Looking for feedback 2012 WRX vs '06-'08 AWD TBSS

[WrxSteez]

Hi everyone, been lurking around here for a few years now. I hardly ever post because until now I didn't have much to talk or ask about. I have recently sold both my cars and now looking for something new to get. I have loved the look, sound and performance of the WRX and STi since getting a license and have always desired to have one. I also recently picked up an odd love for some of the faster SUV's around my area. I feel as if I have read every 2011/2012 WRX review and watched all the videos on youtube (cheers to Smurfinwrx if he is part of this site) and yet I feel not all things I want to know have been answered. I think the two vehicles I have finally narrowed it down to are either a 2012 base model WRX or a 2006-2008 Chevy Trailblazer SS with AWD. I know, I know couldn't be much further apart but both vehicles have many similar qualities. Either will stay stock and whichever I buy now (should it be either) I will own the other at some point down the road..


I am asking for those of you with a 2011/12 WRX to give me your real driver thoughts of your car, if I decide on this I will be leaving it damn near bone stock for the duration of the warranty. I've had a few turbo cars before this and tried to get my "ya-ya's" out before making this decision. Sure it may see a drag strip 2x a year but no power shifting or crazy driving. What do you guys like about the interior, gauges, seats, leg room, visibility? and external features? stock tires too loud at highway speed? any bad blind spots? How does the air conditioning work in these cars? I'm a big guy that lives in an area that 90+ degrees is not uncommon 5-6 months out of the year. Sorry to rattle off random things but this is what I feel I have not seen answered in my research.

Also if anyone has/had a Trailblazer SS give me your thoughts on that as well!

[gunz4me]

My first bit of advise will be for you to test drive all the vehicles that you are considering. That helped me to rule out a few right off the bat.

The pros of the WRX is that it was relatively cheap compared to the other vehicles I was looking at, relatively quick for the price, it had AWD, and rode well on these crappy Louisiana roads. I also liked the lack of any fancy gizmos and gadgets, although others complain about the non power seats, lack of digital this, no memory that, etc. I just see all that fancy stuff as something that can and will go wrong if I choose to keep the car for a long duration.

The major con to me was the cheap interior, but that is expected in a vehicle at this price range. After all it is an econobox with an attitude, kind of like the EVO. Another con was the MPG compared to a GTI or a Speed3, but I didn't buy it for fuel economy. If I wanted more fuel economy, I would have purchased another Civic or possibly kept my 97 Civic coupe instead of selling it, lol. The next major con is the factory stereo, but that is easy enough to change.

I find the visibility to be quite well, especially compared to my 2006 Mustang GT. The AC is what it is, but I am old. IMHO, the old R12 systems just got colder faster than these R134a systems, and that was my first complaint in 1996 with my first owned R134a vehicle. Now with that said, it is no worse than any other R134a vehicle that I have owned. I'm 5' 11" and there is plenty of headroom, unlike my wife's 2011 Genesis Coupe where my head is nearly planted in the roof. One small bump, and I hit the roof.

[wrx1234]

If you have a family/kids like to fish hunt haul stuff around... need a large car for whatever reason get the TBSS. WRX will fit a family of 4 just fine also (i have 2 kids) but i find my self wanting a truck time to time for towing and practicality. Honestly you need to post a little about your life and what you would want from it... I wanted a TBSS for a bit and right now i wish i had one instead of the WRX... i like to camp and fish with the family of 4 and its hard since we have no large vehicle.

[WrxSteez]

Currently going into senior year in college, have no intentions of starting a family for 7-10 years. I do outdoors stuff, mtb, camping, skateparks, skiing, dunes. I like the performance aspect of both stock so no need for power mods. I have family that lives in snow and visit them frequently so that and skiing is where the AWD will come in handy. I have driven both vehicles, given only about a 10 mile test drive with each thus asking you guys for opinions. I need a car with damn good air conditioning (thank you "gunz4me" for A/C help) and a nice heater for winter that is comfy on long drives and also can we a bit of a weekend warrior.

[RayfieldsWRX]

I know you brought this up, but it kinda sounds like you're not quite settled about what you want out of a vehicle. Those are radically different choices.

[rocklizzard91]

The trailblazer (unless they changed the setup for the ss) is not THAT great in snow. My friend has a trailblazer (non-ss) and it's open differentials left much to be desired. We went out and I had much more control in my bugeye. Granted we were judging control by sliding around in the snow/ice but he had a lot of issues with one wheel spins on both axles. It's not terrible, but I would choose mine over his in that aspect. His isn't full time awd though you have to press the button

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

[himuraken]

Biased as I am, I'd go with the WRX. Better mileage, newer model year, more nimble. I know the TBSS is pretty sweet but I would go with the versatile WRX hatch to haul your sports gear and take you through the snow like a boss.

I just got rid of my 2008 Outback and hated the AC system in it. Took it to Subaru numerous times to be checked and refilled only to be told that there is nothing wrong with it.

On my 2012 WRX and 2012 Impreza the AC is remarkably better than the Outback. Not sure what the base comes with but my WRX has auto climate control whereas the Impreza has manual, both are great here in FL.

The Impreza's are economy cars at heart so you get manual controls and basic everything. As mentioned above, I find this to be more of a pro than a con.

At interstate speeds I speak to my clients using the Bluetooth and have yet to receive a single complaint about road noise.

Also, I am about 6' 2" and have no issues with comfort/leg room etc.

Hope this helps some.

[WrxSteez]

Thank you guys very much for the detailed responses. I am 6'1 and neither vehicle had a problem fitting myself or my dad who is 6'5 so that was an added plus to both. To Rayfields; I go to school about three hours drive from my dad and nine hours from my mom, both whom I visit frequently so a comfy interior and great A/C and heater is mandatory. I do odd-jobs like haul things around and usually driving people around so space is much needed. rocklizzard thank you very much for the insight on the AWD of the TBSS. I really wish it was winter time so I could drive one in Tahoe or something!

I guess the bottom line is that I am not yet ready to grow up and want to own a car that will keep me young, as I soon will enter the "real" world..

[BPWrx]

Here's the dirty.

I am also 6'1". The seat and steering wheel adjust just enough for the perfect driving position. A/C peaks after <5 min of driving when leaving the garage or a parking lot. Full blast is overkill to maintain a comfortable interior temp. In fact, 1-2 notches from auto (2-3 from "Off") is sufficient.

Contrary to various owner/fan/the guy who's only ever read the reviews and has never driven a WRX, the suspension is well balanced. It's not as advanced as the STI, but it is effective and gets the job done. And does it well. The suspension's so called "softness" is perfect for cruising or longer trips. I have notice micro under steer. However. Push that little button poitioned left of the side mirror controls and her traction control disarms. Four wheel drift, anyone? It's a little much for me, but it's a viable alternative Plus, do you really plan on entering any rally events?

While we're talking WRX vs. STI - somehow, and for whatever reason, many reputable sources claim the '11 WRX posts better 0-60 and quarter mile times than the STI. Up to .2 seconds faster. I ran with an STI. We were both at a complete stop for more than a minute when we started his shifts from second to third, third to fourth, killed his chances. He had 3 shifts I had two. He let off as we approached 75mph. I had him by 1 1/2 car lengths. He didn't stand a chance after that. Was it the car or the driver? However, a better driver may have been able to take me. We'll never know, but that is at least one more W for the WRX.

This cars acceleration is unbelievable. There's not a car in the price range that can touch it. Most cars, excluding super cars, in any price range accelerate 0-60 as quickly as this car does. Hell, even some super cars aren't as quick. Some are but it's not by much. At least not enough for me to Eber consider purchasing one for 100k more.

I purchased my 2011 WRX, silver w/black rims, last Friday (7/6/2012). I do not plan to modify any aspect of the vehicle, that will void the warranty, for the duration of the warranty (7 years | 100,000 miles). I picked mine up for 25K with 10,000 miles. Of all the vehicles and vehicle types I considered, this was exactly what I needed. The back seat is spacious. My two boys, ages 5 & 7 fit just fine in the back seat. I traded my '05 Toyota Avalon for my Buru. As of now, it was well worth it. I love this car. Pure joy. That's the only way to explain the driving experience in a WRX. I am more than happy to provide additional info if needed.

In short: Bro! Buy the WRX! The TBSS is a Chevy. 'Nuff said. TBSS' have great speed in a straight line. But like my personal preferences when it comes to most things - I prefer curves :-)

Good Luck!

[WrxSteez]

Thank you very much BPWrx! Great comments. I finally found a stock TBSS to test drive hopefully in the next few days. I can't wait to see how the dealer looks at me when I ask if I can drive it rough through some water! lol. I really dont care much about for performance aspects. Seen what AWD turbo cars are capable of. As long as I can fend off the occasional ricers where I live I'll be more than happy. Thank you all so much for answering my questions in detail, really helped me out!

[WrxSteez]

Two more things, how does the WRX do with part throttle boost with regular city driving? Second, do many people run the Aeroforce Interceptor gauge on their car with accurate results?

[gunz4me]

While we're talking WRX vs. STI - somehow, and for whatever reason, many reputable sources claim the '11 WRX posts better 0-60 and quarter mile times than the STI. Up to .2 seconds faster. I ran with an STI. We were both at a complete stop for more than a minute when we started his shifts from second to third, third to fourth, killed his chances. He had 3 shifts I had two. He let off as we approached 75mph. I had him by 1 1/2 car lengths. He didn't stand a chance after that. Was it the car or the driver? However, a better driver may have been able to take me. We'll never know, but that is at least one more W for the WRX.

This cars acceleration is unbelievable. There's not a car in the price range that can touch it. Most cars, excluding super cars, in any price range accelerate 0-60 as quickly as this car does. Hell, even some super cars aren't as quick. Some are but it's not by much. At least not enough for me to Eber consider purchasing one for 100k more.

That's the thing, the 6 speed kills the 0 to 60 time because it requires an extra shift to hit 60 whereas the WRX can hit 60 in 2nd. In an autocross or rally situation, I'd be willing to bet that the 6 speed is better for building power to pull out of turns and corners. EDIT: I think the 5 speed is better suited for a daily driver situation than the 6 speed STi would have been. While I liked my 6MT Honda, it seemed like I was shifting every 3 to 4 seconds in heavy traffic. Of course, I only have my 6 speed experience to compare in a daily driver situation as all my other manuals were 5 speed, so take that with a grain of salt.

I also heard others try to tell me that the STi 6 speed is more bullet proof than the WRX 5 speed, but the fact remains that if you constantly abuse either, you can expect problems. These aren't cars to constantly rev to 5,000 RPM then sidestep the clutch from a standstill.

Two more things, how does the WRX do with part throttle boost with regular city driving? Second, do many people run the Aeroforce Interceptor gauge on their car with accurate results?

The WRX does fine whether I shift it at 3,000 RPM, barely in boost, or 6,000 RPM. Unfortunately, I rarely go past 4,000 RPM, even though I joke about it in other threads. It's kind of sad when you think about it because I am babying a car that just begs to be driven.

I can't comment on the gauge though as the only thing I would do under warranty would be SPT parts. I don't know if it is true with Subaru as it was with Ford, but I was so glad when I used Ford Racing parts and had things go wrong due to the factory warranty being valid. Had I used aftermarket parts with a non-Ford tune, I could have screamed Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act until I was blue in the face, but the dealership could have easily pointed blame in my direction.

[BPWrx]

@Gunz - Couldn't agree more; 5 speed is definately more practical for everyday driving; Constantly launching from a stand still will only increase the likelihood that , sooner or later, mechanical issues will arise.

The STi is probably better built with much better components. I'm sure the gearbox gets a lot of attention. I say probably because I have not researched enough to know. Nor does or really matter that much, to me. Either way. I Love my WRX!

@WrxSteez- I'm one of those geeks that reads the entire owners manual to everything I own. I operate under the belief that you cannot work outside/inside the lines, nor can you find the gray area, without knowing the set lines/rules you must work within. With that said, the manual will provides speeds in mph and km for each gear change. It also provides the speed you should not exceed in each gear. The former table operates within 3-4k rpms. Shifting according to the index allows the vehicle to operate as efficiently as possible. Like Gunz, rarely do I take it past 4 or 4.5k. So the direct answer is: The WRX does great in city traffic, w/ low boost/rpms.

Not sure on the gauge.