[bl4d3runn3r]

Hi guys,

I'm about to sell my 2016 Charger Scat Pack, it makes some weird noises and the dealerships here in the area don't want to help me, so I want to get rid of the car and I'm condering in buying a WRX or WRX Premium.

I'll be honest with you guys, I'm not a race driver and I don't want to race the WRX, just want a quick street car that sounds and looks good. I'm definetly going to mod the car with at least a cat back, an air intake, coilovers and nice 19 inch wheels. Maybe a Cobb Stage 2+ plus a Protune would make sense, but I don't know how solid these cars are, is it relativly safe to get a Stage 2+ without blowing the engine up? As I said I don't want to torture the car, just accelerate and enjoy the boxer and turbo sound from time to time.

Is there any reason to get the WRX Premium over the WRX base? How does the entertainment system differs in both trims? I basically just need to connect my phone via bluetooth to the car to play music and listen to Waze.

 

[atuntuny]

Well i havent done much engine modding to my car so i wont speak on reliability with the stage 2. But i will say that the infotainment on thr basr and the premium is the same, and i dont think you can have the harman kardon on the premium(i may be wrong). The limited has the harman kardon which I hear is ok. The stock stereo does have bluetooth, pandora, aux input etc and hd radio. But the sound is really not great its fine up to about 80% volume after that it starts to distort with base.

That said this car a lot of fun and has enough power to daily drive but dont expect it to be as fast as your charger. Not even close. I know the 0-60 times on the wrx are pretty quick but that requires doing super hard launches that are horrible for ur drivetrain.
So as long as you understand that these cars have enough power to be fun and that you will have the most fun on the twisties, i would say go for it!!! As for the premiun the main differences are the fog lights, sunroof, heated seats, heated mirrors and 2016 and up have better 18inch wheels.

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[XJman]

No way would I modify a new WRX with a warranty. They are fairly reliable but serious expensive problems are not unheard of.

Even with intake, tgv deletes, turbo back exhaust, top mount, and a good tune the challenger will dump all over the WRX. They are quick, but not like the American iron that drives that challenger. Coilovers are pointless really and the cheap 1k sets ride and perform well below the stock suspensions capabilities and are inferior quality. I would avoid that completely.

As far as sound goes all the newer WRX models have equal length headers and sound like your typical fart cannon 4pot. The CVT transmission is also a huge limit as they are only "good" until about 300 wheel torque. So if you want anything more, a manual is a must have.

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[why2kmax]

as XJman said if you engine mod it other than a Cat Back which will give you no gain save for noise, you are throwing the warranty away immediately, and you will find Subaru dealers to be even less helpful with your WRX should something go wrong (with the motor) than Dodge is with your Scat.

I have a 17 WRX Limited, and a 15 Challenger HC.

The Charger is much roomier, quieter, more comfortable and likely has more amenities than either WRX you are looking at and no matter what sound system you have in the Charger, its light-years better than whats in the WRX.

The WRX however is a go kart in the handling dept by comparison and is a blast to drive, just in a different way than your Scat.

Seems to me you already have a quick street car that sounds and looks good. you are just trading apples for oranges YMMV

 

[bl4d3runn3r]

The charger is insanely fast and fun to drive, but if you have problems with it and nobody wants to help you, you feel a little disappointed. Still not sure if I would be happy with a WRX, I will go for a test drive.

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[SubieMike83]

The charger is insanely fast and fun to drive, but if you have problems with it and nobody wants to help you, you feel a little disappointed. Still not sure if I would be happy with a WRX, I will go for a test drive.

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I wanted a WRX before I even drove one but it will always come down to the test drive. I test drove one with an STI short throw shifter and I also had a really cool salesman that took me on a back road to "test drive" it. He let me go WOT with it. I know I shouldn't do it to a new car but I'm also all in to see what it can do before I really want to buy one. Have fun!

 

[rqjoe]

I got the premium because I wanted the winter package and fog lights on it. I don't use the sunroof that is also on the premium. My engine is safely stock.

 

[XJman]

The charger is insanely fast and fun to drive, but if you have problems with it and nobody wants to help you, you feel a little disappointed. Still not sure if I would be happy with a WRX, I will go for a test drive.

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If you are worried about noises the WRX is not your car. They creak, whine, pop, rattle, vibrate. My exhaust literally makes all of the interior trim on my WRX rattle. Good Subaru dealers can be hard to find so do your research.

It's not that they are bad cars or unfun to drive. They are just nothing compared to what you have now, and overall fit and finish may leave a little to be desired over the challenger and that's saying something. Just think long and hard. This isn't the fast and furious. A modern v6 accord will kill the WRX from a roll. It's been covered here and a lot of owners get really mad about it. It sucks being in a vehicle that totally undershot all expectations.



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[mjmwrx]

If you are worried about noises the WRX is not your car. They creak, whine, pop, rattle, vibrate. My exhaust literally makes all of the interior trim on my WRX rattle. Good Subaru dealers can be hard to find so do your research.

It's not that they are bad cars or unfun to drive. They are just nothing compared to what you have now, and overall fit and finish may leave a little to be desired over the challenger and that's saying something. Just think long and hard. This isn't the fast and furious. A modern v6 accord will kill the WRX from a roll. It's been covered here and a lot of owners get really mad about it. It sucks being in a vehicle that totally undershot all expectations.



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I 2nd this. I literally came from driving a 05 civic and I find my 17 wrx sloooooow....There's literally never been a time when I found the acceleration exhilarating. If you are banking on the stage 2 I'd consider I've seen very mixed reviews about the results..Also you have to decide if you are going to scrap the warranty or can wait 3 years driving your brand new car stock.

 

[kpeters]

If you are considering a base but can afford a premium, why not get a base STi?

 

[bl4d3runn3r]

I thought I can save some money and spend it for mods. I will check out some dealerships next week, need to feel one of these cars first I guess.

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[SubieMike83]

If you are considering a base but can afford a premium, why not get a base STi?

A base is 26k, then a premium is 28k. Limited is 30k and STI is 34k and STi Limited is 39K. There's a big difference between base and premium. I don't think it's feasible if you can afford a premium then you can afford a base STI. Just too much money!

 

[mjmwrx]

I thought I can save some money and spend it for mods. I will check out some dealerships next week, need to feel one of these cars first I guess.

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Just keep in mind that the power drops off at 4k rpms. I know you won't want to red line a test drive...get it to 4k and you are getting all its got...Don't expect anymore in the higher rpms.

 

[SubieMike83]

Yeah mjmwrx is correct! BUT if you get the right salesman, test drive a car you don't plan on buying. Meaning that you will go "all out" on the car you're test driving. It's such a fun car to drive. I had a really cool salesman and he pretty much filled in the last 5% that I needed to want to buy the car. I was already sold but the turning radius and low boost was fun so I bit!

 

[kpeters]

The last time I strolled the dealership a couple weeks ago, the fully loaded WRX premiums were pretty evenly tagged with the STi base models I think but that depends on timing and the area I suppose.

 

[XJman]

I thought I can save some money and spend it for mods. I will check out some dealerships next week, need to feel one of these cars first I guess.

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I would venture the STI would be a far better platform for modifications. The drivetrain is more robust, the ej is proven, weaknesses identified and documented, and is worth the extra money in general if modifications are the goal. The direct injection system on the fa20f is limited by the HPFP and there are no aftermarket options I'm aware of. So instantly you are fuel limited big time. It also will have the issue of carbon build up on the intake valves due to the lack of fuel passing the valve.

But I stand by the statement you would be crazy to modify any turbo Subaru that is under warranty and risk coverage denial. In the grand scheme the challenger will likely stand on its own and reliable where as the Subarus are starting to fall on their face at around 100k miles.

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[ChristopherWRX]

If you don't need AWD, then run - don't walk - run away from the WRX! A lot more car is available for the money!

 

[SubieMike83]

I would venture the STI would be a far better platform for modifications. The drivetrain is more robust, the ej is proven, weaknesses identified and documented, and is worth the extra money in general if modifications are the goal. The direct injection system on the fa20f is limited by the HPFP and there are no aftermarket options I'm aware of. So instantly you are fuel limited big time. It also will have the issue of carbon build up on the intake valves due to the lack of fuel passing the valve.

But I stand by the statement you would be crazy to modify any turbo Subaru that is under warranty and risk coverage denial. In the grand scheme the challenger will likely stand on its own and reliable where as the Subarus are starting to fall on their face at around 100k miles.

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I agree with most of the above quote but there are a few companies that provide support for upgrading the fuel system. As of today, I have yet to see a limitation to upgrading the FA20 engines. There are quite a few people out there that has dropped at least 4k into their setup and has successfully made 300+ hp safely. That will include intake, exaust (midpipe, j-pipe, mufflers), access port (cobb) and fuel and electronics.

 

[XJman]

I agree with most of the above quote but there are a few companies that provide support for upgrading the fuel system. As of today, I have yet to see a limitation to upgrading the FA20 engines. There are quite a few people out there that has dropped at least 4k into their setup and has successfully made 300+ hp safely. That will include intake, exaust (midpipe, j-pipe, mufflers), access port (cobb) and fuel and electronics.

Who makes a hpfp

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[SubieMike83]

Who makes a hpfp

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so far I have seen Cobb being the lead distributor for fuel and bigger turbo upgrades. I have been doing research on these cars for a few months and seems like if you are careful and have the right vendor, you can have one bad a$$ machine!