I have come to an uncharacteristically rational conclusion.

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt) 10/05/2016 at 11:06 • Filed to: None

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A 2015+ WRX is the solution to almost all of my problems. And I could solve the rest with a project car.

- 3 pedals (I really miss that)

- boost (bucket list, I want to try that)

- it’s a WRX (I’ve lusted after them ever since ‘01 when my parents bought a new outback, and the saleswoman drove us through a foot of snow in a WRX. And I’ve driven two of them, both were a lot of fun.)

- it’s a Subaru (the aforementioned Outback became my first car, it was a 5-speed and actually a lot of fun to toss around in the snow - that car took a beating from my teenage self; I trust Subaru to make a great car)

- CPO examples are very reasonable (low twenties)

- Winter in New England ruins all on-road car fun... except for Subaru shenanigans. The WRX is the quintessential winter enthusiast car around here.

- 4 doors so my friends and I can still do day trips

- nice handling and steering, something I’ve never experienced in a DD

- decent gas mileage (double what the Q45 gets)

- great aftermarket support (coilovers and wheels...)

- track potential (I want to get into auto X and HPDE, especially now that palmer motorsports park is well established)

The rest? I can balance out the modernity, the 4 doors, and the small motor with something like an E24 or an XJ-S

bob and john > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:09

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“Good gas milage(double what the q45 gets”

LOL. thats what you think. it only gets decent milage when you arent in it. and the car kinda begs to be beat with a stick.

source: I had one for 3 days. fun thing. sucked gas like a mofo.

pauljones > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:10

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Warning: a project car is NEVER a rational decision. It is purely an emotional one. Other than that, get your WRX and your project car and go have a blast.

random001 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:15

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I agree, it’s almost perfect. I was so going to buy one, but I’m too tall for the rear facing car seat behind me, so it was a no go for a few years. Good choice!

Party-vi > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:16

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Are they still making Subaru interiors out of Happy Meal toy plastic and speakers out of Campbell’s soup cans?

Noah - Now with more boost. > pauljones 10/05/2016 at 11:17

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There is one element of rationality to it! Working on something without the pressure of “I need to drive to work in this thing tomorrow” would be very freeing

Noah - Now with more boost. > bob and john 10/05/2016 at 11:19

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lol somehow I’m not surprised, at least I’m already conditioned to sub 20 mpg madness

Noah - Now with more boost. > random001 10/05/2016 at 11:21

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I’m hoping I can stay this rational while saving up for a down payment...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:23

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Agreed with all, very rational. EXCEPT for the winter making AWD the only way to have fun. POPPYCOCK to that I say!!! I think anything but FWD is the only way to have fun (FWD based AWD is included as FWD-is-anti-fun). Of course Subaru is a solid option (aside from the undefeatable road salt) but you can certainly have fun in a RWD in the snow. Of course an LSD, some snow tires, and decent handling characteristics makes it safer (regardless of the drivetrain) but plenty of fun is to be had in classic american muscle in the snow/winter. Not hating on your choice though, I love the new WRX. If only they would make a wagon/hatch!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:23

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In a little over two years of ownership, my 2014 WRX has averaged 19 mpg. A normal week sees around 17 mpg mixed city/highway. It is balanced by a few long trips with 25+ mpg (even 30+ once). This is about what my 22 yr. old truck gets. :/

Boy is it fun.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Party-vi 10/05/2016 at 11:23

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The fake CF on these is DEEPLY offensive. That would be removed and painted gloss black. And as an audiophile I think most stock speakers sound like tin cans... so yes!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 10/05/2016 at 11:27

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Oh I know all about RWD in the winter lol. I have never owned anything else. This one time, some dad who was outside playing with his daughter had to get a shovel and some sand to help my old 635 climb this little hill. The car was on winter tires but the rear end kept sliding off the road, following the camber into the snowbank.

Noah - Now with more boost. > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/05/2016 at 11:28

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Yeah MPG isn’t really a concern, more of a bonus. But IIRC yours has the 2.5 and this has the brand new 2.0 - so no rumble but 35MPG highway

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:31

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My dealer was running some crazy attractive lease offers on a WRX. I was really tempted by one. Kind of still am honestly...

The Dummy Gummy > random001 10/05/2016 at 11:31

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That was my problem too (not due to height), but I solved this by putting the car seat behind the passenger seat.

Noah - Now with more boost. > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 10/05/2016 at 11:37

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how much? Given what my colleagues shell out for their nasty little civics, I’d expect to pay 300ish/mo? But... I’d like to do some mods so leasing wouldn’t really be my thing necessarily

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:40

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I honestly would have bought one, except for the interior being made from tinker toys. I got a fat, soft STI instead (335xi, manuèl)

uofime-2 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:43

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Love mine.

Real talk on mileage though, I average about 22 during my daily regular driving which is some highway, some stuck in traffic and some downtown city driving.

It’ll get 30 on the interstate driving regularly, you can stretch that to maybe 35 by not going 80 and accelerating like a geriatric.

On a racetrack it gets about 7 haha

Snuze: Needs another Swede > pauljones 10/05/2016 at 11:48

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The man has the right answer.

Otherwise, you’re right, fully expect project car projects to never get done, because there is generally no direct impetus to do so.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:49

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As a former WRX owner, I think you’ve pretty much nailed all the big things between here and the comments (Party-vi mentioned the cheap interior and awful stereo). Its the one car I really regret selling, it was a blast.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:50

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Oh yeah, AWD with snow tires is bound to be mountains better than RWD with snow tires at actually doing what you want it to do.

Any reason in particular why you find the current WRX better than the previous gens? I like the look of bugeye, blobeye, and hawkeye hatches better but the new one just has much better handling.

random001 > The Dummy Gummy 10/05/2016 at 11:56

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That would have worked had we not had plans for two children, 18 months apart, both of whom are in RFCS. The wife has a crosstrek, same interior space, and I can not drive it with two seats in. I can ride, but barely. I’m about 6'4" and some.

random001 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 11:56

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No, they really are nearly perfect. The outback is almost a better car, but not a better drivers car. Love me some Subies. Now for them to make a nice H8 engine...

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 10/05/2016 at 12:01

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The two big things that come to mind are a) the EJ255 has pretty appalling fuel economy (the new DI one is way better), and b) I would never buy a WRX that wasn’t either new or CPO. The used market is a minefield thanks to how many of them get modified.

I do realize the irony in the fact that I bought my 2007 WRX used, but if I wasn’t planning on modifying it myself it would have been a terrible idea.

MUSASHI66 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 12:05

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Why buy CPO in low 20's when you can have new for $26382 without even haggling? I am pretty sure I could get one for $25800.

http://www.bestbuysubaru.com/new/Subaru/2017-Subaru-WRX-Colorado-Springs-1481985c0a0e0a6b278b2504f1eec144.htm?searchDepth=1:46

You know what people do to their WRXs and STis, right? I’d have a real hard time buying a used one...

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 12:20

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Last month it was $259 a month with $1500 down!

Considering my first lease was a base model Civic LX for $200 a month with $1500 down...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Aaron M - MasoFiST 10/05/2016 at 12:27

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Gotcha, makes sense. I want to pick up an 04/05 hatch at some point (or a legacy turbo wagon if I can find one somehow) and yeah finding an unmodified one will be difficult. Would make a perfect daily driver and something vastly different to go along with my Miata. Better stock up on head gaskets...

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 12:35

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The current WRX is pretty much the best car for a one-car-for-everything buyer.

The only thing I don’t like about it is a problem with all Subarus, a ho-hum interior.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 10/05/2016 at 12:35

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Head gaskets aren’t the problem with the turbos, it’s EGT hotspots and ringland failures/spun bearings from aforementioned EGT hotspots. An 04/05 is probably the best bet, as the EJ205 is less susceptible to these issues than the EJ255 and also has more breathing room in the stock tune (08-14 STIs occasionally blew up stock because of how the tune was designed for emissions reasons). Also, less transmission fragility than the 02-03s.

If you find a car with no or few modifications, keep it that way. Change to synthetic oil if it isn’t running it already (these cars seem to love Shell Rotella T6 but any good synthetic will do), and enjoy it. If you don’t beat on the transmission, the cars are really robust...my 07 had 160,000 miles when I traded it in, and was comfortably making 300whp. In the 70,000 miles I owned it I blew the turbo, ate a radiator (the stock one, at 150k) and by the time I got rid of it it needed valve cover gaskets. Not too bad for five years and 75% more horsepower than stock.

The Dummy Gummy > random001 10/05/2016 at 12:49

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I feel your pain. I’m not sure what we will do kid 2. Wife’s car only I suppose. I’m in an Impreza now, but will probably have to upgrade to the Outback (wife has Forester, so can’t have two).

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Aaron M - MasoFiST 10/05/2016 at 13:04

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That is some excellent advice, thank you. I sort of knew the ‘04-’05 might have been the best for reliability but I wasn’t sure exactly why. My plan would be totally stock other than probably suspension and exhaust mods.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 13:10

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Mine does have the older engine, but the issue is more about throttle application than anything else. My car is usually near full throttle when accelerating and the typical highway speeds are, well, above average.

Aaron Brown > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 13:16

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i can confirm all of this

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 10/05/2016 at 13:20

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Nice. I did a bunch of suspension work on my 07 myself and had a lot of fun with it. As for exhaust, you can put a catback on no problem but a downpipe requires a tune to prevent overboost. Also worth noting I believe the 04-05s still had the uppipe pre-cat...if you find yourself getting a tune it’d be worth it to swap the up-pipe just for the peace of mind (those pre-cats would sometimes break up and send chunks into the turbo...rare but disastrous when it happened).

Noah - Now with more boost. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 10/05/2016 at 14:37

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Styling/interior quality improvements. 2015+ isn’t the best looking car and the interior is still tacky (fake CF trim... I’d remove and repaint that). But I think that this redesign is the best yet. The interior transitioned from “so bad it’s unacceptable” to “okay this feels cheap but I can deal with it (after addressing the aforementioned fake CF). I place a lot of emphasis on the interior since nice ones make me really happy. I’m still waiting for a color option on the seats that isn’t black, and some nicer materials (metal trim instead of plastic CF anybody? How about tan or brown leather seats/door cards?). Overall though I think the int is the weakest part of the package, but I can deal with it.

Noah - Now with more boost. > random001 10/05/2016 at 14:39

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That would be wild. Even an H6 with a manual would be epic. I’ve always fantasized about lifting an old 3.0 Outback sedan, and hacking the exhaust off. Instant rally beater that sounds like a Porsche!

Noah - Now with more boost. > TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! 10/05/2016 at 14:40

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I’ll go E90 as soon as those airbag replacements are in! A post facelift 335i or M3 would be epic.

Noah - Now with more boost. > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/05/2016 at 14:43

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“the typical highway speeds are, well, above average” LOL. I think we’d get along. That’s one complaint about my current car, it has as much power as the WRX but it weighs 900 LBS more. AKA highway passing above 70 MPH isn’t all that fun

Noah - Now with more boost. > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 10/05/2016 at 14:49

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UGH. I could go do that. Like right now. And I’m pretty sure they let you put coilovers and wheels on a lease, as long as you return it to stock if you don’t want to buy it off them

6Cylinder > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 14:51

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Do it.

Noah - Now with more boost. > MUSASHI66 10/05/2016 at 14:52

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That’s valid. Also, lease then buy is another option. But I don’t see anything wrong with buying a barely used sub 10K mile CPO example, that’s pretty low mileage to be worrying about a history of hard driving.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 14:52

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My wife’s Explorer has 20% more horsepower than the WRX, but with it carrying 42% more weight (~1,400 lbs), it drives like a big pig. It carries its weight surprisingly well, but as my son reminded me while I was trying to make a pass in her car, “Dad, Mom’s car doesn’t go like yours.”

Noah - Now with more boost. > uofime-2 10/05/2016 at 14:53

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7 on track!? hilarious

Noah - Now with more boost. > 6Cylinder 10/05/2016 at 14:53

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ugh dat lifestle shot

Noah - Now with more boost. > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 10/05/2016 at 14:55

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Yeah the int sucks. I hope the newer Legacy interiors trickle down into the Impreza, they have nice leather options and decent trim

6Cylinder > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 15:02

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It’s a great car. I really do get 35mpg when I cruise at 65.

Boost is instant and it’s hilarious, thanks to the twin scroll turbo.

It looks a little more subdued than past models so it gets less attention from police.

You probably won’t regret it.

MUSASHI66 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 15:08

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If you can find a barely used CPO with under 10k miles, it might be great, it might be shit. Who returns cars that quickly? People that don’t like something, people that broke something?

Lease then buy is the worst, most expensive option. It can work if you can’t afford a full payment right away and are sure you’ll have more money 2-3 years down the road. Life, however, is rarely that simple.

uofime-2 > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 15:21

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I was shocked how quickly the tank drained

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 15:25

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I am still waiting on the airbag replacements.... sigh..

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/05/2016 at 15:27

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Well interior has always been the weakest part of any subaru until pretty recently. It was just kinda one of those “subaru quirks”. But now that they are a real car company, it is generally expected that a semi-passable interior is required. Comparing say the interior of a new Outback or even the BRZ to something like a mid 90s impreza is night/day.

I definitely hear you on fake CF, that shit is annoying and looks stupid.

Noah - Now with more boost. > TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! 10/05/2016 at 16:12

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For real - if you remember to, hit me up here when they come in! “What next” would be a very easy question if a 335 was on the table