• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Picked up the new car today

Zap

Zap

Elite Member
About two months ago my wife ordered a new car. It showed up this week and we picked it up today.

2011 Subaru WRX Premium 5-door
dark metallic grey
short throw shifter

We re-used the snow tires from her Mazda 3s but bought some new wheels because the bolt pattern didn't match. The old tires are a bit narrower than the stock WRX tires, but it is an alternate sizing for snow tires listed at Tire Rack.

Because TTIUWP, here are a few...

100_2847.jpg


100_2843.jpg


My Mazdaspeed 6 is in the background.

100_2845.jpg


These are the stock wheels with Summer rubber.

100_2850.jpg


Couple impressions from driving it around today... The car feels very agile. It doesn't have the crappy clutch that the Mazdaspeed has so it feels more powerful (Mazdaspeed always feels like it wants to stall or bog). The hatch area is very small so while it should handle bulkier items due to the hatch, it may actually have less storage space than the trunk in the Mazda 3. The doors feel very light and tinny. Plenty of engine noises, which are entertaining for now (knowing us, we'll probably be entertained by it for a while). Wife already loves the heated seats and wonders how she lived for so long without them. There is no center arm rest. I suppose it encourages drivers to have both hands on the wheel, but damnit I'm lazy and want my arm rest. Seats are really nice, and make me regret cheapening out on my Mazdaspeed and not optioning for the model with leather seats. Just noticed gas prices went up 12 cents since Monday - bleh! Premium is $3.20. The Subaru has heated pads where the wipers sit, so no more iced up wipers in the Winter. We got the all-weather floor mats and the rear cargo mat. Really nice to have mats that fit properly even if they cost more than the generics.
 
looks good. My wife liked the STi but since we couldn't test-drive it we went in another direction. It's nice to have a wife that prefers manuals.
 
RKS said:
looks good. My wife liked the STi but since we couldn't test-drive it we went in another direction. It's nice to have a wife that prefers manuals.
Click to expand...

Looks like My STI (your wrx new widebody looks like the STI)
Congrats
 
punjabiplaya said:
damn, a wife that wants a WRX? nice

looks good and grats! time for some snow hoonage?
Click to expand...

Eh, my car will do a hair better in the snow, but TBH that's because I have studless tires while hers has Winter performance. I've plowed through near foot deep fresh snow a number of times. Don't know exactly how deep; all I know is that my car created a trench. :biggrin:

Yup, wife actually wanted it. We test drove a few other cars including a new (but don't remember if 2010 or 2011) BMW 328ix with manual and a used Forrester XT with manual. WRX was her choice, as was manual transmission. Like myself, she has only owned manual transmission vehicles.

As a bonus she's a PC gamer. :awe: She'll play stuff like L4D, Borderlands, Starcraft II, but her game of choice is (for better or worse) WoW.

She's a real find. I don't plan on trading her in anytime soon. :whiste:

RKS said:
looks good. My wife liked the STi
Click to expand...

We test drove both and the STI not only sounded louder inside, but it rode stiffer. Concrete expansion joints would cause it to hop! The more pedestrian WRX seemed easier to live with for a daily driver with a near 80 mile round trip commute.

The other thing was that my wife wanted the 5-door and leather seats, and you can't get that combo in an STI for 2011. The STI Premium has leather seats but is only sedan, while the normal STI has the Alcantara fake suede but is available as sedan or 5-door.

exdeath said:
Nice. Best color.
Click to expand...

A nice color for sure. My wife actually likes the Plasma Blue Pearl color, but that's only available with the STI.

alfa147x said:
Congrats!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I look forward to driving^H^H^H^H ahem, my wife driving it around in the snow.

FiLeZz said:
Looks like My STI (your wrx new widebody looks like the STI)
Click to expand...

Yup yup!

NutBucket said:
For your right arm:
https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1273
Click to expand...

Thanks for the linkage. I'll let her know. Don't know if it bothers her at all so if it doesn't then we probably won't add it.

Funny that the Momo shift knob pictured pictured below is on an auto.
 
Last edited:
nice! I dont buy cars often (still driving my 11 yr old GTI VR6), but I'm seriously considering the WRX as my next car.
 
That's a nice looking car. I've become a fan of Subaru due to this forum. I don't see lot of them in Atlanta so it always catches my eye when I do.
 
chin311 said:
sexyyyy ride, i considered a WRX myself, the MPG turned me off....what are you getting?
Click to expand...

According to the car display, 18-19MPG of mixed driving. At around 140 miles, it had a half tank left from the initial full tank. It should get a bit better over the next 15-30k miles.

I believe my MS6 gets a hair better mileage because I regularly get 20-22MPG+ mixed driving.

Jumpem said:
Hers should be the better winter vehcile. The Subaru AWD system is far ahead of the mostly FWD Mazda's.
Click to expand...

All else being equal, I'd agree with you. However, I have superior snow tires, so we'll see. Of course my tires howl on the interstate and is Q rated to something like 84MPH, but oh well. ^_^

I've had pretty good luck conquering nearly a foot of snow a number of times (deep enough so I end up plowing a trench). All I do is disable traction control and it just goes.

Today might be the first real snow (around 1-2" forecast) for the WRX.
 
Zap said:
According to the car display, 18-19MPG of mixed driving. At around 140 miles, it had a half tank left from the initial full tank. It should get a bit better over the next 15-30k miles.

I believe my MS6 gets a hair better mileage because I regularly get 20-22MPG+ mixed driving.



All else being equal, I'd agree with you. However, I have superior snow tires, so we'll see. Of course my tires howl on the interstate and is Q rated to something like 84MPH, but oh well. ^_^

I've had pretty good luck conquering nearly a foot of snow a number of times (deep enough so I end up plowing a trench). All I do is disable traction control and it just goes.

Today might be the first real snow (around 1-2" forecast) for the WRX.
Click to expand...

That's why I ended up with the Outback. I get 30mpg in the summer, and 26 in the winter. As for the snow it shouldn't be any problem. I 've been through a foot plus regularly in my Outback. Deep enough that the bumper an bottom of the car are plowing snow.
 
Jumpem said:
That's why I ended up with the Outback. I get 30mpg in the summer, and 26 in the winter.
Click to expand...

Yeah, gas mileage is poor, but fun factor is huge. The Outback would have been too big. Outback Sport and Forester XT would have been alternate choices had they been available new as a manual with turbo. But then MPG would be similar.

BTW, latest Automobile magazine (January 2011, page 22) wasn't too kind to the Outback. The author said first time he saw one, he thought it was a Chevrolet TrailBlazer; then goes on to say how much he hates it when brands try to "mainstream" themselves too much. I thought about that as I drove around this week and indeed any SUV/crossover that doesn't look like it was built on a truck chassis... looks like any other SUV/crossover of any other brand. Hmmm...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top