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What do you think of the WRX?

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Old 07-27-06, 06:37 AM
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J_RoK
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Default What do you think of the WRX?

Im selling my GS and my work car (honda accord). I plan on getting a 06/07 Subaru WRX limited wagon. I searched here but didn't find to much info on the New WRX's. Any one know of any bad things about them. I heard the trannys kinda suck. thats all i really heard though.

Thanks
J
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Old 07-27-06, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by J_RoK
Im selling my GS and my work car (honda accord). I plan on getting a 06/07 Subaru WRX limited wagon. I searched here but didn't find to much info on the New WRX's. Any one know of any bad things about them. I heard the trannys kinda suck. thats all i really heard though.

Thanks
J
I don't know much about the new ones other than they touched up the front/rear ends and they make I think 3 more hp. Wonderful cars I love them.
 
Old 07-27-06, 07:49 AM
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Gojirra99
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Great cars for the money, but I'm never a fan of their looks.
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Old 07-27-06, 08:06 AM
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mmarshall
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I test-drove one several years ago when they first came out.
Typical above-average Subaru reliability, but the clutch doesn't last long if you abuse it. Interior OK but not one of my favorites. Versatile choice of either 4-soor sedan or SportWagon. Reasonable price but hard to bargain on because of high demand. Superb, seamless AWD system, but standard summer high-performance tires not well-suited to rain or snow. Good handling. Not much torque below 3500 RPM, typical of turbo 4's. Well-done brakes.
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Old 07-27-06, 08:10 AM
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tzu911
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gas prices gas prices gas prices
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Old 07-27-06, 08:36 AM
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SoCalSC4
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Great car if you're under 25 and wear your cap backwards. Install fart-can exhaust and call it a day!

Seriously.. the WRX is a good car, and if you get the wagon you won't look like the typical WRX racer/******.
A friend of mine has a WRX wagon with Bride seats, Tein coilovers,Volks, etc. and it is a clean car. He looks (and feels) a little strange driving a car like this- he's 35 years old.

A quick car, but it's basically an econo-box with a big motor. If you're coming out of any Lexus car, there is a big difference in materials and build quality. Would be a fun car to own short term, but they sound like a broken VW bug.
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Old 07-27-06, 08:52 AM
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It´s a better bet than the EVO. I had a friend switch to the WRX from an EVO, and he is much happier both in performance and in the repair department.
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Old 07-27-06, 11:22 AM
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MikeFD3S
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In general, the car is well built, with a powerful engine and excellent AWD drivetrain. A wagon will do well with the extra utility it offers. AWD is very good if you live in an area that experiences snow, or lots of rain. The car can handle very well, but the ride may be a bit harsh for some. I believe they made the 06-07 models a little more forgiving on the back, when compared to the 05's. As you probably already know, they received some of the highest marks for safety.

Personally, I can't stand them. I'm not a fan of AWD, and the way many WRX owners in SoCal present themselves has left me tasting a little bit of vomit in my mouth every time I see one. Most of the WRX drivers I see are sidways cap wearing, aviator sunglass sporting, wannabe rockstar, smart-***-remark-making know-it-alls that drive like jerks on the road. I don't understand it. I associate WRX with MySpace users.

Most of them have extremely loud exhausts, which amplify the misfiring sound that the cars make. These guys are just as bad as 240SX owners (see NASIOC and ZILVIA for examples) when it comes to maturity.

There are exceptions of course, but jeez...in SoCal it's pretty bad.

/venting
//starts breathing

Why are you considering the WRX? It can be a great car if it suits your needs. Best if bought new, as most used WRX have been beaten, modified, and mickey-moused in some way.
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Old 07-27-06, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by MikeFD3S
In general, the car is well built, with a powerful engine and excellent AWD drivetrain. A wagon will do well with the extra utility it offers. AWD is very good if you live in an area that experiences snow, or lots of rain. The car can handle very well, but the ride may be a bit harsh for some. I believe they made the 06-07 models a little more forgiving on the back, when compared to the 05's. As you probably already know, they received some of the highest marks for safety.

Personally, I can't stand them. I'm not a fan of AWD, and the way many WRX owners in SoCal present themselves has left me tasting a little bit of vomit in my mouth every time I see one. Most of the WRX drivers I see are sidways cap wearing, aviator sunglass sporting, wannabe rockstar, smart-***-remark-making know-it-alls that drive like jerks on the road. I don't understand it. I associate WRX with MySpace users.

Most of them have extremely loud exhausts, which amplify the misfiring sound that the cars make. These guys are just as bad as 240SX owners (see NASIOC and ZILVIA for examples) when it comes to maturity.

There are exceptions of course, but jeez...in SoCal it's pretty bad.

/venting
//starts breathing

Why are you considering the WRX? It can be a great car if it suits your needs. Best if bought new, as most used WRX have been beaten, modified, and mickey-moused in some way.
Its exactly what i would need. Decent power, im going from a 300+hp car. .. i need something with a little ummph. ITs allwheel drive. Im from ny, and the winters suck. I work for the Electric company so i can't just call up and say "the weather sucks, i can't come in"... I want the wagon to put my work tools in, or if i go to the beach which i do often, or to transport my Mountain bike.

J
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Old 07-27-06, 04:40 PM
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ArmyofOne
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Its a great car to have, my best friend has one that witha few mods is kicking over 350 AWHP. and for the amount of cash you have put into your GS, you could have 500 HP and awd. get an 03 or older though, anything newer, unless its an STi, just looks ghey.

Originally Posted by MikeFD3S
Most of them have extremely loud exhausts, which amplify the misfiring sound that the cars make.
The reason why they make the misfiring sound is because the right side header is a foot and a half shorter than the left side due to the turbo uppipe and the turbo itself are on the right side of the car, so as a result as the pistons cycle the exhaust has to travel furter from the left side of the engine than the exhaust from the right side has to travel which causes the puffs of exhaust to be 2-3 seconds behind each other. that cause the sound and the misconception thats its backfiring.

The WRX is unique in that its one of the few cars left to use a horizontally opposed 4 cylinder, that means the pistons are in an H shape instead of in a line. its also one of the only four cylinders you can put a TRUE dual exhaust on. and when you do that, the misfiring sound goes away.

Last edited by ArmyofOne; 07-27-06 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 07-27-06, 05:10 PM
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MikeFD3S
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Heh, yes I am very familiar with the car and the turbocharged H4 engine... I just like to knock it by saying it sounds like it misfires. Just as my 13B-REW sounds like a lawnmower from Hell, or a Cessna with engine trouble
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Old 07-27-06, 05:22 PM
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mmarshall
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Originally Posted by MikeFD3S
Just as my 13B-REW sounds like a lawnmower from Hell, or a Cessna with engine trouble
Not quite. I'm a pilot and ground instructor with over three hundered hours in Cessnas and Pipers. I know a Lycoming air-cooled four when I hear it. Subarus with stock mufflers are nowhere near as loud.
You are correct, nowever, that the WRX, ( and all U.S.-market Subarus ) have a flat-4 or flat-6 layout like Lycoming and Continental airplane engines.
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