My daughter currently drives my old CRV that's close to 200K miles, and I had an older Honda Accord coupe that had over 200K miles on it, so I get where you're coming from. IF my goal was to get over 200K miles, I would probably go with the Honda BUT spend the extra $$ to get the 6-cylinder so you have a fun driving experience.

That said, I put about 20K miles on my car a year. I have no problem going with a new WRX.

In my experience Subarus are very reliable--better than average--and I think information on the internet bears that out.

The Accord is, not surprisingly, one of the most reliable cars around. But JMO to get the ride you want you will have to spend some money--6-cylinder, etc. I really like the Accord coupe. But the V-6 is more expensive than the WRX, has only 2 doors and does not have AWD. Plus hard to find in a manual transmission. So for me the WRX is more practical.

If you're willing to settle for a 4-cylinder, of course, it will be cheaper than the WRX. Driving experience definitely not as much fun.

I would get an extended warranty for the WRX that covers you through at least 100K miles. The dealer practically threw one in to the offer when I got mine, so I figure I'm covered for the next 5 years.

And, of course, it goes without saying don't drive like an idiot and maintain the car the way it should. That's how you get to 200K.

 

If high mileage is the goal the accord

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Current offerings by Honda and Toyota, even the ones that supposed to be the "sportier", V6 manual options, are largely a snooze-fest to me, and wouldn't be under consideration if I'm looking to replace my enthusiast car. But I'm way on the fringes of the bell curve when it comes to my expectations.

For all-out, long term reliability, the Accord is, IMO, on another level than the Subarus that I've owned. That said, you've talked about hp numbers, but haven't mentioned anything about driving the cars in question, or what your expectation is. What are you looking for in the experience of driving your car? This is a subjective thing, which we won't be able to answer for you. I like hard suspensions, a touch of oversteer, and old-fashioned, manual tranny and a torque curve that has some character...but that may be the opposite of what you want.

Good luck with the decision! Go get behind the wheel. It may bring clarity.

 

I had 252,000 miles on my 2000 Regal when I sold it. It was running great but the body was rusting out. So for me it is more how one drives a car than the make. I fully expect to get over 200K on the wrx. So far so good at 31K and 32 average mpg.

 

Random thoughts . . .

First off, where I am coming from . . . I have a 2015 that's three months out from being two years old and I'm 2,000 miles short of 36,000 miles. I drive 33 miles on way to work, five days a week . . . and drive the WRX for other activities. To date I have had no mechanical issues.

The WRX does tend to involve more costs for maintenance as most folks here seem to change the oil more frequently than the recommended 6,000 mile mark. Something to consider.

I came from a 4-cylinder EX Accord coupe that I liked . . . a lot. I thought about a V-6 since I figured it might be even more fun . . . but after just one test drive with the WRX I was sold on that car. If I was unbiased I should have also test drove the V-6.

You mention some mods as "your needs" . . . I would respectfully suggest these are more of "your wants" for a car . . . not that there's anything wrong with that.

Will the Subaru go the distance . . . I suspect the answer is yes providing a) you don't beat on it, b) being smart with any mods (i.e. not adding a BOV, exhaust, etc. without using a Cobb AP or something similar), c) maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. That said, I also suspect the Honda will be the best choice if reliability and longevity are the most important factor in deciding to buy or not . . . although Subaru makes a fairly reliable car.

I think the best advice is this . . . go out and test drive all of the vehicles.

 

On paper, the clear decision for a comfortable 500 mile/week car that is going to last the longest is the Accord by a landslide. That being said, it all depends on your wants and needs as said before.

The WRX will not be as friendly in regards to road noise and comfort, stereo quality will be worse, maintenance will be more expensive throughout it's life, reliability will not be as solid and the overall expected life of the car will be much less. Now, given that, any car only lasts as long as you allow it to. If you follow the maintenance schedules strictly and be kind to the car there is no reason it won't last much longer than you need. The same could be said about any car. Where the WRX makes up for all the poor Daily Driver feats above is in performance and overall driver feel. Simply put, the car is a driver's car in that it fun. Fun acceleration, fun to shift gears, fun in the twisties and fun in all weather.

The Honda Accord beats the WRX in almost every daily driving category. It will be worlds more comfortable, much more quiet, the interior quality will be better, the reliability is unmatched, the lifetime maintenance is minimal, parts are dirt cheap and not to mention the price of the car is much less for what you get. However, especially regarding the LX, the Accord will feel like a turd in regards to performance. There is one remedy to this downfall that is entirely reasonable. If you are considering the price of a base WRX then you might as well look at the Honda EX-L V-6 Sedan. This car has a base price of only $31,730 and is LOADED with luxury adding features. Plus it comes with a 278HP V6 that has some pretty decent getup. My old roommate bought one of these new in 2015 and I was completely blown out of the water by the apparent interior quality and comfort of this car. Not to mention that the V6 was pretty solid in terms of power.

Now, without having considered any of your personal priorities, and strictly going off the fact that you are going to be spending 500 miles a week in your daily driver, I would definitely go with a Honda Accord and would SERIOUSLY consider upgrading to an EX-L v-6 Sedan, Touring Sedan or at least Sport Sedan trim option. Having riden in many newer WRX's, owned a 3rd generation wrx and currently own a 3rd gen STi; I would definitely not recommend one of these cars if comfort and overall reliability are your main priorities.

 

Another vote for the Accord here. As a former Accord owner myself, those things are just plain bulletproof IF you are looking for a straightup commuter. No mods, no ****ing around, regular service.

I would say the WRX is pretty good reliability-wise too under those same conditions. but if (like most WRX owners) you are going to doing any modding at all (as you have said), I would toss reliability right out the window. We've already seen alot of WRXs get tuned, and then get their engine warranty denied (though the warranty for rest of the car / body / suspension should still be ok).

Unless you want / need the 4 wheel drive, the added power, modability - go Accord. Though from the way you word your post, it seems like you want a Scooby - which we all can understand.

Just keep in mind though, when you mod your daily driver / commuter, be prepared for **** to go wrong more often than a bone stock DD.

 

WRX originates from the entry-level vehicle Subaru offers (the Impreza has always competed with the Civic, the Accord has always competed with the Legacy). The interior will always feel quite cheap, compared to other vehicles that cost the same amount of money.

If I were you, I would look into the Mazda6. For years, the Accord was the go-to for the midsize segment, but Mazda has really come on strong after their divorce from Ford. They offer it in 6M/T form (as long as you don't opt for the highest trim level), if you're into rowing through the gears. It's not as sporty to drive as the WRX, but you're going to be saving $.40/gallon on gas, getting 50+% better mileage, and can still have some fun driving it. It was a strong competitor when I was searching for a new DD, even with a relatively-modified STI as a backup; ultimately, I couldn't get the purchase price I wanted, and chose a Tacoma for the additional utility. I did a review on the Mazda a while back:
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/comparison-wrx-vs-world/134483121-2016-mazda-6-touring-6m-t.html

 

I had the opposite experience with my Accord however I treated it like ****. That said my wife has an Accord and I prefer to go on long trips with her in her car. However I enjoy the AWD of the WRX.

I suspect in around 4 years my WRX will likely have a few issues and her Accord will still be going strong.

If not for the AWD requirement here for me I would have purchased a different car.

 

First I'd think a civic would be more comparable to the WRX in size and a new 2017 civic would probably be comparable in size to your 2001 accord. The civic was a complete redesign in 2016 and I really like it. $25000 will get you every option in a civic and you will save a TON on gas compared to the WRX. What scared me away from the civic was how new everything was. Honda's reliability has been based on tiny incremental changes but the 2016 civic got a vastly different turbo CVT drivetrain. They've been dethroned as most reliable because of issues with switching to new tech (CVT being the main culprit). Of course I'm not sure I trust the Subaru CVT either. I also theorize subarus have a reputation for high milage not because of reliability but instead because the classic Subaru driver is the type of person that just keeps fixing.

I'd 2nd the Mazda 6 recomendation. I looked at the 3 and it was nice and again $25000 gets you anything you want, but it felt really outdated (I was looking at a lot of all new 2015/2016 cars)

Also keep an eye out for deals there's no reason to pay over dealer invoice for anything. I cot my 16 WRX through Costco.

 

I also theorize subarus have a reputation for high milage not because of reliability but instead because the classic Subaru driver is the type of person that just keeps fixing.

There may be some truth to that.