Hello all, I traded my 09 WRX earlier this year to get a Minivan for the family . It's time to get my fun car back and I order a 2016 WRX premium in WR blue last week. It took me about two weeks from starting looking to putting the order. Cross shopped Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Mazda3 and GTI. Each had pros/cons as expected. I liked the overall improvements made to the new gen WRX and decided to go with it. I'm excited and just have to go through the long wait (estimated delivery is end of Dec). Will be checking back to share and learn from other 15/16 owners. Wenhao
Well... The stock stereo sucks hard. The speakers are the worst, but nothing about it is good (the HK Nav system may be better if you went that route). New speakers are a must if you care about music at all. I'll be ditching the head unit once all the integration gets figured out for aftermarket (reverse camera, console USB/AUX, steering wheel controls, microphone). The stock HU takes forever to boot up also, and Bluetooth won't connect for nearly a minute after you start the car (I listen to all my music via Bluetooth, it's really irritating to not have it going until I'm a couple blocks into my drive). The throttle punishes laziness with bucking and jerking. Driving slowly with smoothness takes actual attention and finesse. The engine also kinda falls on it's face at high RPMs. End of December, the (otherwise quite nice) 235/40R18 Dunlop Sport Maxx summer performance tires are going to be a wee bit hairy. Plan to get some winter or at least all season tires and maybe wheels. Every once it a while it will start hard. Many people seem to have this and it's not really an issue, just disconcerting. Mine did it the very first time I started it at pick-up and twice since. Rather than the normal 1-2-fire it'll crank 2-3 times as long before catching. Seems to be more likely to happen when both the engine and outside temps are warm, but that's just my impression. **** will start to rattle after about 2 weeks. It's a Subaru. Gotta get someone drive my car while I try and pin down what part of the rear deck is buzzing at low RPMs. Get a clear bra installed, the nose of this car is a magnet for rocks. Get used to stepping over the wiiiide rocker panels, or you'll scratch them up quick dragging your foot across them. The JDM dual console armrest extension (available from a few places that import from Japan or you can order it shipped from there) is the most overpriced $100(+) that's surprisingly worth every cent if you're tall. And umm yeah, that's pretty much everything I can find wrong with the car. It's a blast to drive and the suspension and chassis have made huge leaps.
Those are all pretty comparable to each other but a lot different than the WRX. I am really holding out that the Focus RS will be as awesome as it looks on paper and hopefully better than the WRX/STI. Either way the new WRX is very nice and the new FA20 seems like a good motor.
Rumor has it Ford is limiting the US market to only 2000 units. Pricing is now available in the "build your own" section. You will be at around $38,000 for just a base, and >$40, 000 for any options. This is before any dealer games with a high demand, low production car. Back on topic, enjoy the new WRX. The handling is supposed to be greatly improved. I keep hoping to hear rumors of a redesigned STI in a hatchback. (I have emails to a couple of Ford dealers asking about the RS )
Thanks for the info/feedback. Yes, I read the stock stereo is bad and added the Kicker tweeter kit and upgraded speakers options. I'm not a big music fan so hopefully it is sufficient. I remember reading somewhere the 16 head unit is somewhat better than 15 in terms of driving the upgraded speakers. The bucking and jerking at low speed you mentioned sounds exactly like my 09 WRX did, at least in stock form. Stage 2 tune helped it and I guess I'll need to get a tune again at some point. I'm not crazy about power but anything that makes daily driving easier and more enjoyable, I'd go with it. I added the short throw shifter, and look forward to the somewhat softer clutch, tighter cornering/handling and 6MT (compared to 09). This will be our third Subaru so I'm used to rattles by now . Winter tire/wheel package is being looked.
The Ford dealer I was at this weekend confirmed this news. They already have blank check orders waiting.
I'm not generally a fan of Kicker, but the kit has to be a big upgrade. I know that the Polk Audio speakers I installed were orders of magnitude better than the stock. Everyone says the 16 head unit is much better than the 15. But it's so far behind the times. I had a base-model 2015 4-cyl Toyota Sienna for a rental in June, and the integrated unit was so much better. Subaru switched over their wiring from the old format they shared with Nissan to a Toyota format to leverage the Toyota connection, so why can't they match a base minivan in the company's halo car (STi gets the same unit)?
He says Premium. Do you want heated/powered seats, inverted struts, a sunroof or 18" wheels? Then Premium. Those pretty much sum up the difference. I'm old. I wanted the heated leather, so I got a Limited. Plus I'd have spent a bunch of money upgrading the headlights in the base or Premium models too.
I went with the premium mainly for the sunroof and 18" wheels. I do mostly local driving around and like keeping the sunroof open. No intent to upgrade the wheels and thought the 18" looks better. It also gets the all weather package but I'd be OK without it - I don't think it's necessary to have heated CLOTH seats. And just to be clear - I think only the limited model gets powered driver seat, not the base or premium.
Great, honest review At least you know what you're getting into! All negatives aside, it should still be a fun car. I think Subaru radios are the most frustrating thing, especially since it's 2015 and all of their models are STILL not up to snuff. The Toyota/Pioneer radio was one of the reasons why I went with the FRS over the BRZ, and couldn't be happier. The radio (with small color screen) and HK speaker package in my 12 legacy limited is actually pretty darn good. I've been casually looking at a 14+ Forester, but any Forester prior to MY16, and MY14/MY15 without nav, has a basic radio, no color screen. Base model Camry's have had nice, large, intuitive color touch screens for years. And I don't really want to deal with an aftermarket radio and integration issues. So either I have to pony up for a new 16 forester, get a 14/15 with crappy nav, or pick something besides Subaru. Anyway, sorry for the off topic rant. Enjoy your 16 WRX!
With the quality of aftermarket units these days, why do people worry about the factory radios? The radio/nav unit in my '13 wrx sucked, so I replaced it. Anyway, congrats on the new car!
Because it gets harder and harder to swap in an aftermarket unit as the stock ones get more and more integrated.
Welcome to the club. I use my new 2016 wrx as a daily driver and my two daughters love it when I give it some gas and put it into a corner. It's a pretty fun family car and really does have room for a couple of car seats. I've got one full rear facing and a booster seat. Both work great with room in between. I agree with some of the other posts - the standard audio set up isn't great but it's not terrible either (I've had and heard worse). That being said, I will be keeping my eyes open for future upgraded aftermarket set ups.
Congratulations on your new ride! Almost the exact car I wanted/ordered. I'm jealous you got it and I have to wait another good 2-3 months . Oh well...
The audio sucks in my 15' STi, but it did get better with the small fix they call out on YouTube. It opens it up quite a bit and makes it better. I've had my car about 8 months now and here's what I like and don't like. (Granted this is STi vs WRX but you get the hint) Cons: the Bluetooth is incredibly difficult to setup. Note, since I have ADD, I made myself a YouTube video on how to do it and decided to share with everyone. It's nice to not have to connect your phone 8 times when you get in. Sport Sharp, after 8 months, is still hard to get used to. It feels like a different car sometimes. Over revving, under revving, etc. Sport tires are in fact sport tires in the snow as well. My 13 WRX was drive able in the snow with those stock tires. I would not recommend it with the SportMAXX tires. I only tested it with a light dusting of snow before winter was over last March though. Pros: Great AWD Fast Sporty looking Relatively cheap for the performance I don't care what anyone says, a Focus RS or ST is still a Focus. Just like a Neon SRT-4 is still a neon. I hold a grudge against anything Volkswagen from my Audi debacle. Sorry for the novel. The WRX is definitely the best choice!
i'm curious how by that logic if you boil it down to the most basic car a base focus (i'll exclude a neon since it's no longer made) is so much worse than a base impreza? to me impreza is on par with focus, corola, civic, or any other econobox; actually i'd probably rate civic higher.
That is possibly the worst advice I've seen in a long time. "Sport" tires are not snow tires, and driving on them is a serious hazard in the winter, regardless of what you think. Edit: I see what you're saying, and I agree. The stock tires are going to get you into a world of hurt in the winter.
I wasn't saying it was ok. Just that the stock tires on my 13 WRX although quite terrible in the snow, worked enough to get through a winter. The new SportMAXX tires, are a different story and I would not recommend driving them in the winter. I may have worded this stupid. I was trying to say that sport tires are still sport tires in the winter as well. I'm not saying that they are winter tires at all because that claim would be ridiculous and wrong. I need to check my posts before my fingers hit post reply. Sorry yall
After your explanation, I can see what you were trying to say. We're on the same page, just saying it differently. The stock Dunlops on the WRX or STI are not recommended below 40 degrees.
Good luck in the wait. I am in the market for a 2016 wrxwrx, but I would like to take one for a test drive before I put some money down. Now finding one at a dealership that is not spoken for is not an easy task
Put down your deposit and have the dealer order one. Test drive it when it arrives, and if you don't want it, the dealer will have no problem selling it anyway, and they will probably refund your deposit - although I would confirm prior to putting down the deposit though.
Go to Japan. Order S207. Come back until it is ready, go back to Japan, smuggle it back to the US. Register it as a 2016 STi. No one will ever know.
How long does an order take to get fulfilled? I am wanting a stock dark grey 16 sti come spring but waiting might drive me insane. I was planning on buying aftermarket stereo equipment but nothing overly fancy. I'll have to keep an eye out on the boot time of the Bluetooth system as that is all I want for my music listening. Google Play via phone and just use my phone for GPS as well. It's what I have been doing since 02. Hoping for some updates on your 16 wrx! I have 2 kids so my WRX was a "compromise" because I had told the old lady I wanted a motorcycle or a 2 door, so she "talked" me into getting into the wrx. The minivan was a no go! Maybe you have more than 2 kids though... Oh and I agree that the wrx was a better choice than the cars you mentioned. I test drove a couple and the torque steering was disgusting in other cars. My fiance was in the seat next to me begging me to get another Subaru after.
It was about 3 months at one point. Might be better or worse now? Aftermarket integration is getting sorted out. iDataLink has a firmware for their Maestro SW now that supports the steering wheel. You can buy a 28-pin harness and break out the backup camera & aux connectors plus other things (requires wiring yourself, not plug and play). The USB can be retained with a Metra adapter. You need the console and vent surround from a 2015 WRX/STi. I think at this point the only thing you lose is the integrated microphone for handsfree, you have to use what your aftermarket HU provides. There's a Lexus antenna adapter that works for AM/FM. Oh and the XM antenna connector is proprietary, but some people have pulled the internal connection out and just kinda stuck it into a standard socket and it works. All of this will cost a few hundred above and beyond the cost of the aftermarket HU, so it's not exactly the most attractive path. But man, the Bluetooth implementation on the stock HU is bad...
Sorry guys - haven't been watching this thread for a while. My car arrived today at dealership and I plan to pick it up tomorrow. It came earlier than estimated (end of Dec) when I put the order back in Sep. Total wait time is about 10 weeks - not too bad. I'd think it should only get better with the winter time. As for test drive, I think most dealers around should have some on their lot now. Try different dealers/sale persons if someone told you you need a deposit for a test drive. And I still recommend Walser over other dealers. And does anyone have a place to recommend for getting wheels? I got winter tires but haven't got wheels yet.
Just took the car home. It happened to be my wife's birthday today but she's in China. Had to take a Uber to Burnsville. Loving it and I'm glad I made the right choice. Throttle response is insane and the car feels so much tighter compared to the 09 WRX I had.
What size winter tires did you get? 17 or 18? Stock 2015 WRX wheels go pretty cheap, because they don't fit older WRXs and the STi owners don't want to "downgrade" so it's a buyer's market.
I got 17" tires from Discount Tire (215x50x17). I've been watching and didn't see a set of 2015 WRX wheels for sale recently. I'll keep looking.
