Subaru WRX Forum banner

WRX or not? Maybe?

1K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  baseapple 
#1 ·
My first post. Been thinking about a WRX. I know only I can answer these questions on if WRX is really right for me. But let me ask you "real" owners of the car. My background is all Hondas and know nothing about Subarus. Considering a 2015 model.

- I don't need AWD. No snow, no rain. I read the adverting about Symmetrical AWD. Is AWD really more fun vs. other FWD compacts? Notice the handling difference?

- How's the reliability of Subaru? Yes, every car have problems. Some are perfect. Would you consider Subaru to be Honda-Like?

- The flat 4 engine. Like the advertising said, lower center of gravity. Is that something you really feel? Are there advantages or disadvantages to this design?

- WRX may be too much power for my DD use. No plans to track or auto X the car. What do you guys think of an Impreza with wheels, suspension, bolt ons? Or is it Turbo (WRX) or none at all? An Impreza is good alternative? If you had to step down from your WRX, would you consider an Impreza?

- I read mix reviews about the new CVT. Some say the delay is still there. But given that I will DD the car, city driving, will I be disappointed? I do consider myself a manual trans guy. But also read this CVT is amazing (with the fake paddleshifts), and perfect for a guy like me for my use. I read horror stories about Nissan CVT. What do you guys know about Subaru's CVT? The same Jatco unit (like Nissan)?

Thank you.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
My first post. Been thinking about a WRX. I know only I can answer these questions on if WRX is really right for me. But let me ask you "real" owners of the car. My background is all Hondas and know nothing about Subarus. Considering a 2015 model.

- I don't need AWD. No snow, no rain. I read the adverting about Symmetrical AWD. Is AWD really more fun vs. other FWD compacts? Notice the handling difference?
There is a difference. To notice you have to exceed the limits of adhesion. This means that simply driving around, there is no difference. However the car can tolerate throttle sooner out of most bends at the limit. This makes a huge difference if you're in a hurry. I'm not.

- How's the reliability of Subaru? Yes, every car have problems. Some are perfect. Would you consider Subaru to be Honda-Like?
Almost.

- The flat 4 engine. Like the advertising said, lower center of gravity. Is that something you really feel?
It's impossible to tell because the engine is too far forward in the nose of the car. Had the engine been toward the middle (where all engines belong) then maybe the difference would be easier to see.

Are there advantages or disadvantages to this design?
Yes but none that either promote it specifically vs. an inline or exclude it vs. an inline if there is enough space in the car to house either engine.

- WRX may be too much power for my DD use. No plans to track or auto X the car. What do you guys think of an Impreza with wheels, suspension, bolt ons?
Expensive.

Or is it Turbo (WRX) or none at all?
Probably.

An Impreza is good alternative?
If you don't need AWD, no.

If you had to step down from your WRX, would you consider an Impreza?
No. I'd buy a Honda.
 
#3 ·
My first post. Been thinking about a WRX. I know only I can answer these questions on if WRX is really right for me. But let me ask you "real" owners of the car. My background is all Hondas and know nothing about Subarus. Considering a 2015 model.

- I don't need AWD. No snow, no rain. I read the adverting about Symmetrical AWD. Is AWD really more fun vs. other FWD compacts? Notice the handling difference?
night and day difference.

- How's the reliability of Subaru? Yes, every car have problems. Some are perfect. Would you consider Subaru to be Honda-Like?
Subaru claims 95% of all Subarus sold in the last 10 years are still on the road (I have not fact checked this claim) that sounds pretty reliable to me. There are many on this forum with 100,000+ miles and even a few over 200k. Scheduled maintenance is key

- The flat 4 engine. Like the advertising said, lower center of gravity. Is that something you really feel? Are there advantages or disadvantages to this design?
It's definitely an advantage..however if they moved the engine further back, it would be purely orgasmic. :schwing:

- WRX may be too much power for my DD use. No plans to track or auto X the car. What do you guys think of an Impreza with wheels, suspension, bolt ons? Or is it Turbo (WRX) or none at all? An Impreza is good alternative? If you had to step down from your WRX, would you consider an Impreza?
A dressed up Impreza is a far cry from a base WRX. If I were to have to get rid of my WRX, an Impreza wouldn't be on my list.. I'd opt for a legacy or outback if i needed AWD. If AWD wasn't needed I'd go for something RWD.

- I read mix reviews about the new CVT. Some say the delay is still there. But given that I will DD the car, city driving, will I be disappointed? I do consider myself a manual trans guy. But also read this CVT is amazing (with the fake paddleshifts), and perfect for a guy like me for my use. I read horror stories about Nissan CVT. What do you guys know about Subaru's CVT? The same Jatco unit (like Nissan)?

Thank you.
I'd rather be annoyed I had to shift in traffic than be annoyed that I'm not shifting on some winding back roads.
 
#4 ·
I'd personally never go to a N/A car again.
Wrx is more delicate...don't expect to beat the hell out of it like I know a lot in the Honda community do to their cars and expect it to last as long....it wont
 
#5 ·
I can't imagine driving a Honda, having never driven a WRX, then getting into a WRX for a test drive and not being absolutely impressed.

A [frugal, non-car-guy] friend of mine bought an Impreza after years of Accord ownership. He uses the AWD maybe 2x-3x/year. I think he should have gotten another Accord and just carpooled snowboarding.
 
#6 ·
- I read mix reviews about the new CVT. Some say the delay is still there. But given that I will DD the car, city driving, will I be disappointed? I do consider myself a manual trans guy. But also read this CVT is amazing (with the fake paddleshifts), and perfect for a guy like me for my use. I read horror stories about Nissan CVT. What do you guys know about Subaru's CVT? The same Jatco unit (like Nissan)?
The CVT is not "amazing" in my opinion, but it is pretty good. If you are looking for an automatic then it's one of the better options out there. If you want to get rid of lag but keep a similar level of performance then you would probably need to move to a much higher displacement engine. I came from a 3.5 V6 to the WRX (both manual) and do kind of miss the instant power, but the WRX itself far exceeds what I expected from it in most other ways.
 
#7 ·
coming from any honda, you are bound to be blown away.

If you like manual, don't bother with cvt. The 6 speed is pretty nice.

Don't buy an impreza and put money into it. Buy the wrx, you won't regret it.

Handling wise, the awd really lets you feel confident that you will not lose control or slide out. It's not really just for snow or rain, although that aspect is nice. FWD sucks... really bad... in every aspect.

On the other side of that.... "fun" is subjective, AWD will make you a good driver that can take fast turns without really trying at all... FWD takes some skill and you'll feel like you're going really fast, but you're not.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top