Limits of WRX

[ledman41]

Hello all. I am currently in the process of researching cars, and have narrowed it down to two leading contenders. The WRX and the Outback. Obviously these are two different cars, and obviously they're each built for different things. My question is where do the limits of the WRX lie? The Outback is the more rugged vehicle of the two, and the off-roader, but I want to know at what point would a WRX say conditions are too bad for it to do it's thing. Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe

[jd92677]

Welcome Joe

If you have the stock tires on it, any snow is treacherous. Below 40 degrees, things could get slippery if you're driving aggressively. If you have snow tires, ground clearance is your only obsticle. If you're talking off-road abilities, the WRX is not made for that but in some dirt or sand, as long as you have clearance, it handles fairly well.

[SD_GR]

They differ in ride height, spring rates, and damping. The Outback will do better on uneven surfaces in winter out of the box, since the WRX comes with summer tyres fitted.

If you are interested in speed on warm paved surfaces, higher fuel consumption, and higher insurance rates, the WRX is your best bet.

[Mikie13]

Depends what you want to put them through. What are your reasons for wanting the Outback? And reasons for wanting the WRX? Do you want more utility or more sportiness? The WRX will handle poor conditions very well on the roads, but its not as good as a standard Outback for crossing rough terrains...I'd say the biggest limit of the WRX compared to the Outback is the ground clearance. Its lower...so it won't handled as deep of snow or offroad conditions as well...

You are familiar with the Outback 2.5XT right? Turbo'd Outback...best of both worlds

[KronosPerformance]

The limit is in your pocket. How much money you you have will ultimately be your limit no matter what vehicle.

[dolson1120]

well I have had both, you can toe a boat or small trailer with the Outback plus more room for stuff. Look at getting a 2.5 turbo Outback. I like the sporty drive of the WRX but I some times wish I had the Outback back for trips it is more of a multi purpose car. Good luck D

[Mikie13]

Or find a WRX Wagon.

[ledman41]

So what I gather is simply that the WRX, with adequate tires, can handle a good bit of snow and some unpaved roads, as long as they're loosely considered to be roads.

What attracted me to each is the awesomeness that is the Outback's outdoorsman compatibility with it's ground clearance, cargo space, and accessories, and the WRX's sheer awesomeness with regards to good scores on the car enthusiasts' checklist. I find myself to be both a performance enthusiast AND an outdoor sports kinda guy, so each car appealed to a different element of my mind, and it seems that now I'll have to pick which I favor more if I want to buy new.

Thank you all for your help,
Joe

[fishsniper]

Joe, I'm in the same boat. I love to be outdoors fishing and whatnot, and have a jeep right now. I need something to travel back and forth to school that's easier on gas than my jeep, which is why I'm looking at a WRX, and if the back seats fold down, I can fit a fishing rod better in the WRX than I can my jeep. I also love performance cars, so like you, the choice is tough for me. Good luck in your decision!!

[T0rque]

There is a lot of people adapting the WRX to the suspension of an outback or forester.. Just so you know.. Obviously it isnt going to have amazing handling capabilities anymore but itll go like hell on a dirt road..

[teflon_jones]

Have you driven both of them yet? If not, that's what you should be doing before posting questions.

[ledman41]

Have you driven both of them yet? If not, that's what you should be doing before posting questions.

I have driven both at a dealership, which is what has me leaning towards the WRX, and that's why I want to know what the limits of the WRX are, because I want to know how much I will be hampering my outdoorsiness for the sake of appealing to the enthusiast in me. It must be noted that I live in South Florida and don't know anybody here with either of those cars, so I can't really drive them in snow or on anything that isn't flat, hence my questions here.

[T0rque]

That's one hell of a drive to any snow..

[ledman41]

That's one hell of a drive to any snow..

Indeed, but my job may have me moving westward to the likes of Utah, Washington state or Colorado. If this is the case my FWD Civic may be a wee bit sketchy.

[teflon_jones]

If you're going to be moving to anywhere with high altitudes like CO, and you like performance, then you're definitely going to want something with forced induction.