So I finally test-drove a WRX...

kman10587 · #1 05-04-2004, 12:29 AM

...and I was goddamn impressed! None of the complaints that I heard about the car seemed to bother me at all. Rough ride? Maybe for a 40-year-old businessman. Too noisy? I thought the engine/turbo noises were awesome. Low-grade interior materials? Didn't seem any worse than my beater Camry. The transmission was nice and smooth too, despite what I had heard about the clutch/shifter. The backseats had plenty of room, more than enough for my 230-lb. friend and my 6-foot dad. The sound system was decent (I'd probably put in aftermarket speakers anyways), the air conditioning was plenty powerful, and the interior seemed very well laid-out.

Naturally, my mom wanted to know about the safety, reliability, and mileage, but she soon found out that the WRX is a champion in all three of those areas. She seemed pretty happy with the Impreza's crash test scores, along with its history of tight build quality and long life.

But enough about that; it was once we took the car out to the backroads and pushed it a little harder that I really fell in love with the car. The acceleration was phenomenal, and I didn't even notice the soft power delivery below 3500 RPM. The AWD gave me a good enough launch that I didn't really feel the turbo lag at all. The handling was tight as a drum, and the car could easily be tossed back and forth at 30+ MPH without even coming close to skidding. I was thoroughly impressed with the rally-car-style performance, and my dad couldn't keep the smile off of his face when he drove it.

Just to be totally safe, I have to test-drive the competition, but I'm pretty sure this is the one. My parents have agreed that if I do well in school this quarter, they'll each chip in and get me one at the end of the month. I'm going to have to get a part-time job to help pay for the insurance, but for a WRX, I don't care. This is one the best-looking, most fun-to-drive cars I've ever seen, and it still manages to retain all the practicality of a Japanese econosedan. Subaru: excellent job.

LjasonL · #2 05-04-2004, 01:52 PM

Jay! · #3 05-04-2004, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kman10587

Just to be totally safe, I have to test-drive the competition, ...

Like what? Without going up to the STi vs. EVO level (and price point), it's tricky to find a car with which you can compare the WRX (at least in the U.S. market.)

RyanGiorgio · #4 05-04-2004, 04:09 PM

Your lucky. I wish I coulda chose to upgrade to a WRX. Oh well, maybe in the future.

kman10587 · #5 05-04-2004, 04:29 PM

jay: I hear ya, there isn't much competition in the WRX's price range. One car that I will probably test, however, is the Dodge Neon SRT-4. It makes similar power and it costs quite a bit less. But I'm pretty sure it'd be worth the extra three or four thousand for all-wheel-drive instead of front-wheel-drive, not to mention the impeccable reliability of a Subaru. Besides, I really don't like the way the Neon looks, both on the inside and on the outside.

freakray · #6 05-04-2004, 07:36 PM

Dodge SRT-4 is not a Neon, but it is still a Dodge.....

002star · #7 05-04-2004, 08:13 PM

The SRT-4 is to a neon. That is one of the packages for it or something trust me i'm looking at cars right now. Then that ias like saying that he SRT-10 isn't a Ram or a Viper (they both come with that) it is a neon

freakray · #8 05-04-2004, 08:28 PM

I think you're getting your models confused, the SRT-4 and Neon are different cars, perhaps you're thinking of the Neon SXT?
If you go on Dodge's website, they even list the SRT-4 and Neon as different models.

002star · #9 05-04-2004, 08:31 PM

Are you saying that the Ram SRT-10 is a different Truck they are listed as different models

kman10587 · #10 05-04-2004, 08:33 PM

The website doesn't put Neon because people see 'Neon' and 'high-performance' in the same sentence and just laugh. The SRT-4 is a Neon in the same sense that the WRX is an Impreza; just like the base model, but turbocharged and tuned.

002star · #11 05-04-2004, 08:40 PM

so really then if you think about it 5 post ago then that was a lie is the sense that the srt-4 is a neon true. think about that

freakray · #12 05-04-2004, 08:44 PM

I agree the basis of the car is the same, and doing the research they are close in every respect, but I am sure a lot more Neon owners wish their car was an SRT-4 than SRT-4 owners wish their car to be called a Neon.

As you say, Neon and performance aren't exactly associative thinking.

BTW, I checked several automotive sites and some do refer to the SRT-4 as a Neon and some say it certainly isn't.

kman10587 · #13 05-04-2004, 09:00 PM

*shrug* It's not a Neon in the sense that it doesn't say Neon on the car or on Dodge's website. It is a Neon in the sense that, well, it IS a Neon, with performance parts and upgrades. But I don't ever hear anyone saying that the WRX isn't an Impreza, or that the Evolution isn't a Lancer. So to me, it's a Neon.

freakray · #14 05-04-2004, 09:06 PM

You don't hear anyone saying the WRX isn't an Impreza because the WRX is an Impreza. It's an Impreza WRX.
We're not talking about the same thing here.

BLU CIVIC · #15 05-04-2004, 09:11 PM

i went to got test drive a WRX b/c i was in the market for the STI...i had my dad with me and all and the guy wouldn't let me test drive it....gavee some bs about when people buy these cars they don't want a lot of miles on it...let's talk numbers 1st...

my dad was like lets go...when people talk like that u don't need to give them ur business.....i was really looking forward to that test drive

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD