Chike's '06 WRX TR purchasing thread... - Page 15

Chiketkd · #**211** 01-14-2006, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by POWER on demand

Good for you chike....

LOL where the hell is that liscence plate on the LGT!

Thanks!

Btw, that's just the magnetic dealer license plate...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxer6SVX

The Subaru dealer on Broad has a Black/Black LGT with the manual.

Hurry up and get the WRX so you can break it in and give us the REAL run down

That LGT is an '06. I can only afford an '05 base model LGT as the '06 models only come in the Limited.

I'll be picking it up on 1/28. Will be taking it easy until she's passed 1,000 miles and has had an oil change. Once that's done, I'll open her up!

-Chike

Chiketkd · #**212** 01-14-2006, 06:35 PM

...I happened to snap these pics of the new Mazdaspeed 6. They had 7 in stock!

Looks nice up close, but I like the LGT Spec B a lot more for the $$$.

-Chike

AppStateSVX · #**213** 01-14-2006, 10:42 PM

the masdaspeed 6 is pretty cool. it's funny looking at how much of an impact the WRX has had on the American Car Market.

Landshark · #**214** 01-14-2006, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Looks nice up close, but I like the LGT Spec B a lot more for the $$$.

i like a regular LGT + $10,000 in mods over the Spec B.

Chike, was that a WRX TR in your photos above? it has headrests - i thought the TR got the "one-piece" sportseats?

good luck with the new WRX - i'm sure you'll love it. the first 1000 miles aren't even that bad - you can get going VERY fast even while keeping it under 4k RPMs.

AppStateSVX · #**215** 01-14-2006, 10:47 PM

the above pics are the mazdaspeed 6

Landshark · #**216** 01-14-2006, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppStateSVX

the above pics are the mazdaspeed 6

O RLY? above the MS6......the pics of the WRX.

Chiketkd · #**217** 01-15-2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

I headed out this morning for my test drives of the three cars on my list: '06 WRX TR, '05 LGT and '05 RX-8 6MT. Here are my impressions (I happened to walk with my camera and took a few pics as well):

'06 Subaru WRX TR:
This was a remarkably easy car to drive. My salesman (Bill) took me out on a 9 mile test drive loop that included some stop-n-go traffic, twisty backroads, and highway cruising at 65+mph. This TR came with the optional factory boost controller, and I noticed 0.5 bar (~7.35psi) at ~ 4,000rpms which were the highest revs I reached on my drive (since the car had <100miles on the odometer). The new 2.5L turbo engine gave the car amazing power when off boost, and once boost started to build around 2,500rpms, the speed climbed at an amazing rate. On the tight back-roads, the car kept a level stance in the tight stuff and the steering felt extremely quick and precise. The brakes were also extremely inspiring when I needed to scrub off speed going into a tight blind corner. The throws on the 5MT shifter were also significantly shorter than what I remember on a stock '02 WRX I drove previously.

The interior was better than expected. I can definitely live with the manually adjustable seats and hvac controls. The backseats were roomier than I expected and both head & leg room were sufficient for my 6ft 1in frame. The trunk was also a nice size.

Overall, no dissapointments and I was left with a grin from ear-to-ear!

Rating = 9.5/10

'05 Subaru LGT:
As there were no 5spds LGT's on their lot, save a Spec B model that was in the showroom, I went out in a Garnet Red '05 LGT 5EAT with Bill. We followed the same loop we took with WRX. The new 5 speed auto is definitely a vast improvement over the old 4EAT, and the shift buttons on the steering wheel are a nice touch. The engine pulls extremely well at all speeds, despite the car's greater heft (compared to the WRX). In the turns, the LGT leaned noticeably more but still handles quite well as feels like a 'true' performance sedan.

The interior, despite being the base model with cloth seats, was head-n-shoulders above the WRX! The heated seats were a nice touch (especially since it was 45* and rainy) and the quality of the materials on the dash was quite nice. The actual seats didn't feel as supportive as the ones in the WRX, and my torso moved around a little more in turns.

Overall, great performance sedan that should definitely be crossed-shopped by prospective Audi and BMW buyers.

Rating = 8/10

'05 RX-8:
The biggest surprise I had when I slipped behind the wheel and took off in this car, was the presence of 'torque' even low down in the rpm band. RX-8's come stock with a 4.44 final drive, and it really gets this car going! The rotary engine is unlike anything I've ever driven to date, and there was a consistent strong production of power all the way up to 6,000rpms (highest I took it to). In the twisties, the steering on the RX-8 isn't as fast as the '06 WRX (3.0 turns lock-to-lock vs 2.7) but the chassis and suspension tuning is second to none. When the suspension took a set, the chassis was right there with it - no delay, no slop, just immediacy. The 6MT shifter had a nice short-throw snickety-snick action and it was a pleasure to change gears in this car!

The interior material quality was top-notch and the aluminum trim pieces were a beautiful touch. However, the back-seat area was a real let down - the head room was great, but the leg room was really tight. Also, even though the RX-8 is a 4 door, it just wouldn't be easy to load and unload my 2.5yr old son from his carseat like in a true 4 door sedan.

Overall, this car left me ambivalent. The power was better than expected, the handling was what I expected, but the interior space was worse than I expected! While it's a great car, it just wouldn't work for my family at this time...

Rating = 8/10

The Verdict: I will be calling both sales guys on Tuesday to let them know my decision. I'm definitely going with the WRX TR. Subaru has a great product and I look forward to autoxing it this year in SCCA D-stock.

-Chike

I quoted myself to bring my review and pics from the previous page forward.

Thanks Landshark. And yes, those are the seats in the TR. :-) I'm definitely looking forward to driving that car...

Landshark · #**218** 01-15-2006, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Thanks Landshark. And yes, those are the seats in the TR. :-) I'm definitely looking forward to driving that car...

i was mistaken - i thought the TR got these seats:

...but those are the standard WRX seats.

Royal Tiger · #**219** 01-15-2006, 09:14 PM

Was that the EXACT car you are getting? It looks nice.

Chiketkd · #**220** 01-15-2006, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark

i was mistaken - i thought the TR got these seats:

...

...but those are the standard WRX seats.

Those seats look sweet!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigershark

Was that the EXACT car you are getting? It looks nice.

Yup, that's the exact one! I love that color!!!!

-Chike

NikFu S. · #**221** 01-15-2006, 10:15 PM

What's the difference between TR and standard WRXs?

Landshark · #**222** 01-15-2006, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NikFu S.

What's the difference between TR and standard WRXs?

the TR is the "Tuner Ready" model - basically a stripped down, low cost, no frills model.

it has manual AC, single CD radio, unpainted side mirror housings, cloth interior, no sunroof, no fog lights, no heated seats...

Royal Tiger · #**223** 01-16-2006, 06:43 AM

And lighter and faster! Chike I saw this over on RennList:

S: poiled
C: hildren
C: rashing
A: utomobiles

When I saw that I thought of you. Not for the spolied part, the SCCA part.

n00b on demand · #**224** 01-16-2006, 08:41 AM

Excellent color choice chike. Thats the color I would have chosen too. Dont you love how the new STi looks in that color too?

Chiketkd · #**225** 01-16-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by POWER on demand

Excellent color choice chike. Thats the color I would have chosen too. Dont you love how the new STi looks in that color too?

Yup. That steel gray color is amazing in person...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark

the TR is the "Tuner Ready" model - basically a stripped down, low cost, no frills model.

it has manual AC, single CD radio, unpainted side mirror housings, cloth interior, no sunroof, no fog lights, no heated seats...

Correct. It still has a relatively decent feature content for the $$$. I'm no audiophile, and what I care most about is under the hood! Even though Subaru doesn't list a difference in weight between the TR and the regular WRX, I came across one review that listed it as 3,160lbs which is 32 lbs lighter than the regular WRX (I guess fog lights, 6 disc cd chager, heated seats, and a sunroof have to add a measurable amount of weight).

-Chike