Chike's '06 WRX TR purchasing thread...

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

I've never driven an '05 LGT, but I've ridden in a modded one. I'm NOT going off of what magazine reviewers say, I'm going off of what owners have told me. The '06 WRX is just a better handling car than a base Legacy GT. This is also why I'm passing on getting an '05 FXT (suspension is even softer).

After this Saturday, I will have driven a WRX TR and an RX-8. If the new Subaru's are as a great as people say, then I'm sure the WRX TR will shine!

-Chike

damn, you haven't even DRIVEN the TR? your wife is the wise one.


with just new tires, springs, and a rear swaybar, the LGT outclasses the STi. the tires are the big handling-killers.

when you bought your house, did you go inside it before you signed the papers?

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by Landshark

damn, you haven't even DRIVEN the TR? your wife is the wise one.


with just new tires, springs, and a rear swaybar, the LGT outclasses the STi. the tires are the big handling-killers.

when you bought your house, did you go inside it before you signed the papers?

Dude. I haven't put a deposit down on a TR yet? I was planning on test driving this weekend and buying on the 28th.

With those mods the Legacy GT will be a great handler, but in the SCCA stock classes I can't touch the rear sway bar, springs/shocks, etc. I'm simply comparing stock vs stock here based on what owners of the cars have told me on subaruforester.com, nasioc, clubwrx.net, etc.

Stock for stock, the Legacy GT is a better handler than an FXT. Stock for stock, the WRX is a better handler than the Legacy GT. Stock for stock the STI is a better handler than the WRX.

-Chike

[n00b on demand]

Thank God Subaru did away with the RE-92's on the legacy....we got different tires thankfully

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Dude. I haven't put a deposit down on a TR yet?

Dude - the first post of this thread says "I'm picking up a brand new '06 WRX TR." sounds like a done deal to me.

Stock for stock, the Legacy GT is a better handler than an FXT. Stock for stock, the WRX is a better handler than the Legacy GT. Stock for stock the STI is a better handler than the WRX.

so stock STi's will be beating you. why not get an STi? ahhh, stock Lotus Elises will be beating those! where does it end?!?!?!?

isn't Auto-X racing against your own times?

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by Landshark

when you bought your house, did you go inside it before you signed the papers?

Lookey here Sarah, it's got INDOOR PLUMIN!!!





Sorry, Sarah, sorry Chi ke, Bob

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Dude - the first post of this thread says "I'm picking up a brand new '06 WRX TR." sounds like a done deal to me.

Uhh no. This is a WRX TR purchasing thread. It's supposed to detail the buying process of a new Subaru WRX. I outlined from the very 1st post that I was doing a test drive on 1/14 and purchasing at the end of the month...

Originally Posted by Landshark

so stock STi's will be beating you. why not get an STi? ahhh, stock Lotus Elises will be beating those! where does it end?!?!?!?

isn't Auto-X racing against your own times?

I would consider an STI if a new one cost 23-24K!

Nope. AutoX is against all competitor's in your class. e.g. SVX is in G-stock (competes with the Mini Cooper S), WRX is in D-stock (competes with the MazdaSpeed Protege), RX-8 is in B stock (competes with the 350Z).

-Chike

P.S. I just heard back from the Mazda dealer and got an official quote on an '05 RX-8 6MT - $22,935 + tax, tag & title. For comparison, quote on the WRX TR w/ spoiler and boost gauge is $23,500 + $249 processing fee + tax, tag & title. I'm not pinching pennies on this purchase, so I see the price between the two cars as a wash.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by svxfiles

Lookey here Sarah, it's got INDOOR PLUMIN!!!


Sorry, Sarah, sorry Chi ke, Bob

Ha ha ha!

Thanks again for your help Tom. Let me know about that engine swap. I'd love to pitch in...

-Chike

[shelfy]

Originally Posted by Landshark

when you bought your house, did you go inside it before you signed the papers?

alan was talking about teh wife and my mind's in teh gutter and i was tempted to fix his post, but decided against it at the last moment.

[Royal Tiger]

I'd take the 350Z over the RX-8 pos. If you like the Rex, go with that. I assume, maybe badly, but is the Rex lighter then the LGT?

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by Tigershark

I'd take the 350Z over the RX-8 pos. If you like the Rex, go with that. I assume, maybe badly, but is the Rex lighter then the LGT?

The WRX weighs in at 3190lbs while the LGT is about 150+lbs heavier.

I think the RX-8 is far from a POS considering how well it does in SCCA B-Stock. I'm actually surprised by your response as you're a porsche lover and the RX-8 has such a pure interation between the driver and the road which most porsche owners admire about the car. I'm not a street racer, and I'm spending more time at the autox circuit than the dragstrip.

Here's a video from Top Gear that Power_on_Demand sent me:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...831&q=top+gear

That about sums everything up about the RX-8...

Anyway, my test drives are all confirmed on Saturday. WRX at 10:00am, and the RX-8 at 11:30am. I'm going to see how the WRX stacks up against another car in it's price point.

-Chike

[Royal Tiger]

My fatal flaw is I'm fairly stubborn in my bias'. I rode in a RX-7 and a RX-8, and was not impressed at all. There is no way I would chose one of them over a P-car. The 350Z gets some heat over the plastic interior, but the 3.5L VQ V-6 sounds like a muscle car minus 2 cylinders. It can be set to develop truck loads of torque, where as the 2.6L rotorary is way to sensitive and high strung. I drove a 928 S4, Alan's obsession, and I have never gone from 80-100 that fast in my life. It beat the SL600 and the 68 Charger 440 my buddy had growing up. The Honda S2000 is a nice car, but you have to rev the hell out of it, especially on a hilly road course. I can't wait to feel this 951 I'm hoping to get come on full boost. He said it dyno's at 250hp and over 275tq at the wheels.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by Tigershark

My fatal flaw is I'm fairly stubborn in my bias'. I rode in a RX-7 and a RX-8, and was not impressed at all. There is no way I would chose one of them over a P-car. The 350Z gets some heat over the plastic interior, but the 3.5L VQ V-6 sounds like a muscle car minus 2 cylinders. It can be set to develop truck loads of torque, where as the 2.6L rotorary is way to sensitive and high strung. I drove a 928 S4, Alan's obsession, and I have never gone from 80-100 that fast in my life. It beat the SL600 and the 68 Charger 440 my buddy had growing up. The Honda S2000 is a nice car, but you have to rev the hell out of it, especially on a hilly road course. I can't wait to feel this 951 I'm hoping to get come on full boost. He said it dyno's at 250hp and over 275tq at the wheels.

I understand what you're saying Dan, but I want to be an informed consumer. I could sit here and spout off stats about each car, but at the end of the day, it'll come down to which car is best for my needs.

Both are great performance cars with 4 doors and are less than $1,000 apart in price. I love Subarus, but I try to keep an open mind.

-Chike

[Royal Tiger]

I wasn't bashing the WRX vs LGT, I wasn't even telling you to bypass the Evo, as that has 4 doors. The 350 doesn't and the RX-8 probably won't fit your needs. I think a nice Audi S6 would make you smile, but I'm sure you don't have $50k in disposable income currently. I'm sure if price was no object in the 4 door catagory, a Maserati Quattroportte, a Mercedes CLS 55 AMG, new Porsche Panamera, or a nice BMW M5 would tickle you just right. But for under $30k, I think Suby has two real nice options. Three if you can inch up to the STi.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by Tigershark

I wasn't bashing the WRX vs LGT, I wasn't even telling you to bypass the Evo, as that has 4 doors. The 350 doesn't and the RX-8 probably won't fit your needs. I think a nice Audi S6 would make you smile, but I'm sure you don't have $50k in disposable income currently. I'm sure if price was no object in the 4 door catagory, a Maserati Quattroportte, a Mercedes CLS 55 AMG, new Porsche Panamera, or a nice BMW M5 would tickle you just right. But for under $30k, I think Suby has two real nice options. Three if you can inch up to the STi.

My price range is up to 24K - no more. And I'm only looking at new cars. The Cooper S would fit into this slot, but is much too small for my needs. The SRT-4 would also fall into this price point, but isn't my cup o' tea!

The RX-8 outhandles all cars in it's price point by wide margin! The room isn't an issue as I've sat in one at a Mazda event. After this Saturday I'll see how it drives. With PCM updates Mazda has come out with for the car, owners are starting to get close to 30mpg on the highway and the oil burn issues are not as severe. Turbo cars by nature can also tend to burn oil.

I hear what you're saying, but my wife is right on this one. Open up my mind and compare my beloved WRX to something else in the same price point. If I come away saying WRX all the way, then case closed - the Subaru is for me. If not, then Mazda offers a better product for me and my family at this pricepoint.

-Chike

[Royal Tiger]

I would go Mazdaspeed 6 over a RX-8 anyday. The Volvo you liked was nice, but not much intrest to me. How about a Saab 9-3 Aero or if you didn't mind used, the barnstorming 9-3 Viggen. Just throwing out options. I agree, the Rex is a great choice. But I wouldn't buy a RX-8. Shame there is no 350Z sedan. Oh wait, the G35 can be had for under 28k new. 20k coming off lease.