any wrx owners on here?

[madalpinestar]

The misses is nagging me to get a 4 door car instead of my ute so i was thinking of a sti wrx, just wondered what peoples thoughts on them are. are they easy to get power out of like our ls motors, reliable and what are they like on the highway. tried to do some searches but couldn't find anything.

my ute is a vy2 manual with exhaust,tune and intake I would like similar power

thanks

[Phizzle]

Hi, I've owned both an 02 STI and a 99 WRX (with straight cuts and 1.5 way front diff :D) so feel qualified to answer your queries. PM me if you want something more specific or additional info. The motors are for the most part very reliable. The two most common faults are AFM stuffing up and big end bearings making the dak dak turn into dak dak dok. Regular servicing helps in that regard. The 6 speed is a long way advanced from the old 5 speeds which were not known for their ability to handle flat shifts or high rpm launches reguarly. In comparison the 6MT is pretty much indestructible even when pushing out large torque. Fuel usage would be comparable to the V8's we know and love, so nanna spec gets good kms, go hard and watch the needle drop. Grip is unreal, especially in wet weather. The newer 2.5L engines are fragile when more than 17-18psi is pushed in but by then you are looking at 300awhp and that is plenty quick. Torque around town is great. Plenty of tuners/workshops around and in true Jap fashion, you shouldn't have any electrical problems. Overall a very decent car/brand to buy. Evos will be faster but feel more 'plastic' interior wise.

[lowhsv]

Ive owed 99rex and 09rex loved them both never had a drama wouldnt hesitate going back to a wrx once my daughter is out of baby seat.. Mate sold his 06 sti not long ago, quick car, different power to the 09 rex i had, he never had any dramas in time he had it.. Good luck on your search

[Red-Devil]

Owned an 05 WRX mate.. It's been my favorite car I've owned so far and I've been through a few..

On the note of the missus wanting a 4 door. WRX isn't very practical back seat wise..

But my WRX with a straight through exhaust and upgraded fuel system etc etc etc was punching 18psi and smacking it daily.. Loved it! Never had any engine issues.. Had probs with the rear diff which apparently was quite common and fixed in the 06 model.

Absolutely gutted when the wife decided it had to go.. Main reasons being it is a very little car.. Other reason.. You could hear it coming from miles away..

[alian]

We bought a 2012 WRX about 3 months ago as my wife's car, and I have to say we love it. In fact it probably the best car we have owned (so far) Only time will tell.
Cheers Ian.

[mechatron]

Maybe have a look at the Subaru XT Forester. It has the same turbo engine as the WRX...(detuned...but not hard to get more power/torque), weighs less than the STI , has a lot more boot space and good ground clearance. My wife has a XT Premium and we love it. Handles great, goes very well & the Premium comes with SatNav, big sunroof, leather, HID headlights etc etc.

[Red-Devil]

^ that's actually a really good suggestion. One of the lads at work has one.. It's still a quick car and you can fit a 15 year old in the back seat..

[SSVHM2.5]

I have both a worked SSV and a new WRX Premium and the WRX is a great car. We got it for 42 on road which was plenty cheap. I drive the V8 to work and normally the WRX on weekends but take the V8 on long trips as it is heaps better on fual at HWY speeds. The 5peed is the killer in WRX, really needs the STI box. The WRX hanles so well, it is amazing really compared to the Holden which is on SSSL and Monroes. Looked at the STI but at 75k could not really justify....

[xthommox]

Go here and read up:-

http://www.rexnet.com.au/forum/index.php?

Ive had wrx/sti/xt for over 10 years. XT Fozza by far the best car Ive owned. So practical.

[steve_t]

Or how about a Liberty/Legacy wagon? I have an old Legacy sedan 2 litre twin turbo. As above, if you get a Subie, stay away from over-oiled air filters as they damage the AFM. I thought I'd be OK cos when I bought my K&N, I blotted excess oil away from the intake side (of which there was more oil on the intake side than the outside!) but it still messed it up.

[Xjas]

One of my good mates has an 08 WRX with the basic the bolt ons, exhaust, aftercooler, clutch and a few other minor things, on the street it's a blast to drive and certainly feels as quick or quicker than my cammed VE, havent had a chance to line them up at the track yet but I expect it would be faster.

[Angeldust]

i had an 05 WRX... did not like it ... it was 'ok' at best, and much preffered the VY SS i had after it and the VZ clubbie i have now.

felt really cheap, i couldnt justify paying v8 commodore money for a 'hyundai' with a turbo...thats just my opinion of it though. Lots will
disagree i guess, so try before u buy. Not for everyone.

[Hi Octane]

I HAve a modded rex, 220kw's @ all 4. Love it, just like a go cart, puts a smile on my face everytime i drive it.

I have the rex & a 2012 e3 clubbie, if i had to sell one car $$ aside & live with one it would be bye bye clubbie.........

The rex is jsut so much of a blast to drive.

[aratic]

We bought a 2012 WRX about 3 months ago as my wife's car, and I have to say we love it. In fact it probably the best car we have owned (so far) Only time will tell.
Cheers Ian.

Went through a stage where I really wanted this to be my next car, but have gone off them a bit. When you sit in them you realise how basic they are inside, especially compared to say the Golf GTI and Focus ST, which are in the same price bracket. I still like them a lot apart but its a deal ender.

[VYBerlinaV8]

I have a 2011 WRX bough new Feb last year and love it. It's our main family car with a 7 year old and a baby.

Performance is great, fuel economy is about 9.5l/100km around town and mid 8's on a trip. Handles better than any car I've ever been in. Servicing is cheap and it doesn't chew tyres.

Inside it is basic but functional. Has a nice steering wheel and all the basics, but plenty of black plastic. It doesn't have anywhere near as much room as my Berlina did, of course.

The best thing about it is that nothing at all has gone wrong or broken in the time I've had it.

[madalpinestar]

I HAve a modded rex, 220kw's @ all 4. Love it, just like a go cart, puts a smile on my face everytime i drive it.

I have the rex & a 2012 e3 clubbie, if i had to sell one car $$ aside & live with one it would be bye bye clubbie.........

The rex is jsut so much of a blast to drive.

thanks for the feed back everyone, its given me a lot more of an idea about the wrx now.

what mods have you done to get this sort of power?

[BLACK 346]

I have a 2011 WRX bough new Feb last year and love it. It's our main family car with a 7 year old and a baby.

Performance is great, fuel economy is about 9.5l/100km around town and mid 8's on a trip. Handles better than any car I've ever been in. Servicing is cheap and it doesn't chew tyres.

Inside it is basic but functional. Has a nice steering wheel and all the basics, but plenty of black plastic. It doesn't have anywhere near as much room as my Berlina did, of course.

The best thing about it is that nothing at all has gone wrong or broken in the time I've had it.

My wifes MY02 has now done 150k and is still as tight as the day it was bought. Basic mods like MRT Exhaust and Ecutek for 150 awkw and only things that have been replaced are radiator and brake rotors and pads. Pretty bloody reliable at the end of the day. Pretty sure when it's time is up it will be replaced with a brand new Rex.

PS...Hi Octane, with 220awkw, that thing must be a hoot to drive lol

[Phizzle]

what mods have you done to get this sort of power?
Out of the newer WRX/STI with the 2.5L engines a full turbo back exhaust inc. dump pipe (anywhere from $1000-$2500), MAC 3 port boost solenoid (~$100), reflash of standard ECU (depends where you go/who owns the software), CAI and as much boost as your tuner can safely squeeze into it. The newer turbos are quite good for this. As I mentioned in my last post, 17 to 18 psi is your absolute maximum on an unsleeved EJ255/EJ257 block, more than a few failures to prove this correct. On the older models with the 2L jap spec engine (called EJ207, come with factory forged pistons :eyes:) there are actually a couple of people over here in WA running 2 BAR (close enough to 30psi!!!) through them with no hint of detonation or any of the bad stuff and have proved reliable for many thousands of kms. One notable example is [GTR ETA] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7JenMexS-U

[Angeldust]

just remember though, a wrx after 2006 is not really a wrx... its just a subaru with turbo. I dont think they are even called wrx in japan.
(well they weren't when 1st released, unsure now....)

[mechatron]

Another thing to think about...Subaru also has the S-Edition Forester where it comes with STI wheels, slightly different body kit, 5 speed auto (instead of 4 speed), 190kW and better suspension as well as the options that come with the XT Premium.

[Uwish]

If you are going to buy a WRX do yourself a favor and buy the STI.
I had an 05 wrx with over 300kw atw. I miss that fu(ker!

Anyway the STI has better brakes / suspension / interior and most important gearbox.
I regretted not buying the sti when I brought my wrx new. I ended up replacing everything anyway, but I doubt I would have had to
if I just got the STI straight up.
Also the new sti is good to 240-250kw atw.

[701let]

If you are going to buy a WRX do yourself a favor and buy the STI.
I had an 05 wrx with over 300kw atw. I miss that fu(ker!

Anyway the STI has better brakes / suspension / interior and most important gearbox.
I regretted not buying the sti when I brought my wrx new. I ended up replacing everything anyway, but I doubt I would have had to
if I just got the STI straight up.
Also the new sti is good to 240-250kw atw.

Agree with this. I had an 02 wrx and changed everything also, vf34 turbo, unichip etc for 200 kw atw, and still smashed my (glass) 5 speed gearbox in it. not cheap. Sti has the better brakes, better gearbox, better diffs, better interior, better everything! I always wish i had just bought the sti to start with.

Apart from gearbox trouble the car was excellent and very reliable.

[VYBerlinaV8]

If you are going to buy a WRX do yourself a favor and buy the STI.
I had an 05 wrx with over 300kw atw. I miss that fu(ker!

Anyway the STI has better brakes / suspension / interior and most important gearbox.
I regretted not buying the sti when I brought my wrx new. I ended up replacing everything anyway, but I doubt I would have had to
if I just got the STI straight up.
Also the new sti is good to 240-250kw atw.

The new STi is rated at 221kW at the flywheel.

A friend of mine who works at Subaru told me that the STi is not much faster than the standard WRX, because it's heavier. The benefit is that the drivetrain is stronger and brakes are better, so it's better suited to track work, and forms a better basis for modification. It costs about $20k more.

[mechatron]

Another thing I just thought about....my wife has the XT Premium and my mate has the WRX Premium and the Forester has more luxuries as standard like climate control, SATNAV and a few other things. So the Forester is bigger and loaded with more features but has 169kW vs WRX's 193kW. But then you could just go the S-Edition Forester with 193kW and get the XT luxuries plus more.

Note: I don't work for Subaru, nor do I sell cars...I'm just giving you my 2c

[berroca]

The misses is nagging me to get a 4 door car instead of my ute so i was thinking of a sti wrx,thanks

commodore?

[Angeldust]

well the 2nd reason i got rid of my wrx, when i thought about how much money i had to dump on it to make it worthwhile
(wheels, tyres, suspension, turbo etcetc easy 10K worth) i thought fark, i'd rather dump 10K on a commodore.... ls3 conversion etc etc

what im trying to say is, you might NOT be happy with a stock wrx.. and its better to dump money on something more worthwhile.

[VYBerlinaV8]

well the 2nd reason i got rid of my wrx, when i thought about how much money i had to dump on it to make it worthwhile
(wheels, tyres, suspension, turbo etcetc easy 10K worth) i thought fark, i'd rather dump 10K on a commodore.... ls3 conversion etc etc

what im trying to say is, you might NOT be happy with a stock wrx.. and its better to dump money on something more worthwhile.

Not having a go at you, but what makes a commodore more worthwhile than a WRX? They're both budget performance cars with different strengths, but ultimately both are basic vehicles with more engine, suspension and brakes, and some plastic bits tacked on.

[BLACK 346]

well the 2nd reason i got rid of my wrx, when i thought about how much money i had to dump on it to make it worthwhile
(wheels, tyres, suspension, turbo etcetc easy 10K worth) i thought fark, i'd rather dump 10K on a commodore.... ls3 conversion etc etc

what im trying to say is, you might NOT be happy with a stock wrx.. and its better to dump money on something more worthwhile.

I think LS3 conversion alone would gobble up your 10K, wouldn't leave much for the etc etc. Then you would need to do wheels, tyres, suspension, probably Clutch if it's a manual and strengthened trans if auto. Should I continue? Both these cars will drain the bank if you want to get serious.

[Phizzle]

I think LS3 conversion alone would gobble up your 10K, wouldn't leave much for the etc etc. Then you would need to do wheels, tyres, suspension, probably Clutch if it's a manual and strengthened trans if auto. Should I continue? Both these cars will drain the bank if you want to get serious.

I was quoted about $14k for an ls1->ls3 conversion

Sent from my ultra sweet ass power mega phone-a-tron 8000

[mechatron]

If you're thinking of a WRX, what about an Evo? I've been told that Evos can take more boost on a stock engine...whether or not this is true I'm not sure

[Angeldust]

Not having a go at you, but what makes a commodore more worthwhile than a WRX? They're both budget performance cars with different strengths, but ultimately both are basic vehicles with more engine, suspension and brakes, and some plastic bits tacked on.

i dunno, to me it just feels like 'more car' than a wrx (both cost around the same). Also, stock wrx aren't that fun/exciting to drive as compared to a stock (bolt on only) lsx cars. My opinion ofcourse. This comes from trying to keep up in peak hour traffic with everyone else. In the stock wrx i had to almost wring its neck out every gear change to keep it on the boil to keep pace with 6cyl falcadores. Annoying to say the least. Different driving style, not for me.

[VYBerlinaV8]

i dunno, to me it just feels like 'more car' than a wrx (both cost around the same). Also, stock wrx aren't that fun/exciting to drive as compared to a stock (bolt on only) lsx cars. My opinion ofcourse. This comes from trying to keep up in peak hour traffic with everyone else. In the stock wrx i had to almost wring its neck out every gear change to keep it on the boil to keep pace with 6cyl falcadores. Annoying to say the least. Different driving style, not for me.

Fair enough, you need to choose what you like!

I've found that in city traffic I rarely get onto boost. In terms of performance, my stock WRX is easily quicker (even in a straight line) than my old LS1. That said, I miss the interior space and ability to tow. The trade off seems to have been better fuel economy and reliability, though.