I've had my 2015 wrx for a few weeks now.. Here are my thoughts

Discussion in 'General Subaru Discussion' started by Erik508, Dec 8, 2014.

  1. Erik508
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    Erik508 Member

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    I recently traded in my 2011 WRX for a 2015. I ordered it at Bloomington Subaru- they had a couple coming in, so I just put my name on one. I think I had to wait about 3 weeks to claim it. On a side note, I've only dealt with 'one-price' dealerships for so long, I expected to have a harrowing experience at Bloomington, but the whole thing was actually extremely smooth.

    I had a base 2011, but I went for the premium on the 2015, because of the winter package (and I immediately installed a remote starter, it's fantastic!). The sunroof is also nice, but it kills 3" of head space which affects me (I'm 6'3"), but I always slouch when I drive anyway, so it's actually fine.

    The Engine & Suspension:
    • This engine wants to launch. It begs to launch. Every time you go, it's saying "Please, launch!" I probably drove it for a week before I was even able to reliably take a "normal" (i.e. slow) start from a stop light. :)
    • When up-shifting at high RPMs, the engine REALLY hangs at the high RPM level after you push in the clutch. I think there's a term for this, not sure? However, when I engage the clutch again, the engine snaps right back down, and I would say it's not really noticeable, particularly when driving "spiritedly".
    • 0-60 is very smooth (and reachable in 2nd gear)
    • The suspension is fantastic for cornering. I only had a short time to really play on the stock tires before the snow came, but I'm really interested in seeing how it handles on the autox course. For me, the main weakness of the 2011 was suspension for autox (body roll, anyone?).
    • The suspension can be rough. There are certain sections of highways (77 S by cliff, 494 E from the MOA) which produce a VERY uncomfortable jittery/shaking ride. This is probably the only real complaint I've had about it. (My last car with really tight suspension had the same issue)
    • Kind of bummed they changed the bolt pattern on the wheels, so I had to buy a new winter tire set.
    The Interior:
    • First things first, THE STEREO IS SO MUCH BETTER. I almost punched the 2011 head unit with a hammer I hated it so much. This is essentially the same unit, but they did something to make it sound better. Particularly bluetooth and line-in music. I actually enjoy listening to music in my car again! The radio now supports HD, which is cool. HD radio has it's own challenges, but that's not the fault of this unit. The XM radio seems ok (free 6 months subscription), although the volume is much softer on the XM channel, so it gets annoying flipping the volume back and forth.
    • Where do I put my cell phone?? The spot on the center console under the stereo in my 2011 used to be a great place to store my cell phone, and my sun glasses. It is no longer big enough to hold it! The door arm rest used to have a spot which was just barely deep enough to hold my phone in place. NOPE. it's way too shallow now. I'm not exactly sure what they were thinking when they designed the interior. It's a minor flaw, but one that is pretty annoying.
    • The new electronics on the dash are all very nice. It feels modern to me and is a nice change from the 2011. It's nice to have a boost gauge finally. The boost gauge and traction gauge seem to have some lag to them, which is kind of annoying (like, they get fed from the ECU and take a split second to update). The gas gauge is so low on the dash, the steering wheel blocks it from my view (including the LOW GAS light also). Twice I've been precariously low on fuel from not noticing the light! Gotta pay attention to that.
    • The front view port from the driver's perspective is definitely smaller than the 2011. Although the A pillars are less in the way, so it's easier to see around them.
    • The extra legroom in the back has been great for my kids. That was a big win.
    • The trunk is not sloped, and the hinges are covered. Kind of nice I guess, because it's easier to load up the trunk without worrying about blocking them. I don't know why more cars don't have trunk hinges like the RX-8, they totally stay out of your way.
    • The fabric on the seats seems to be the same as my 2011, but the 2015 seats show dirt much more than the 2011 did. Also, dog hair sticks to it like a mofo (second-hand dog hair- a dog has not been in my car!). Kind of weird, actually.
    Well, that's about it. Overall, I've loved the upgrade!
     
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  2. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    Wait, they changed the bolt pattern AGAIN?
     
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  3. xluben
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    xluben Well-Known Member

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    WRX is now 5x114 like the STI.
     
  4. mike4king
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    mike4king Member

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    I agree with most of what you said, although my '15 Premium is the first Subie I've had. I took it really easy (which wasn't easy to do) for the first 1,800 miles or so. I'm at about 2,300 now. Haven't changed anything on the car, although I want to tint, upgrade audio, add remote start, and find a block heater (and maybe some bigger mods down the road)

    Rev hang is super annoying.
    Radio isn't bad, although enabling Through Mode made a significant difference.
    Suspension is kinda rough, but that's a sacrifice I was willing to make buying this car.
     
  5. EricS
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    EricS Nooberator

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  6. Sjogun
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    Sjogun Active Member

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    There was a bulletin about this(rev hang) for some NA cars a while ago. It involves a reflash if the ecu. I'll keep my eyes peeled about one for the 15 WRX.
     
  7. 4drcivicmaster
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    4drcivicmaster Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for sharing! I think the move to 5x114 was great, a lot more options!
     
  8. mike4king
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    mike4king Member

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    Do you like the hill-assist?
     
  9. Erik508
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    Erik508 Member

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    Tint is on my list as well. The remote start is a little bit of a hassle with a manual transmission but totally worth it on those cold days. I went with the Drone option (mobile phone starter)- there is a monthly fee, but even the best 1-mile range starter remote couldn't get through the concrete and steel of the parking garage at work. Also be sure and have them hook in your defrost to the starter, so the windows and mirrors are clear when you get in the car.

    Ah sweet. Looks like I can trade in my V2 for a V3 upgrade for $325. I'll add it to my list of Christmas presents :)

    Cool, thanks.

    Funny story, actually. I wasn't aware they added this, and on my test drive I stopped on an incline. I was like WTF is going on?!?! Then I realized, and made a mental note to disable that immediately after buying the car. I haven't disabled it yet, and I can't really decide if I like it or not. I suspect once I get used to it, I'll probably like it. I just don't want to forget how to start a stick on a hill!
     
  10. Krazylegz1485
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    Krazylegz1485 Well-Known Member

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    Rev it up and dump the clutch, right...?
     
  11. DuckSauce
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    DuckSauce Member

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    This. Explained it perfectly but it's kind of tough to get a smooth 1-2 shift and sometimes the rev-hang makes shifts hard to get smoothly. Tint, radio mod (through mode) are the absolute must do for first mods. My car never came with hill assist enabled so I can't really say much about it.
     
  12. jblewis
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    jblewis Well-Known Member

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    At one point the hill-holder / aka hill assist was managed by the abs system, and timed out after a few seconds. To wit: pointed up hill, with brake and clutch depressed, the hill holder was engaged. Let go of the brake, and the hill holder holds. Wait a couple seconds and the hill holder disengages, and lets you roll back.

    Is that still the case or have they changed it again?
     
  13. mike4king
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    mike4king Member

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    That's still the case. It releases the hill-assist as soon as you get on the gas though, which caught me off guard because it drops the RPMs, and it made me kill the car the first two times it did that :facepalm: (yes, I know, amateur mistake). That's the only reason I want to turn it off, because I'd rather be in charge than getting unexpected assistance that just drops out when it wants to.
     
  14. Hardsaw
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    Hardsaw Member

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    I feel like the RPM will drop just as fast as with the hill assist off. If it lets go right as you get on the gas, then you will have the same feeling of RPM drop if you let go of the brakes. Just get use to the clutch in your new car?
     
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  15. mike4king
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    mike4king Member

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    Yeah that's why I haven't turned it off yet. I'm pretty used to it now, it was just a little unexpected at first.
     
  16. Nhibbs
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    Nhibbs Well-Known Member

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    I don't understand how anyone could dislike the hill assist...it is a nice feature I basically never notice it now. It sounds like some of you are just being hipster about it.
     
  17. mike4king
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    mike4king Member

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    Lol I don't think I've ever been called hipster before...
     
  18. xluben
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    xluben Well-Known Member

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    I agree on hill assist. Seemed odd the first one or two times. Then the next infinite times it was seamless and worked great.
     
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  19. ScaryFatKidGT
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    ScaryFatKidGT Member

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    Not liking the looks but from reviews it seems the 2015 WRX and STi's handling is back on track with the 02-07 models