WRX vs Altima

[OneOfTheseDays]

Please think practically here, do you really need the WRX? I mean if your not a racer, then you really shouldn't consider the WRX. I would go for the altima, damn fast and its 4 door. You will be much happier with your altima, i guarantee it.

 

[vi edit]

Practical? To me the WRX wagon is the epitome of practicality. It's a wagon with a hatch so it'll haul boxes twice the size you'd ever dream of fitting in the Altima. It's got running rails along the top just waiting for me to stick a kyak, bike, or ski's on. It's got AWD to get me around in the winters comfortably. It gets pretty decent gas milage for a car with nearly 230 HP and AWD. And to top it off, it's got superior handling and goes like stink on sh!t. Oh and to sweetin the deal, it's got some of the most comfy seats I've ever sat in, and comes stock with an in dash 6-disk changer.

Try finding me another car under 23k that offers as much as the WRX.

 

[KokomoGST]

Personally, I'd have zero reservations about picking up the scoobie other than the fact that I'm a Mitsu fan and patiently await the Evo. And also that scooby parts are expensive!! But from a performance-minded perspective... WRX hands down!

I agree that the WRX wagon is really quite functional, especially if don't have really big people in your circle of family & friends. The Altima is a sweet car, and it is absolutely cavernous compared to the WRX. Obviously the WRX is more fun to drive being a turbo with 4wd. So you're not rallying to work, but you can still autoX it! Especially considering the fact that Subaru gives you a free SCCA 1yr membership to do so... not something I'd do with an Altima because is so friggin heavy.
A lot of car mags agreed that the interior in the scooby was kinda cheesy but they said that's not the point. It's all about the driving experience with the car. The Altima is probably the better SEDAN sedan... the WRX wagon would be my pick if I needed that extra haul capability that the Altima doesn't have. But the Altima is a much more aesthetically pleasing car...

Test drive both is good advice... 4wd rocks! Drifting & oversteer is easy and controllable, driving on the edge is simple, and as long as you lay off the boost you can get nice city economy... though I seriously doubt you'd be able to resist all the time. I wouldn't take the stock scoobie to the drag strip since you'd be likely to damage the tranny doing insane launches.



<< if your not a racer, then you really shouldn't consider the WRX >>

- what about snow? AWD and snow, no problems... FWD and snow... ugh...
The WRX is just an insanely fun car to drive... if you know how to drive it! The scoobie is a 4dr... granted if you don't deal with snow, it's still awesome in the wet.

For those Honda lovers, even with a LSD and a bit more HP, the RSX TypeR would have a very VERY though time beating US-spec WRX. AWD & the turbo powerband is just too much of an advantage. The WRX is quicker every aspect. If it was an STi... forget it... be prepared to eat mucho dust on the H emblem. Not to mention that RSX sucks sour frog @$$ as a tuner car currently. It's too new, doesn't have a factory turbo, and doesn't have the mountain of aftermarket support that the WRX already has from overseas.

If you're the kind of driver that has never seen past 5K on their tach and can't drive stick... buy the Altima.

 

[auyong]

btw, since there are so many racing fans here, you guys should probably check out the Japanimation "Initial D". It is pretty good about a guy driving a 86 Celica beating other cars like Lance Evo, Skyline GTR, RX-7 etc on downhill racing. Tons of drift scenes to satisfy you guys. After watching the tv series, I went downhills driving for fun in my bimmer but did not dare to pull any drifts though....hehee...

 

[RoninRXN]

<< btw, since there are so many racing fans here, you guys should probably check out the Japanimation "Initial D". It is pretty good about a guy driving a 86 Celica beating other cars like Lance Evo, Skyline GTR, RX-7 etc on downhill racing. Tons of drift scenes to satisfy you guys. After watching the tv series, I went downhills driving for fun in my bimmer but did not dare to pull any drifts though....hehee... >>



The Sprinter Trueno AE86 is a known in N. America as the Toyota COROLLA. Not a Celica.

 

[RoninRXN]

<< Ronin,

WRX comes with bucket seats and momo steering wheel also....and I have to say that the steering wheel looks really good especially compared to the altima's wheel. >>



I like the ones in the RSX better. =) I am aware that the WRX has buckets and a MOMO. I have all the WRX catalogs.

 

[auyong]

<The Sprinter Trueno AE86 is a known in N. America as the Toyota COROLLA. Not a Celica. >

strange, there's one at my company exactly like the 86 Trueno and it says Celica on the back.

 

[BigJohnKC]

I just bought a new Altima - tried to fit in the WRX but it was so small on the inside, the interior design is much better on the Altima, more leg room, head room, hip room. etc. Of course, it is a family car so that is to be understood. I couldn't imagine driving anything else - what a car!

 

[prontospyder]

<<How about Option C: The Audi S4. Best of both worlds. >>

I don't think the Audi is roomier than the WRX....but it does sure look better.

 

[RoninRXN]

<< <The Sprinter Trueno AE86 is a known in N. America as the Toyota COROLLA. Not a Celica. >

strange, there's one at my company exactly like the 86 Trueno and it says Celica on the back. >>



The AE86 is not a Celica. This is a AE86.

The 86 describes the Sprinter Trueno and Levin models using the AE86 body and a 1.6 DOHC. This is known as the 1985-1987 models of the Corolla GT-S.

 

[beat mania]

Or , even better, the RS4 ... oh wait, they don't sell those here. Stupid Audi ...

Oh BTW for those of you that equate the WRX with the WRC counterpart, they're not alike. Unlike the EVO5/6, which is the homologation version of the LanEvo rally car, the WRX is just a race car that looks like the WRC rally car.

 

[RoninRXN]

<< Or , even better, the RS4 ... oh wait, they don't sell those here. Stupid Audi ... >>



...isn't that the station wagon? I saw Tiff drift that thing on Top Gear. Pretty sweet but I wouldn't be caught dead in a station wagon...even if it is a RS4.

 

[auyong]

<The AE86 is not a Celica. This is a AE86>

but this does not have Fujiwara Tofu Den written on the side! just kidding.

Maybe I was mistaken, the one at my office has front lights that can open and close...more like the one that Takumi raced against in the later chapters on the story...but I think even that car was another AE86??

 

[RoninRXN]

<< <The AE86 is not a Celica. This is a AE86>

but this does not have Fujiwara Tofu Den written on the side! just kidding.

Maybe I was mistaken, the one at my office has front lights that can open and close...more like the one that Takumi raced against in the later chapters on the story...but I think even that car was another AE86?? >>



No problem. The older generation of Celicas look similar to the Corrolla but it's not quite the same.

The AE86 with the flip lights is the Sprinter Trueno. The AE86 with..."normal" headlights is the Levin. The Celica in 1986 went under the designation....ST106 or something. Don't remember.

 

[auyong]

Ronin,

I assume you watched the whole series. Did you get the music for Initial D also? It rocks!

 

[RoninRXN]

<< Ronin,

I assume you watched the whole series. Did you get the music for Initial D also? It rocks! >>



Of course. I watched it in Hong Kong when it was Cantonese dubbed. I didn't speak Japanese at that time.

Funny thing is, my uncle used to drive that Corolla GT-S...hehehehe...panda colors too. I wish I could get my hands on that thing now and see how it handles.

There's a guy in my city with a replica of the Initial D car. A true J-spec one...but too bad it's only an AE85 which is 1.6 SOHC. It looks more like Itsuki's car than Takumi's but he got a custom decal for BOTH sides that says "Fujiwara Tofu Shop." Lame ass. Takumi's car only has the sticker on one side...

 

[auyong]

ahaha...that was funny! He really had Fujiwara Tofu Shop on the sides?!?!?!? That was way too funny. I'm going to start a Initial D thread.

 

[ImprezaWRX]

WRX, no question about it...

 

[johndeeregator]

I'm not so sure you can really compare these two cars on the same level. On the one hand, the Subaru is the better performer in pretty much every category. On the other hand, you'll probably have trouble shoving your friends into the back seat (let alone the kids for a family vacation) of the WRX. You might want to consider making a prioritized list of what you are looking for in a car, and then evaluate how each car meets those needs.

As for the reliability of Subaru, my family owns a '99 Forester, and I have no complaints so far. I really like the ride and handling, and the AWD is a life-saver. Unfortunately, gas mileage suffers as a result of the AWD (when I used to drive it frequently, I would always average 20 mpg no matter what sort of driving I did). The brake pedal is a little mushy, but that probably varies from model to model.