WRX 6 month review

Discussion in 'General Subaru Discussion' started by Mr.Tran, Apr 14, 2011.

  1. Mr.Tran
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    Mr.Tran Well-Known Member

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    I know it's only been 6+ months but, I figured I'd just throw a review out there for anyone thinking about purchasing a WRX. But first some backround. I bought my 04 PSM about 6 months ago or so. My previous vehicles were a 95 Plymoth neon 4 dr , a 93 Acura legend sedan, a 85 corolla GT-S coupe, an 86 corolla GT-S coupe and a 86 corolla GT-S liftback, and a 93 Nissan Sentra. (there may have been more in there but I can't remember at the moment.)

    At this point in time I was driving a 98 Honda civic 4 door with 190k miles. I had originally been searching for a friend who was interested in a WRX, STI or EVO.
    After much searching he decided to wait and try later. I noticed at this time that a WRX was affordable for myself.

    The civic was a great commuter but I longed for more power and better handling. And after several winters driving my girlfriends G35X and tearing through anything nature threw at it, I wanted AWD. I wanted to keep my price range VERY affordable and limited myself to something around 13k or under. Not limiting myself to just a WRX I searched.

    After looking at some Evolutions (mostly high miles and definitely beat on) I decided to pass on it. Not because it was a bad car, it just wasn't in my budget after taking insurance, maintenance , gas etc into the equation.

    This left me with a few other choices, Audi, older Subarus and some others. I've never really liked Audi, not for any reason in particular. It's just not for me. I finally decided to look for a WRX.

    After test driving an 04, a couple of 02s and damn near purchasing one. (the guy sold the car on me when I told him I'd head to the bank in the morning.) My girlfriend called me at work. Some one had just posted a 2004 platinum silver WRX. (I was set on black white or silver) I had her call the gentleman and set a test drive up for that night. 2 days later I was the proud owner of the car.

    First impressions. The car had good power, handled well for a factory vehicle and looked beautiful. I drove the car very mildly occasionally tapping into it's power. Forward to winter.

    The car handled great in the mild snow. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to accelerate and handle in it. (Not quite as well as the G35X, but pretty damn good.) Then we had a more serious amount of snow roughly 15", give or take. I thought to myself "I don't know if I can actually drive through this stuff." I put the car in gear slowly letting the car lurch forward. "Wow, it's not having any problems." I thought. I drove everywhere I needed that day only becoming concerned when other drivers were in the equation. Fast forward to the next huge snowfall.

    Some areas has 18" of snow, this stuff was thick heavy and wet. The girlfriends parent's Murano got stuck at the end of the block. After digging them out I had some things to do, but I was worried my car would get stuck too. It didn't. I went on the highway, the snow was deep it pulled my car left to right. The WRX had no issues in cutting through it. (with all seasonal tires) I couldn't believe it. Finally on my way home I got stuck at the end of my block. The snow was just too deep by this time and I literally had to shovel my way to my house.(I had a very rude neighbor come outside and yell at me for attempting to park my car in front of her house.) A very kind neighbor and my amazing girlfriend helped me get the car back home. Fast forward to present day.

    I still cannot believe how nice the car drives even after the abuse I put it through this winter. Putting a decent amount of wear on it by getting stuck, parking it outside and getting reacquainted to driving a stick shift again. In my mind the car should of had some issue by now. Other than maintenance it just seems to be smiling willing to take anything I throw at it. On to the Pros and Cons.

    Pros: Good power, decent handling, great headroom, reliable (so far so good) good size trunk, the car looks great IMO. (remember these are just opinions, yours may vary.) Decent tuning potential. AWD.

    Cons: Low speed drivetrain noise. (Not much but it's there and I can definitely live with it.) When it rains the drops sound like they're hitting a tin roof.(Your opinion may vary.) Turbo lag. People will say there isn't any. I say bull****. Drive an AE86 with a swapped motor and ITB's and tell me there's no lag in comparison. It could be worse but I do notice it.

    Overall, if you want a car that has tuning potential, decent power and handling and AWD a WRX may be something for you to consider. If you want a quiet mundane commuter, I advise you to look elsewhere. Sorry if I carried on but I will end it with these words. I love my Subaru more each passing day.
     
  2. RexNEffect
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    RexNEffect Well-Known Member

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    Very nice write-up! You know, I've been spotting a silver 2004 WRX wagon occasionally parked on one of our neighborhood streets recently. It looks completely stock. It parks near France and Minnetonka Blvd. Wouldn't be you by chance, would it?
     
  3. idget
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    idget Want to pokéman? PM ShortytheFirefighter Staff Member

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    Just wait until this summer when every rainstorm sounds like hail.

    Agree with you on the lag. The 2.5t is a little more tolerable bc it has enough off-boost torque for around town.
     
  4. Mr.Tran
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    Mr.Tran Well-Known Member

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    No, mine is a sedan. Thanks for the compliment. I wrote this on a whim last night.