thinking of picking one up as a dd. i took a wrx for a test drive a few months ago, and i think ive been looking at them every day since. Now my current dd is a cayenne w close to 110K miles. a new cayenne is going to be out of reach for me. Ive been looking at luxry suvs and wagons: evoque, srx, q5, cts4, etc' but i keep going to look back at the subbies. my girlfriend hates the idea. its not the most luxurious vehicle. I wouldnt mind taking one on an second test drive. i forget how stiff/comfortable it is, how loud the exhaust can be, etc. we do go on a few camping trips a year (3+hour driving) i know i dont mind a rough ride, loud exhaust, etc, but this is something i am going to consider when im not the only one in the car. im babbling at this point, but i was just wondering how many fchatters have one as thier daily driver and to hear some input.
Im on my second STI as a daily driver and Im about to buy another. Theres a lot of cheap plastic in them. They have significant road noise / harsh ride, but Im accustomed to old Ferraris so it doesnt bother me. I chose this car for 3 reasons: 1. With the seats folded down, the hatchback provides good storage for windsurfing gear, dogs, and ski equipment. 2. We have significant snow in our area and the all-wheel-drive makes life easier. Although the ground clearance on the STI is not very good. 3. It is the best bang-for-the-buck in this throw-away price range. STIs have decent resale value. Consider a plain WRX if you want a little better gas mileage and softer ride. If you dont live in snow or windsurf, buy a BMW.
I'm not an owner but once I am employed again I will be looking into a WRX as a DD. There is a SWEET blue early WRX 4/door in my neighborhood with the best rims ever that set that car off, none of that STi stuff/add-on's. Great cars yet the only issue I have ever had was the aluminum block which is hp limited. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We do ski and camp. Space Is a concern, but there's nothing a roof rack can't fix lol Cayenne s was a hell of a car. I got a really good deal on it when I bought it. The new v6 cayennes outperform the old v8s (or t seems on paper at least) but now the v6s base is more than I bought my new S for 6 years ago! Would love to get another one someday, and probably will once I'm a 'family man' But for now, I think my next dd car will be cheap fast dirty fun.
Cheap, fast, dirty fun certainly describes the STI. Camping / sleeping in the back of it might be cramped. I stack 3 windsurfing boards on the roof rack and my ski rack doubles to carry masts in summer. Get a Thule or Yakama rack instead of the Subaru product for more versatility. I also use a different set of wheels with thinner, higher profile studded-snow tires. Enjoy!
I have a 2009 WRX. I love it! So much fun. Everyday driving to work even. Sure its not the most luxurious, but even in a foot of snow (blizzaks on) its so much fun. The hatch is pretty spacious too.
I bought a 2008 STI new, and I was quite disappointed in it (mpg, paint quality, maintenance schedule, extended warranty cost, difficulty of obtaining extended warranty prorated refund from Subaru upon selling vehicle, brakes rusting and freezing up after washing and parking vehicle for 24 hours, defective clutch). Plus, it sits too low to really be useful off road. It was peppy, but given that its hp hasn't increased in years, it is no longer deserving of the performance reputation that it once had, and once again, the mpg was terrible for the hp and weight it had (yes, AWD, but certainly not for the extremely poor mpg I got despite my best efforts to improve it - the hyper-mile techniques I employed to get 37 mpg in my MS3 and 48 mpg in my Titanium Focus yielded 21 mpg in the STI.).
recently sold my 2010 WRX as I had to get shoulder surgery which eliminates stick driving for several months (I bought an Evoque for now) As soon as I am able I will get a new STI... so much turbo bang for the buck and awd is the bomb in snow country here in Canada. beev
transmissions in the sti's ....have seen problems in 2 bought new cars, warranty covered, but not without some arguing with the dealer to do so
I have never driven any WRX or STi but I have driven an Evo VIII and it felt like a kit car (loved it) but did not feel even close to the build quality of say my '92 MR2T. If I was making such a decision I would drive both cars and if possible versions within about a 2-3yr span (subtle changes that make a huge difference and all). I have never cared for the 'Evinrude' sound of the flat-4 but that is just nitpicking.
not sure when it's coming out or how powerful it will be, but maybe check out the new Audi A4-based AllRoad.
I have a black '08 STi and love it. Bonestock with 35k miles although I did upgrade the rotors to EBC slotted/drilled units and installed Stop Tech pads. It needed brakes when I got it a month ago. I added factory fogs as well. The best part is not having to slow down in the rain. If its sticking around I was contemplating some other upgrades but for now its enjoy as-is. Woot. Image Unavailable, Please Login
.......................................I just bought a 2005 Evo that has a AMS racing motor with some other cool stuff , all wheel drive, great big turbo and with locking differentials and triple disc clutch makes for some rough riding but bury the pedal and your transformed into some sort of space shuttle, its alot of fun even with the race car draw backs .
Consider the above stolen, texasmr2. On the plus side, I'll probably get knifed using it on the guy I have in mind so, as always, thing will balance out . . .
I just got a 2005 Saab 9-2X Aero which is a WRX hatch. They are great cars and fairly reliable. The first thing I did was get a Cobb Accessport and flashed to stage 1, the power delivery is much more smooth and refined than the stock tune. Treat it well and it will be a very rewarding car.
After 100k miles in a Porsche Cayenne, you will never be happy with the interior quality or fit & finish of a WRX or Evo. In that price range I would get a new VW Golf R. It has great performance, AWD, a manual tranny, superior fit & finish as well as a near luxury interior.
Assembly quality is quite good I reckon, some plastics are bad, and some areas are really poor in terms of finish (naked metal with ugly looking plastics). The sedan has an amazing chassis, the engine a bit too linear given the kick in the a** provided by older STIs.
........................................................................I think you would like it being i read alot of your posts , i do not think the interior is that bad , it has Recaro seats ,+ i am 160 pounds but the car will easily handle drivers+ passengers over 200 pounds , the rear seat has a center arm rest which is cool , anyway the car is running 30 pounds of boost on 100 octane but i am planning on getting it tuned for E85 . I had a Diablo SV before this car, + it was fast ,This Evo i have now from 0 to 150 would have slaughtered it, but thats where the Lambo comes into play at over 150+, Evos are cool fun cars .
......................................................No Andrew it was a GTS type M , ( rear wheel drive ) brought over in pieces and put together in Pennsylvania and titles as a special construction vehicle , New York would not accept that designation and ordered me to a inspection by the special registrations unit ( NY police ) they found nothing wrong with the car and titled it as a 1992 Custom, I would not advise anybody to buy a GTR or GTS Skyline ( a 90 `s car ) but a STi or WRX or a Evo thats a straight forward purchase with good performance and decent MPG`s that you can drive daily . , i like the sound of the Evo motor personally.
Update... Ordered a '13 wrx limited hatch in black today. Considering calling them back tomorrow and changing the order to a dark grey metallic.
