile Alero.

    But now that I traded in my Alero to the 2002 WRX, I have not been interested in driving the beamer. Even though, I get more looks with the M, I enjoy driving my WRX! It's ME!
  • wrx_227wrx_227 Member Posts: 2
    I bought a WRX about 2 weeks ago and I'm coming
    up on the end of the recommended 1000 mile break
    in period. It was hard trying to keep it under
    4000 rpms...I think I broke that rule a couple
    times.

    The dealer told me to let the car idle for a few
    minutes before shutting it off to let the turbo
    cool down. The owner's manual has no mention of
    this. Do I need a turbo timer or what?

    I love everything about this car so far, except
    the rattle in my dash and my driver's door. I
    expected a little tighter interior for my $25K.
    My 5 year old Prizm still has no rattles...but
    then again it has less than half the power!
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    no cool down period needed due the design and placement of the turbo. I have this in writing from them. My take is it might be prudent to allow the car to cool down a bit before shutting off after running hard on the freeway or jack rabbit starts and stops in-town. Put it another way...couldn't hurt.

    Based on this, I would save my $ on a turbo-timer. It wouldn't ever be needed unless you were driving the hell out of your WRX most of the time. Just my .02. BTW, I usually am running my WRX wagon a bit hard on the way to work as I'm usually running late. Once I get to my parking lot, I let the car idle a bit while I'm writing my check for parking. :-)

    Stephen
  • fjw2fjw2 Member Posts: 15
    You know there are ONLY 10,000 WRX made in US, but they didn't have the Limited Edition marked on them like the PT Cruisers. Does anyone know WHY? Is it possible for us owners to have those added to our WRX? I would have imagined they were smart enough to add them before they were sold.

    P.S. I can't believe I am now the proud OWNER free and clear (paid off) on my wagon.

    Yippeeee!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    10K is actually 15K IIRC. You think that is limited? The SVX only sold 15K over 5 years of vehicle. and only 4K XT6s over 3 years of sales. Limited Edition is just a stupid Madison Ave Marketing tool.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep, the "Limited" label means nothing, really.

    Paid off, eh? Now you can focus on mods, or start saving up for that Alfa project car you mention in your profile.

    -juice
  • glinski1glinski1 Member Posts: 5
    So I have a few questions: Has anyone noticed the new lexus wagon? Coincidence? And the trend toward powerful compact cars. I drive a silver waggon and when I saw that lexus comercial with their "totaly unexpected" add campaign I laughed.

    well enough of my complaining...

    Has anyone heard of a reliable way of boosting the pressure in the turbo. Are there any controlers specificaly designed for the WRX? And has anyone tested these engines at lets say 17psi of boost? Can the blow-by valve be simply released with a different one withought compromising the engine?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Don't complain, it's good to see wagons making a comeback. The SportCross is very attractive, too.

    On the lower end of the spectrum, you've got the Matrix, the Vibe, and the Protoge5. All are sporty and attractive.

    -juice
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    Almost any Manual or Electronic boost controler will work with the WRX from what I can tell.

    17psi is definatly dangerous, I would stay around 14-15 max under hard driving (stay at 14 or under most of the time to be safe). Its not that big of a turbo.
  • silhouette2silhouette2 Member Posts: 7
    In an August 6 message Crazy1 mentions the need to have the valves adjusted at 60,000 miles. I just scanned the Subaru maintenance schedule but can find no mention of valve adjustments. Did I miss something? I assumed the 2.0 has hydraulic valves.

    At 46 I'm finding my blue WRX sportwagon to be tons of fun! I drive conservatively but like to rev the engine to 6k in first or second for an occasional burst of excitement. It isn't necessary to rev the engine to the 7000 rpm redline and I prefer to goose it from a rolling start. I love to hear the quiet growl and turbo whine as the engine makes power. The smooth, civil and sophisticated power delivery give the car a high tech feel.

    I have to admit I spend a lot of time detailing my WRX. I've found the clearcoat scratches easily and have switched to cotton diapers for drying. I anticipate needing to buy a random orbital polisher if I want to keep the paint swirl free.

    My only other complaint is that the interior is a veritable dust magnet. I use 3M lint rollers to remove the fuzz from the seats. Call me Mr. Clean.

    Occassionally, I hear something loose in the driver's door that sounds like a slack chain in an automatic passive seatbelt system but I plan to give my dealership a shot at figuring out how to silence it.
  • vitamanvitaman Member Posts: 1
    I'm about to order my "superwagon" and need some advice. Am considering the following: stereo upgrade,17" wheels (do these include brake or suspension changes?) short shift,dimming mirror,gauge cluster. Any experiences neg. or pos. would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

    Rick
    WRX SilverWagon soon
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I would consider the short shifter, and some "practical" options like the rear bumper step pad (we have a dog), the rubber floor tray (from the Outback Sport), and roof rack cross bars. If I were to get 17" wheels, I'd opt for the version sold in Europe, which are available here too (if you look for them), and are much, much cheaper than the BBS wheels.

    We have a Forester S Premium which has the auto-dim mirrors and the same audio system (with tweeter upgrade) as the WRX has. I like the mirrors; and for me, the audio is fine.

    I think the gauge package is a waste of money, IMO.

    Bob
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    Additionally, there are quite a few aftermarket alternatives for the cheap looking Subaru gauges. There are also plenty of choices for wheels and tires. Most of these combos will still be less than the jaw-dropping price of the Subaru optional BBS (excluding dealer installed RK's, that is). Remember, that the BBS wheels are wheels alone and don't include tires. There are no brake or suspension upgrades included with this either. As far as the upgraded stereo, I listened to both the stock and upgraded vesion and could not discern enough difference to justify the cost of the option. There are plenty of other aftermarket alternatives out there anyhow. A couple of options that I have you may want to consider. They are the console extension and upgraded security system. The storage space in the WRX is limited so the console ext. is a nice option. It also provides a comfortable place for my arm when traveling and not shifting a lot. Some folks have complained that it interferes w/shifting. It depends on your body type, how long your arms and torso are. The upgraded security system is not too expensive and very worthwhile IMO. It's also quite sensitive.

    How long will it take to get your wagon once ordered? I ordered my silver wagon on 2/3 and picked up on 3/26. It was the first allocation to WA State. You will enjoy your WRX regardless of what options you decide to get. The hard part is not flogging it too much during the 1000 mile break-in period. Good luck and congrats.

    Stephen
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I forgot the center armrest extension. Definitely a worthwhile option, IMO. Also, you might consider getting rear cupholders, if you use the rear seat much.

    Bob
  • cupholder1cupholder1 Member Posts: 231
    is the armrest extension height adjustable? i prefer my armrest to be very low, so i wouldn't want to get something that sticks up too much.

    anyone with the rubber bumper covers? I am interested in the cover because my present car has a plastic bumper, and it has countless dings, screwhole marks, etc., from idiots hitting my bumper, or the valet backing it up into another car.

    and what about the stereo upgrade? is that worth it? or just the speaker upgrade by itself?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You'll have to find one and try it for size. For me, it's just about perfect.

    Bob
  • crazy1crazy1 Member Posts: 10
    I read about valve adjustment at 60000 in the
    Road & Track issue called the Guide to the Subaru
    Impreza WRX. I was given it at the dealer when I
    Inquired about the WRX wagon. It was a special series magazine. Not for sale at stores.
    The section on Turbo Power written by John Lamm
    Stated that solid lifters allowed engineers to use more aggressive cam profiles, and that the added precision of the valve train requires adjustment at 60000. I guess Subaru wanted to hide the cost of the servicing so as not to scare away potential buyers. I,m going to ask my dealers input on this and their estimated cost so I can inform you all at Edmunds about it before you buy the car.
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    Its too big for you then. I like it cause its extra space.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The arm rest is fixed. I agree you should try it. I like it, but some shorter folks may find it actually interferes with shifting.

    Also, if you fold all the seats flat (front seats forward, remove head rest, recline, fold rear seat, remove head rest, recline forward) then the arm rest stick up a bit.

    -juice
  • silhouette2silhouette2 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the details about your source regarding valve adjustment @ 60,000 miles. I'm anxious to hear more details. I buy a shop manual for all of my cars and prefer to perform routine service and repairs. I imagine the shop manual will reveal the Subaru's recommendations for valve adjustments. Guess I should go ahead and order one.
  • huibregtsehuibregtse Member Posts: 24
    I haven't driven either vehicle yet, but I am interested in whether there is any significant difference between the wagon and sedan in terms of handling. I heard elsewhere that they would be "completely different" cars because of the wider stance of the sedan and suspension differences. Any truth to this? I haven't heard this commented on in any of the articles or reviews I've read about the WRX.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I doubt an inch makes enough of a difference that you could even feel it.

    -juice
  • outrunoutrun Member Posts: 539
    I think the wagon is 20mm narrower, marginally taller, has a 17mm anti-way bar in the rear instead of the sedan's 20mm, and weights about 80 pounds more than the sedan.

    All those things combined MIGHT allow a moderate to professional drive to feel a difference. Me? I doubt it.

    Although the 20mm bar from the sedan fits on the wagon fine, which I've heard should be one of the first upgrades to the wagon. I think it costs around $80.

    Heck, the wagon costs $500 less. With that $500, you could easily bring the wagon to sedan handling levels, and maybe then some.

    -Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You read my mind. $500 buys a lot of mods. I'd use it to invest in 17" rims, which would more than compensate for any loss in handling.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    also drove a stock sedan. The wagon rolls a bit more in the tighter turns than the sedan and you can get the rear end to come around (almost like a RWD car)much easier than the sedan (probably due to the 17mm rear sway bar in the wagon). I felt the extra utility of the wagon and its better exterior looks (IMHO)over the sedan was worth the trade-off. A couple of weeks ago I put on the sedan's 20mm rear sway bar and whoa, much tighter turn in and the rear stays more planted w/less roll. A definite upgrade must for those who are handling aficianados. I'm also going to put a 22mm front sway bar on to better balance the car now that the rear has been increased. I'll let everyone know my impressions after that is done.

    Jon: Check out Sports Compact Car, Nov edition. They test the WRX wagon against the RSX-s. They have quite a bit to say about the wagon's handling vs the WRX sedan. (BTW, they like the wagon better than the Acura RSX) :-)

    Stephen
  • taos2taos2 Member Posts: 31
    What was the cost of the parts and labor for the
    front and rear switch and what was your source?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $100-$200 per axle for the parts, depending on sway bar thickness. It is an easy job, you basically remove 4 bolts, so I'd do it myself.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    cost me about $97 counting shipping and sales tax. I installed myself and I'm not that mechanical. The install time is about 30 to 45 mins. It took me about 2hrs because I had crappy tools. You need a ratchet set and c-clamp for help in getting everything tightened back up. I believe I used 14mm and 12 or 11mm sockets. As Juice said in the post before, there are 4 bolts you need to remove. The source for my part is below. I've also ordered the painted side skirts that replace the stock black ones from them and have had no problems in delivery or billing.


    http://www.subaruparts.com/


    I will be installing a 22mm Whiteline front sway bar w/a fellow i-clubber in the near future as I am buying from him and he offered to help install. The front sway is a little more difficult because of space issues so I'm told. Hope this helps.


    Stephen

  • silhouette2silhouette2 Member Posts: 7
    My sportwagon just turned over 1800 miles. The idle has a a slight lope that worsens with the air conditioning on. Does anyone know, is a less than smooth idle normal for this motor?

    Also, under hard, high rpm acceleration I've heard an occasional muted pop coming from the engine compartment as I let off between shifts. Anyone noticed the same?
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    is normal for the WRX. I noticed this compared to my 00'OB Ltd that I had prior to the WRX. As as the popping, I haven't noticed anything on mine. I currently have 7100 miles on the odometer.

    Stephen
  • perritoperrito Member Posts: 66
    Your car is fine. All WRXs have a lumpy idle, I kind of like it, it's groovy. As for the "pop" you're hearing, it's probably the blow-off valve letting off steam in between shifts. Again, normal, unless it's really going "ka-chunk" then something is wrong. Hard to tell over a posted board like this, eh? best, perrito
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You might feel an improvement if you reset the ECU.

    -juice
  • perritoperrito Member Posts: 66
    It seems to me that everyone is saying "reset the ECU" for any small item that may not be a problem... although it might help. It kind of reminded how to fix the tv back in the days of solid state technology and old vacuum tubes: give it a good kick. :)
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    I just purchased a new WRX wagon Auto today. I am thoroughly impressed with the "riding on rails" feeling with the almost complete lack of body-roll. Quite a different feel from my current Acura TL.

    Also, I am wondering if someone can throw light on this....when coming to a stop (eg.at a stoplight), there is almost the feel of a pretty distinct jerk - feels like a pretty strong transmission kick-down....happened every single time, right before I came to a stop. Is it a "feature" of the WRX, or is it something I need to contact the dealer about ? Is it somehow connected with the VTD AWD system ?

    Thanks in advance,
    AH
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    See my response in the WRX Sedan forum. :-)

    Dennis
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    I saw it. Thanks !

    AH
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    Just a little handling note. If you increase the diameter of the rear bar you are loosening up the rear end. In reality you are unweighting the inside ( in a turn) tire as the outside tire/suspension compresses and pushes the sway bar end upwards which in turn unweights the inside tire. Take a paper clip and make a [ and hold both ends and feel the force on your fingers as you twist one end; this is the same thing that happens with a sway bar.

    If you move weight to the rear of the car you are loosening up the rear end. So the rear end of the wagon weighs more and Subie figured you are going to tend to carry more weight in the back end of a wagon at different times. So Subie dialed in a little more push/tight/understeer by using a smaller diameter rear bar. Most MFGs do this because they know the average USA driver will tend to lift throttle and brake if they feel the rear end starting rotate. At higher cornering speeds reactions like these lead to a spin.

    So when the wagon is empty it probably has a little more push than the sedan. So in general adding a bigger bar in the rear would tend to make wagon handle more neutral or more like a sedan. At some point on an slick road with a lot of weight in the back end, the wagon might need a little more care in driving with a bigger rear bar when pushing the limits.

    So it goes
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep. Drop throttle oversteer. Beware.

    If the tail gets loose, do not let off the gas suddenly. Steady on the gas, AWD will shift power to the front wheels and it will pull you out of the slide (if you haven't lost it).

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    After the switch is good to practice and adjust one's driving habits to match.

    Stephen
  • 1subydown1togo1subydown1togo Member Posts: 348
    Posted this on the WRX Sedan board, but thought it might be worth posting here also...I saw this on the i-club and was somewhat concerned as I was planning on getting a

    WRX. Has any of you experienced this problem...Patti..any news or squawks at SOA

    regarding this?

      http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102893
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    See my response over on the WRX sedan board.

    Stephen
  • beygobeygo Member Posts: 9
    There are 4 Subarus in our family (2 Legacies, 1 WRX wagon, and 1 Forrester), and I haven't heard anyone complain about ABS problems yet. The 2 Legacies are in the East Coast (Toronto and Boston), while the WRX and the Forrester are in San Diego.

    I haven't heard anyone complain about this particular problem, so it's news to me.

    Personally, I find our WRX's brakes to be on the soft side, but if you step on it, it the brakes do what they're supposed to. The car handles very well, you can really feel the road, and I think this makes for safer driving that's also more fun.

    BG
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    I never had any brake problems on my '98 Forester (60 k miles at trade in) and my wife has not had any problems with the ABS on her '98 RS (30 k miles). I have not had any ABS problems on my WRX (5 k miles).
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The two-stage booster takes getting used to, but it does allow for smoother stops, and put the pedal down and it's effective.

    I get in my wife's 626 and the brakes feel touchy. A Cavalier rental car we once had was so touchy that we were getting nauseated.

    -juice
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Juice- What was making you more nauseated? The jerky stops or the fact that you were riding in a GM car? :(o)

    -Frank P.
  • wrx_227wrx_227 Member Posts: 2
    Mine has a lumpy idle and noisy valves. I kinda
    like the occasional shimmer and rumbly exhaust.

    As for the popping sound, I've experienced the
    exact same thing. I don't take it up to 7000
    anymore because I don't like hearing it.
  • moparmadmoparmad Member Posts: 197
    As you can tell from my handle I don't have much experience with Subarus. But my wife decided she missed the handling and economy of her Eagle Talon,Neon and 300M,so it is time to replace her Grand Cherokee limited. Her problem was she has become accustomed to her AWD bad weather peace of mind and doesn't want to give that up. So I suggested she look at Subarus...car handling with AWD bad weather traction. We drove an Outback sport wagon which she loved with the exception of it being severely underpowered,she is used to a 235 horsepower V8,so the sales lady showed us the WRX wagon which we both loved. I was wondering if they are good in the snow. I know they won't be like the Jeep in deep snow,but are they surefooted on snow covered roads? And is there anything else anyone thinks it may be important for us to know? She will buy an automatic because she had her left hip crushed in an accident with a drunk driver and no longer has the range of motion in her hip to drive a standard comfortably.
    Thanks for the help.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'd seriously look at the OB H6. I'm not sure if the wagon comes with an H6 option except for the upscale LL Bean and VDC. The Sedan does come in an H6 model. This would give you nearly as much snow capability as the Jeep did, with the handlingof a sports car. The WRX will be almost as good but not as good. I've driven soobies upstate NY in the adirondacks in winter w/o a problem through 6"-10"+ inches of snow on the sloped driveway.

    -mike
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    Dont forget, the WRX has a surprizing 6.1 inches of ground clearance. Subarus love bad conditions by the way, especially at high speeds (IE Rally Racing :D )
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