things to know about wrx

[steezytype-S]

whats up TST. im new to the subaru world, and looking for some pointers. I really want a car that i can reliably daily drive, that has good power, and looks nice, and if i want to modify down the road, have the option of doing so.. ive always wanted a wrx/sti but never actually got around to it, and ended up with an Rsx type-s, which i love,and modified the hell out of, but is starting to rack up the miles. now that ive made some money and can actually afford a car of my choosing, i have the option of a subaru. Basically what i need to know is what year would you recommend( i have about a 20k budget) what problems do they commonly have, and what are some good sites to get aquainted with the engine layout and specs. thanks in advance guys!

[xEJ20x]

05 WRX wagon....leave it stock.

[Khellen]

I can't speak for anyone else but I love my 04 WRX. Great platform to learn on and you can STEAL one for the prices they are going for nowadays. On top of that, the subaru community is amazing. So many nice people and great meets going on. Lastly, if all you want is to build a highway car that goes fast in a straight line, don't bother buying a WRX. WRX transmissions are known to fail when beat.

02 - 05 WRX's are the 2.0L
06+ WRX's are the 2.5L.

Here are some helpful links:

Info:
Nasioc.com
IWSTI.com
clubwrx.com

Questions and service:
area1320.com

[Honest_Bob]

If you can afford an STI do it. The 6 speed trans and bembo brakes alone are worth it.

[ndubz]

I have an 04 sti. And I know u can find them and some 05s for under 20k. Its really worth getting the sti if u can because in basic terms, the wrx 5 spd sucks and will break, and the Sti 6spd is extremely strong and will be good into the 500whp range as is. (whereas the wrx 5 spd has been known to break stock and its like 3k+ to get the PPGs or swap in the 6 speed) As far as the Sti goes its like this, on pump the most u will see out of the stock turbo is like 320whp ish. after that u will need bigger injectors and a new turbo. The stock pistons are good up to 400whp ish then need to be replaced with forged ones. It really depends on how much u wanna mod it. If ur shooting for 400-450whp id say look at an evo because its cheaper to build cuz the 4g63 is good to 450whp ish (I think). If ur going for 500+ then idk cuz ive never looked into it (thats far too much power for a car like this on the road) But Ive driven both and to me the sti was more fun, it has alot more torque than the evo does which makes it feel stronger and pull better. The evo drives like an awd turbo civic, u aint got **** until boost hits. less fun in the real world believe me.

But I love my Sti, its just such a great overall car. u cant go wrong with it so long as u make sure ur not buying one thats been beat to ****. have a subaru mechanic inspect any sti or wrx u look at.

[DwagsSpecV]

if you have 20k, you can get a nice 05 sti (the best year)

****, you could have mine for 19k. lol

[Subie_sleeper]

PM sent.

[madgripyo]

Originally Posted by Subie_sleeper

PM sent.

x2.

btw, keep an eye out on iwsti.com in the for sale section. a lot of good cars come through there for a great price. needless to say, beware of beat ass cars too.

[Ender81]

In general go with the 05 sti. 06+ you run the possibility of engine issues even though the 07 has much better gear ratios. With the wrx if you modify it you will have tranny issues at some point. Both are otherwise reliable cars.

Personally I would like to have the easier power of the STI but I really don't like the trans, and I really like the bugeye look, so I stuck with the wrx and dropped in ppg's and will do a 2.5 block swap at some point to get the better power.