- #888 of 1480
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R&T WRX road test
by rsholland
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Sep 06, 2007 (6:54 am)
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http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=5885
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- #889 of 1480
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Re: R&T WRX road test [rsholland]
by ateixeira
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Sep 06, 2007 (7:30 am)
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Replying to: rsholland (Sep 06, 2007 6:54 am)
A fairly balanced review.
Slight drop in lateral Gs more than made up for by a better slalom. Identical acceleration, too.
They, like me, prefer the new steering wheel.
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- #890 of 1480
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Finally sat in the '08
by jeffmc
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Sep 06, 2007 (10:13 am)
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The boy & I were at the dealership for a few minutes yesterday, so I took a little time to poke around the Imprezas on the lot. I'm actually good with hatch or sedan, sport grille or regular grille. In general, I thought it was a nice car.
My nitpicks:
The dash seemed to rise up higher in front than my Legacy, so I felt like visibility was a little worse, but still good. Fabric was nice on the WRX, but didn't care for the Impreza or OB Sport... too soft & seemed to fit a little loosely, like it'd be stretched out after a few years of use. Dash plastics had pleasant colors & grains, but the finish was shinier than Legacy. The metal-look trim isn't faux aluminum anymore - more gold color with shiny specs, so it doesn't look like anything "real". Interior door panel designs looked cheap, particularly in the back. Tilt wheel has a piece of dash plastic below it (not sure why), so when the wheel is tilted up, you can see through the large gap into the footwell. They need to get rid of the plastic underneath, or add some type of rubber seal to block the hole. Knobs were small on an otherwise nice stereo.
Overall, it felt like a slightly cheaper version of the Legacy, which I guess it is now. Unless the $1000-$2000 price difference were crucial to me, I'd still choose a Legacy over an Impreza. I like Legacy's looks better, inside & out. (Can't really imagine Subaru'd want me to like the cheaper model better than the more expensive model anyway.)
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- #891 of 1480
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08 Impreza
by filod
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Sep 14, 2007 (1:40 pm)
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Anyone who bought the 08 Imprezas want to share their experience? I am considering at least the 2.5i or the Civic right now. Thanks.
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- #892 of 1480
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2008 WRX Pricing Questions
by jholiner
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Sep 15, 2007 (5:43 pm)
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Replying to: KarenS (Mar 20, 2007 6:02 am)
Have been checking some web sites for prices, options and accessories on 2008 WRX 5 door and found some strange anomalies such as: no sunroof available, no leather seats and only one interior color available regardless of outside color.(Even on premium editions). Also very confuseing about radio choices and which one provides Ipod connectivity as well as outside air temp guage (vital for "deep winter" ski trips). Any insights greatly appreciated.
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- #893 of 1480
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Re: 2008 WRX Pricing Questions [jholiner]
by ateixeira
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Sep 17, 2007 (9:41 am)
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Replying to: jholiner (Sep 15, 2007 5:43 pm)
The "Limited" package should show up in a year or two. It took several years on the previous generation. I think Subaru just wanted to keep the prices under $30 grand for the non-STI models.
You can get a relative bargain on a left over 2007 WRX Limited if you really want that stuff.
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- #894 of 1480
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Re: 2008 WRX Pricing Questions [jholiner]
by dino001
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Sep 17, 2007 (9:45 am)
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Replying to: jholiner (Sep 15, 2007 5:43 pm)
These are not anomalies - these are choices Subaru made to meet arbitrary price targets (25K as starting and 30K as ending). Weird configs and inconsistent content - that's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru 
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- #895 of 1480
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Re: 2008 WRX Pricing Questions [dino001]
by xyzzer
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Sep 18, 2007 (10:33 pm)
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Replying to: dino001 (Sep 17, 2007 9:45 am)
Just got the 5-door WRX with sat nav (in Lightning Red).
Impressions:
After almost a year of driving an automatic Impreza Outback I forgot how to operate manual.  Actually there are times when I regret getting one. The traffic around Seattle really makes you want the improved comfort. I guess it will get a while to get used to that again. On the other hand - my wife might never get to that point and I am not sure if the transmission will stand the test of her practice...
When starting hard from the first gear you better keep your head close to the head restraint or the inertia and the bang will give you a black out
The navigation is pretty cool. Actually even with no satellites in sight it seems to manage by just checking the speed and direction
The sound is great (both the surround and the engine)
Looks like Mazda 3, actually a friend said it looks a lot like his old Electric Red BMW 325 - not sure about that, but...
BMW
Imprezas
The clutch feels really deep, like on a big van I drove a few times back in Europe - you need to move your whole leg, not just the foot to fully depress and release
The inside feels a lot better made than my old 2005 Impreza Outback (especially with the leather finish on the wheel and stick)
It had more bikeroom inside with the back seats down (measured, not yet tested)
It is new and unique
One I test-driven before was dark-grayish and had the mirror with homelink and compass. Mine seems to lack it, although probably I don't need it (without a garage and with the GPS showing the direction)
If you have specific questions - ask away...
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- #896 of 1480
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Re: 2008 WRX Pricing Questions [xyzzer]
by jeffmc
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Sep 18, 2007 (10:49 pm)
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Replying to: xyzzer (Sep 18, 2007 10:33 pm)
Congratulations, my fellow Puget Sounder! Nice to see WRX offered in red again... how do you like the color? I think that's the only '08 Impreza color I haven't seen in person. Do you have the SRS WOW stereo? iPod kit? What's your impression of the ride and of body roll? (Body roll seems to be one of the most controversial topics regarding the '08... though its slalom times have been very good.)
Also, you may want to post your purchasing experience, dealership & sale price over at the Impreza WRX STI Prices Paid & Buying Experience thread... there are few '08s out there, so they could really use your experience. Here's a link to it:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ef17adc?displayRecent
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- #897 of 1480
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Re: 2008 WRX Pricing Questions [jeffmc]
by xyzzer
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Sep 18, 2007 (11:06 pm)
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Replying to: jeffmc (Sep 18, 2007 10:49 pm)
I love the color, although I would still prefer orange (I have seen something like an orange 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback - a beauty).
That's the fully loaded version, so I guess the surround sound IS SRS Circle Surround Automotive. No iPod kit and would not be useful, since I'm a Zuner (i just keep it under my elbow - there are now power and audio connectors there)
Not sure about the body roll - it seems stiffer than my old Impreza Outback, but I have not driven the old WRXes. It feels good enough. I might check it out on AutoX one day. The old one did roll a bit...
As for the ride... hmmmm... it is sporty
The buying experience was hard. I was dreaming of a WRX/STI Impreza but was not thinking I could afford one. I was picking up my old 2005 Impreza Outback after it was fixed and wanted to test drive the new WRX. A guy at Bellevue Chaplin's Subaru wanted to sell it badly and spent 5 hours talking me into this and negotiating the deal. I left with the deal to pick up the car the next day and an option to cancel everything. Next day I checked with Eastside Subaru and they went down with the price a bit plus gave nice discounts on extended warranty, gap, northwest package and free oil changes for life. Overall it is hard to say what price I paid, because I traded in the old car. On paper it looked like the old car (2005 Impreza Outback Sport, black, auto, 45k miles) was valued at 13500 and I got the new one at about 29500 + warranties, protections, gap, etc. The guy from Chaplin's was really mad when he found out. Especially that they virtually stole the car from their parking lot when it was ready waiting for me to pick up.
Can't compare it to anything I have driven before. I would leave that to the pros. My satisfaction is huge. 
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