Subaru WRX anyone ?

[NotBudule2]

My sons Forrester is getting up there (2015 and nearing 100000) and he is thinking ? something cooler (Forrester was his Grampa's ride that he inherited),
He likes Subaru and the WRX , I know nothing about their cars at all, just wondering if anybody here has any experience...

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[JasonTremor]

I toyed with the thought of getting one a few years back. They were fun to drive. Insurance premium turned me off. It was 3 times the cost per year when compared to the cost for a 2021 Ranger Tremor for reference, same coverage. Your results may vary.

 

[Dereku]

Just dont get a new wrx. Get one of the cool older ones. They neutered the new ones so much its sad. No longer the rally racer of the street, just another car.

 

[NotBudule2]

Was not aware on the insurance, which would be major for him at 21 if it's classified as a "sports car"... I was hoping he would take over my Ranger SuperCab and I would be in my new Ranger SuperCab by now but that looks like it's not gonna happen...

 

[Bob902]

Was not aware on the insurance, which would be major for him at 21 if it's classified as a "sports car"... I was hoping he would take over my Ranger SuperCab and I would be in my new Ranger SuperCab by now but that looks like it's not gonna happen...

My son looked at a used one. About a 10 year old model. Insurance was outrageous. It was as much as my other sons brand new Charger RT.

 

[GhostStrykre]

i owned a 2015 Subaru WRX for about 5 years. loved that thing to death. it was so damn fun to drive and whenever it snowed it was outstanding and beyond confidence inspiring. toss a set of winter tires on it with the snow and it was like a cheat code. i always had to remind myself that all the AWD in the world didn't help you stop. had to be smart.

so that's probably the best advice i can give. the WRX can inspire confidence that can quickly become misplaced. i've seen it play out in the owner's communities several times. and i'm not talking the internet. i'm talking locally. there's a reason everyone above is mentioning insurance. 18-25 year old men (boys?) just have to push WRXs to their limit. i mean, the car practically begs you to do it.

notes on the 2015+ models: as mentioned above, it lost of lot of character when subaru went to the newer 2.0L turbo engine with equal length headers. it lost the subaru growl everyone desires so badly from unequal length headers. the STI of that year retained the older engine design (i think it was a 2.5L) and unequal length headers could be had. if you read up on the STI, it's terrible as a daily driver. people do it, but the suspension is brutal. anyone who isn't modding/tuning/racing should really give consideration to the standard WRX over the STI.

additional notes on the 2015+ models: i don't know a bunch about the last few years as i exited the WRX scene in early 2019, but reliability wise they're a hair more reliable that pre-2015. subaru really did start adding more creature comforts in recent years, which is why some may say it lost its charm and character. oh, this newer 2.0L engine has a twin scroll turbo that reeeally cut down on turbo lag.

pre-2015 notes: they're ugly in a way that somehow we've all started to love and adore. they're austere in many ways, and lack creature comforts. they have all sorts of parts reliability issues and known things that need checked and fixed. blowing a turbo always seemed to me like it was common place. many of the used WRXs you'll find have a high risk of having been abused. further contributing to reliability concerns. that said, they loud, they're rowdy, they're highly moddable with tons of aftermarket support, and just as much fun as a more modern WRX. turbo lag was more noteable on these than 2015+ WRXs.

honestly, if your son isn't into modding, racing, tuning, etc. then i would recommend the 2015+. they're an absolute hoot even if they have less character. the reason i chose the ranger over a tacoma or other midsize was because the turbo gave me flashes of my WRX. insurance may have really changed and yeah.. i bet they'll light your 21 year old son up. sometimes the fun can be worth it?

.... man you've got me really thinkin back. once or twice a month i really miss my WRX. driving on the highway and needing to merge, no problem. the WRX just launched into gaps and the shifting on the manual transmission was sooo tactile and wonderful. bombing into a curve at speeds that were outrageously unnecessary but totally fine with a WRX, dropping gear and hearing that shifter pop into place and then accelerating out of the curve. i just felt like the car and i were in total sync. i miss that damn car so much.

the only reason i gave it up was my wife got breast cancer in her early 30s and i told her i'd get her whatever she wanted when treatment was wrapped up. she'd been driving a beater for some years. so treatment finished (she's cancer free now and has been for years!) and she asked for a toyota 4runner. only way i could get it was to let go of the WRX. for my wife i gladly let it go. now that 4runner is paid off and seems like it's in our fleet permanently. but maaaan.. if you haven't picked up on it yet. i miss that WRX lol...

sorry for the lengthy post.. felt like i finally had someone to listen to my feelings of a car of yore...

 

[NotBudule2]

This may be an "expectation versus reality " thing for him , he's thinks he's a WRX guy but I'm thinking an Impreza is his top rung ... RS's look pretty decent ?, insurance should be reasonable...

 

[Tom_C]

I never understood the draw, but I'm not 21 YO any more. I can understand the AWD getting you in trouble in the snow if they are such a draw for young men. I had a couple old brats, and while it was NOT a sports car, it was unstoppable in the snow.

On the bright side, he can get a new maverick Lobo

 

[Dereku]

Glad there was an actual subi guy here to give the details. I was always a sucker for a sti from the late 90s. A focus RS would be my modern replacement for that dumbfuckery style of driving.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

i owned a 2015 Subaru WRX for about 5 years. loved that thing to death. it was so damn fun to drive and whenever it snowed it was outstanding and beyond confidence inspiring. toss a set of winter tires on it with the snow and it was like a cheat code. i always had to remind myself that all the AWD in the world didn't help you stop. had to be smart.

so that's probably the best advice i can give. the WRX can inspire confidence that can quickly become misplaced. i've seen it play out in the owner's communities several times. and i'm not talking the internet. i'm talking locally. there's a reason everyone above is mentioning insurance. 18-25 year old men (boys?) just have to push WRXs to their limit. i mean, the car practically begs you to do it.

notes on the 2015+ models: as mentioned above, it lost of lot of character when subaru went to the newer 2.0L turbo engine with equal length headers. it lost the subaru growl everyone desires so badly from unequal length headers. the STI of that year retained the older engine design (i think it was a 2.5L) and unequal length headers could be had. if you read up on the STI, it's terrible as a daily driver. people do it, but the suspension is brutal. anyone who isn't modding/tuning/racing should really give consideration to the standard WRX over the STI.

additional notes on the 2015+ models: i don't know a bunch about the last few years as i exited the WRX scene in early 2019, but reliability wise they're a hair more reliable that pre-2015. subaru really did start adding more creature comforts in recent years, which is why some may say it lost its charm and character. oh, this newer 2.0L engine has a twin scroll turbo that reeeally cut down on turbo lag.

pre-2015 notes: they're ugly in a way that somehow we've all started to love and adore. they're austere in many ways, and lack creature comforts. they have all sorts of parts reliability issues and known things that need checked and fixed. blowing a turbo always seemed to me like it was common place. many of the used WRXs you'll find have a high risk of having been abused. further contributing to reliability concerns. that said, they loud, they're rowdy, they're highly moddable with tons of aftermarket support, and just as much fun as a more modern WRX. turbo lag was more noteable on these than 2015+ WRXs.

honestly, if your son isn't into modding, racing, tuning, etc. then i would recommend the 2015+. they're an absolute hoot even if they have less character. the reason i chose the ranger over a tacoma or other midsize was because the turbo gave me flashes of my WRX. insurance may have really changed and yeah.. i bet they'll light your 21 year old son up. sometimes the fun can be worth it?

.... man you've got me really thinkin back. once or twice a month i really miss my WRX. driving on the highway and needing to merge, no problem. the WRX just launched into gaps and the shifting on the manual transmission was sooo tactile and wonderful. bombing into a curve at speeds that were outrageously unnecessary but totally fine with a WRX, dropping gear and hearing that shifter pop into place and then accelerating out of the curve. i just felt like the car and i were in total sync. i miss that damn car so much.

the only reason i gave it up was my wife got breast cancer in her early 30s and i told her i'd get her whatever she wanted when treatment was wrapped up. she'd been driving a beater for some years. so treatment finished (she's cancer free now and has been for years!) and she asked for a toyota 4runner. only way i could get it was to let go of the WRX. for my wife i gladly let it go. now that 4runner is paid off and seems like it's in our fleet permanently. but maaaan.. if you haven't picked up on it yet. i miss that WRX lol...

sorry for the lengthy post.. felt like i finally had someone to listen to my feelings of a car of yore...

Your post brought back memories of my beloved/hated turbo Rx7.

The problem, at least for me and I'm guessing LOTS more folks, with a car like the WRX is that there is SO MUCH you can do to them.

When I got my Rx7 I told myself that I would do intake and exhaust ONLY, no more.

A car like that WRX will respond to mods instantly, and it's like a meth addiction.

Too much is never enough.

@NotBudule2 , a used WRX is like a used hooker.

Regardless of how good it looks and sounds, you can bet it's been driven HARD.

Quick story:

I've rebuilt a few Subaru turbo engines so I know them decently well.

My nephew called me asking about picking up a "stock" WRX for a good deal.

I told him to assume that just because it's "stock" now doesn't mean it has always been stock and to be wary.

He bought it. Transmission grenaded in 2 months. Replaced transmission and head gasket blew.

Yeah, it was "stock" alright.

 

[VoodooRanger]

I had a 2013 Subaru WRX Hatchback and a 2016 WRX STI. Both were great cars. The STI was a fantastic drive. Never really fell down the mod rabbit hole with them, other than exhaust and a tube, as I know fragile they can be.
While they are not exactly cars that I would trust buying used as it is very simple to reinstall factory parts/tune, I would consider one in the future as a weekend car.

Sad story is I traded in my STI when I was switching jobs and taking a pay cut. Ended up getting a 2019 Accord Sport with a manual transmission. Sales rep called me a few months after asking me if I was happy with the car. Then comes to tell me that a tech at the dealer purchased the car and ended up totaling it on the highway on the way home from work. Apparently a car had stopped in the middle of the road and the car in front of him swerved around at the last minute, and he was unable to avoid it. I immediately ran the vin on Google and found the photos of the car at an auction yard. Sad to see and I regret getting rid of it everyday.

 

[Doc]

I have one ..MY22 ..

 

[GhostStrykre]

I have one ..MY22 ..

oh man, how is it?? this has forced me to go look at my local subaru dealer listings just to drool. like @VoodooRanger said, i might get one as a fun weekend car in the future. if the price is right.

to the OP, yeah if you think your son is probably more of an impreza driver, for whatever reason, then stick to that. it's not the the WRX is an unsafe car. it's just so confidence inspiring that it encourages people to drive beyond their limits. while the WRX has a reputation for being a boy-racer vehicle, it's probably a perfect vehicle for folks in their 30s-40s. that's purely my opinion tho.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I had a 2013 Subaru WRX Hatchback and a 2016 WRX STI. Both were great cars. The STI was a fantastic drive. Never really fell down the mod rabbit hole with them, other than exhaust and a tube, as I know fragile they can be.
While they are not exactly cars that I would trust buying used as it is very simple to reinstall factory parts/tune, I would consider one in the future as a weekend car.

Sad story is I traded in my STI when I was switching jobs and taking a pay cut. Ended up getting a 2019 Accord Sport with a manual transmission. Sales rep called me a few months after asking me if I was happy with the car. Then comes to tell me that a tech at the dealer purchased the car and ended up totaling it on the highway on the way home from work. Apparently a car had stopped in the middle of the road and the car in front of him swerved around at the last minute, and he was unable to avoid it. I immediately ran the vin on Google and found the photos of the car at an auction yard. Sad to see and I regret getting rid of it everyday.

I had a very lightly modded Baja Turbo that I absolutely LOVED.

Got stupid and traded it.

6 months later, I saw it listed for parts.

They wrapped it around a tree.

The AWD inspires confidence but doesn't negate inertia. ?

 

[Doc]

oh man, how is it?? this has forced me to go look at my local subaru dealer listings just to drool. like @VoodooRanger said, i might get one as a fun weekend car in the future. if the price is right.

to the OP, yeah if you think your son is probably more of an impreza driver, for whatever reason, then stick to that. it's not the the WRX is an unsafe car. it's just so confidence inspiring that it encourages people to drive beyond their limits. while the WRX has a reputation for being a boy-racer vehicle, it's probably a perfect vehicle for folks in their 30s-40s. that's purely my opinion tho.

It’s a true rally car, not to good off the line do to a short first gear, opens up in second but top end is a crazy 155…(not with me in it) ..

Here are some speed specs for the 2022 Subaru WRX:

• Top speed
  The 2022 WRX has an estimated top speed of 155 mph on the road.
  
  
  
• 0–60 mph
  The WRX can go from 0–60 mph in 5.4 seconds with the CVT-equipped GT model and 5.5 seconds with the manual transmission Limited model.
  
  
  
• Fuel economy
  The WRX gets 22 mpg combined, 19 mpg in the city, and 26 mpg on the highway.
  
  
  
• Braking
  The WRX can brake from 70–0 mph in 153 ft and from 100–0 mph in 317 ft.
  
  
  
• Engine
  The WRX has a 2.4-liter turbocharged SUBARU BOXER engine that produces 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
  
  

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