Technique Advice

[UncleMidriff]

Well, I finally bought a 2003 WRX. I'm pretty excited about it...ok, make that "holy crap wow OMG yeehaw" excited about it.

Anyway, I'm here to ask advice on driving technique. The peddle on the right is the one that makes it go, right?

Alright, I don't need that much help, but I am concerned about getting the most fun out of this vehicle during my commute to work and while driving it around town. I'd also like to be sure not to do anything stupid to it and wind up breaking something. Here's a list of vehicles I've driven during my driving career:

1995 Ford Ranger, automatic
1997 Isuzu Hombre, manual (drove this very briefly)
1999 Ford F-150, automatic
2002 Saturn SL, automatic (my wife's car)
1994 Toyota Corolla, automatic

As you can see, the list is long on sensible and short on fun. Also, I've very little experience with manual transmissions. I know how to drive one, but I'm not sure that I know how to drive one "correctly."

Basically, I'd like advice on how to best achieve that "Yeah, now that's why I bought a WRX" feeling without breaking too many laws or car parts. Since I've got so little experience with manual transmissions, I've been driving it fairly timidly. I don't want to get the revs up to much, because I'm not used to that sort of thing, and I don't really even know what "too much" is on a WRX, or if there is even such a thing as too much.

So, if you have any advice to give on how to intelligently have a reasonable amount of fun with this vehicle, I'd greatly appreciate it. Anything goes too, no matter how basic or stupid it might be... common knowledge type stuff isn't common with me, so don't hold back

Thanks.

[EJ257]

Auto-X

With the exception of eating through a set of tires every year, it's a relatively inexpensive activity.

Once you've had enough seat time to understand the limitations of both yourself as a driver, and the vehicle itself, you'll enjoy your regular drives a lot more.

[2002 WReX]

I don't want to get the revs up to much, because I'm not used to that sort of thing, and I don't really even know what"too much" is on a WRX, or if there is even such a thing as too much.

Thanks.

rev limiter...

in all seriousness driving the car around for a week or two you'll learn more about your car than anyone in here can explain in black and white. revs don't necessarily hurt the car, but common sense usually rules.

as my car is a daily driver i find that i hit the 7k rpm mark a few times a day, but then again i like to beat on things. but most of my commute i stay around the 2-2.5k range for gas milage purposes.

enjoy your car, and don't be timid. one of the ways subaru built its name was by building cars that were compared to tanks. thats not a joke, they really were in the 80's.

[UncleMidriff]

Here's an example of what I am talking about:

I had my first on-the-road confrontation yesterday. I'm driving down the highway, in the right lane, doing the speed limit like a good driver. An Acura of some sort passes by in the left lane, notices me, changes to the middle lane, and then slows down so he's driving right next to me. I pretty much ignored him (though inside I was giddy to be driving something people would want to challenge), and after about 15 seconds of that, he punches it and speeds off.

Now, I'm not going to be racing anybody like that. I was already going the speed limit, and that was just fine with me. (This car is new to me, so I don't have the insurance paper work yet...don't worry, I have insurance for it, but if I were to get pulled over, that'd be something that I don't really feel like trying to explain to an officer.)

However, I realized in that moment that if I had wanted to take on the challenge, I would have no idea how to do so.

So, assuming I didn't care about speed limits, safety, and all that other nonsense, how should I have responded to that. I know that shifting to a lower gear would provide more power, but beyond that, I'm retarded.

[XTC]

dude, lower gear does mean more power, but I think its all in the RPM's the higher the more power....Im by no means a car expert..

I have never owned an automatic transmission car, ive only had my license for little under 2 years, and it is currently suspended cuz of those damn civics tying to race me, and me giving in...... but I have driven it like 3 times, and the whole time I was using my left foot for braking ...

no one really taught me how to drive a stickshift, but its fairly easy, give it a week or two....I personally hate automatic transmission, takes the fun out of driving.....but its a ***** on hills, especially if some douche behind you is like 2 inches away.....

[wrx0131]

Here's an example of what I am talking about:

I had my first on-the-road confrontation yesterday. I'm driving down the highway, in the right lane, doing the speed limit like a good driver. An Acura of some sort passes by in the left lane, notices me, changes to the middle lane, and then slows down so he's driving right next to me. I pretty much ignored him (though inside I was giddy to be driving something people would want to challenge), and after about 15 seconds of that, he punches it and speeds off.

Now, I'm not going to be racing anybody like that. I was already going to speed limit, and that was just fine with me. (This car is new to me, so I don't have the insurance paper work yet...don't worry, I have insurance for it, but if I were to get pulled over, that'd be something that I don't really feel like trying to explain to an officer.)

However, I realized in that moment that if I had wanted to take on the challenge, I would have no idea how to do so.

So, assuming I didn't care about speed limits, safety, and all that other nonsense, how should I have responded to that. I know that shifting to a lower gear would provide more power, but beyond that, I'm retarded.

That would be such a waste of gas. Had the car been a mustang gt or camaro, and assuming you were in 4th or 5th gear at 3k rpms, you would rev match and throw it into 2nd, then procede to smoke that american POS....just playing

But seriously to punch the car w/o hurting anything (especially on an 03).....

I would first learn to properly drive stick before attempting to push it

[TheJ]

Well IMHO to get the most "fun" out of your WRX you should make sure you appreciate it's natural advantages and don't sweat it's natural disadvantages.
Some natural advantages:
Grip and quickness in practically all conditions and around corners. In another words the AWD provides exceptional ability to put power down to the ground much more effectively then 2wd vehicles can. Make sure you have really good tires and you will grow to really enjoy this so much more. Also you will have super grip down low even when launched, unlike higher powered RWD/FWD vehicles. I certainly would not recommend you go around "launching it" at every stop light but they didn't get those advertised 5.4 second 0-60 times by simply running through the gears briskly. Launching will take some time to get used to though.
Some natural disadvantages:
Not terribly strong on the top end, relative to a launch and especially relative to cars with larger displacement (like V6s & V8s).

As nice as the 2003 WRX is, it's still a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder. You can do things to change the power output but it will never drive like a higher displacement vehicle. That's certainly not to say it's not "as good" as a higher displacement vehicle, it's just different. To me, unless you are planning major modifications, then the car is about grip and some quickness.

Get some really good tires, practice driving the manual, stay in it's wheelhouse and you will grow to really love it even more.

Enjoy.