Ask the Car People.SM


2008 Subaru Impreza WRX - READ ONLY

1480 messages,  Last post on Jul 06, 2009 at 5:52 PM

You are in the Future Vehicles - Archived Discussions Forum.

This discussion is ARCHIVED. To reactivate the discussion, post a request in the Lost? Ask the Future Vehicles Host for Directions! discussion.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Subaru Impreza, Future Vehicle, Sedan

Messages Page 42 of 149

#407 of 1480 Re: LSD [paisan] by stevecebu

Jul 11, 2007 (12:14 pm)

Replying to: paisan (Jul 11, 2007 4:51 am)
Mike says: VDC is fairly advanced, to break it down to "fancy braking and throttle control" is belittling it a bit.
 
Steve asks: Ok so can you tell me about it because to me it pretty much seems like that's what it's doing. I'd really like to know about VDC in a way which explains it clearly but what I see is traction control that works by using the brakes and reducing the throttle. So honestly I'd like to know what I'm missing.
 
Mike says: As for a $500 stand alone option, Subaru can't afford to do stand alone options, especially one that is produced in Japan and shipped over here. They just don't do the volume to be able to mass pre-produce all those options, there is no such thing as "special ordering", yes you can order a car with XYZ options, but really what happens is your dealer waits until the distribution corp gets one with those specs in stock and then sells it to you.
 
Steve says: Yeah I hear you on that one. Still it would be nice if Subaru would do something like that. As far as the Spec B I don't think it's as performance oriented as the Impreza but a lot more comfortable.
 
Mike says: The Mini is a nice car, but if service is 2hrs away that's not necessarily a good thing and it won't be 1/2 the car that the WRX would be in the snow. Also from what I've been told the LSD on the Mini is fairly limited with only a 20% LSD at most, a friend just sold one to get a 2001 2.5RS
 
Steve says: Yep, and people sell WRX's to get Mini's it's what drives the car world.
Yes, it's hard to beat AWD in the snow but so many factors come into play. Price, reliability, fuel economy, looks, driveability etc....
For me right now the WRX is competing with the 2008 Honda Accord. I'm a bit ticked off because they won't offer the V6 with a stick in the 4 door any longer but it's a lot of car for the money and we get snow for maybe 3 months of the year. The Accord gives you a lot for a similar price point but no AWD. I know you are/were a fan of the GTO, but we need reliability also and I have to drive a lot of highway my wife has to drive more in the city. Nothing in 2007 interests me and 2008 is a dull year as there are no diesels. I'd take an Accord diesel over a WRX in a heartbeat! But I'd have to wait another year. This is why so many conflicts about cars. I want a diesel, my wife likes diesels also but no one likes VW dealerships and not one in my area has gotten a good review online, and the ones I've dealt with in the past the words I'd use would get me thrown off the forum. Plus resale on them isn't very good either, at least not in my area. So for us it will either be buying a Fit then move into an Accord diesel or buy a WRX and get a diesel in 2 years or something like that. Either way we will most likely end up with a Fit as a second car. The Mini is nice but it's a long hike to the dealership and if you don't like the dealership you have to deal with Boston traffic, and that one is the only other one in the State and it's a long drive to buy and service a car, nice and cute as it is and no discounts just full MSRP.
BMW 1 series looks nice but might be too small and price is unknown but if I can buy a 135i for $30K and the back seat is actually useable for an adult I might buy one.
3 series is ideal but $41K is not what I want to pay, I have other things I like to do with my $$$.
The wife also likes the RAV4 and the CR-V but I'm not into SUV's. If I'm going to buy a truck it had better be able to haul about 5,000lbs or so.
The CR-V and the RAV4 sold outside the US are smaller than ones sold in the US.
I drove a Miata with Nokian Hakka Q tires and I passed all kinds of cars in the winter during weather that was really horrible. Drove through a canadian blizzard up in Quebec City in that Miata so tires make a big difference.
We shall see I'm not married to any of these cars. I really need to drive them to make a choice but the choice is narrowed down and Subaru is still up there even with them pulling out the LSD. I'm still about that!
VDC

#408 of 1480 Re: LSD [stevecebu] by ateixeira

Jul 11, 2007 (12:18 pm)

Replying to: stevecebu (Jul 11, 2007 12:14 pm)
The euro RAV4 is indeed smaller but the CR-V is one size for the whole globe, I believe.
 
Honda does have a smaller FR-V but it's just not competitive.

#409 of 1480 Re: LSD [ateixeira] by stevecebu

Jul 11, 2007 (12:45 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 11, 2007 12:18 pm)
The euro RAV4 is indeed smaller but the CR-V is one size for the whole globe, I believe.
  
Honda does have a smaller FR-V but it's just not competitive.
 
Well in Asia things are a lot different. Lots of cars are made in Thailand. You know I forgot to check but many cars made for Asia don't have heaters. When I go to the Toyota dealer for my next service I will see if it actually has a heater.
These aren't Euro spec cars. You'd be amazed at what they do locally and how much the prices are!!! A loaded 2007 V6 Camry will set you back over $40K US!
The CR-V here will fit 4 adults but that's about it and the RAV4 is slightly bigger and will seat 4 Big adults or 12 Filipinos
Considering I got 9 of us into my 1983 diesel BJ40 Landcruiser I think the RAV4 could hold 11 anyway
Sizes I didn't measure but the CR-V I didn't get a brochure for I do have the one for the RAV4. We only get the 4 cyl here but I think a V6 could be ordered under a special order Oh here is length width and height on the RAV4 in millimeters
Length 4,600 x Width 1,855 x Height 1,720
They don't list interior dimensions. The CR-V felt like a tall Civic which they also had. Most uncomfortable seats I ever sat on were in that Civic. The felt like I was sitting on a rock with felt on it.
I can't get the sizes on the CR-V as it's a pretty far drive just for that. But I'm amazed at how small the CR-V was. The new WRX interior had better be good and not like the Civic they have here.

#410 of 1480 Re: LSD [stevecebu] by rsholland

Jul 11, 2007 (1:33 pm)

Replying to: stevecebu (Jul 11, 2007 12:14 pm)
The WRX doesn't compare or compete with the Accord. The Legacy GT, much more so, but not the WRX.
 
Bob

#411 of 1480 Re: LSD [rsholland] by stevecebu

Jul 11, 2007 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: rsholland (Jul 11, 2007 1:33 pm)
The WRX doesn't compare or compete with the Accord. The Legacy GT, much more so, but not the WRX.
 
It sure does when I am paying for it.
You can get good deals on Hondas depending on when you go to buy them and when the car is out 2008's early on will have no discounts. If I want to compare an Accord to a WRX and I am. it's my choice and the money is very close with all the rebates.
I compare based on my needs not based on someone else idea of what I should buy. The Legacy seems to be a bit on the expensive side and sure I might test drive one but resale on the Honda will be higher and it's easy to sell the Honda when the time comes. My WRX was a hard sell after a year and a half or so I had no options as I had to move out of the country for work.
I'm not a fanboy for any car. I buy whatever I feel is right for me at the time. I hated my 1995 Accord. The new one (2007) seems much nicer by miles than the old one.
How will the 2008 drive? I don't know but I'm going to drive both anyway and make my decision based on a series of factors. Subaru ticked me off by removing the LSD. But I still might buy one.
It's ticks me off when people tell me what I can and can't compare and buy with my money. I think Edmunds did an article called Apples and Oranges or something like that. Well in my mind it's my money and for me the 2 cars are close enough for my needs to compare.
Maybe they'll discount the WRX or maybe I can get a better deal on the Honda? But no way am I going to just look at one brand and one model based on some marketing demographic that says Steve you must compare these 2 cars because we say so.

#412 of 1480 Re: LSD [stevecebu] by ateixeira

Jul 11, 2007 (1:53 pm)

Replying to: stevecebu (Jul 11, 2007 1:45 pm)
The Accord is sort of big and makes compromises to achieve a ride quality acceptable for my Aunt Edna, i.e. the types that buy mainstream sedans. Even the sporty models aren't truly sporty.

#413 of 1480 Re: LSD [ateixeira] by lilengineerboy

Jul 11, 2007 (2:01 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 11, 2007 1:53 pm)
The Accord is sort of big and makes compromises to achieve a ride quality acceptable for my Aunt Edna, i.e. the types that buy mainstream sedans. Even the sporty models aren't truly sporty.
 
I concur, and even as I cross shopped the Accord, I was budgeting $700 or so for sway bars/shocks, but it seems funny to do that on a brand new car.

#414 of 1480 Re: LSD [lilengineerboy] by ateixeira

Jul 11, 2007 (2:14 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jul 11, 2007 2:01 pm)
Would it even be that cheap? A set of coilovers and matched sway bars might be more like $1200.

#415 of 1480 Re: LSD [ateixeira] by lilengineerboy

Jul 11, 2007 (2:18 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 11, 2007 2:14 pm)
Yeah, I wasn't going to do springs. I can't lower a car until I move back to California. Slammed cars in Michigan have no front spoilers and spend all their time parked in front of the chiropractor.

#416 of 1480 Re: LSD [ateixeira] by stevecebu

Jul 11, 2007 (2:51 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 11, 2007 1:53 pm)
The Accord is sort of big and makes compromises to achieve a ride quality acceptable for my Aunt Edna, i.e. the types that buy mainstream sedans. Even the sporty models aren't truly sporty.
 
I can't deny that, but I also have a bunch of factors that I have to consider and sure the WRX is more sporty at least I hope it still is. But economy is important and I drive a lot of highway miles, so yeah boring but it sets 4 people and luggage comfortably and now has cylinder de-activation so on the highway cruising you only use 3 cyl!
Trade-in will be very good and the diesels will get awesome economy. I can always buy an older Porsche if I want performance and if I get the WRX well that's ok as well. either way i'll still buy an Accord diesel at some point unless someone makes a better diesel car.
Once you go diesel you never want to go back.
The Accord is comfortable on long hauls and in traffic it's not really sporty. It does a lot for the money. The WRX is/was a real nice car even tho it needed premium fuel.
Gotta see how both cars drive. But you live over here in the RP for a while sit you butt down on a hard plastic chair for 3-4 hours waiting for a doctor who may or may not be on time. usually not on time. Then you hope he actually knows what he's doing and doesn't dismiss you and still want to be paid. Yeah after years of this, comfort starts to take precedent and you have to compromise something. When you reach your mid 40's and have bad back problems etc... certain very cool cars lose their appeal to drive. I think the WRX buyers are heading more mainstream anyway as that seems to be their new focus is comfort and they sure sold a lot of Limited versions versus the Boy racer huge wing styles. i had the dealer delete the rear spoiler from my car.
This was my old WRX, I still love the look of this car.
As you can see we do get some very real snow there.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Messages Page 42 of 149

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement