Yesterday on new years eve I traded my 2008 civic si sedan for a 2011 WRX. While I loved my civic, I've gotta say that the WRX is on a whole different level! Just wanted to introduce myself to the community. The new car is Lightning Red and looks great! One quick question, can someone tell me how to add a photo to my profile image? I consider myself to be fairly tech savvy but for the love of god can't seem to figure it out? Thanks!
Look under settings, it'll be on the list to the left. Beautiful car btw! Welcome to the forum alot of good people and info here so hopefully you'll enjoy being a member!
The car is awesome, but I wasn't about to drive off the lot with summers on the car. I had winters sent to Morrie's and installed before I picked up the car. The grip is insane. I've truly been having trouble getting the back wheels to break loose... Hoping for more snow soon!
saw this leave my work friday, awesome car, the wingless really made me like the sedan. Good choice on the tires too.
Thanks for the heads up on the "settings" page. Once there it was pretty easy to figure out how to add the pic. Thanks all for the warm welcome.
I really like the red ones. The picture doesn't really do much, especially in the snow. You'll have to get another one later when it's not so white outside
Sup fellow civic-to-subie brother? Quite a different sensation from carving corners in a civic to clawing around them in an AWD eh?
Love the car. Welcome to the site. My 1st car was a 83' Civic 2nd car was a 96' Civic I loved the 83' but have to say the WRX trumps all.... even the minivan i drove for a while.
Yes, the WRX is quite a bit different than the Si. I really won't be able to compare handling until next summer when the snow tires come off but I already know it will be a lot of fun. The WRX has a much smoother ride for sure. One big difference I have noticed is the shifter feel. If shifting my civic was like using a surgeon’s scalpel then shifting this thing is like using a blunt club… okay maybe not quite that bad but you get the idea. Does anyone have experience with the factory short-throw option? From what I've read it will only shorten the throw by a bit but if it would give me better precision I’d be very interested. Any input would be appreciated. Other than that the car is great. Took a long drive through the winding neighborhoods around Lake Minnetonka yesterday and had a blast!
This. Everything about the handful of subaru's I've driven compared to my civic has been less scalpel and more enraged wildebeest on low grade pcp. Not that that's a bad thing, but it requires a very different approach to how I provide inputs...
I have yet to drive an awd car that had a really smooth shifter, actually nevermind, I take that back, I drove some kind of jaguar that was awd, it had a super slick shifter, but thats it.
LOL, fair assessment. I guess for now I'll just toss the stick in the general direction of the gear I'm looking for and hope for the best
I have the SPT short shifter in my 09' WRX, I want something else. Perrin does make a kit for the stock shift setup (not SPT like mine otherwise i would upgrade). It swaps out the bushings and make the shifting a bit better than the OEM bushings. Might be an option for you to look into.
I prefer a clunky shifter, too smooth and it feels like you are playing an arcade game. Same goes for the clutch I like having to put a little effort into it. I'd check into something like this set up (or parts of it). It's pretty much what I have in my 6spd-still clunky but a bit more precise too. http://turninconcepts.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_9_7_481_499_1248&products_id=92
I put a TWM short shifter with bushings in my 09. This made a huge difference in the feel of the shifter. http://www.twmperformance.com/shortshifters/subarushortshifters/subaruimprezawrxshortshifters.htm
I put a Kartboy short shifter in my 2011 WRX. From what I understand, it's a lot more aggressive than the SPT. I like it a lot, and the install wasn't too bad. Just make sure you have snap ring pliers.
Thanks for all the great short throw info! Most seem considerably cheaper than the factory option as well! I just drive cars, I don't work on them so if I go this route I'll have to find a garage to install it (guessing there are plenty of resources for this on the site). Also, I'm leasing my car. Does anyone know if Subaru will have issue with me putting in a non-factory short throw on a leased vehicle? Finally, I realize this "hey all, I'm new to the site" thread is turning into a parts/customization thread. If I need to start posting these questions somewhere else please let me know. Thanks.
Any plans to change/upgrade anything other than the shifter? Any thing you've not liked about the upgrade? I have read a lot about noise and have been driving a honda in addition to my quiet outback. I have gotten used to honda noise (and you mentioned you used to drive a civic), how does the WRX compare for road/engine noise? Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to convince my wife that a new WRX is just what I need
Installing a shifter on a leased car is not a problem but messing with the engine is big no-no, unless you planning on buying it after lease is over.
