If you're planning on getting an impreza, I'd say get the wrx. Well if you're planning on getting the 2006 model. They're both 2.5 liters and most likely you're probably gonna change the suspension, better tires, rims, so on and so forth.

What I like about subaru's is that the cars are awesome because the engineers applies the same up to date technology to street legal subs from what they have learned from all those years of rallying. And I agree with the majority with the front being not too attractive and all.

 

Now that they're both 2.5l the main difference is the turbo, the STi has a VF39 and the WRX is a TD04. Reaching 300hp in a stock WRX is very cheap and very safe and you don't need a larger intercooler. It's not til you get a good bit over 300awhp (400ish chp) that you really need to start worrying about the internals, and not til you start running larger turbos that you need to worry about upgrading the intercooler. Many guys are even running the VF34 (same as the VF39 for the most part) with the stock intercooler, but they do need to modify the stock or purchase larger injectors.

 

I wonder whether the 2006 WRX can still run in the STX-class?
(I can't think of anything running in the STX class that could beat it.)

 

Unless they either bump the WRX up to C-Stock or make some special exclusion just for it, it should still be eligible for STX.

 

I can't either, the current 02-05 already has the class pretty well in hand. In addition, the MY06 WRX should have a good shot in DS, though turbocharged and AWD cars always seem to fare poorly in autox (mainly the last 5 or so years) no matter how things look on paper.

 

Go test drive the elise, or wait another couple of weeks for the exige to arrive at showrooms.

I test drove an elise in the rain a few weeks ago and its an absolute blast, although the one that I wanted with LSD, Sport PKG, and a few other dodaes came out to be 50k. Thats only a few thosand less then the upandcoming Exige. Which would be much more exotic and much faster then an STI. If you have the extra money to spead which im assuming you do since you were considering a Viper.

Road Car
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-20...k-1280x960.jpg
Track Car
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-20...-1600x1200.jpg

 

A USED Viper, which can be had for well under $40K. The Elise is certainly a fun and exciting car, but not very practical. Plus, it is not "much" faster than the STi. Both run high 12 to low 13 1/4 miles.

 

I think, if I was in the market for an Elise I'd get a Corvette instead.

 

The Elise is an incredible car, but it's also about the least parctical car available in the US market. Plus like Eric said, they are almost equals when is comes to a straight line, so no clue where the much faster thing comes in.

 

Not me. The Corvette is way too big for me (dimension wise, even though they can keep the weight down). The Elise weighs less than 2000 lbs and can be thrown around like you wouldn't believe. Plus, I see Corvettes all the time. There's something to be said for the originality factor of the Elise.

 

Everywhere else beside a straight line.

 

I wasn't exposed to many Corvettes when I was growing up (in Europe). I think people were afraid to drive Corvettes because they were considered pimps or even worse were considered not well hung. (Porsche 911s on the other hand were a much more common sight.)
So I don't mind to look at them as much. Especially the C06 is a pretty sight and at least in the local Autocross scene pretty much rules the place.

 

Corvettes are excellent cars and the last hope, IMO, for American automotive engineering.

 

I don't have too much money to spend right now as it was a used Viper. Basically I need to keep my total below 40k as I just bought a new Durango Limited and need to watch my money.

Viper-finally deemed it too one dimensional
Sti-gets better low end than Evo
Evo-Nice alternative to STi but lousy interior
'07-Mustang Cobra?-Wait until Mustang Cobra comes out but not the Shelby-$$$$$$
GTO-nice but blahsville
MS6-Got me thinking but it's not a carver (of course the Cobra wouldnt be but at least would have torque)

 

There's going to be a "regular" Cobra?

 

Or you could have said, "I was wrong, it really isn't much faster, next time I'll know my facts better before I post total randomness".

 

Go drive them all if you can Rowdy. Buying a car should be fun. I've purchased 4 new cars in the last 3 years and I always DEMAND test drives. I make it clear up front and if they gimme any BS I walk away. Plenty of dealerships around too.

Going back to 2002 when I bought my '02 Nissan Spec V, I test drove everything it competed with...Mazdaspeed Protege, Acura RSX-S, WRX, Mustang, etc. I liked the power of the WRX more, but the handling of the Spec V seemed better to me even though it was FWD. Plus the sound system in that Nissan was awesome.

In late '03 the Spec V got t-boned by an old man in a full size truck, but I walked away in large part due to the side-airbags. Next car had to have side airbags. That eliminated the Evo and the STi hadn't even made it to the US yet. Back to the Subaru dealership I went determined to buy a WRX. I had all but made up my mind when my little brother calls me to tell me about a car he test drove at the Dodge dealership when his Stratus was in for service. Next thing I know I'm driving an SRT-4 with side airbags.

The SRT-4 hauled *** but it didn't handle well and it would have cost a small fortune to get that thing on rails. Even then it was always FWD and would therefore never be capable of putting the kind of power I was running to the ground. Enter the '05 Evo. It didn't have side airbags, but for 2005 Mitsubishi added reinforced door beams that scored very well on crash tests. I looked at the STi also. In fact I had pretty much made up my mind on it. I had a local WRX owner ready to swap his trunk with mine and had lined up some used pink lowering springs. I knew people with STi's and liked the general community much better than the Evo community. STi owners seemed to be a little older for the most part and the demographic was very diverse...white, black, brown, yellow and a few women. The Evo community was mostly Asian and I could foresee communication at local meets or in the local forum as difficult at best, uneasy and frustrating at worst. Then one day when I was coming home from work and I saw a white Evo at a used car dealership I drive by everyday. I coaxed a test drive out of the poor sales guy and BAM...a few weeks later I found a buyer for the SRT-4 and bought an '05 Evo. All that other **** doesn't really matter anymore to me, but if you want the better community I'll admit that the STi guys and girls take the crown. It's also a safer car in side impact collisions. Both cars (Impreza & Lancer) have scored best in class for frontal impact crashes though.

Anyways sorry for the long post. Let us know about the test drives!

 

I'll add to what Steiner said by adding that the stock WRX tires are horrible. I swear if Subaru ditched them they'd sell a couple thousand more WRXs a year and Steiner wouldn't have mistakenly thought the Sentra was a better handler

 

This is what I was wondering myself. I was told there would be a different version of the Mustang priced between the Shelby and the regular one and would sell for 35-38k. From what I gather, this doesn't exist as I cannot find anything on it.

 

Great post. It's nice to see someone offer positives about cars other than his own.
These cars must have a lot to offer because I haven't heard of anyone test driving one and not being surprised.

 

This is what is on my local dealer's website for tires-P225/45ZR17 Bridgestone Potenza directional summer tires.

Is that what you are talking about?

 

It comes with Potenza RE92's

 

Those are pretty terrible tires. I think supposed to be all season, right?

 

Yep, all season with poor grip in all conditions, awful treadlife, and overly soft sidewalls.


Take a look at this

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey....jsp?type=HPAS

 

Yeah, I drove a WRX with them. They were terrible enough that I remebered the model designation of the tire. Those are probably the worst performance orientated all seasons you can buy.

EDIT: According to that, they're the second worst. But, does Firestone even count in performance tires really?