Test drove a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon last night.....
03-13-2001, 04:33 AM
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Test drove a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon last night.....
My stream of conscious writing-style in all it's glory...I'm definitely not a writer, but here goes (this was an e-mail I sent to a couple of my friends this morning):
Saw some posts yesterday on AudiWorld and on the I-Club web sites saying that some dealers were receiving shipments of WRX's. Took a chance and drove over to Rafferty Pontiac/Subaru (Route 3 in Newtown Square, PA) and sure enough, they had just received their first delivery that day. Walked around back with the sales guy (Ed Osborne) and saw a Sedona Red wagon (manual trans), 2 blue sedans (pre-sold), silver sedan (pre-sold), black sedan (automatic) and a couple of RS sedan's also. I asked about taking the wagon out, and salesperson said no problem.
My impressions of the interior:
Seats -- Very comfortable. Grippy cloth....black bolsters with a blue/black material on the "body" of the seat. Nice Momo steering wheel. Unfortunately it still had the plastic cover on the wheel so it was hard to judge how grippy it was. Stereo sounded OK (this wagon had an upgraded system with an amp and a subwoofer, also had a security option). Stereo sounded a bit "boomy" for my taste, but overall not too bad. I'd say the Monsoon system in my brother's GTI is better. Other interior trim pieces aren't up to Audi standards...cheap feeling dash & trim material, sun visors felt skimpy and driver's side wasn't lighted (not sure if passenger side is). Shifter felt pretty nice....very mechanical feel, fairly short-shifts. Nicer than my brother's GTI...felt similar to my A4 with the UUC short-shifter, although the WRX may have slightly shorter shifts. Rear hatch area seems pretty big. I threw the rear seats down and the load floor is pretty flat. The more I looked over the car, the more it's econo-car roots showed through. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the materials in my A4....but honestly, the GTI materials seem much nicer for similar $$$. So OK, the interior is just so-so (IMHO)....what I'm interested in is the performance. Let's go for a drive....
Driving Impressions:
Clutch take-up is decent....similar to my A4 in that it takes up pretty high in the pedal travel. Seems to take-up over a slightly greater distance so it's pretty easy to pull away from a stop without jerking the car. Headlights are pretty good, I turned on the "driving lights" and wow, those really add a lot of light to the pavement (mostly right in front of the car). High-beams suck though...the driving lights go out when the highs come on so it seems like there isn't that much light. The high-beams are much, much worse than my European headlight high-beams. But maybe that's an unfair comparison. Engine sound is very present in the cabin...it's a very mechanical sound, kind of "rough" and "agricultural". On top of that is the "whine" of the turbo as it builds boost. One review I read mentioned that it sounds like the whine that a straight-cut gearbox makes....that sums it up perfectly. I thought my A4's engine was kind of noisy....the WRX seems twice as loud....a luxury car this is not. Power delivery seemed pretty linear....hard for me to tell when the boost really came on, but it seemed to be more above 3,500 RPM's. I was a bit under whelmed with the performance...it didn't really feel like 227 hp. My chipped A4 (Garrett 1.0 bar) felt quicker in comparison. Keep in mind this car was straight off the truck with all of 14 miles on the odometer. Plus I had the sales guy (perhaps 185 lbs) in the passenger seat. Steering feel is outstanding....much, much nicer than my A4 which seems way over boosted in comparison (in the A4's defense, I've driven several other A4's that had much better steering feel compared to mine). The WRX had a very connected feel which was just great. Handling also was very nice. The ride was firm, but not harsh. Bumps were absorbed better than my A4 (H&R sport springs/Bilsteins) which would tend to "crash" over those same types of bumps. WRX cornered very nice...felt like a more nimble car compared to my A4. Brakes seemed pretty strong also.
Overall I was very impressed with the steering & handling. Power wasn't quite up to my expectations....but in all honesty, I was being pretty easy on the car (although I did get it up to maybe 4,500 or 5,000 RPM on at least one shift). I'd have to take the car out again to get a better feel for the power. It certainly wasn't slow....just not explosively fast as I was expecting it to be. This is a similar impression I got when I test drove an S4 sedan last fall....it felt quick, but not as fast as I was expecting. Perhaps it's me babying the cars on test-drives...I dunno.
We pulled back in the lot and the sales guy said he had to run inside to handle a new-car delivery. He let me keep the keys and I crawled all over the car for the next 30 minutes. Had the hood open checking out the engine. Right after our drive I popped the hood and felt the intercooler...it was cool to the touch (ambient outside temps were about 40 degrees). The hood scoop actually diverts about 85% of the air into the intercooler, the other 15% is directed to blow onto the turbo...nice touch. Sat in the backseat (with the front seat adjusted for me), enough room for two, pretty tight for three. Legroom in back was maybe a bit tighter than my A4. Rear seatback is pretty upright though. Played around in the hatch area, putting the seats down....removing the cargo cover, etc. Basically poked and prodded the entire car. The more I poked and touched, the more I came to appreciate the build and materials on my A4. The plastics on the WRX seemed thin and cheap whereas my A4 has substantial plastics that seem more robust and have a nicer "feel" to them. The dash for instance on the A4 is a nice matt, soft-plastic material while the WRX is more of a hard plastic. Even compared to a GTI, the materials are really a notch or two below what VW is doing on their interiors.
So the $1,000,000 question is.....am I going to buy one? My answer today is, probably not. If my A4 were to get totaled tomorrow, then my answer might change. But I've got my A4 nicely modded right now and it has so many nice features (heated seats, trip computer, moon roof, etc) compared to the WRX that I just can't see myself getting rid of my A4 for the WRX. As nice as the handling and steering felt on the WRX, I'll probably keep my A4 for the time being.
Saw some posts yesterday on AudiWorld and on the I-Club web sites saying that some dealers were receiving shipments of WRX's. Took a chance and drove over to Rafferty Pontiac/Subaru (Route 3 in Newtown Square, PA) and sure enough, they had just received their first delivery that day. Walked around back with the sales guy (Ed Osborne) and saw a Sedona Red wagon (manual trans), 2 blue sedans (pre-sold), silver sedan (pre-sold), black sedan (automatic) and a couple of RS sedan's also. I asked about taking the wagon out, and salesperson said no problem.
My impressions of the interior:
Seats -- Very comfortable. Grippy cloth....black bolsters with a blue/black material on the "body" of the seat. Nice Momo steering wheel. Unfortunately it still had the plastic cover on the wheel so it was hard to judge how grippy it was. Stereo sounded OK (this wagon had an upgraded system with an amp and a subwoofer, also had a security option). Stereo sounded a bit "boomy" for my taste, but overall not too bad. I'd say the Monsoon system in my brother's GTI is better. Other interior trim pieces aren't up to Audi standards...cheap feeling dash & trim material, sun visors felt skimpy and driver's side wasn't lighted (not sure if passenger side is). Shifter felt pretty nice....very mechanical feel, fairly short-shifts. Nicer than my brother's GTI...felt similar to my A4 with the UUC short-shifter, although the WRX may have slightly shorter shifts. Rear hatch area seems pretty big. I threw the rear seats down and the load floor is pretty flat. The more I looked over the car, the more it's econo-car roots showed through. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the materials in my A4....but honestly, the GTI materials seem much nicer for similar $$$. So OK, the interior is just so-so (IMHO)....what I'm interested in is the performance. Let's go for a drive....
Driving Impressions:
Clutch take-up is decent....similar to my A4 in that it takes up pretty high in the pedal travel. Seems to take-up over a slightly greater distance so it's pretty easy to pull away from a stop without jerking the car. Headlights are pretty good, I turned on the "driving lights" and wow, those really add a lot of light to the pavement (mostly right in front of the car). High-beams suck though...the driving lights go out when the highs come on so it seems like there isn't that much light. The high-beams are much, much worse than my European headlight high-beams. But maybe that's an unfair comparison. Engine sound is very present in the cabin...it's a very mechanical sound, kind of "rough" and "agricultural". On top of that is the "whine" of the turbo as it builds boost. One review I read mentioned that it sounds like the whine that a straight-cut gearbox makes....that sums it up perfectly. I thought my A4's engine was kind of noisy....the WRX seems twice as loud....a luxury car this is not. Power delivery seemed pretty linear....hard for me to tell when the boost really came on, but it seemed to be more above 3,500 RPM's. I was a bit under whelmed with the performance...it didn't really feel like 227 hp. My chipped A4 (Garrett 1.0 bar) felt quicker in comparison. Keep in mind this car was straight off the truck with all of 14 miles on the odometer. Plus I had the sales guy (perhaps 185 lbs) in the passenger seat. Steering feel is outstanding....much, much nicer than my A4 which seems way over boosted in comparison (in the A4's defense, I've driven several other A4's that had much better steering feel compared to mine). The WRX had a very connected feel which was just great. Handling also was very nice. The ride was firm, but not harsh. Bumps were absorbed better than my A4 (H&R sport springs/Bilsteins) which would tend to "crash" over those same types of bumps. WRX cornered very nice...felt like a more nimble car compared to my A4. Brakes seemed pretty strong also.
Overall I was very impressed with the steering & handling. Power wasn't quite up to my expectations....but in all honesty, I was being pretty easy on the car (although I did get it up to maybe 4,500 or 5,000 RPM on at least one shift). I'd have to take the car out again to get a better feel for the power. It certainly wasn't slow....just not explosively fast as I was expecting it to be. This is a similar impression I got when I test drove an S4 sedan last fall....it felt quick, but not as fast as I was expecting. Perhaps it's me babying the cars on test-drives...I dunno.
We pulled back in the lot and the sales guy said he had to run inside to handle a new-car delivery. He let me keep the keys and I crawled all over the car for the next 30 minutes. Had the hood open checking out the engine. Right after our drive I popped the hood and felt the intercooler...it was cool to the touch (ambient outside temps were about 40 degrees). The hood scoop actually diverts about 85% of the air into the intercooler, the other 15% is directed to blow onto the turbo...nice touch. Sat in the backseat (with the front seat adjusted for me), enough room for two, pretty tight for three. Legroom in back was maybe a bit tighter than my A4. Rear seatback is pretty upright though. Played around in the hatch area, putting the seats down....removing the cargo cover, etc. Basically poked and prodded the entire car. The more I poked and touched, the more I came to appreciate the build and materials on my A4. The plastics on the WRX seemed thin and cheap whereas my A4 has substantial plastics that seem more robust and have a nicer "feel" to them. The dash for instance on the A4 is a nice matt, soft-plastic material while the WRX is more of a hard plastic. Even compared to a GTI, the materials are really a notch or two below what VW is doing on their interiors.
So the $1,000,000 question is.....am I going to buy one? My answer today is, probably not. If my A4 were to get totaled tomorrow, then my answer might change. But I've got my A4 nicely modded right now and it has so many nice features (heated seats, trip computer, moon roof, etc) compared to the WRX that I just can't see myself getting rid of my A4 for the WRX. As nice as the handling and steering felt on the WRX, I'll probably keep my A4 for the time being.
03-13-2001, 04:59 AM
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GREAT review....
I too just took a hard look at one of these. While they definitely have their pluses, everything boils down to one fact. The car is just a dressed up Impreza.
Andy, did you notice the way the inner door panel rattled/shook when you shut the front doors? I tried this on THREE different cars, and everyone did it. Also, like you said, some of the materials were REALLY cheap.
While the car does have some very good points, the minuses would keep me from buying one as a daily driver. It looks like it would make a great fun street car for running errands or the occasional spirited drive.
Andy, did you notice the way the inner door panel rattled/shook when you shut the front doors? I tried this on THREE different cars, and everyone did it. Also, like you said, some of the materials were REALLY cheap.
While the car does have some very good points, the minuses would keep me from buying one as a daily driver. It looks like it would make a great fun street car for running errands or the occasional spirited drive.
03-13-2001, 05:04 AM
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Not what I wanted to hear...
All the Suby folks at the i-club are very happy with theirs though. I think it is just the comparison factor here. They are all coming from 2.5RS's and we're coming from the A4. Big difference here in build quality and materials.
Most people have said that their new WRXs do feel a bit anemic below 3K rpm, but this motor is supposed to really come into its own between 5K-10K miles. Many have stated that the interior is very quiet, and build quality is much better than in other, older Impreza models.
There are many reviews that have been posted in the last 2 days, as I'm sure you've read already Andy. I have yet to read one that gives me that uneasy feeling like yours does here. You just drove the one that I'd like to get in a few months...the wagon.
Anyway, thanks for the post. The A4 is just not what I'm looking for right now.
Most people have said that their new WRXs do feel a bit anemic below 3K rpm, but this motor is supposed to really come into its own between 5K-10K miles. Many have stated that the interior is very quiet, and build quality is much better than in other, older Impreza models.
There are many reviews that have been posted in the last 2 days, as I'm sure you've read already Andy. I have yet to read one that gives me that uneasy feeling like yours does here. You just drove the one that I'd like to get in a few months...the wagon.
Anyway, thanks for the post. The A4 is just not what I'm looking for right now.
03-13-2001, 05:05 AM
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I can't say I really noticed the door shaking you mentioned....
...but the interior certainly wasn't up to A4 (or even VW standards). Two other things that bugged me:
1) The WRX has a "manual" antenna that you have to pull up and down yourself....this to me screams "cheap".
2) The optional security system on this WRX had the loudest arming/disarming honk that I've ever heard....very annoying. I'm sure my neighbors would hate that at 1:00 AM.
1) The WRX has a "manual" antenna that you have to pull up and down yourself....this to me screams "cheap".
2) The optional security system on this WRX had the loudest arming/disarming honk that I've ever heard....very annoying. I'm sure my neighbors would hate that at 1:00 AM.
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03-13-2001, 05:36 AM
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Don't be discouraged......
<i>All the Suby folks at the i-club are very happy with theirs though. I think it is just the comparison factor here. They are all coming from 2.5RS's and we're coming from the A4. Big difference here in build quality and materials.</i>
....I think you hit the nail on the head...I'm just used to a certain build quality (especially interior, which is extremely important to me). Overall I think the WRX is a great car, just in a different class than the A4. It also is more performance oriented whereas the A4 tries to blend luxury and performance and gives up some points on the performance-side for more luxury items.
<i>Most people have said that their new WRXs do feel a bit anemic below 3K rpm, but this motor is supposed to really come into its own between 5K-10K miles.</i>
I wouldn't read too much into my comments on the power...like I said, the engine was very fresh and I wasn't exactly "beating" on it. Given some break-in miles and more familiarity with the car and it's power delivery, I'm sure I'd reach the same conclusion that the magazine reviews have....there is a lot of performance potential in this car.
<i>Many have stated that the interior is very quiet, and build quality is much better than in other, older Impreza models.</i>
I would agree....the interior is pretty nice. I loved the seats and the steering wheel. Shifter feel was nice. Didn't notice any squeaks or rattles in the interior....and I thought the suspension and road-feel was great.
<i>There are many reviews that have been posted in the last 2 days, as I'm sure you've read already Andy. I have yet to read one that gives me that uneasy feeling like yours does here. You just drove the one that I'd like to get in a few months...the wagon.</i>
I read a post a few weeks ago from a guy who drives an older S4 (might have been an S6) that was modded up to like 280 hp. He was underwhelmed with the WRX. Other than that, most posts have been glowing. Just yesterday I read a post from a guy who drives a TDI VW (I think a Jetta, but I could be wrong). His post was eloquently written (unlike mine) and he absolutely loved the WRX.
My suggestion to you would be, go take a test drive as soon as you can. I think you'll like the car and if I was in your position, I'd probably end up buying a WRX also. The only other cars on the horizon that have peaked my interest are the manual-trans Lexus IS (not sold on the dash, nor the rear-wheel drive) and the Mitsubishi Lancer (if, and that's a big if, Mitsubishi brings it to the U.S.). From the blurb I read in Car and Driver, that sounds like the buy of the century. For $26k you get 280 hp, 17" rims, 4-pot Brembo brakes, etc. We'll see if it makes it to these shores....and I'm seriously doubting that it will sell for $26k with the options I read about.
....I think you hit the nail on the head...I'm just used to a certain build quality (especially interior, which is extremely important to me). Overall I think the WRX is a great car, just in a different class than the A4. It also is more performance oriented whereas the A4 tries to blend luxury and performance and gives up some points on the performance-side for more luxury items.
<i>Most people have said that their new WRXs do feel a bit anemic below 3K rpm, but this motor is supposed to really come into its own between 5K-10K miles.</i>
I wouldn't read too much into my comments on the power...like I said, the engine was very fresh and I wasn't exactly "beating" on it. Given some break-in miles and more familiarity with the car and it's power delivery, I'm sure I'd reach the same conclusion that the magazine reviews have....there is a lot of performance potential in this car.
<i>Many have stated that the interior is very quiet, and build quality is much better than in other, older Impreza models.</i>
I would agree....the interior is pretty nice. I loved the seats and the steering wheel. Shifter feel was nice. Didn't notice any squeaks or rattles in the interior....and I thought the suspension and road-feel was great.
<i>There are many reviews that have been posted in the last 2 days, as I'm sure you've read already Andy. I have yet to read one that gives me that uneasy feeling like yours does here. You just drove the one that I'd like to get in a few months...the wagon.</i>
I read a post a few weeks ago from a guy who drives an older S4 (might have been an S6) that was modded up to like 280 hp. He was underwhelmed with the WRX. Other than that, most posts have been glowing. Just yesterday I read a post from a guy who drives a TDI VW (I think a Jetta, but I could be wrong). His post was eloquently written (unlike mine) and he absolutely loved the WRX.
My suggestion to you would be, go take a test drive as soon as you can. I think you'll like the car and if I was in your position, I'd probably end up buying a WRX also. The only other cars on the horizon that have peaked my interest are the manual-trans Lexus IS (not sold on the dash, nor the rear-wheel drive) and the Mitsubishi Lancer (if, and that's a big if, Mitsubishi brings it to the U.S.). From the blurb I read in Car and Driver, that sounds like the buy of the century. For $26k you get 280 hp, 17" rims, 4-pot Brembo brakes, etc. We'll see if it makes it to these shores....and I'm seriously doubting that it will sell for $26k with the options I read about.
