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I'm digging the new 2015 Subaru WRX. Is there anything else like it?

slugg

slugg

Diamond Member
Besides the STI version of the same car, what else is in the same conversation? It doesn't have to be all wheel drive. A thrill to drive, yet still practical *and* in the 25k ish range is what I'm interested in.

I've thought of the Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI. What else did I miss?
 
Gti is worth a look. A bit down on power but otherwise its probably nicer, and the mk7 platform is really quite nice.

I'm kind of debating the same qualities and have settled on gti (don't want another Subaru just yet), so I'll be picking up a new se model pretty soon
 
MazdaSpeed 3, Focus RS is incoming.

The Focus RS has my interest, the lack of a hatch in current WRX makes it a non contender for me unfortunately.

Viper GTS
 
I compared all of those and bought a Fiesta ST 🙂

Not the fastest thing on the road but enough for me and man is it a heck of a lot of fun to drive. Depending on your needs space can quickly become a premium though.
 
Viper GTS said:
MazdaSpeed 3, Focus RS is incoming.

The Focus RS has my interest, the lack of a hatch in current WRX makes it a non contender for me unfortunately.

Viper GTS
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The RS looks awesome. That being said, it won't be priced at 27k like the base WRX. I expect it to be priced similarly to an STI not a WRX. I'd LOVE to be wrong.... because that would be an awesome car if it started in the 27k area. But I'm thinking it'll be 35k+
 
Wuzup101 said:
The RS looks awesome. That being said, it won't be priced at 27k like the base WRX. I expect it to be priced similarly to an STI not a WRX. I'd LOVE to be wrong.... because that would be an awesome car if it started in the 27k area. But I'm thinking it'll be 35k+
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Yeah, definitely. The new Golf R starts at 37k and has less power than STi, etc. The RS will be around the same price.
 
I love my 2015 Subaru WRX. I've had it for over six months. I though I could not live without a hatchback but it's been fine so far. You can get quite a bit in there with the seats down.

The all wheel drive has saved my ass a few times 😉

Golf R looks interesting but they are going to be hard to get a hold of. The Focus RS also looks interesting but I think it might have too much power.

Had a chance to test drive the Focus ST and the GTI. Liked the GTI but was scared off over quality concerns.

Can not go wrong with the WRX.
 
I don't like driving a bath tub, so the 370z is out.

Some days, I like Mustangs. Most days, I don't. They're like a fat chick; you gotta catch them at the right angle to hide the fact that theyre overweight and kind of ugly.

I know nothing about the Focus RS; I'll have to check it out.

But now some questions about the WRX... It is my understanding that it doesn't have any mechanical LSD, but instead, has a computer that pulses the brakes on the inside wheels during a turn, distributing more power to the outside wheels. Does this actually work? Does it feel weird? Does it slow you down? Can you leave this on but turn off traction control?
 
I have not fiddled with turning the traction control off, but I've heard it has 3 settings: On, Off, and Off with active torque vectoring On. All I know is the car felt great rocketing through the twisties in my local mountain passes and had excellent grip in ice and snow with appropriate tires.
 
slugg said:
I know nothing about the Focus RS; I'll have to check it out.
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It's not out yet, and not all that much is known about it. If it's AWD (and probably even if it isn't), it will have a huge buzz when it's released and will be low volume, so expect a lot of price gouging. If it's not AWD, and is FWD, it will likely have way too much power to be particularly useful for the platform.

I love my Focus ST but I just don't get the hype for the RS. If you're not already excited about it for whatever reason, you should knock the RS off your list.
 
slugg said:
But now some questions about the WRX... It is my understanding that it doesn't have any mechanical LSD, but instead, has a computer that pulses the brakes on the inside wheels during a turn, distributing more power to the outside wheels. Does this actually work? Does it feel weird? Does it slow you down? Can you leave this on but turn off traction control?
Click to expand...

My ST has torque vectoring, it basically throws the rear end around almost like RWD. It works, and is a crap ton of fun, but can be a bit scary on the streets. I've not had any close calls with it but have read of MANY people trashing their new rides because the rear end "just broke loose". If you don't touch the TCS system, you get the normal nannies that keep the car straight. If you put it in "sport mode", TCS still engages but the torque vectoring also engages. Then turning off TCS (well, it's never really OFF I guess) will let you drift with the best of them. I did that in a parking lot when I first got the car and pretty much did a 360 at about 30 mph, not something I really want to do on the street and I've not autocrossed yet. Sport mode is good enough for the street.
 
slugg said:
I don't like driving a bath tub, so the 370z is out.

I really like the 370z, though I probably wouldn't buy one, but not sure how it compare to a bath tub? maybe the vert?

Some days, I like Mustangs. Most days, I don't. They're like a fat chick; you gotta catch them at the right angle to hide the fact that theyre overweight and kind of ugly.

every car guy has some attraction to a mustang. maybe it's the heritage, maybe you are into fat chicks; after all they do try hard. but again, not sure I would ever buy one

I know nothing about the Focus RS; I'll have to check it out.

IMO this is the car to look at, but we are all dreaming if it is going to be less than 30k even if it is only FWD. if it is AWD, I will guess you are talking 35+

But now some questions about the WRX... It is my understanding that it doesn't have any mechanical LSD, but instead, has a computer that pulses the brakes on the inside wheels during a turn, distributing more power to the outside wheels. Does this actually work? Does it feel weird? Does it slow you down? Can you leave this on but turn off traction control?
Click to expand...

the electronic LSD are good. I would have no reservations about it. not sure how it integrates with the TC, but I would guess if you turn TC off, the lsd part would stay active.
 
Zivic said:
the electronic LSD are good. I would have no reservations about it. not sure how it integrates with the TC, but I would guess if you turn TC off, the lsd part would stay active.
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As per my understanding, the WRX lacks front and rear limited slip differentials / torque vectoring. The center diff can vary torque split front to back, but the side to side control is done using the car's brakes. That's fine for the street (and pretty common) but sucks for the track (as it generates extra heat / wear on the brakes). The 2015 STI has an electronic rear LSD and a helical front LSD along with both a mechanical and an electronic differential in the center (again from a quick bit of research - I haven't been following them closely).
 
slugg said:
I don't like driving a bath tub, so the 370z is out.

Some days, I like Mustangs. Most days, I don't. They're like a fat chick; you gotta catch them at the right angle to hide the fact that theyre overweight and kind of ugly.
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lmfao.

+1 internets to you sir.

On topic, I have a 2015 WRX. First year model, it's not a "drive-it-and-forget-it" car. Subaru oil consumption woes, interior rattles, turbo timing, etc. Takes some upkeep.

If you don't mind spending 2-3 hours a week on your car making sure things are right, you might get sick of it real quick.
 
reallyscrued said:
lmfao.

+1 internets to you sir.

On topic, I have a 2015 WRX. First year model, it's not a "drive-it-and-forget-it" car. Subaru oil consumption woes, interior rattles, turbo timing, etc. Takes some upkeep.

If you don't mind spending 2-3 hours a week on your car making sure things are right, you might get sick of it real quick.
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2-3 hours... really? What have you had to do?
 
Not sure what reallyscrued is talking about. I have a 2015 WRX and do not spend 2-3 hours a week doing anything other than driving it.

The only issue I have had so far was with the gas door sticking. Subaru fixed it.
 
Interior rattles are a common complaint. If you want a comfy highway cruiser and occasional fun, you'll be annoyed with this car. But if you don't care about niggly stuff, go for it.
 
I'll rephrase - if you're an extreme perfectionist, you'll spend 2-3 hours a week fixing all the stuff that comes weird from the factory. Rattling door panels, possible boost leaks from subpar clamps, and probably more stuff that ends up bothering you.

A year-1 car needs some extra attention too; this gen having a brand new engine and Subaru's history of oil consuming motors, it would be wise to check your oil at every fill up (however, since you just drove it to get to the gas station, the oil wouldn't have returned to the pan yet and the dipstick is complete trash, so better to just check it once a week in the morning). If you notice it's low, you should top it off before spinning a bearing - there's been 3 cases of '15 rexes doing this.

Some pop out of 1st gear when going down hills and letting off the throttle. Dealer replaces transmission and/or shifter linkages.

Some will have extreme throw-out bearing noise (whirring when pushing clutch to floor) and one had the clutch shredded within 5k miles which was deemed a manufacturing defect.

If you don't abuse or mod it, it's all under warranty should anything go wrong - but it's really not as "drive-it-and-forget-it" as other cars on the market IMO. Other WRX owners may disagree.
 
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WTF are you talking about. We have a 2005 WRX and while there are some squeeks and rattles that have developed over time but "possible boost leaks from subpar clamps, and probably more stuff that ends up bothering you"... You're saying quality has dropped that far?

And the turbo FB20 was introduced in the Forester a few years back...hardly "new".

I guess I can't speak from first hand experience on the '15 but I'm skeptical it's as bad as you claim.
 
I still keep kinda looking at the 25th anniversary MX-5......

I guess it's not practical as it's a two seater, in a Mazda 3 atm.
 
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