Wrx

[Joey D]

Today my mom had said that she really liked the WRX and thought I should get one. I looked at her and said really. She said yes and told me that her and my dad would pay for half. I was shocked and said let me find out more about them.

So will you guys give me a good overview. I want things that are bad abd things that are good. Not just THEY ARE SWEET! I need more info then that.

I like them but I don't know really a lot about them.

 

[Talentless]

A few member here own them. Contact AltF8

 

[Joey D]

ok thanks

 

[vat_man]

Your parents are insane. Enjoy your car!

 

[Joey D]

No they made some money some where.

 

[Joey D]

And they said if they pay for half they have to be able to drive it. I agreed to that. They said I would make payments to them as I got the money

 

[vat_man]

Well, the WRX certainly does go well. Enjoy it.

I'd like one but the cost of insuring them in Sydney, plus the inherent risks of owning them (i.e. car theft) and the fact that they're too small for our needs means Rexy's not for us.

And I can't talk the other half into a B4, especially with an enormous mortgage on the horizon...

 

[Joey D]

Well I see what my parents say

 

[Deathhawk]

They are awesome handeling cars that are fairly well powered. When you go for it, get a turbo, as you will enjoy the extra power. Being AWD they also are great on the twisties, as well as ice and snow.

If you really want to know, go take a test drive. This will give you your best impression, and you can feel for yourself if you like it.

I personally Like the styling of the imprezza's more than the wrx

 

[Deathhawk]

http://wrxplanet.weblogger.com/about

 

[Joey D]

thank you for your input

 

[1X83Z]

Well, I consider them the best car for sale today (for price)

Go to http://www.cars.com and find a review of the WRX - I personally have not heard one negative review of the car to date.

 

[Deathhawk]

Except for early styling reviews from the uk that is...

 

[GilesGuthrie]

They're a great car. Their only problems are:
Deathly hunger for fuel. Expect 21mpg overall, 18 around town, 24-26 on open roads, 28-30 on motorways.
Long journeys aren't that comfortable, but that's the price you pay for handling.
Difficult to drive slowly: not that you can't do it, it's just that 80mph at 5-10% throttle is difficult to sustain!
They get very hot inside if you don't have the aircon switched on.
Big servicing costs: mine was costing me about £500 per year in servicing.
Punishing insurance costs.

Basically, they cost loads to buy and run, and they can be quite an uncompromising car. I did a lot of city driving in mine, and would get to the point where I was starting not to like it. Then a quick thrash through some country roads would change my mind completely. They're completely worth the cost and the discomfort.

 

[sn00pie]

If you'd ask AltF8 what the biggest problem he had with his Impreza has been he'd probably tell you that it was when his wife forbid him to buy $2000 P1's.

 

[Deathhawk]

For some reason, they have the wrx placed in an odd insurance braket here, it seems to be fairly cheap.

 

[TVRKing]

I prefer the older one to the newer one.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by TVRKing
I prefer the older one to the newer one.

Have you driven them, TVRKing? The new one is very marginally slower, but feels a heck of a lot more secure and better built - and you can't see the styling from inside!

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


...you can't see the styling from inside!

The interior styling is the worst part.

So bland for such a radical (in all ways) car.

 

[SaleenASL]

SR u are one lucky dude.

 

[Joey D]

Its not for sure yet....sadly

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power


The interior styling is the worst part.

So bland for such a radical (in all ways) car.

Yeah - but that's why it's cheap! It is, after all, a steroid fed little commuter car - but that wasn't what I was alluding to.

At least the new one doesn't feel like Ben Johnson's heart and legs (sorry for the Canadian reference) on Woody Allen's body.

I must admit I drove one the first series of WRX's that came out here, and whilst it went like stink I really got the impression that the car wasn't going to stand up for terribly long to having to put 200 horse through its little wheels.

The new one actually feels, strengthwise, like it could handle another 100hp, and it wouldn't tear the body apart - plus you get reasonable quality furnishings for your trouble - the old one felt - mmm... - cheap.

 

[Joey D]

I wonder about the track?

How is the acceleration?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by vat_man


Yeah - but that's why it's cheap! It is, after all, a steroid fed little commuter car - but that wasn't what I was alluding to.

At least the new one doesn't feel like Ben Johnson's heart and legs (sorry for the Canadian reference) on Woody Allen's body.

I must admit I drove one the first series of WRX's that came out here, and whilst it went like stink I really got the impression that the car wasn't going to stand up for terribly long to having to put 200 horse through its little wheels.

The new one actually feels, strengthwise, like it could handle another 100hp, and it wouldn't tear the body apart - plus you get reasonable quality furnishings for your trouble - the old one felt - mmm... - cheap.

The old one felt like 90% of the purchase price went into the drivetrain. Haven't driven the new one.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


The old one felt like 90% of the purchase price went into the drivetrain. Haven't driven the new one.

Well put.

 

[alex_gt]

The acceleration is a big plus :star:

Will you be buying new or second hand? :gcar:

 

[Jpec07]

My dad was looking at getting one of those...

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
They're a great car. Their only problems are:
Deathly hunger for fuel. Expect 21mpg overall, 18 around town, 24-26 on open roads, 28-30 on motorways.

Believe it or not, that's what i get to a T.

Long journeys aren't that comfortable, but that's the price you pay for handling.

The seats are probably to blame, but it depends on the route you take. If you cruise by on i87 north of NYC, it's boring and you can't wait to get out of the car. If you use the Taconic Parkway on the other side of the Hudson, you could be 5 miles from Albany before you realize you've been driving for 2 hours.

Big servicing costs: mine was costing me about £500 per year in servicing.
Punishing insurance costs.

I actually don't have this problem. My insurance went up a bit, but I think that's because the U.S. hasn't caught on to the performance abilities of the WRX. They still see it as an economy subcompact with AWD and 4 airbags. *shrug*

As for those who prefer the "old one", I totally agree. I had a 2.5RS before (living in the U.S., a turbo Scooby is "new") and it was a blast. Slower, yes; a bit more mushy suspension, true; but you *felt* everything you did. Turns, bumps, skids...it wasn't like driving a Lotus Seven (practically barefoot), but you knew just how the tires were doing (wearing Converse All-Stars). The new WRX has some slop in the steering, and the feel is mostly gone. It's better than 99% of other new cars on the road, and can be remedied -- to pure 2000 form -- with 17" wheels and any decent tires.

Of course, if you don't really care how it handles the twisties, it's probably the best car you can by for US$24,000. That's why I got one.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by M5Power


The interior styling is the worst part.

So bland for such a radical (in all ways) car.

It's not bad. I like it better than most other car's interiors in this price segment. I've had Scooby's for 4+ years, and my family's had one since 1990. The interior isn't VW/Audi clean, nor Jaguar XJ beautiful, but it works enough for me without putting me to sleep. Shines up nice, too, with some simple Armor-All.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by streetracer780
I wonder about the track?

How is the acceleration?

Stonking. Well, not quite, but you won't have trouble enjoying it. As for drag-racing, replace the entire gearbox first. It will save you time in the shop in the long run. The synchros are cheap. I've already broken mine (1st/2nd gear), and it causes the gears to miss, which then causes the clutch to slip and wear *fast*. Can't afford a good MRT gearset? Get at least the hardened synchros to hold you over. The gears themselves will shatter long after the synchros, but they'll go far sooner than an VW/Audi set.

This is no exaggeration. Ask around. Even the WRC gearboxes are constantly failing. If you drive hard but are excellent at shifting, then you should do okay. Maybe a new clutch (not a stock replacement), but that would happen anyway.

Of course, if you're getting an automatic, you should be okay. But I don't think anyone would reccomend a slushmatic for any type of racing.

Enjoy!