I've been a lurker here for a while, and finally sold my 04 BMW 325xi unfortunately with a little negative equity to get rid of the ridiculous payments. I've got 2700 in leftover equity that I'll have to add in to the next car loan, so I'm looking in the 5000 - 7000 range to keep the payments low if I can get 5 years at around 8%. With that said. . . I really like the look of the 02 wagons, both obs and wrx. I only want a manual, and would love to find one close to drive but they're few and far between as we all have seen. I've got about 15 listings all over the US of cars that fit the bill, but the worst part is I haven't even driven one. I know I'll like it, but I just need to "feel" the differences between the two to see if an extra 30$ a month in insurance is worth the additional 60 ponies. There's an 05 obs in Burnsville I could "test" drive at a dealership, but no wrx wagons around. Any suggestions? Anyone have an 02 obs or wrx wagon/similar around here that could help me out? I'd just really love some mnsubaru guidance on this purchase, as I'm now riding my 98 Honda VFR everywhere and need to get the loan through to get this guy his lien card in a month. I'm available most days as I work nights. I'd greatly appreciate it!
Well, basically the Outback Sport is the non-turbo version and the WRX is the turbo version of the Impreza wagons. Besides the engine, the only main other difference would be the suspension setup. The WRX will be a little lower and a little stiffer. It's essentially like looking at the 2.5 RS and the WRX sedans. In a rough sense, you just have to ask yourself if you want the turbo engine or the NA engine. 210hp or 165hp. The turbo engine does response very well to a simply ECU flash (significantly more midrange torque) and basic mods. The NA engine is more cost effective with +5mph and not paying for premium fuel. The chassis is the same. The interior is mostly the same. The transmission and drivetrain is mostly the same (slightly different gearing). The Outback Sport won't have a viscous rear diff like the WRX unless it is equipped with the cold weather package (heated mirrors, seats, wipers, rear lsd).
If you have the cash, you're most certainly going to want the extra power of the turbo. But you said it yourself, you need to drive both and decide which one you like better. After that, it's really about finding a good quality used car that you trust.
Right now I own both a WRX and an OBS wagon (the obs is for sale), although the OBS is older with the 2.2 engine, so I can provide my own little comparison. In the 5-7000 range I would suggest sticking with the outback sport. Most WRXs in that price range will not be in great condition. You can open up your options a bit if you're willing to get a TS wagon too, they're not that much different than the OBS really. Yeah the WRX is a ton of fun with a lot more potential for making power, but the 2.5 NA engine in the OBS and TS wagons really aren't bad at all. I think a stock 2.0 wrx vs a stock 2.5 OBS is not going to be a huge difference in power. The extra low-end torque on the NA makes up for the less hp. But, if you do want to modify it at some point and get more power, go for the WRX hands down, the potential difference is huge. I'm not sure if you're going to do anything competitive with the car, but for rallyx and autox the NA subarus can do good and can become very competitive with some practice and suspension and brake upgrades. For regular driving, I prefer the NA engine for 0-30 side-street driving or stop-n-go traffic. The NA engine can also run 97 octane gas and will get a little bit better MPG. But, when you hit the onramps or higher speed roads the turbo wins big time.
I'm on my second N/A Impreza. I had a 99 RS and now an 02 TS wagon. I have driven both stock and stage 2(ish) WRXs. I wasn't that impressed with the stock WRX, frankly. Modded and running e85, on the other hand, was a whole lot of fun. The N/A 2.5 is ideal for driving sideways in winter, I'll say that. It is surprisingly torquey down low. I've installed Prodrive springs, front and rear sways, and strut bars and it handles great, BTW. Good handling helps make daily driving much more satisfying even without boost.
Well I test drove an automatic 2002 OBS just to get a feel for it, and i was really unimpressed. That was semi-expected as the 4sp A/T was destined to be a bit flat. The seats were super uncomfortable for my 170lb 5'11" bony arse. Are those the same as all the other seats in comparable models?
my wife has an OBS and i have a WRX i love em both! the outback can get through anything, well the WRX can to but with minor limitations. both are great cars, just preference i guess...
I think the 02 WRX seats are better than 02 OBS seats. The 02-03 WRX seats are actually pretty supportive, they have more bolstering than other years.
I love my Stage 2 WRX, but for your 5k-7k budget I'd say go with an OBS. Just like someone else said earlier, any WRX in that range will most likely be in less-than-great condition. I bought my '04 for 10k in the spring of 2008.
No, the seats are not amazing. They are functional. These Subarus are the essence of function. They're not stylish. They're not super comfy. They're not super quiet. They're not super fast. They just function really, really well. It's a car you can comfortably live with for 10 years because it'll just work, work, and work. You can address specific annoyances with aftermarket parts. One thing Subaru does excel at is a rather large aftermarket community. If you want something specific, a product is most likely available. As for the seats, there may be certain ones that are more comfortable then others. You may end up with something that is not built by Subaru though. There might be a name like Recaro across the headrest or something instead. :laugh: I will make a side note that since you are looking at Impreza wagons, you should probably also look at the Foresters. Up until 2008, the Foresters were built on the Impreza chassis. It simply has a little more ride height and a more squared off cargo area. It's essentially an Impreza wagon-wagon. :laugh: The interior doesn't really change much though, so what you see in the OBS is what you'll see in the Forester. You just get a bigger rear end. The Forester also came in NA and turbo versions.
