Test drove a new wrx

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by TimT

I have an 08 WRX, currently has 298K on the clock...

The interior is cheap.. there is a lot of road noise..I once put Nokian  Hakkapeliitta winter tires on it when I was spending a lot of time in Vermont, and the road noise drove me crazy...

It really has been a reliable sleeper.. the 4WD and traction control takes the car places you can't imagine...

It did lunch the turbo at around 250K spun the impeller right off



I found a replacement blueprinted turbo for $450.. Which isn't bad

https://hillcountryforcedinductions.com/mhi-td04l-subaru-2008-wrx/


And Ill buy another one when this one wears out...I'm looking forward to 500K

298K. Good job!

A vaper would've destroyed it by 90K.

rjp

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Wonder how much $$ it would take to get a go kart feel.

I took out Outback in to the dealer for a free service last month. Leftover WRXs had asking prices of about $30-32K, depending on trim level, meaning about $5K off list.

[berettafan]

Whoa that’s a big break. I’m seeing about $2500 to maybe $3k off. $5k would be a significant push for me to jump in.

[RANDY P]

Do it! It's flat, it's got a stick..

(selling you like I sold myself )

rjp

[berettafan]

I just emailed the dealer that gave me the best pre-tax pricing asking for more. They came down to 33.5k for premium without sunroof which is the model i'd want. Err...i mean is the model i think would be the best suited economy car for our household.

Further digging into the Civic Si reveals pretty common squeaking/rattling issues complained about and no special interest rates popping up. The interest rate difference (maybe 5-7% it appears) is pretty substantial even on say $25k. At the 2.9 Subie is offering i don't mind financing part of the car at all.

[gregpark]

My non STI 2013 hatch. They should bring back the hatchback. IMO it looks better and is much more practical. I bought this car 5 years ago to flip. The guy spun a crank bearing and he didn't want to deal with it so I got it for very cheap. My plan was to buy a JDM engine to throw in and make a few bucks. Found out the 2.5 is a US spec engine, JDM non existent. Crap, found a couple of used engines but you don't know for sure what you're getting so I bought a new block from Subaru. New turbo, New rubber bits, heads resurfaced, etc. Now I'm into the car for 11K. Can still make money but started to like the car. 150K on the odo and the suspension felt tired though. One thing led to another. Like new now but better with stiffer lower springs, Feal adjustable struts and shocks and leveled out control arms, sticky Yokohama tires, I kept it for myself. It handles better than my buddy's STI now and the HP difference is like 268 vs 274? not noticeable. It can out corner my 911 (AWD and more HP) but nothing drives like a 911 and the WRX is a cheap Jap car compared. I like the dash layout but the whole interior feels like a cheap Japanese car because that's what it is. Sure is fun though

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by berettafan

I just emailed the dealer that gave me the best pre-tax pricing asking for more. They came down to 33.5k for premium without sunroof which is the model i'd want. Err...i mean is the model i think would be the best suited economy car for our household.

Further digging into the Civic Si reveals pretty common squeaking/rattling issues complained about and no special interest rates popping up. The interest rate difference (maybe 5-7% it appears) is pretty substantial even on say $25k. At the 2.9 Subie is offering i don't mind financing part of the car at all.

Honda rarely gives deals on their performance stuff. Also, for that $$ the WRX would kill the Civic, and have a nicer interior.

rjp

[edgemar]

How about a GR Corolla?

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Whoa that’s a big break. I’m seeing about $2500 to maybe $3k off. $5k would be a significant push for me to jump in.

I realize it's across the country from you, but my local Subie dealer is in Sherman Oaks, CA. They had about 5 WRXs on the lot last month.

[UconnTim97]

I got my WRX last month. It was roughly $4500 off on a premium with the sunroof/stereo package. I wouldn't have opted for the sunroof but that might be why they were willing to make a deal on it. They had a 1.9% finance special at the time. It looks like they have a 0% finance on WRXs posted on their website today. I'm not sure of the fine print though.

https://www.subarucolonial.com/new-subaru/wrx-feasterville-pa.htm

[berettafan]

Well dang I emailed the dealer that gave me the best initial price and they came down to 31.8k plus sales tax and registration. That's on a 24 Premium without sunroof. combined with the 2.9 for 48mo that seems like a heck of a deal.

question for those with newer models- does the valet mode effectively restrict speed for a manual transmission car? would be a nice bonus if I could not worry about my 20yr old getting too boost happy if he borrows the car. also would be nice to stay out of boost when my daughter starts driving in a couple years.

[UconnTim97]

I don't know much about the valet mode other than hiding infotainment type stuff.
The Subaru app can be set to send alerts at certain speeds and distance.

[Steve Carlton]

[berettafan]

Did give a brief look to the GR Corolla edge. A bit too rough around the edges and I have to admit at 51 i appreciate at least a half hearted effort on the interior quality. Toyota definitely doesn't do that with the Corolla. Not that the Subie is great but it is i think notably better.

Two things kinda holding me back here are the boy racer vibe and Subies less than Toyota/Honda reliability & longevity. Maybe the boy racer vibe could be toned down with a dark grey color.

Wife has given the 'ok' and said to be sure whatever i get is safe for the kids to drive. awd and subies 'eyesight' stuff should be wins in that category i think.

[Sooner or later]

I agree on the Toyota interior. No Subaru dealer within about a 100 miles so I didn't even have it on my radar. They do seem to check a lot of boxes.

Did you find out what valet mode actually does?

[gregpark]

Had a '19 Civic for a short period of time. Well built great little car. Thought I could adapt but couldn't. I hate front wheel drive

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Had a '19 Civic for a short period of time. Well built great little car. Thought I could adapt but couldn't. I hate front wheel drive

+1. Get frisky and torque steer is just a buzzkill. Car itself makes nice noises, built well and shifts well.

rjp

[masraum]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Had a '19 Civic for a short period of time. Well built great little car. Thought I could adapt but couldn't. I hate front wheel drive

Right, if I was young and poor and my choices were limited to "what can I get for $500/$1000/$2000" then I'd take the best car that I could find regardless. I've done it many times. But since I'm not in that situation, I have a lot more choices and can ensure that I enjoy the drive.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

+1. Get frisky and torque steer is just a buzzkill. Car itself makes nice noises, built well and shifts well.

rjp

Yep. If I was looking at cars in the civic realm, I'd be far more likely to look at miata, not as practical, but that's a compromise that I'd make. Hell, if "practical" was a "requirement" I'd probably be more likely to look at something like a mustang.

[edgemar]

I ended up getting a GR Circuit .... I see the difference though. Highlighted in this: