Good review. Not sure why you'd use Audi's break-in method on a Subaru when they're pretty specific, but all in all I enjoyed reading your review.. and I definitely agree with the Push-Button Start issue.

 

Glad you're having fun :thumbup:



If I bought a car that came with a push button start, probably the first thing I'd do is figure out how to swap that out for a "standard" key-in-the-ignition start. The lack of that feature is a serious plus in my book.

 

Thanks,

I used that audi method because it in no way violated Subarus break in instructions, I still kept it under 4k rpm for the first thousand miles. So no harm done. letting off the throttle and letting it slow in gear like that really seats your pistons nicely...

 

2016 WRX LIMITED (owners review)

Hi Guys,

Decided to share my thoughts on the ownership experience of this car, my first Subaru.

Got the car in June of this year, has 2 extra options on top of the Limited, which are the STI Performance Exhaust and the short throw shifter. Took delivery with 8 miles on the ODO, I now have had it for over 3 months and put on around 8k miles. This is my daily driver. I plan on keeping the car for a long time so I took my time to break it in properly;

I used the same method as the the instructions in for an Audi S4, which is to accelerate to 60 in 3rd gear then let go of gas and let the car slow down to a crawl while in gear, did this about 5 to 10 times initially...combining this with proper downshifts when taking off ramps and jug-handles really helped to seat in the piston rings, gotta love that reverse compression! (avoid extended idling with this FA20 engine, due to fuel dilution and such)

I have used Shell 93 V-Power since day 1, do my own maintenance, first oil change at 3500 miles with Penzoil Ultra Platinum which is an amazing oil IMO to use in this new WRX engine. The car has not burned any oil. Not a Drop.

Likes:

1.Car is roomy. It looks like a compact from the outside, but my 6'2 friend fit comfortably in the backseat, and thats after setting up the drivers seat for himself, and then sitting behind it! (somehow the Japs have figured out to make a car spacious on the inside while staying small on the outside..the VW Jetta comes to mind as another roomy compact)

2. Build quality in the engine bay is very nicely laid out, easy to work on, and screwed together nice and tight. If you like to work on cars, this is definitely user maintainable. You still need moderate auto repair knowledge tho.

3. LED headlights are auto height adjustable and pretty bright. I love them.

4. 18 Wheels are awesome on this limited trim. 255 width tires are nice to have all around is nice to have without overdoing it. The grip is very good on the summer tires and you can punch it to (unmentionable) speeds on, say, a sweeping jug handle merging on to the highway... Fast lane changes (such as swerving to avoid something in the road can be safely and quickly accomplished, This fact alone makes it the best car for 33k you can get.) Its a safety issue dammit! Because Rally Car.

5. Car feels planted at at triple digit speeds, although the steering wheels dead zone is almost non existent, so this is a car that demands to be under full control at all times, Transmission, clutch, and shifter included.

6. Speed. The car is fairly quick. I totally believe the advertised 0-60 times. The tight suspension also masks the speed, meaning that the speed at which objects disappear in your rear view does not match your butt dyno.

(it appears the WRX slows space/time for its occupants, while passing others by much faster in reality) again a side effect of a firmer suspension and a moderately more rigid body structure for this new gen model..

7. Decent interior. I say decent because yes its still an impreza, however i like the leather seats which are firm but comfy and have nice side bolsters. Floormats with the red WRX logo are a nice touch and the red gauges are a great glow at night.

8. Whether you like it or not, having a WRX will now enter you into a club with other WRX owners. Rules are as follows: wave to every other WRX you see on the road. Note: Please drive safely and limit Accord, Camry, GTI, SI, and Prius rapings unless absolutely necessary to avoid a dangerous traffic situation.

9. The Crystal White Pearl color is AMAZING I am in love. A little bit of Mguires quick wax really brings out the millions of multicolored shiny flakes in this pearlescent paint. This is a very nice warm and shiny shade of white, more of an eggshell than an alpine white color like on a bmw. But IMO it looks amazing in the sun, brilliant shiny flakes.


Dislikes:

1. The attention this car gets is ridiculous. Ive had cops pull me over with BS excuses just to chat with me about my car. No thank you officer.

2. Ride is Rough. I think it only absorbs 20 to 30% of the road. (although things have smoothed out a little bit after 8000 miles. Avoid even medium sized potholes at all costs. These low profile tires are not conducive to a smooth ride at low speeds Although at 80mph on the highway the ride smooths out quite nicely...(keep you tire pressure up ppl!)

3. Road noise. (but not wind noise) Let me explain, the cars windshield and upper portions appear to be nicely insulated from wind noise. However the floor of the car seems to be less insulated, the result is you mostly hear the road noise at your feet, while up top wind noise is nicely muted...Wierd. I was worried before I got the car that the interior noise on long highway commutes would be too loud however I dont mind it as much as I thought i would... You're driving a rally car after all, not a camry. (you also wont get raped like a camry, an added bonus)

4. The factory tune is quirky. Throttle is extremely touchy and sensitive. Pushing it 1/4 of the way and holding appears to give it full throttle instead, while flooring it all the way down often produces a slower acceleration run. It seems if you dont catch the boost just right at the proper moment you wont have a great 0-60 run. There are also what appear to be dead spots in the power band, so if you floor it, it will pull for a moment, slow down and pick up again as you near the redline. This makes highway passing unpredictable and frankly unsafe at times. This also makes shifting smoothly difficult at times.

To drive this car smoothly you need to shift quickly and apply throttle a little earlier on. Basically you gotta drive it like a man. You need to tell this car what to do. It is an instrument designed for fast shifts and acceleration, so naturally slow and smooth driving is sometimes difficult and jerky, especially during cold starts. The cable shifted tranny as apposed to a solid rod one does not help, although i do like its mechanical nature and the effort it takes to clunk into gear.

I have worked out at this point that if you really want to get going off a rolling start make sure you leave 1st gear near redline, then pedal to the floor to catch second gear around 4.5k, and by then your good to go.

5. There are creaks around the car, they are not intrusive but they are there. The blower fan for the ac has a slight clicking noise, it seems to have gotten a little better after a few months of use.

6.Base stereo (iin the limited) STINKS. no ifs ands or buts about it. Gets the job done tho if you arent an audiophyle and listen to light fm and NPR talk radio.

7. The breaks are a bit weak. Pedal is stiff at times and it seems that really hard stops require more pedal effort than youd expect for a breaking system in a car this quick... (no wonder they put brembos on the STI. which is only marginally quicker)

8. No keyless start/ access unless you get the navigation package. Thats right Im still using a god damn key to start my car, in a $33k 2016 LIMITED SUBARU WRX when crap cars starting at 14K nowdays come with standard push button start. The plastic area around where you insert the key has already began to get scratched up. COME ON SUBARU, WTF!!!


All in all im happy with the car. I still giggle like a schoolgirl when I take a sweeping turn at full throttle=) 100% still convinced I bought the best car for the money (performance wise). Be prepared for idiots trying to race you for no reason. it just comes with the territory.

This by no means is a complete review, but I hope this will help someone with their purchasing decision.

Regards=)

 

Maybe I'm too old, but never could figure out what the big deal is about a push button start vs. turning a key . . . other than it being so hard to do with having to actually take the key out of your pocket and insert it into the ignition.

 

In actuality, it's not the actual push button start for me as much as the keyless entry that comes with it. If I have my hands full, or I'm in a hurry, it's nice to not have to fumble around to find my fob or keys to get in. it'd make for a boring horror movie, but helps in everyday life, haha.

 

Great review and nice write up. Glad you're loving the car. I just hit the 1 year mark with own wrx and still love driving it everyday. There's a few quirks here and there but truly believe it's the best car for the money. :thumbup:

 

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the review=) I try to make them as quirky as the car itself.

 

So I have two push button start cars for 4 years now.

The push button adds some annoyances.

First, I hate having things in my pockets when I drive, so I always wind up placing the keys in the cup holder, so I essentially always have 1 cup holder instead of 2.

Since I keep the keys out of my pockets, sometimes I will leave the keys in the car when leaving the vehicle.

In the winter, you jump in the car with the keys in your pocket to start it up, then go to clean off the snow and then you are immediately summoned back to the car to throw the keys on to the seat.


Just a few things I can think of off the top of my head.

 

See my main gripe with the lack of push button is 2 things:

1. Having to fish out the keys from pants pocket, it becomes a pain in dress pants.

2. I have my house keys attached to the car key and they swish swoosh and jingle around loudly while driving. This wonderful wind chime effect also contributes to the black plastic around the keyhole getting scratched up, often permanently.

3. Now that I think about it, the seating position is too damn upright and truck like for a car as sporty as the WRX. I find myself often adjusting the seat down to get the coupe like effect.

Thats about it. Im one button click from getting a cobb stage 2 kit minus their exhaust. ( I plan to keep my SPT exhaust and use with Cobbs downpipe. Shouldnt be too loud I think..)

 

Pushbutton start has been great for me. It starts beeping at me, but will sit there and idle for quite a while without the key in it..haven't tested the limits. Though, my car's garaged, so I don't really have a big reason to have it sitting there running for a long time.

 

CWP is pretty awesome!

 

oh yes sir it is=)

 

If its anything like an infitity's keyless system, it will basically let the car for as long as you want until you shut it down. Then obviously it will not start without the key being present...

 

Coming from a Focus ST with push button, I have to admit I do miss that feature. For me I would leave my keyfob in my pocket, so just grab handle and go, lock by pushing the button on handle.

SQ

 

Great write up thank you for sharing your real life user experiences. It's tough to gain any "meaningful" information of real life usability from a magazine article.

Not to nit-pick.. but aren't the tires 245's?

 

On second thought, they are probably 245's. It was just wishful thinking that they were 255's LOL. Still, a decently wide tire...any wider and im afraid the wheels will follow every damn rut and dip in the road...I hate that. My buddy has an srt8 charger with the wide 20's and it trams all the damn time. Wheels are simply too wide...

Glad you enjoyed the review!

 

15 WRBLUE:



1. Whether I have to fish the keys out of my pocket as I approach the car, or if I have to take them out to start the car makes no difference, Its still an inconvenience.

2. I have considered the keychain thing, but again more hassle removing and re attaching it daily.

3. No I had no idea the seat reclines. I thought it only moved forward and back, up and down, and the seat angle being adjustable...but now that I know it reclines...well you just blew my mind!

 

OK, so, I never thought about it, until this thread.
I start car in garage and go inside to make the coffee, during warm-up.
How far can you walk away, with the fob in pocket, while engine running?
What will the fob do?

 

The fob will gently vibrate in your pocket to notify you to return to the car. If ignored, the fob will begin speaking, softly at first, asking you to return to your vehicle in a british accent. If ignored again, the voice becomes that of Gordon ramsey. You don't want to know what that sounds like coming from your pocket, its best to just return to the car prior to this occurring...

 

Nice review
I bought the last WRX/STI Limited 2015 4 months ago, I have 3950 mile on the engine, however I put the metal pedal to the floor the first 1000 miles and have no issues other than an increase in speed and torque.Subaru has "no statement regarding a break in period" for off the shelf. Break in periods are no longer needed for "ANY Subaru" I was concerned about this break in period myself hence 43,000.0 cash payment on my new STI. However after speaking with Subaru performance technique
they said go have fun and slam it. I'm in Colorado 8 miles from Pikes Peak and I can say this, just blast your new Subi, it won't break. Oh btw, I just finished the Cobb Stage 3 install and now I'm happy. The stock 2015 and 2016 are identical except for a bigger GPS screen on the limiteds. they also suck air and run a little lean. A custom tune is necessary if you really want to have fun. I only wish Subaru had done this upgraded HP, after all the EJ25 motor is 11 years old.

dabluestreak

 

From page 8-2 of your owner's manual:

New vehicle break-in driving
– the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km)
The performance and long life of your
vehicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
. Do not race the engine. And do not
allow engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm
except in an emergency.
. Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid
acceleration, except in an emergency.
. Avoid hard braking, except in an
emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to an overhauled engine, newly
mounted engine or when brake pads or
brake linings are replaced with new ones.

 

(in case there was any confusion about johnny 5)

 

You r the best echo reds!!

I believe in using "all my cars" specifically sport and rally cars. Just Do It! race, slam, tune, add illegal upgrades and have fun!! most states have a 7 years emissions policy before you need a "smog check" F the engine OH, BTW I have been using "ZMAX" for 20+ years and that is a secret that the nubs should consider. OH, as you know, working at a dealership, "you the owner of a new vehicle
is under warranty" 3 years 36 Just my experience. Hence my original post about slamming it off the Dealership Lot.

 

You r the best echo reds!!

I believe in using "all my cars" specifically sport and rally cars. Just Do It! race, slam, tune, add illegal upgrades and have fun!! most states have a 7 years emissions policy before you need a "smog check" F the engine OH, BTW I have been using "ZMAX" for 20+ years and that is a secret that the nubs should consider. OH, as you know, working at a dealership, "you the owner of a new vehicle
is under warranty" 3 years 36 Just my experience. Hence my original post about slamming it off the Dealership Lot.

 

I am a new Subaru owner with a '16 WRX too and think I have figured out why it seems "jerky" if you floor it in the lower gears. Over-boost protection. While I can't confirm it for sure, it seems the car likes to boost up to about 15 psi, but will boost to over 20 momentarily. If you floor it in low gears, it boosts to 20 psi, then I'm guessing the waste gate kills the boost, and boosts again towards 15 psi and if you're still in it hard, wastes again. This doesn't happen much in 3rd and not in 4th, 5th, and 6th because it doesn't overboost in those gears.

If you roll into the throttle and keep the boost around 15 psi, it pulls hard with no hesitation.

So that's my speculation. I'd like to somehow remap the throttle pedal so it isn't as sensitive for the first 25% or so of throttle position, but have no idea how to do that and if I did if it would somehow be a warranty issue.

 

I've had my 2013 WRX for three years now and enjoy it as much today as when I bought it. WRXs are exclusive; you don't see them everyday. The rumble is more V-8 sounding than inline 4 engine sounding. Push button starting is a non issue for me. Give me all the go fast goodies and keep the price down by eliminating the non performance stuff that adds to the bottom line. Yes, the stock radios are awful. I bought a Pioneer radio and infinity speakers. Now it sounds great. I hope Subaru doesn't get too fancy with all the amenities and price this car out of reach for many people.

 

Your owner review was awesome. Thanks for sharing. It also recently bought a wrx limited and am in love.

 

i prefer the good ol' keys, i don't like push buttons.

 

For anyone who cares about the driveability and longevity of their wrx, please get it protuned by a reputable tuner.

OP, glad you are loving the car. Everyone has the issue with the twitchy throttle and rev-hang.

I had my car dynoed with OE map and then with my protune map. The AF ratio graphs were very different.

With the OE map, the AF ratio is all over the place and the car is pretty quirky. By the third pull, the car was not happy at all.

With the protune map, the AF ratio was controlled and had a "logical" curve. By the third pull, the car was showing more power than the first two pulls...a happy car.

We overlaid the OE map and protune map graphs and found that both started the torque curve at the same time, but the protune curve went higher. Same for the hp curve.

Here is the caveat: tell your tuner over and over again that you will be tracking this car and want a very safe tune. My protune could have made more power, but I didn't want it. It was already making more power than OE.

This is a $1000 to $1200 investment and worth every single penny.

 

The thing that stood out about your post was the comment:
"This is a $1000 to $1200 investment and worth every single penny."
Are you talking in combination with an AP? Otherwise that's the most expensive pro-tune I've ever heard of in my life.


Sent from my iBrain using telepathy

 

$600 for AP.
$400 to $600 for protune.

Do not ever get an etune...just dont...I dont care what some may tell you.

I drive 2.5 hours each way for mine. I have been there twice and going back next Tuesday for what I pray will be the last of my mods. In case you are wondering, Snail Performance in Rocklin, CA.

 

Do not ever get an etune...just dont...I dont care what some may tell you.

Wow! A heck of a lot of folks are doing it wrong.

 

Pizza_Pablo, are you trying to be funny? Seriously? Sometimes I can't tell the intention because I don't know the intelligence or experience behind something posted online. I have tried the e-tune route with an excellent tuner. I will not state the name because it is not his fault. An e-tune for the FA20 is not a good idea.

You may e-tune it with some success.

You may download the Acesstuner Race, use an OTS map as a base map, and have at it...without blowing up your motor. You can have logs that look good, and convince yourself you know to tune.

Preferred way is protune. There is no arguing here. Ask your tuner.

 

Nope. Not "trying to be funny".
You made a bold statement and I added a fact, to it.
BTW:

Preferred way is protune. There is no arguing here. Ask your tuner.

What tuner would ever say anything different?
That would be counter productive to their paycheck.