RE: All wheel drive question

[firefighterjake]

Can't remember if I mentioned this or not since this thread has just kept going and going . . .

In another month or two (or three) I am planning on replacing the vaunted 2003 Accord. So far the 2015 WRX looks to be like a contender (but I do want to test drive one -- the local dealer said I could go up and down the road, but no real test drive . . . so it looks like a trip to southern Maine might be in order.

I also test drove the Toybaru -- Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. Liked it, but it wasn't a gushing love affair.

Ruled out the Nissan 350Z (2007 used) . . . surprised me a bit since I've liked the look . . . but once inside I found the visibility bad, clutch pedal reminded me of my wife's hardbody Nissan pick up that she owned back in the late 90s and it was wicked cramped.

I also want to test out a Honda Civic Si . . . not a huge fan of the look, but I cannot deny that Honda has been good to me.

My safe (but boring) vehicle may be a 4-cylinder Honda Accord coupe . . . again . . . this Accord really has been good to me . . . but I was thinking I would like to have my mid-life crisis now rather than later.

 

[sportbikerider78]

We owned a 2002 S6 and a 2006 A3, and they were both fantastic cars. Much more fun than any Subaru I've ever driven (yes... I've driven the Impreza WRX STi kids junk), and much more nicely outfitted. They're not marketed at the folks looking to get 12 years and 200,000 miles out of a car. Different market, different buyer. We resold each before the warranty expired, which is the same I'd do with a Subie, anyway... so why not buy the more enjoyable car to drive?

And the resale is just horrible,, especially on anything above the A4. I have talked with many people who love their Audi's but despise the reliability and huge repair bills.

There are lots of fun to drive cars, that have big issues.

It is ridiculous to compare an Imprezza with an Audi. They aren't in the same class, for the same purpose, or for the same market. I love my Acura, but I'm not going to compare it to a Ford Focus.

 

[Swedishchef]

nothing wrong with folks needing or wanting other things in a vehicle.

You're wrong! Everyone MUST want what I want

Andrew

 

[CrufflerJJ]

Can't remember if I mentioned this or not since this thread has just kept going and going . . .

In another month or two (or three) I am planning on replacing the vaunted 2003 Accord. So far the 2015 WRX looks to be like a contender (but I do want to test drive one -- the local dealer said I could go up and down the road, but no real test drive . . . so it looks like a trip to southern Maine might be in order.

I also test drove the Toybaru -- Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. Liked it, but it wasn't a gushing love affair.

Ruled out the Nissan 350Z (2007 used) . . . surprised me a bit since I've liked the look . . . but once inside I found the visibility bad, clutch pedal reminded me of my wife's hardbody Nissan pick up that she owned back in the late 90s and it was wicked cramped.

I also want to test out a Honda Civic Si . . . not a huge fan of the look, but I cannot deny that Honda has been good to me.

My safe (but boring) vehicle may be a 4-cylinder Honda Accord coupe . . . again . . . this Accord really has been good to me . . . but I was thinking I would like to have my mid-life crisis now rather than later.

Sounds like your Accord has done well by you. In a couple years, as our son (now 16) goes to college, we'll probably get him a "starter car" to use for driving to & from school. I've often thought about a used Honda Accord.

I had a 2003 WRX wagon, and liked it a lot. When you test drive the WRX, please make sure to try it out in an area with twisty-turny roads. Lots of fun! While it has Subaru's all wheel drive, the ground clearance is somewhat limited. Check that out if you drive in deep snow.

 

[Swedishchef]

Can't remember if I mentioned this or not since this thread has just kept going and going . . .

In another month or two (or three) I am planning on replacing the vaunted 2003 Accord. So far the 2015 WRX looks to be like a contender (but I do want to test drive one -- the local dealer said I could go up and down the road, but no real test drive . . . so it looks like a trip to southern Maine might be in order.

I also test drove the Toybaru -- Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. Liked it, but it wasn't a gushing love affair.

Ruled out the Nissan 350Z (2007 used) . . . surprised me a bit since I've liked the look . . . but once inside I found the visibility bad, clutch pedal reminded me of my wife's hardbody Nissan pick up that she owned back in the late 90s and it was wicked cramped.

I also want to test out a Honda Civic Si . . . not a huge fan of the look, but I cannot deny that Honda has been good to me.

My safe (but boring) vehicle may be a 4-cylinder Honda Accord coupe . . . again . . . this Accord really has been good to me . . . but I was thinking I would like to have my mid-life crisis now rather than later.

Jake, an Accord Coupe may suit your needs/wants. Especially if you get the EX-L model with the 3.5L 278 Hp engine!

Andrew

 

[firefighterjake]

Sounds like your Accord has done well by you. In a couple years, as our son (now 16) goes to college, we'll probably get him a "starter car" to use for driving to & from school. I've often thought about a used Honda Accord.

I had a 2003 WRX wagon, and liked it a lot. When you test drive the WRX, please make sure to try it out in an area with twisty-turny roads. Lots of fun! While it has Subaru's all wheel drive, the ground clearance is somewhat limited. Check that out if you drive in deep snow.

Well hey then . . . do I have a car for you. Just shy of 200,000 miles . . . only driven by a little old lady on Sundays when she went to church. This car also has the infamous exploding airbags so the lucky buyer may get lucky, have it explode and only get slightly maimed.

 

[firefighterjake]

Jake, an Accord Coupe may suit your needs/wants. Especially if you get the EX-L model with the 3.5L 278 Hp engine!

Andrew

I like the specs on that . . . but not the price . . . it would be significantly more to step up to the V-6 . . . and since I really want another manual . . . that limits my options with the Accord line up.

 

[CrufflerJJ]

Well hey then . . . do I have a car for you. Just shy of 200,000 miles . . . only driven by a little old lady on Sundays when she went to church. This car also has the infamous exploding airbags so the lucky buyer may get lucky, have it explode and only get slightly maimed.

Well if you could store it for me for a couple years, then deliver it to OH, I might be willing to take that deathtrap off your hands.

 

[jharkin]

Most of the safety devices to which we have become accustomed today were first engineered and implemented by Volvo and Mercedes. They have been the leaders on safety innovation for three decades, or more. This is a big part of the cost of these vehicles, long-range R&D is very expensive.

Oh I'm well aware of that... Im just saying that so much of this safety tech has tricled down to even the cheapest vehicles, I think its a bit much to claim that if you dont shell out fr a volve you are driving a deathrap on wheels.

Interior design (I don't get too awfully upset with whether there is soft touch materials or what the radio knobs look like -- heck I could even live with Subaru's baby poo brown interior colors on their dashes) . . . electronic doodads (I still use a flip phone -- and have no idea of what the number is so having a bazillion ways to listen to music, connect to the internet or insure I am in a climate controlled environment that would rival the space station is not crucial) . . . what the Jones' are driving (never been a big fan of trying to impress folks with what I drive) . . . I honestly care nothing for these things.

I like a well designed interior... When I was looking at sedans I looked at many makes and for a while considered a 328i or A4, and would have jumped if I thought I could get the 15 years/ 200k trouble free I have from my Hondas....

But then as fate would have it I ended up buying the Truck and now Im the one driving around the 80s interior... and I dont miss all that stuff as much as I though I would... but man o man was I happy about 4low and the locking diff when I went down the dirt road in 18inhces of unplowed snow a couple weeks ago

 

[jharkin]

I like the specs on that . . . but not the price . . . it would be significantly more to step up to the V-6 . . . and since I really want another manual . . . that limits my options with the Accord line up.

The Accord couple is the hot rod of the Honda lineup... Its your only option to get that V6 with a manual - not to mention you only loose 2mpg highway or so vs. the 4. It would win a drag race against a 328i...


I gotta say Jake thats some eclectic mix of cars you are cross shopping.

 

[Ashful]

It is ridiculous to compare an Imprezza with an Audi. They aren't in the same class, for the same purpose, or for the same market. I love my Acura, but I'm not going to compare it to a Ford Focus.

The Impreza WRX pricing is exactly matched to my Audi A3 pricing, almost dollar for dollar, at each package level. That is the case today, and was also the case in 2006, when I bought the A3.

The S6... not so much.

Oh I'm well aware of that... Im just saying that so much of this safety tech has tricled down to even the cheapest vehicles, I think its a bit much to claim that if you dont shell out fr a volve you are driving a deathrap on wheels.

Very true! I don't think I claimed that, tho.

Can't remember if I mentioned this or not since this thread has just kept going and going . . .

Hotter than the religion of politics... or the politics of religion.

 

[Swedishchef]

Jake, another option for you, if Subaru is a contender, is the Legacy 3.6R. Nice size sedan like the Accord but 10 Hp less than a WRX.

Or I could picture you in a Mini Cooper S.

ANdrew

 

[firefighterjake]

Jake, another option for you, if Subaru is a contender, is the Legacy 3.6R. Nice size sedan like the Accord but 10 Hp less than a WRX.

Or I could picture you in a Mini Cooper S.

ANdrew

Definitely NOT a Mini Cooper ... not really my thing, not so sure about their reliability and there are no local dealers.

The Legacy is OK ... I prefer coupes though ... obviously the Wrx is a sedan ... that would be a "compromise" ... not a bad compromise as this would be a practical impractical car for me with the awd and ease of entry for those very few times I have passengers ... my ideal car honestly would be the Wrx engine and turbo in the Brz .... but I don't think that will happen.

 

[ewdudley]

Definitely NOT a Mini Cooper ... not really my thing, not so sure about their reliability and there are no local dealers.

(I guess the Mini belongs in this thread, it is after all fore-wheel drive.)

Friend ended up in a ditch with his, which set off the air bags and also triggered an explosive device in the battery cable to disconnect the fat wire from the rest of the car, since the battery is somewhere way back on the right. Entire battery cable assembly from engine compartment to rear or the car had to be replaced, plus had to flat-bed the car 150 miles one way to an echelon of service authorized to reset the air-bag system. But he remains very enthusiastic about driving and owning the car.

 

[Ashful]

I drove a friend's new Mini Cooper S in 2006, I think. Quality was not impressive, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

 

[Swedishchef]

I drove a friend's new Mini Cooper S in 2006, I think. Quality was not impressive, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Well in the movie the Italian job, they were driving them down staircases!!

 

[Ashful]

Well in the movie the Italian job, they were driving them down staircases!!

Yeah... I couldn't convince him to let me do that.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Well, I guess we can all agree that AWD is where it's at. Subaru, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Volvo all have pretty good AWD systems, Subaru being the entry price level, with some very impressive performance.

Well, maybe not THAT impressive:

 

[Swedishchef]

I wont comment on that picture Glad to see she's OK and no airbags went off.

ANdrew

 

[semipro]

Well, maybe not THAT impressive:

Depends on whether the driver wanted to be on top of that quardrail or not.

 

[Swedishchef]

I'll bet she saw a major collision oncoming and was able to get her Outback to JUMP straight up and to the side to avoid it. Like a grasshopper. It's a new option on the OUtbacks. SPRING mode.

A

 

[BrotherBart]

 

[semipro]

I'll bet she saw a major collision oncoming and was able to get her Outback to JUMP straight up and to the side to avoid it. Like a grasshopper. It's a new option on the OUtbacks. SPRING mode.A

The Mach 5 could do that.

 

[firefighterjake]

I think I am in love.

Test drove a used 2015 WRX (repo) the other day . . . figured it would at the very least give me an idea of whether I would even like the WRX.

I have test driven and drove many cars . . . this is the first car I can honestly say that I had a stupid looking grin on my face as I drove. I really, really liked the drive.

Test drove a Civic Si afterwards and while it was a Honda . . . the ride was . . . m'eh . . . it's a Honda, but just didn't do a whole lot for me.

Also test drove a FRS . . . definitely had more of a sport car like ride . . . low, felt every crack in the tar . . . it seemed like it could be a fun car . . . but the WRX seemed like it could be fun . . . and sort of practical.

Gotta do some number crunching now.

 

[Swedishchef]

FRS . . . definitely had more of a sport car like ride . . . low, felt every crack in the tar

They are very low indeed...and a profile of like 5 so that you feel a pile of ant poop on the road.

Andrew