WRX Hatchback as Daily Driver?
Discussion
We have a 2008 Impreza 1.5R as a runabout. Doing maybe 8000 miles p.a. including plenty of mud and snow up in the Dales.
Although it is a good value car and grips well on all weather tyres, it is slooooow. We knew it would not be fast, or even 'not very fast,' but it is plain slow. I guess it just take too much grunt to overcome the drive train inertia. Once going, it is OK. Just.
So we are thinking of a WRX hatchback, not an STI mind. Seen some for £12k to £15k at dealers.
Are there any threads or experiences of running these regularly. I'd be interested to learn of real life running costs and MPG.
Although it is a good value car and grips well on all weather tyres, it is slooooow. We knew it would not be fast, or even 'not very fast,' but it is plain slow. I guess it just take too much grunt to overcome the drive train inertia. Once going, it is OK. Just.
So we are thinking of a WRX hatchback, not an STI mind. Seen some for £12k to £15k at dealers.
Are there any threads or experiences of running these regularly. I'd be interested to learn of real life running costs and MPG.
The WRX hatch is not a great car. Subaru got it properly wrong there. Terrible residuals, and worth bugger all once you taken it off the showroom floor. Run away!!
You would be better off going for a WRX-S or better still the STi. If you still want some compliancy in the suspension dept due to badly potholed/maintained roads around your way then the WRX-S may be the one for you. Quick enough for most just not quite as driver focused as the STi and definately a softer ride.
If the roads are really good in the dales and you really enjoy driving them do yourself a big favour and don't buy the WRX-S because you'll wish bigtime you bought the STi once you get used to the car and its power levels which is nothing special really.
You should test drive both cars back to back along roads you really know to get the best from both cars. Then you can make an informed choice as to which way to go, just don't discount the STi just yet.
You would be better off going for a WRX-S or better still the STi. If you still want some compliancy in the suspension dept due to badly potholed/maintained roads around your way then the WRX-S may be the one for you. Quick enough for most just not quite as driver focused as the STi and definately a softer ride.
If the roads are really good in the dales and you really enjoy driving them do yourself a big favour and don't buy the WRX-S because you'll wish bigtime you bought the STi once you get used to the car and its power levels which is nothing special really.
You should test drive both cars back to back along roads you really know to get the best from both cars. Then you can make an informed choice as to which way to go, just don't discount the STi just yet.
Thanks for the advice.
We'll test drive both the WRX and the STI. I guess your comments go towards explaining the premium the STI holds over the WRX.
We certainly need solid suspension as the roads up here are either good or bad with not too much in between.
I know that the Impreza hatch gets bad reviews, but affordable and quick 4x4 cars that really handle bad conditions are few and far between.
I've had an Outback 3.0Rn for years, and frankly it is the best car I've ever owned. Quick and stable. Made it up to the famous Tan Hill Inn in the snow and there was only a tractor and a Landie up there! Never put a foot wrong.
Not looking for quite the same from the Impreza but coping with an inch of snow would be good.
We'll test drive both the WRX and the STI. I guess your comments go towards explaining the premium the STI holds over the WRX.
We certainly need solid suspension as the roads up here are either good or bad with not too much in between.
I know that the Impreza hatch gets bad reviews, but affordable and quick 4x4 cars that really handle bad conditions are few and far between.
I've had an Outback 3.0Rn for years, and frankly it is the best car I've ever owned. Quick and stable. Made it up to the famous Tan Hill Inn in the snow and there was only a tractor and a Landie up there! Never put a foot wrong.
Not looking for quite the same from the Impreza but coping with an inch of snow would be good.
If you have a set of winter or all season boots on your new Impreza it's fair to say you shouldn't have much of an issue coping with all but the very deepest snow/worst winter weather you get up there. Try that on a set of summer tyres and it might be a different story but there are plenty of people that have run summer tyres in a fair covering of snow and freezing cold temps and never got stuck, myself included for a number of years.
The STi will fine over potholed roads but perhaps the WRX-S might be a bit more forgiving in that department, although if for the most part the roads are generally OK then IMHO i think in hatchback form it would have to be the STi.
I don't see much point generally in the WRX-S hatch, and clearly Subaru have gone that way also with the latest 4dr saloon Impreza turbo by just have the one WRX/STi and hotter variants of that thereafter although still WRX/STi.
If you were going for a newage car then i'd say a WRX or WRX Sportwagon might be a good options for you over a newage STi because they are quite a bit different, and IMHO much better than the newgen hatch WRX/-S.
I'm sure you'll have fun test driving
The STi will fine over potholed roads but perhaps the WRX-S might be a bit more forgiving in that department, although if for the most part the roads are generally OK then IMHO i think in hatchback form it would have to be the STi.
I don't see much point generally in the WRX-S hatch, and clearly Subaru have gone that way also with the latest 4dr saloon Impreza turbo by just have the one WRX/STi and hotter variants of that thereafter although still WRX/STi.
If you were going for a newage car then i'd say a WRX or WRX Sportwagon might be a good options for you over a newage STi because they are quite a bit different, and IMHO much better than the newgen hatch WRX/-S.
I'm sure you'll have fun test driving
Quite interested in this thread too and keen to leard more about why the WRX hatch is so bad. There is a discernable price hike from even WRX-s and STI, is it all 'just' in the brakes, diff and suspension?
What are the servicing intervals on them? The same? Mpg? Servicing costs the same?
What are the servicing intervals on them? The same? Mpg? Servicing costs the same?
I would like to throw in a contrary opinion on the WRX. If you aren't after a really really fast car, but want your daily to be a nice quick car, then the WRX is a good in-between I think. I picked up a '57 WRX for £11k with just 20k on the clock, was in perfect condition and I was just driving past the dealership, saw it, liked it, bought it. It isn't my 'daily' as I don't really have a daily but on weekends in Norfolk it's always the first thing I jump into when I just need to pop out and do something. It's very comfortable and the roads around here are becoming beyond a joke, I honestly think that sometimes I would be on smoother roads in down-town Baghdad! It's perfectly quick and when you just happen to hit your favourite road and the coast is clear, is excellent for squirting down at a considerable lick! I would say on a challenging B-road near hear, with some off camber and some gradient changes (yes even in Norfolk!) it is as quick and as planted as anything else in my stable, which includes some pretty rapid stuff!
Couple of negatives, runs out of puff at the top end a bit, but only when compared to seriously faster machinery, and the interior is god awful, but then, that is true of most Subarus!
Just food for thought
(Oh and I like the slightly more subtle styling of it too)
Couple of negatives, runs out of puff at the top end a bit, but only when compared to seriously faster machinery, and the interior is god awful, but then, that is true of most Subarus!
Just food for thought
(Oh and I like the slightly more subtle styling of it too)
Rufus said:
I would like to throw in a contrary opinion on the WRX. If you aren't after a really really fast car, but want your daily to be a nice quick car, then the WRX is a good in-between I think. I picked up a '57 WRX for £11k with just 20k on the clock, was in perfect condition and I was just driving past the dealership, saw it, liked it, bought it. It isn't my 'daily' as I don't really have a daily but on weekends in Norfolk it's always the first thing I jump into when I just need to pop out and do something. It's very comfortable and the roads around here are becoming beyond a joke, I honestly think that sometimes I would be on smoother roads in down-town Baghdad! It's perfectly quick and when you just happen to hit your favourite road and the coast is clear, is excellent for squirting down at a considerable lick! I would say on a challenging B-road near hear, with some off camber and some gradient changes (yes even in Norfolk!) it is as quick and as planted as anything else in my stable, which includes some pretty rapid stuff!
Couple of negatives, runs out of puff at the top end a bit, but only when compared to seriously faster machinery, and the interior is god awful, but then, that is true of most Subarus!
Just food for thought
(Oh and I like the slightly more subtle styling of it too)
You guys are giving us plenty to consider. Thanks for the input. Couple of negatives, runs out of puff at the top end a bit, but only when compared to seriously faster machinery, and the interior is god awful, but then, that is true of most Subarus!
Just food for thought
(Oh and I like the slightly more subtle styling of it too)
£11k for a 20,000 miler sounds like good value, even without SI Drive.
NailedOn said:
You guys are giving us plenty to consider. Thanks for the input.
£11k for a 20,000 miler sounds like good value, even without SI Drive.
I would say test drive the WRX too, just so as not to rule it out. I've had a look around and there are a few about, some seemingly even better value than mine! I haven't driven any faster Subarus but I am very happy with mine and I am used to pretty quick stuff.£11k for a 20,000 miler sounds like good value, even without SI Drive.
GravelBen said:
Though interestingly enough magazine reviews when it came out were very positive, and I'm sure they had driven the previous models too!
Yes, but their job is to try to be a little balanced in thier views. Ours, of course, isn't - what ever we have owned previously is simply the best - period 
I owned a WRX many moons ago, blobeye, that was mapped. Loved the saloon way back then. Only reason i got rid was financial at the time. It was a car i sorely missed, despite owning some fantastic machinery since then.
However 2 days ago i picked up a late 55 plate WRX Wagon. Car is minted with 38k on the clock, full hstory. Forgot how much of a great drive they are. Yeh they aint STI quick, but they are pokey enough for day to day running about, and as someone mentioned, when you want to push on, it covers ground at a rapid rate. Slight body roll in the bends, but the grip levels are fantastic for such a big car.
I am more than happy with it, and will keep this i reckon till it goes to the knackers. You wont be dissapointed. STI for out and out performance, but for a daily reckon WRX.
However 2 days ago i picked up a late 55 plate WRX Wagon. Car is minted with 38k on the clock, full hstory. Forgot how much of a great drive they are. Yeh they aint STI quick, but they are pokey enough for day to day running about, and as someone mentioned, when you want to push on, it covers ground at a rapid rate. Slight body roll in the bends, but the grip levels are fantastic for such a big car.
I am more than happy with it, and will keep this i reckon till it goes to the knackers. You wont be dissapointed. STI for out and out performance, but for a daily reckon WRX.
A quick update here in recognition of the sound advice I received.
I have bought a 2009 WRX with 20k on the clock. £9500 thru a dealer. Drove really well on test. Delivery is in a few days. I know it is not an STI but we were looking for something grippy, pretty fast and practical.
More to follow.
I have bought a 2009 WRX with 20k on the clock. £9500 thru a dealer. Drove really well on test. Delivery is in a few days. I know it is not an STI but we were looking for something grippy, pretty fast and practical.
More to follow.
NailedOn said:
A quick update here in recognition of the sound advice I received.
I have bought a 2009 WRX with 20k on the clock. £9500 thru a dealer. Drove really well on test. Delivery is in a few days. I know it is not an STI but we were looking for something grippy, pretty fast and practical.
More to follow.
Excellent. Thats a fairly good price too for a 2009. You certainly will not be disappointed. I have driven this model, and the WRX was a really good drive, felt a good bit tighter than my 2005, and more precise.I have bought a 2009 WRX with 20k on the clock. £9500 thru a dealer. Drove really well on test. Delivery is in a few days. I know it is not an STI but we were looking for something grippy, pretty fast and practical.
More to follow.
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