Greetings, I am about to buy my 2nd Subaru. I am really excited. I have a guy locally in Sioux Falls where I live that has a 2001 2.5rs sedan for a good price. It has 100k and its in good shape. I really want a WRX but I don't want to spend that much money. I am willing to spend a little more for an 02 rs if its worth it. So my question is, what are the differences in an 01 vs an 02 for driving, reliability, performance? I plan on daily driving it and possibly trying a little rallyx in the future. Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing your opinions.
I guess I like the look of the 01 better. How do they compare to drive though? Looks are not that important to me. What car is the better performer? I know the 01 is a lot lighter but is the suspension any better on an 02?
I've never owned a GD 2.5RS/2.5i but I've driven quite a few. I have owned a couple turbo GD imprezas and currently own a GC 2.5RS sedan. I like the performance of the GC RS better (like you mentioned, the lighter weight is VERY noticeable) but like the 05+ GD better as a commuter... the interior update makes things look and feel much better. The cupholders are much more usable and the button placement is more intuitive. Stereo/speakers are still crap, but not as crappy in the GD. Little things like that add up the more time you spend in the car. It's going to come down to preference. I'd choose the better value unless you plan to swap it. In that case I'd take the GC and swap something stupid in it like an eg33
And how is that? they use the exact same engine, transmission, and rear end (accept for 1998), make the exact same HP, The same wheel bearings , ect, if anything the GC is going to be more reliable because it has less weight to move around.
The fact that they clear subaru 4pots and are wide as **** alone make them better, the split 5 spoke wrx wheels look like ****. (merely my opinion, and many others)
so what are we talking about here? looks or functionality. first you say the 01 for looks, and then you say the 02 is technically superior. Then you say the 02's wheels are better because they look better. I'll take the 01 wheels anyday, like 3rik said, they clear group n brakes, wrx wheels not so much.
The clutch pedal is the same as well, as is the disc, flywheel, throwout bearing, pilot bearing. Oh and your 98 is different than 99-01 in the engine dept, DOHC vs SOHC, Maf vs MAP. ect
Sorry to open a can of worms on this one. I will accept that the 02 will have nicer more modern interior. And as a Daily I might like it better. I am ok with the look of the 01 interior. I drove a 00 outback sport for a winter a couple of years ago and loved it. So if I said what one is better for the track, autox, or rallyx would you say one has a benefit over the other? Is one more fun to drive? I am very limited on used ones here to test drive. I have a Miata that I use for autox but the Impreza might see some track duty especially if I want to do rallyx. Thanks for all the input so far. This is all good info. Please keep it coming.
01 if your not a family man. And the 02 If you have a family. There is not much interior room in the GC's The trunks dont fit to much. The two doors are long and comfy for two not four. IMO I like the way the 02 seats feel (wrx ones for sure) The cup holders in the 02 suck I think... the one on the dash tips over anything to easily and the one in the console can not fit anything other then a pop can.
Why are you constantly assuming that every 01 RS is a coupe just because yours is.....He said sedan in the 1st post.
Having owned one of each, there were things I liked and disliked about both. Interiorwise, I thought the GD won hands down. Not that the GC is bad, I just liked the interior a bit better. Neither is going to win awards for luxury, but the GD was a bit quieter. The standard moonroof on the GC was a nice touch though. As far as how they drive, the GC is more fun. The GD feels more planted, and the GC feels more agile and tossable. I liked the extra interior room of the GD. I always felt like I was sitting inside the car vs on top of the car with the GC. It's probably the roofline, but I always felt like I was sitting taller in my coupe, even after I swapped a Sparco seat into it. I'm not sure if it's a factor to you or not but the GD is the hands down winner for crash test safety vs the GC.
