silverorange stuff

I'm glad to hear you like your scooby, I started a club (www.subaruclub.ca) last year for Maritime Subaru nuts, feel free to sign up and participate. We even have a couple pro rally guys on the site.

I've got a TurboXS stage 2 in my WRX (the other silver one in Charlottetown) and I love it (aside from the small exhaust leak I have at the moment). The stage 2 really makes the car feel alive. I've also put an adjustable rear swaybar and a few other goodies on mine, the rear sway bar really reduces body roll when cornering. Next on my list are a set of Prodrive Springs, I hear they improve the handling a great deal.

The stock tyres on the WRX are actually pretty bad in comparison to other performance sedans. One reviewer actually called them a road hazard. Depending on your driving habits, I would suggest going with a stickier compound. You may need to replace the rubber more often, but the difference in cornering and acceleration is amazing.

One caveat: DO NOT LOWER THE CAR. You can put after-market struts/springs on, but make sure they are from a company that really understands the special qualities of the WRX. The WRX is very different from a non-rally performance auto. Prodrive is a *very* good place to look, but they are expensive.

As for a 6-speed, the WRX STi has a 6spd manual, and it is brilliant! You can put it in your standard WRX for some fairly large $$, but it's still cheaper than an STi.

I got to drive a Group N WRX in the Maine Forrest Rally a few years ago, and I've lusted after it ever since.

Above all, enjoy!

A very informative post.

I own a WRX myself, having purchased it new in 2004.

The vehicle is as described in your review - albeit it has better performance and a different (some say better) look.

It is interesting to note that you will not consider another WRX. I can understand this statement given the following compromises of the WRX:

1. It definately costs a lot more than average to insure.
2. It (arguably) costs a little more than average to maintain
3. It attracts unwanted attention (COPS and criminals are magnitised to it alike).
4. It has an image problem ("its a hoon's car")

The problem is: what better car is there for the money?

Sure, you can buy a BMW 3 series and have an image boost. But c'mon - unless you shell out far more money for the high performance 6 cylinder cars - won't it annoy you when all the common repmobiles overtake you in a straight line? And lets face it -- 3 series are a dime a dozen.

OK, you can buy an affordable local V8 - - but won't you miss the Sube's all wheel drive on the first wet corner?

And - dare I say it - short of an exotic (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin), what else is there around which can offer overall better performance?

Sure, Subaru produces other great cars which a WRX driver can graduate to (eg Liberty). But you'll get a blander car without the momo badged wheel, hugging seats or the same unique experience that the rally bred Rex has to offer.

Yet despite all of this - I too want a different car (just for the sake of being different).

I have now evaluated literally hundreds of other cars in the market place. My expectations are now very high - so I am trying to save up for another legend - a (used) Porsche 911.

Hmmm lets see, what will the 911's disadvantages be?

1. It definately will still cost a lot more than average to insure.
2. It will (unequivocally) cost much more than average to maintain
3. It will still attract unwanted attention (COPS and criminals alike).
4. It will still have an image problem ("its a wankers car")

How can you win?

I've just bought a used 2002 Impreza Outback.

It is on rails, it is on steroids, and it does go exactly where you point it, even in the snow.

im looking to get a 2002 wrx next year for my first car id like to hear your input and if you wondering yes i do know how to drive a stick. Do you really have to give it hitest gas?? or can i get away with regular??

wow, you are wellfare, just put the good shit in it and it will make the car perform the way people say it does. and who cares if you can drive a stick? i sure hope you can drive stick and i also hope that you know your way around cars, because this car is meant for people who know how to drive...

dont be dumb...

For the record the comment above this one was not made by me.

I just bought a used '02 WRX a month ago, and I absolutely love it. (An interesting aside: the guy who had the car before me was an 81 year old doctor who "unloaded" the car in order to buy an STi for the horsepower upgrade.) The only problem with the car is a wobbly-sounding right rear tire, which I think is out of balance. The car was fully optioned (including the subwoofer -- and I know what you're thinking: what 81 year old man would go for the subwoofer upgrade, but I swear, the only 3 presets in the car were National Public Radio, classical music, and an all-news stations). The car had 34K miles on it, and I got it for $16,300 USD. It came with a full set of service records: the guy had already upgraded the tires, replaced every fluid (including the brake fluid), and had done 13 oil changes on the vehicle.

I'm an older guy (not as old as the original owner, but I'm pushing 50) and have always driven a "budget driver's car" -- a couple Integras, a CRX, a Mustang Mach I, an Austin-Healey, a Mazda Protege ES, a VW GTI -- but this little car makes everything else I've ever owned (and will ever own, since I have three kids entering college the next 9 years...) feel like a Ford pick-up. It goes where you point it, gets there (a lot!) faster than anything I've owned before, and feels like I was born in it. I'm a big guy -- 6' 4", 250 pounds -- and everything fits perfectly. I've bypassed many cars, like the Honda Civic EX and Ford Countour SVT, because something wasn't quite right -- the B-post was too far up so I couldn't fit my left arm on the windowsill with the window open, the roof bent down on the windshield so far that I couldn't see an overhead traffic light when I came upon it, etc. -- but this car fits a big guy superbly. I drive this car with a perpetual smile on my face. I've driven it to the 24-hour supermarket 20 miles from my home at 1:00 AM just to drive it (though we really did need the two avocados and chili pepper that time of night ;-)). Bottom line is the honeymoon with the car is still on, which is already longer than the honeymoon I had with my wife (and I've been referring to her as "my first wife" for the last 18 years...).

Any questions about the car, feel free to e-mail me.

Ironically, we bought a 2002 Impreza WRX in Sept. '01, when you were leasing yours. I concur with everything you've said. The cost of payments/ins. is pricey, but you can always refinance an lower your payments. My husband is tall also (6'3") and, well, let me just add that it's not a "family" car. When he puts the seat all the way back and tilts the back into the backseat, it really cramps the carseat. We have another on the way and that will make the back seat more cramped, but we are going to deal with it because we love our car. It is very reliable, you CAN stop on a dime, the 6-disk right in the dash is SUPERB, etc. We've packed on some miles too (54,000 since Sept. '01) because of our road trips from the west coast to the midwest. It is very comfortable in the rally seats and with the MOMO steering wheel (I agree with that comment as well.) We have the Turbo, automatic, sport wagon model. Like the comment to Ethan, "if you know your way around cars," you can always fool an automatic into thinking it's a stick by dropping it into the lower gears and blowing past people :) I'd like to add a saying that I've heard and it's very true..."If you put garbage in your car, expect nothing less from it. It will run and perform like trash." Use good oil, tires, air filters, gas...need I say more.

For some of you on this forum, you need to go do a little research before you come asking these stupid-a!! questions. Also "tonia": your idea of being sporty with an automatic wrx is stupid! Automatics are not meant to be shifted from low gears into "drive" in an auto! Lastly, for all of you people 6'2" and up, you have no idea how you should fit in a car because I am 5'11" and the car is quite tight.

You people on this forum are fucking stupid. You people know nothing about cars. Use good air filters and gas. I guess that is all you people know.

"Dan james": you are a looser. You wasted all that time typing up a review on a 25k wrx.

Alright!!! Everyone here who wants to challenge the WRX, step right up. The WRX is a fantastic car. For the 6'1" people who say the car is roomy, I whole heartidly agree. For the 5'11" people who say the car is tight, get real. I could agree with you if you said it's tight in the back when a 6'11" person is driving, but thats a different situation. For all those out there who question the WRX's performance, you need to do a little research, or drive one for that matter. The WRX is considered by most, "The biggest threat in the tunner community!" For what you're spending, you can't get a car like a Subaru Impreza WRX!!!! -End of Story-

Just wondering if anyone has had problems with the Stock Turbo on any 70K plus WRX. I haven't read anything or seen any reviews stating any problems with the Turbo but just wondering if anybody has run into any issues with it.

John,
I actually had a week of mysterious turbo problems about a year and a half ago. The turbo just stopped working. I took it into the shop and they looked at it and it worked again. I haven't had any problems with it since.

Hi,
I'm about to get a 2002 wrx and was wondering if anyone is familiar with engine immobilizers that i can add onto this car? all the ones i've seen are for 2003 or newer.

Thanks,
Renee

I have to agree with all the Scooby enthusiasts on here the WRX is the car with the most bang for your buck. I am only 17 years old but I bet you anything I know more about a car, especially a Subaru or a turbocharger, than most people. I currently own a 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited Non-turbo. My friend owns a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX. The one weak link in this car is the massive amount of turbo lag. My car's engine is a 2.5 litre 4 cylinder boxer delivering 168 horses. From 0-40 mph my car will pretty much dust a WRX, after switching into second gear, however, the turbo has had a chance to spool up and the shift into second gear has left the engine's revolutions around 4000. This when the wrx really shines and is what makes it so fast. This is when the WRX will pull ahead of the competition and leave the other car in the rear view mirror. I can see why so many people love this car. It kind of fools the other person into thinking they have the edge but when that turbo spools up its over. I also have a lot of driving experience with a WRX seeing as how it was my first choice for a car and my friend owns one. If you can live with the sub-par interior accomodations such as no leather, no automatic or dualzone climate control, or power seats than this car is for you. The WRX more than makes up for these things with its driveability and performance. The WRX is a driver's car and should be seen as nothing less. The back seats were not designed to be in constant use for those of you complaining about the lack of leg room. It is a rally car, a performance monster and should be treated and evaluated as such. Also, for those of you looking for a good tuner car to start with, you couldn't choose a better car. The range of atermarket products for a WRX is limitless especially if you own a 2002-2003 model. So what I'm saying is, if you're looking for a thrill that never gets old and you don't need the fancy luxury accomodations, then buy this car already!! And if this doesn't sell you, nothing will. My parents refused to get me this car because it was "too fast." ;)

So what do you all think of the Evo VIII? I personally like the Evo, bu haven't test driven one yet. I drove an '03 WRX and loved it, but I'm going to test the Evo VIII out in a few days. I know this is a Subaru message board, but you still can't elminate the Evo from the competition. Yes it is a little more than a WRX, but it seems to hold its own on the rally circuit and it seems to be the #1 tuner right now according to most people. I'm not promoting the Evo or slamming the WRX, I just want your opinions and don't be bias because you're on a Subaru message board, be honest with yourself.

I hate to tell you but i have a 2002 Wrx Sti with a powerglide automatic transmission, plus it is converted to look identical to a Wrx, and yes it may be an automatic but it will smoke almost anything on the road. I dont know if you know it but an automatic transmission in a turbo vehicle is better than a manual. Manuals loose spool during shifts and automatics dont, this little edge makes a big difference. Plus it pisses people like Kyle off. And no kyle i dont shit gears in it because it tears up the transmission. But i do drive it just like the powerglide i have in my '69 drag Camaro. Kyle, you may not like it but im running a sti in a wrx disguise with an auto matic that would make u crawl back into ur mother's womb before you even reach third gear.

I own a 2003 WRX with 80K miles. No issues so far, except new rotors and lots of oil changes. Haven't had any turbo issues either. So far so good.

I own one of these cars, and belive me....they go alright......i just went to see the new wrx 2006 models...and i like mine more......ive also recently moded it a bit...and she pulls off over 400hp at the wheels and goes to 0-100 under 5 seconds flat......ive driven many cars and this is the best car ive ever owned or driven

Hi, I am planning to buy a 2002 WRX. Do I need to use 89 or higher octane gasoline?

Yeah I have a 2002 WRX and it is definately amazing!!! but yea you should use 93 octane or higher. I put 89 octane in there once and it was terrible in performance. It take some money for gas but its worth it. Good luck! You'll love it bro!!!

listen...it's not a tight car. im 5'11 and I have to move my seat back giving the person behing me less comfort, but it's not tig. if your are heavy and overweight, then this car will be a sqeeze(but the car was made in Japan)Sp don't bitch! I love the engine in this thing. I thought the 2.0 wouldn't do justice, but it really surprised me. Before this car I was in a 95 2.5l jeep wrangler. The 2.0 in the wrx has a lot nicer output at high speeds(and no thats not the turbo). TIM! you need to chill bro cause your a cocky ass bitch. I know you don't know then me so don't start. CM, your def right about the tires. They are a shit brand to begin with, and the high grip AWD doesn't help. I recoment Toyo, Yoko, or Mich. for the rex. Low pros are nice, but u gotta take it easy on them. I got Toyos on my 02 rex now, they are holding up nice. I've driven an M3, sweet ass car, but I prefer the STi

hey danny, the Evo is a sweet car. i would be owning one right now if i could afford it. it's not as great as an STi but not by much. The evo usually falls behind 1/10 of a second slower than an STi on most tehnical tracks. What makes the Evo the most popular right now is that it is cheaper than an STi and only 23 horses behind. After market parts seem to be a lot more sucessful in the Evo than they do in an STi. Don't get me wrong, i's a huge fan of the wrx but the Evo looks a hell of a lot nicer also. The front end of an STi is just nasty.

If you really want to get rid of the turbo lag, go with an upipe and downpipe. this will make the turbo much more responsive and decrease spool time. also, a turbo-back exhaust really brings out the growl these boxer engines put out. You can add 30 ponies for 130 bucks. go to turboxs.com and get a high perf. boost controller and run 16 psi. it helps keep boost pressure steady all the way to redline, which the stock controller has major issues with.

I was just wandering around impreza forums and found this, and after reading all the posts (wasn't easy), I'd just like to comment on the ppl who flame others. To kyle, and Dan (not Dan James), and the rest who had uncontributing replies: if you ppl got probs at home, don't let it out on others; if you've got probs with some other part of ur body, go find a ED doctor, but nonetheless keep it to urself. Some ppl who post questions aren't professional racers or tuners, so if u don't wanna answer the question, just simply leave. Anyways, I've got a 2003 Impreza WRX with an aero kit and I've found that the acceleration after pulling out a tight corner's not as great as other racers such as the Nissan Skyline R34. This is a corner where I have to exit at only 60 km tho, so I'm thinking the torque on the low RPM in the Impreza is a tad low. Is there a solution for this low torque? It seems the engine revs too slowly in the 3000-4000 rpm range... but, I haf to admit, once the turbo gets going, the Impreza's faster than any commercial vehicle out there.... other than the Viper or sth. Anyway, a great handling car for the money.

purchased 2004 subaru wrx, had stereo installed, battery was disconnected for the day. picked up car
and it seemed to have no power and jerky boost, was
told by dealer this procedure resets computor and it
needs to relearn your driving habits. I drove car for
2 days and performance seemed to return. Filled car
with premium fuel last week and car seemed to revert
to lacking power and jerky boost. Question : will the computor retard timing and boost if knock is
present, or do i have some other problem?

i just bought a 2002 wrx wagon, has 62k miles on it.. has anyone heard about transmission problems in these? i have heard that if the clutch releases near the top of pedal travel that could mean the clutch is on its way out, and hard shifts into first or "stange noises" could mean the tranny is on its way out.... anybody else hear about this?

Hello Everyone, Am considering purchasing a 2002 WRX Wagon stick shift and have a few questions: does the air filter need to be replaced more often (or cleaned since I would purchase a K&N filter)than reg cars, what motor oil do you recommend (synthetic...of course!?), would adding the Sub hood protector truly affect the amount of air getting to the turbo, which tires would you recommend for winter driving, tires for sport but also rough backcountry roads!? THANKS & CHEERS!

Hello, just though of another item: spark plugs. Looking forward to your thoughts and experience with various plugs like the NGK Iridium IX BKR6EIX #6418 (installed them in my motorcycle, a tour sports type, Kawasaki Concours: kind of a WRX Wagon on two wheels...hmmm probably more like an Outback Sport on two wheels)

hahaha. 1st of all morons use low grade gas on ANYTHING boosted. 2nd, whats with making driving an automatic look cool. ok cool, you may save .01 in a quarter mile(im being sarcastic so all of you who want to look up the actual time you save, by all means knock your socks off) with the turbo spooling between gears. but your still driving an AUTOMATIC. the same choice of transmission by that female that made the comment of "you can always fool an automatic into thinking it's a stick by dropping it into the lower gears and blowing past people :)" WTF! can she be more of a pussy. how about you buy a stick and actually have FUN WITH YOUR CAR! ethan, dude a subaru isnt made for you. go buy a civic. your gonna blow out your transmission within 3 months trying to churp 1st to 2nd. sadaam hassaan-how about you throw a turbo on that legacy, or will your parents take your car away from you?

The wrx is one of the worst investments I've ever made. Reliability is garbage, the car eats through tires even when driven slow, the electrical system is flawed, comes with a terrible audio set up (small factory speaker locations), gets consistently awful gas mileage for a 4cyl (not to mention you need to put in high test fuel to run properly), and the transmission is notchy and very slow to shift from gear to gear safely and isn't designed to handle ANY performance upgrades at all without tearing itself apart. The "brilliant" all wheel drive system causes premature tire wear and ALSO requires you to replace 4 tires EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A TIRE ISSUE AT ALL, because you can't just replace one, two or three, you need to do all four or else the stupid differential will act up and possibly cause thousands of dollars of dammage. Not to mention the top mount intercooler falls victim to heat soak any time you stop at a light while driving, which leads to pathetic off the line acceleration, combine that with turbo lag and the power sucking AWD system and you get an overpowered POS that can't get out of its own way until the turbo spools which means you're waiting until about 15mph in first gear or about 2600rpm if you're even lucky to get boost that soon. The car is extremely loud with the windows down even at slow speeds which makes conversation with your friends near impossible without raising your voice just above the uncomfortable level. Also, you DRASTICALLY notice the difference when you add a couple of passangers. Don't fool yourself into thinking the cops won't notice you because you're in a sedan, the hood scoop and double round headlight/foglamp set up on the front makes the car stand out like a sore thumb and cops will see you coming from a country mile. Also, the car FAILS miserably on the highway with performance, even with 13.2lbs of boost coming from the factory turbo, it's so poorly aero-tuned that it needs almost a full pedal to get over 100mph, and don't even think about opening windows at this speed or else the car acts like a sail. There are so many more complaints I have about the vehicle, like crappy factory paint that chips easilly, or the center arm rest that ALWAYS breaks and doesn't even provide any comfortable place to put your arm when you're not shifting, or the FATAL FLAW of the boxer motor which results in a 3rd cylinder missfire ALL THE TIME because the stupid turbo heats up too much and burns out the coil prematurely. So for all those who think reliability is good in these vehicles, TRY owning one after 50k miles, EVERYTHING FALLS APART AND THEY SUCK. Overall, I will never buy another subaru or reccomend one to anybody. A brilliant idea that was very poorly executed.

Damn, Nick! You need to relax just a little. Maybe some meds might help. Could it be you've had some bad luck with your particular WRX? Not likely. Sounds more like you abused the shit out of your poor car. I bought my '02 WRX 14 months ago with 41k miles, and it's still a RELIABLE blast to drive 21k miles later! You said "electrical system flawed" which means what? Is the cigarette lighter not working? You have "terrible audio" even with the factory sub? Let me guess, no sub, huh? And the "power sucking awd" that "causes premature tire wear"... again, what?? Dude, it's a rally inspired car. And my tires are still just fine, thank you. As for the "stupid differential", all awd vehicles would have the same problem because of uneven tire size. So that's more like a "stupid comment". Also, I've yet to "burn out" my coil "prematurely" because of the "stupid (waah!) turbo". Once again, sounds like Suba-buse to me. Coils aren't meant to burn out like a light bulb, maturely or not. As for your "top mount intercooler falling victim to heat soak" (wow, how smart you sound!), I'd say it's another victim of your driving. Also, I drive fast on the freeway, typically 100-115mph unless, of course, I see a cop. So I get about 17 mpg. But those are 17 invigorating, fun-filled miles. Economical? No. But I never thought I was buying a Prius. The car is "extremely loud even at slow speeds" yet you want to roll your windows down when going 100mph? What are you, an idiot? And what the hell is a "country mile"? Don't be biased against us city folk, you hick. And I've NEVER, EVER, EVER had a cop pull me over and say "Well, I saw the fog lamps and the hood scoop, so I thought I'd pull you over and give you this ticket because your car looks like you plan on speeding." NEVER!! Even a speeding bucket can get a ticket. And it "acts like a sail" when you roll your windows down. So what you're saying is this increase in drag is a problem with Subaru's only, right? See, it's these stupid little unsubstantial complaints that take away credibility from someone that might have actually had something legit to gripe about. Instead, we get bitch-ass remarks like "everything falls apart and they suck". (YOU SUCK!!) And after all your spoiled crying, you call it "a brilliant idea". Moron. The ONLY thing you've said that I've heard other WRX owners mention was the paint chipping easily. Honestly, I don't see any chips of paint falling of my car so far. Maybe those "country mile" dirt roads of yours have too many rocks in 'em.

Potential WRX owners, know this: My WRX is all stock (except for the carbon fiber hood I came up on), yet it still manages to go 0-60 in less than 6 sec (check out www.cars101.com), tops out at 137mph (or 222kph, as Dan James stated), is confidence inspiring in foul weather and has a decent list of ammenities. Is it perfect? Nothing ever is. But I have no complaints.
One last thing: Fellow drivers, please be aware of what's going on around you when you are driving. If I'm going 100 in the #1 lane (i.e. the fast lane) and someone wants to pass me going 110, then I MOVE OUT OF THE WAY as soon as I have an opening, as I hope he or she would. Stop the ignorant mentality of "Well, I'm going really fast, so that should be fast enough for that guy behind me, too!" If he caught up to you, then it's not. Show courtesy and switch lanes and let the police enforce the speed limits. And hang up your phone. You already can't drive as it is! Yea!

I have an 02 WRX with 52K on it. I always use amsoil 5w30 and I have never had a problem and I autoX it all the time. So to those of you who find your rex unreliable, sorry it looks like you found a lemon. Anyway my ? is does anyone know where (other than subaru) I can get heated front seats? I am getting married and the woman must have them. (ahhh my poor car a family wagon. ah well) Thanks for the help if you can give any. and happy speeding!

I just drove an 02 today on a test drive. It was an auto 02 Impreza WRX STi, and I fell in love before I even strated the thing! Not only is the steering wheel great, but the entire inside of the car was built to pleas the eyes!
As soon as I got it on the road, it moved when I told it to move, and it turned and stopped the moment I said so. To get to the point, I was IMPRESSED!
I will be going to buy it this week...
Just got to let my wife test drive, and fall in love with it as I did...
But in the WRX STi, that wont be a problem. All she has to do is get behind the wheel!

damn dude. The 02 wrx i have is not a damn rally car.niether is yours unless your on the factory subaru rally team. If you drive your wrx like it is a rally car it will break. Now, i drive the shit out of my car and have made a few tasteful upgrades. My modifications include: cobb accessport,hks ssqv BOV (virtually eliminates waiting for the turbo to spool plus makes a badass sound) hks carbon Ti catback exhaust,perrin up/down pipe,QTP electronic cutout,Tein coilovers (a 1.5 inch drop to those of you who think it's bad to drop your rex ,custom strut bars, and stiffer anti-roll bars. As for the wheel and tire set-up i went with 18" prodrive rims and toyo proxes t1s's. It's a damn good set-up. My favorite thing is probobly the option of switching maps to change my boost, redline,fuel economy ect. COBBTUNING is the shit. I have also converted my 02 wrx to look like an 02 jdm wrx sti. (actually just put an sti grill,badges,painted side skirts,big scoop,wing and front splitters and a carbon rear diffuser. My next plan is to throw in leather milano's and then brembo brakes all around and i will be done. As for gas I run 93 octane premium and octane booster. and also for the guys farther up this forum...the 2.0 wrx motor is LOW COMPRESSION. Thats why it take more time to rev the motor below like 4 grand. With all of my bolt-on upgrades my wrx can still be the ample stocker that i need it to be. Yet, it dyno's at 322 whp at the jdm sti's 17 psi. People don't think a whole lot of my wrx...unless i have the cutout open ;) so it's sort of a sleeper. I also love the interior of my car. The only modification to the inside are sparco carbon pedals so i can heel and toe better and a greddy counter-weight shift knob. I consider my car to be a supercar in my standards. I bought it in oregon for 14,000 and have invested about 12 grand. I would rather have my own version of the sti than a 32K usdm wrx sti...And for the people who think an automatic is faster in a quater mile it's not. There are proper ways to launch a wrx. Using a powergilde automatic is not one of them. If you really want fast Q M times you get a heavy duty clutch and never take your foot off the floor. and hope that you tranmission dosen't end up on the ground. F*** autmatics. F*** tiptronic automatics. F*** paddle shift. LEAN TO DRICE PROPERLY. peace

And no f*cking shit your paint's gonna chips if you hurl rocks at it like your front tires are doing when your "rallying" your "rally car" on drirt roads. Just because subaru is heavily involved in wrc rally does not mean much about your car is the same as thiers. execpt parts of the chassi to comply with wrc rules along with displacment and power regulations. YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THESE ARE RACECARS. Not subaru wrx's that you and i drive to work or school everyday.

Hey guys....I own a 2004 wrx sti and loved it...aside from the tranny problems......my gf has just recently but an evo...and im sorry to say that i like it alot better...I have gone through three trannies throughout my cars lifetime....and the evo is just smooth as glass...even on pump gas....although i feel the evo is a better car im gonna stick with the wrx...cause it does run 12.3 quarter miles...with a few of my secrets...and i am just a subaru kinda guy....well take care all of you

yea i have a 99 impreza rs with a 02 swap. right now it is set up with 5psi of boost. what is the highest SAFE amount of boost can i run? i've ask some friends and some say no more than 7-8 and some no more than 11-12psi. so what is it? i wanna go faster!!

Wow, Maybe nick if you knew what it was you were getting into in the first place you would have expected the vast majority of issues you fell haphazardly into after you owned the car. Let us start at the beginning, reliabilty is garbage, however the subaru brand in general is the most reliable make one can purchase, period. With volumes of data to back it up it is impossible to argue. "The car eats through tires," Any car you buy with a performance slant will "eat through tires" because they are a softer compound than your toliet long lasting hard compound tire abortion. I assume your only experience up until now is with the ecconoline all season toliets you can buy at the local tire store chain for 29.99 a tire. It is the tires put on the car not the AWD drive system as you ignorantly claim. Of course if you knew anything about the wrx or even sports cars in general you would have expected higher tire wear. Let us extrapolate one step forward, if you knew or understood anything about the car you would have swapped the stock tires of for a good set of high performance summer tires and a set of winter tires (if applicable), because as one poster noted they are a hazard.
Now, "gets consistantly poor gas mileage," what did it say on the sticker when you bought it, you surely didnt think you would get good gas mileage and a fast car? There are trade-offs nick. You wont get prius gas mileage and wrx performance.
"not to mention you need to put in high test fuel to run properly," oh man, every tubo chared engine on the face of the planet requires octane, every single one. Without out turbo's tend to run improperly at best, or grenade themselves at worst. Given the idea that you are probably intimately familiar with cheap hard toliet tires, the fact that you obviously didnt know and don't want to fork over the cash for the high octane fuel I can reliably tell you buy and use bargain basement motor oil as well. Hmmmmm, I really dont think its the engine's fault you have poor gas mileage, poor acceleration, exaccberated turbo lag and heat soak problems with the intercooler. Because of your ignorance and poor choices you are wasting for energy and turning it into heat rather than useful work, but dont take it from me as a wrx owner who uses yokohama summers and nokian hakkapelitta winters that are religiously rotated per manufacturer specification, with mobil synthetic motor oil and premium fuel all the time every time, I am also an aerospace engineer who specializes in propulsion and thermodynamics. A turbo is nothing more than a small gas turbine, like the ones you will find in a jet engine. Should it surprise you that they have special care requirements. It doesnt surprise me, but then again I prefer the side of edcuated decision making, where-as your is representative of ignorant haphazard blind stupid decision making.
I find it hard to believe that the fact that I have experienced zero of the problems you have is a mere coincidence. I have never fallen victim to heat soak,(I have my doubts as to if you even know what this means), tire problems, boost problems, severe gas milage problems, or severe lag. I will admit the wrx has a bit of lag, but if you have a manual transmission, (as you should in a car like this), it is rather easy to avoid. But the way you speak of the transmission, "notchy and slow" you have an automatic. The only way a manual is notchy and slow, is if the operator is notchy and slow. Whic are you? Once again, an automatic transmission is not going to make sporty responses to your throttle demands. They are all programmed to be fuel and engine conservative. They are interested in their own self preservation, not your entertainment. Ofcourse, you dont blame yourself for not knowing, no, it surely must be the cars fault. If lag is such a huge insurmoutable obstacle for you, the STi has none to speak of. If you want to get off the line fast rev the engine a bit before you put it in gear. Turbo use a turbine to expand the exhaust gases coming out the engine. There is a finite amount of resistance and inertia that must be overcome because the turbine is not massless.
Paint problems, ha, living in new england, where sand and salt covers our roads in the winter and gravel and asphalt chunks cover them in the summer, I have had no such paint problems.
Not being able to handle performance upgrades, what did you do, add a my little rice burner exhaust kit? Which in most cases, (once again, lets rely on my master's degree in this field,), robs power, but provides a nice throaty sound. Did you buy the big boy erector set wing which actually produces lift, not downforce and anything else useful? I bet it certainly does look like the fast and furious in your driveway. No wonder you cant hear yourself talk, strangely, (sarcastic), another problem I have not encountered. Did you think it was possible you put a hole in your exhaust driving down dirt and rock roads while you were chipping paint off the car?

Just like the fatal flaw of any design is the public must you use it, the only fatal flaw of the turbo charged boxer motor is operators like you, nothing less, nothing more. Accept and embrace your ignorance, do something about it, or leave forever and buy a prius.

Never underestimate the predicability of stupidity.

By all means buy a wrx, but understand you are not getting a toyota camry that will lubricate itself with vegetable oil and happily burn deer piss, you are buying a performance vehicle, but you are NOT buying a race car or a rally car.

d gut

If I understand, you have a 99 rs in which you put an 02 wrx turbo charger? If so the safest thing to do is look at the 99 rs and see if it had a turbo charged option. If it did I would check your engine code versus the turbo version and try to discern any diference in material usages and coatings. There may or may not be, I dont know. If there is not, at that point I would not exceed the boost level in the 99 turbo version of your car. To be safe I would tune it down 5-10 percent. You must be wary when maximizing boost level in a car that never had one. You will raise the temperature of the entire system substantially as a function of boost level. By raising the pressure of the air stuffed into the engine you increase combustion temperature which produces more power by more rapidly expanding the gas to drive the piston, however you sacrifice the reliabilty and longevity of everythin inside your engine from the injectors to the exhaust, this includes pistons, seals, cylinders, etc... If they were not made for these temperatures they will fail, you will run the risk of destroying the entire engine. You may consider this to be conservative, but it will be safe and increase power. Let me know if this helps, or describe to me your setup if I misunderstood.

I'm pretty sure he means full motor swap.

I like this site. Lots of usefull info.
I'll be honest. I swore by my 1986 1/2 Toyota Supra N/A 3.0L DOHC car for a few years, and loved it. But its old, and I want a WRX. I jus' want to know if there were any Recall Oreders on the 2002 WRX. Forgive my ignorace, but bein' only 19 years old I'm still wet behind the ears, and I live in Canada :p! And for those people who think they know what they are talkin' about but don't? (Like mr. Autos are Faster) Take a class. I've been drivin' Stick since I was 5. (I kid you not, my go cart was a 3 foward 1 reverse gearing out of a lawn mower, set up with foot clutch, brake and gas pedals) and Listen to The Engineers on this. Not only are they older than us, but they actually Read Books. I consider myself a talented Mechanic when it comes to the small stuff (Micrometer readin' etc) but leave the Pro stuff to the Pros. And get some common sense. The better the oil, the better the lube and viscosity. The higher octane the fuel? The better the burn. Very Worthy investment.
And as for the Engineer types? If ya tell us wet-behind-ears off all the time (Even though we sometimes deserve it) we are gonna rgue. We're retards. We're Teenagers. Thanks for the info.

Rich

Hi,
I'm writing from Europe (Belgium) and I would like to solve a problem with my wrx 2001.
Back wheels slips in a abnormal way. And I think that front wheels have not anough grip.
What do you think? a differential problem or something others?
Otherwise I'm very happy of my car wich have a max speed 255 km/h (in Germany). 98 octane. full synthetic Motul oil 300 V. And always a Full stock car!

Best regards,

Stef

I have an 02' WRX that is all factory except a new set of tires @ about 30K miles. I drive it fairly aggressively daily since I have had it. Compared to the 98 Prelude before it the Subi is not quite as comfortable at high speeds but it is far more powerful. I have been running regular 88 octane in it for the past couple of years and have not noticed any appreciable differences in performance. Besides oil & gas the only issue I have had was a cracked fuel line which ran me about $700 because they had to pull the intake manifold off to get to it. Insurance is about the same as my wife's 2000 Ford Exploder - mileage on the highway is about 25 if I use the cruise. I got the optional sub and speaker upgrades on the stereo - factory set up is not bad and the in-dash 6 disc changer is sweet. The gearing is pretty short in first.. but shift at the red-line up through 3rd... as you shift into 4th you will be seeing triple digit speeds shortly. The seats are awesome day to day - they really keep you in place when you are getting after it. Someone mentioned it earlier, but the cup holders could be better and the center arm rest is not of the highest quality. These are minor issues - overall this car just performs every day for me while having room in the back for my son's carseat! I love this car and if I had to do it all over again I would have just replaced the factory tires sooner.

Anybody having transmission issues? I have an '03 WRX and at 50k the tranny is shot. The car is "fun" to drive does what you want it to but trannies going out at low mileageare not good, especially when you read all the posts of how Subaru is not covering them claiming "abuse".

Anyone had any electrical problems? I just got off work and my battery was dead. I didnt leave anything on and I got a jump start then when I got home the headlights wouldnt turn off. The only way for me to turn them off was disconnect the battery.

Japanese cars must be boycotted. They have illegally set up here. Cadillac rules and nothing else. I drive a beautiful all equiped 1993 Sixty's special with over 200 000km and the only thing I have had to change was the oil and the rear brakes. I don't buy Jappy cars. and safety; give me a break. All these people buying Honda and toyota's should get a f'ing life. They build unexciting cars, no acceleration, they lie about their fuel economy, but of course Canadians, and especially Quebeckers are the cheapest, dumbest, idiotic, no taste people in the world. A quebecker thinks a KIA is a Rolls Royce. What losers. GM rules and everything else sucks except for Italian and British cars....Hahahahahah!! F'you... Get a life people.... GM should have 80% market share not 25%. But of course CANADA is a COMMUNIST country so they like to buy Asian crap. Stupid immigrants go home!!!

Scooby Forever, it's the only thing on my mind...I have pics of my car 2003 WRX STi everywhere, and I love her to bits. The car is a monster and deserves praise. To all who slammed the car, get a fucking life.....

I'm impressed with how many of you enjoy your "rex's." They are the best bang for the money. Being that I own a dealership in NY, I personally know they are one of the most "rally-like" cars your can buy. Keep in mind that a mass-produced car such as this is usually designed to enjoy,(power,handling...).aftermarket parts allow the car to be more enjoyable. But these cars are not to be abused such as Nick has done. Maybe it wasn't him that abused the care (as unlikely as it sounds) but still you can see that even the best cars can be damaged under too much heat and abuse.

oh Sweet Web site

If they were communist they would produce their own products and goods within the country and not import them from asia u f'in idiot did u not learn anything in hist 101 in college, obviously not dumbass, american cars blow, i went from a 82 oldsmobile omega, to a 95 ford taurus SHO(biggest piece of crap i even owned), 91 honda prelude, 91 bmw 325ix, and now a 95 yota camry, i will never purchase american again, that shit is garbage or made from it, germans and japanese are the only ones that perform execptional technological know how in producing a high quality vehicle.. currently im getting ready to throw down on a down payment for a 02 WRX next month and cannot wait to own it, props to this forum its definteley helped me decide on my making my decision between a 02 WRX, 97 M3, 01 Audi 2.7T, and a 01 Acura CL- TypeS, WRX's and STI's rule/ PEACE

LOSSSSEEEEEERRRRRRRRR! Useless piece of crap

lol... wow... Moto, I don't think you've ever been to "English 101" because it's not an elective in Middle School. Ferrari Enzo, huh? What a joke! The reason you don't understand how ignorant and uneducated you sound is because in whatever back-woods, po-dunk, Bush-lovin' hick town you live in doesn't teach common sense. You need to tell your sister to put her clothes back on, turn off the Randy Travis, and read a book or something constructive. The fact of the matter is that you're nothing, and everyone reading your posts knows that. I hope you at least have the smarts to never write your conservative, fascist views here again. I live in America, and it's people like you that make the rest of the world hate us. I'm embarrassed to be a fellow country-member to you. As far as Japanese cars are concerned; the reason American car companies are losing their share in the car world is because other countries make better and cheaper products that we do. It's no crazy coincidence that their market has been going down, it's because NO ONE WANTS THEM. You should maybe read up on how "American" car companies do business and how many Americans have lost their jobs to plant outsourcing. Whatever, though... (extreme) ignorance is bliss.

I bought thr 02 WRX brand new 5 years and 63K ago..
I'm 42 and have owned 9 cars.

The WRX is for the enthusiast and for the $ cannot be beat.

It is utterly reliable -high performing and deight to drive in all weather conditions. ilook forward to staying in this car a few more years -by then it should be very interesting what will be in the market by then.

Some of you on this blog need to calm down a bit..afterall we are just talking about a car here.
Peace
Richman

Well! first off I am Canadian and not American! Secondly, I am in pharmacy, and I proud of it. Thirdly, I have every right to voice my opinion. I am not in communist China or Saudi Arabia. What I am extremely concerned about is how no more American products are being made anymore. It seems as though we are dependent on the damn Asians to do everything for us. Where is the British or Venetian empire when you need it. I don't like cheap shit. I am 21 years old, and I want luxury items only. I drive a beautiful Caddy, and I am proud. I am sorry, but eventhough the US car companies are losing market share, I still feel Detroit is still the best. It will probably take 10 years for the US to get back on track in making American quality cars. But I am frustrated to see that Japan and Korea ban US cars, even if you think they are crap. I would like to see GM Ford and Chrysler have 40% of the Asian market for all fairness. And you call this a just society. Screw you! We should stop depending on Asia. I want an isolationist society, and I will never forgive Japan and others for wrongs of WWII. The US should have never wasted their time to help.......

I am allowed to be concervative. Don't give me this b.s that we live in a better society today because of stupid, ignorant liberals who force their jargon down your throat, and will kill you for it. Same sex marriage is disgusting! it goes against human nature. read a genetics book. Parents love their animals more than their kids. They spend 10000's on dog food, and 2 cents on food for their children. Give me a break. It's Disgusting. Why have kids!!! Liberals have destroyed the middle class by taxing the hell out of them. Tell some rich f'en company to pay for their social welfare, or tell them to get a job. Speed7bump, it is you and your fellow leftists who have no common sense, and I get the sense that Mr.Bush is really a liberal pretending to be conservative.... If you guys can't defeat the Taliban or Iraqi uprisings with all your weapons, you've got problems. So instead of putting your Goddamn nose in My business of what I believe are good cars, you ought to look into your pea size brain before you open your damn mouth. How dare you say that you know everything. I think you should open a damn book and learn the basics of common sense. I don't lack it, but you and your fellow leftists do. It is the left who suppress peoples' right to think and not the conservatives. Thank you

So... isn't this forum to discuss the 2002 subaru wrx and similar models? who really thinks about the government when they buy a car? Sale's tax... thats it... And who ever wrote that retarded, non-related post to speed7bump, Canada is in North AMERICA... so you unfortunately are an American... you aren't no pharmacist, it takes 6 years in a school of pharmacology... non related to the forum, voiced opinions about the main topic are appreciated... I'm personally looking for anything bad about the subaru wrx that is something good to know thanx

I have a 02 wrx and i love it. No problems at all. Just ordered a downpipe and a third cat pipe to eliminate two of the three cats. I'll be getting a uppipe in the future to eliminate all three cats. Definetely will be buying a blow off valve, gotta have that sound. Can't wait to feel the difference.

USA all the way. Lets kick those European and Japanese asses again.

Hi folks...

I don't want to get involved in this discussion to argue, so I will tell you what I like about the WRX, and why I don't want to buy American, but would like to. The problem for me is that I work In a union and would like to help support Canadian Jobs. The problem is that American cars use outdated, fuel dependent technology but don't deliver the HP. I want something that can handle a corner and not well, but great. I like to drive really bloody fast on dirt roads on occasion, and want a car that can do that. I want AWD and a smaller engine that can be fuel efficient if needed, but will haul ass if needed. I don't want torque steer. I don't want an OHV engine. I want a car that will not have front end rattles after 6000km (I have seen it)

I would love to buy an American Car, but can't. US cars I have considered are; The Neon RT, maybe a Corvette (but not really) and....Dodge is pulling it together. GM, forget it, Focus...Maybe, but the engine sucks, handling is great though. The Focus is a Euro designed car, and we don't have the latest itineration, only the old model. The newer one is much nicer, I'd buy a Mazda 3 instead as it is the newer model Euro Focus. I have been a car buff my whole life and have drooled over many LS 6 Chevelles, Yenco Camaros, and C5 Corvettes. The problem is that they are all guzzlers. Now I drool over sleepers like the WRX, EVOs, maybe the Forester XT (Ugly). Actually all Subarus are ugly (except the 1990s Legacy GT) but if you haven't driven one you can't really comment. They handle like a kinfe and go like snot. My next car is a WRX. I am trying to find a good used one and am convinced, they are a riot.

In terms of Republican boy, Canada gives you a kiss on the cheek and wishes that you would understand that taxes pay for things. That you are not the centre of the universe and that other people do matter. That War is really just War. That you have by far the biggest red hole ever know to humanity and Dub is responsible for it. That when your children need to go through a metal detector to get to kindergarten that you saved $5.00 on your taxes, but at least you got a new haircut...

How does a subaru wrx's fuel efficency compare to a 1.8 honda integra type r.i'd love to own a subaru wrx but since i'm a 20 year old student in Ireland insurance has me by the balls not to mind running the car.

I'm about to purchase a 2003 WRX.......75,000 miles, $14,900.00. It has a few modifications and is a beautiful car, i'm already a lover of subarus but have not owned a WRX, is this an appropriate deal? (forgot to mention, it's being sold by a small car dealer not a subaru dealer)

I've always love Subarus and been thinking about getting a used 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo $18,000 canadian with 100k clicks <<<good deal or bad>>>...but with gas prices going up (car needing high octane gas for better performance)im having doubts.I aint a rich guy but dang getting this car insured, maintenance, also with tires wearing (replacing all 4), it adds up and will cost you alot $$$. You guys in this forum must be rich$$$...lol...

I bought my 02 wrx for 16,000 it had 23,000 miles on it with no modifications. Seems like a fair deal to me

I have a 2002 impreza wrx, love it to death but it apears to have one flaw. I was the third owner at 33,000 miles, I had a feeling the car had been driven a little hard, but had all the regular oil changes,etc. At 27,000 the clutch was replaced, at 39,000 the ring gear broke in reverse. The dealership fixed it under warranty only to find out I had bad syncros in first and second gear. And a bad throwout bearing. So if you drive the piss out of them they will break. I still think its the best sports car anywhere for the money. Anyone looking for performance with room for 4 and descent gas mileage( I get 25 mpg avg),get a WRX

I agree they are great cars i love mine. About 25 mpg. The only thing i don't like about them is there is so many aftermarket parts out there, I don't know what to buy next. Thats not a bad complaint if you ask me.

I was just wondering if anyone on here has removed their intake silencer. If so what is better, removing the silencer and the air ram duct completely. This would me you would be sucking air from the fender. Or removing the silencer and hacking it and putting the air ram duct back in. The sooby definetely sounds better with this removed. Some ppl say you can hear the bov but i still can't. If anyone has any opinions on the i would appreciate it. thanks

I just bought an 03 WRX and only one word...WOW. My husband has been telling me for years that this is the car for me...fast, fun, reliable, etc. I put him off because I thought it was ugly. He got me to test drive one and after about three minutes after I pulled into traffic, I said I wanted it. Whats the performance step-up - a 911?
What are your suggsted performance upgrades for the most bang for your buck? It was a nice exhuast system, and tires, but what about engin/turbo mods? What makes a Stage 1 different from a Stage 2?
And can you tell me what the turbo guage is telling me? Thanks a bunch,
Mr and Mrs Newbie

I'm about to buy a 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX automatic transmission for $12k 60,000 miles from a small dealer is this a good buy or breakdown everything ready 2 happen? also how much horsepower exactly does this sedan car have its not an STI. so yeh any help because i dont wanna buy a car with that many miles if its gon break down.. Email me

Mine is a five speed and i love it. Never drove an auto wrx. Their suppose to have around 227 hp. Not sure if thats to the wheels or flywheel. Not sure about the mileage. I would think that the car would still have alot of life to it but i'm no expert. Thats a pretty good price if you ask me. I seen one around where i live it was a 2002 auto with around 60k on it and they wanted $18,000 for it. So if you ask me that don't sound to bad. Just my opinion

The fed ex guy just dropped off my downpipe and my third cat eliminator pipe. Gonna put them on hopefully around five. If anyone has any tips for this install let me know. Thanks

I own a 2002 wrx and the only problem i've had so far is the tranny went at about 30,000. But warrenty fixed it. I would not trade my suby for any other car. My car still will blow anyone off the line. It will even get the jump on the STI if done right. My suby has 70+ miles and still runs with no problens. No complaints here, next car is an STI or just upgrade mine since it was the best year they made. Have fun driving and enjoy.

I have a '02 Subaru WRX, and I love it. It is a fantastic car.

Regarding the premium fuel usage, I wouldn’t dare put regular in the car, I want it to perform at it’s best. And the extra cost incurred is not extravagant. To fill up a completely empty tank at a difference in price (between regular and premium) of 30 cents, you will pay less than five dollars extra. Normally when I fill up the car takes about 12 gallons, and the cost difference is 20 cents, which means I spend an extra $2.40. I would like the car to last, and putting in the best gasoline is a very small investment in its good health.

To the American car enthusiast who is unwelcomingly sharing his opinion, Hyundai is an Korean car company, not Japanese.

That's right tell the MoFo to kiss his Jap ass. No taste loser. Caddy is more reliable than any Japanese plastic. They ranked in the top three with Lincoln and Lexus. Beat your weiner jackass

Hi, I have a 2005 WRX and love it, but just got in a sitation where I can't afford to keep it. Is there anyone on this site who knows someone who would like to purchase one? I only put 5200 miles on it so far and just bought it in two months ago. My selling price is 26,200 or best offer. Email me, thanks.

Why do ppl waste there time typing stuff about things that have nothing to do with subaru? A car is a car who cares the make if its a nice car its nice. I like alot of cars imports and US made. If you like a caddy thats cool WRX's are nice too. Who cares what happened over 60 years ago. Its the past let it go lol. So.... is there any mature people here that like to talk about subarus? Im sure there is a forum somewhere else for pointless remarks. I drive all different cars and they all do what i need. Its 2006 ppl lets get with it. Stop wasting your time typing opinions no one wants to here about Japs and USA and use this time to get a girlfriend or something. Man i love how mature ppl are... what a great new age this =(

wow, what a forum/ Jerry Springer episode,lol Just bought a 2004 wrx... Love it, the car has some serious ballz, I've had it a few days and it already smoked a 76 corvette with a 454ci in it. very surprised how much performance it really has, seems like before I can blink, I'm at 60mph. One thing I have noticed about it is that the High test gas is a must! It has really bad power pulsating around 4000rpm's, if you use regular grade. I put 93 octane with 107 booster and it has some serious smooth power. The car has plenty of power obveously, but not any good sound, atleast from inside the car. Does anyone know how to get some sweet turbo spool-up sound without changing the intake and really messing up the ecu? I'm also considering a performance exhaust system in the future, that should keep me awake when I'm driving.

Sam

I removed the intake silencer, the turbo was a little more noticeable. After putting a downpipe on my car you could really hear it. Next step is either an uppipe or axelback not sure yet

To all those subaru fans, i really like the 2002 impreza wrx, and hoping to buy one this year, can i get some feed back on the drive in winter and summer

I also have a 2002 wrx and the drive is just awsome. In the snow it handles really well. Summer time is also great. You would need winter and summer tires to trade when the season starts make a different. In the winter when going around corners with ice on it dont punch the gas you will slide into something like a pole, and break a bumper. Hope you enjoy your suby as much as i do.

Subaru is one of the best car makes out there today. And fuck caddy's.

I would like to say that I make no sense because I am a crazy MEth HEad.
My arguement goes from saying I wouldn't by from nazis because I am american but then say german cars are good along with British. THen I say I can't stand communism then say I like socialism. Dude, I need to screw my head on straight. Also, I like to come back to check the post just to make a reply comment. I must really have a lot of time on my hands, because I am either in an insane asylum or I am still awake from my two week high. Also, I think I am an uneducated kid that knows nothing of the world or geography. Finally, there are hundreds of millions of people out there that have degrees and thus I am nothing special. Or I'm in need of some special attention because I am stuck in the closet and hate myself because I have a self persecuted social stigma.

the rex is runnen good, I wouldm't recommend the intake silencer removal being that it relies on ram-air ducting. I actoually lost a significant amount of power when I removed it, I'm looking into a stage kit/ custom exhaust turbo back that will put a little heat into the car. stage 2 is callen for about $3000 and it will give 320 whp. let me know anything anyone may know more about this. it is at http://www.xcceleration.com/itemdetails.cfm65.htm

Sam

I just bought an '02 WRX last week it was a great deal with only 42,000 miles on it. I have added about 500 hundred more in the last week. I just absolutely love driving it. The WRX is by far the most enjoyable, fastest, and best performing car I have ever owned. Only once has it not gone where I pointed it, after a fresh rain it did NOT make a corner, if not for the anti-lock brakes my time with the WRX would have been short and sweet. This page has been very informative, especially everyones thoughts on Octane, only '93 for me. My WRX already has custome gauges and exhaust on it, any suggestions on what should be done next would be appreciated.

Nick

Just to clarify, I am not the same Nick as above "what an asshole"

Nick W.

I just put on the spt cat-back exhaust and it's sounden pretty good. I would recommend for you Nick W to get some good tires for it if already not on it. I haven't had mine break free on pavement in the last month that I've had mine. I have Cooper high performance tires on it, and they really grip. I just ordered an AEM intake off ebay normally priced at $250, for around $50. sweet deal there, it should be in about 4 days from now. I heard you can have problems with pulsation if you don't get a good intake, and never get more than 2.75" diameter intake, the MAS (Mass airflow sensor) will give incorrect reading and could throw CEL and even cause turbulants in the airflow. I'll let you all know how it hooks up. The exhaust is def a must for the WRX.

I removed the intake silencer and hacked it in half and I have had no problems with it so far. My next upgrade is going to be an exhaust.

Thanx for the input Sam, let me know how the new intake works out for you. I hear it can really add some horses. This is my first tuner car and I look forward to having some fun with it. How does removing the intake silencer add to the WRX Jamie?

john, wrong forum asshole. lol

I OWN A 2002WRX, MAN,IHAVE TO SAY THAT I'VE HAD MANY CIVICS,CRX,INTEGRAS AND WHEN I BOUGHT MY WRX MAN WAS I SUPPRISED,I LOVE TO RACE,U KNOW PUT THE CAR TO THE TEST,BUT THIS WRX HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A PAIN IN THE ASS.
THE FIRST PROBLEM AT 35,000 MILES WAS THE MOTOR AND MAN WAS THAT EXPENSIVE WHICH AT THE POINT WE CHANGED TO A NEW CLUTCH,10,000 LATER CLUTCH GOES BAD AND FUCKS UP THE TRANNY(NO BAD INSTALATION),TOO EMBARASSING MOMENTS WWWWWWW/EXPENSIVE COST,W/ALL DUE RESPECT TO U WRX OWNERS THE CAR SUCKS AND I WILL NEVER EVEN CONSIDER BUYING ANOTHER EVER AGAIN.IF U WANT TO CALL IT ABUSE(BULL SHIT)THAN WHY DO U GET A FREE SUSCRIPTION OF THE RACING TEAM W/ THE PURCHASE OF THE JUNK?THE HONDAS AND ACURAS THAT I'VE HAD WENT THROUGH HEAVIER RACING CONDITIONS AND I NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A MOTOR OR A TRANNY AND THOSE WERE USED CARS!
SO CUT THE CRAP AND JUST STATE THAT U GUYS DRIVE LIKE GRAMMAS AND ONLY WAX YOUR WRX.
I KNOW MOST OF U WILL AGREE AND THE ONES THAT DONT ARE STILL MAKING THERE FUCKEN PAYMENT,I JUST HOPE U GOT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY,IF NOT U BETTER A HAVE A PLACE TO PARK IT FOR A WHILE,ANY WAYS GOOD LUCK!

P.S. NOT A HATTER,I GOT BAIT AND SWITCHED!

well Alex, sounds like you either don't know how to drive the car correctly, or you just ended up with a bad car, no automotive line makes 100% perfect cars.
Anyway, I got the cold air intake yesterday and installed it, I didn't realize that you can remove the extention pipe and use it as a warm air intake.(ram air intake) but the satisfaction of the intake that I have is that there is now serious turbo spool up noise. it sounds sweet, and you can even hear the stock blow off valve loud and clear ( I didn;t expect that) I had to re-set the ecu by unplugging the battery for 15 min and tapping the break pedal to drain the capisitors. The car started out a little slugish until the computer began learning my driving patterns, 200 miles later, the car is now way more responsive than it was before, I plan on dyno testing it, but the spt exhaust and intake should combine about 15-20 hp.

WELL SAM,IF U CANT GET FAMILIAR W/THE SHITTY GEARS THEN U MUST BE WAXING U'RE CAR MORE THAN WHAT U DRIVE IT,WHICH I'M SORRY TO SAY,THE DRIVE TRAIN MATERIAL IS POOR QUALITY IT SNAPS REAL EASY,I JUST THIN ITS SILVER AT A GOLD PRICE,BUT DO HAVE ALOT OF FUN DRIVING IT,IDONT FREE WAY RACE LIKE THE ROOKIES,ONLY STRAIGHT AWAYS TO PROOVE HORSE POWER AND DRIVE TRAIN STAMINA,SO I'M SORRY TO SAY IT DOESN'T HAVE STAMINA,U KNOW IT NEEDS 1 TO MANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PROVEN BY MOST OF US(ONLY THE OWNERS COUNT),IF THATS U'RE FIRST CAR AND U PUT MORE SHIT ON IT MORE THAN U PUT IT TO THE "TEST" MAYBE U WOULD HAVE ANOTHER POIN A VIEW!
REMEMBER,EVERY ONE BUYS W/ A HIGH EXPECTAION,BUT MY MAJOR CONCERN WAS THE DRIVETRAIN QUALITY I KNOW METALS!
I ALSO DRIVE BACKHOE LOADERS,CATTERPILLERS,DUMP TRUCKS WHICH GIVE ME MONEY FOR HOBBIES OR A LUXURY PURCHASING THE WRX WAS A GOOD EXPENCE UNTIL THE ENGINE BLEW!

IM GLAD U'RE DOING OK W/YOURS BECAUSE ITS JUST BEEN A BAD EXPERIENCE W/MINE!

WELL ALEX,BEST BUY IS,AND IF THERE LEGAL WHERE U'RE FROM,THE NISSAN SKYLINE GTR,FUCKEN FAST AND TAKES A BEATING.MY TEAM HAS A WRX EVEN WITH THE BEST PARTS MONEY CAN BUY WE STILL HAVE PROBLEMS.

so Alex, you burnt the clutch, transmission and engine up in one car? Sounds like you either should not of ever driven the car or told the people in this forum about it.

READ FUCKEN ROB,ITS A WRX REVIEW,WHATS GOOD AND WHATS BAD!SORRY BUT ROB AND SAM LIKE TO HANG AT CAR SHOWS AND OVIOUSLY DONT NO SHIT ABOUT CARS,AGAIN U WAX,ARMORAL AND USE GLASS CLEANER OR ADD SHIT LIKE NEON LIGHTS WHILE WE GET A KICK ON HORSE POWER AND SPEED IN ABOUT TEN SECONDS WHILE U WINE AND DINE U'RE BITCH OF A CAR.
MY CAR IS LIKE MY BEST FRIEND,ITS NOT SUPPOSE TO LEAVE ME HANGING,EVEN THOUGH IT DOES,I STILL PUT MONEY IN IT THE SAME WAY U FORGIVE A FREIND AND THATS BECAUSE I DO THE WORK,I SWAP ENGINES MORE THAN U SWAP U'RE PANTIES AND CHANGE CLUTCHES JUST BECAUSE THE MOTOR IS ALREADY OFF,WHEN U START DOING ALL THOSE THINGS"GUESS"U TEST EVERY FUCKEN THING,FROM LISTENING TO YOUR ENGINE TO HANDELIN,IN ENGLISH FOR U ASS HOLES,ITS WERE ENGINE NOISE,CLUTCH,AND GAS BECOME ONE AND THE RESULT IS U!
BITCH,I AM THE GUY THIS CAR BUILDERS WANT TO TALK TO AND POSSIBLY MAKE IT BETTER AND U ARE JUST THE ONE ASKING FOR CRUISE CONTROL AND YOUR FUCKEN CUP HOLDER OR FUCKEN I POD AS WELL,SO GO W'YPOUR FELLOW AS BITCHES AND KEEP ON WATCHING US RACE.

P.S. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME= ALEX

yo waxen alex, shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Just keep in mind that while your swappen motors, and transmissions, I'll be cruising in my car. And bro, I've changed 2 wrx engines and 5 piece of crap honda engines, that is for other people, people who don't take care of their cars, so don't give me crap that the only thing I do with my car is wax it. Some people know how to race without breaking parts others just smoke clutches and blow motors because they don't have talent when it comes to racing, so go sell your wrx to someone who knows how to drive it and buy yourself a little $1500 civic, then invest all of your paychecks until your broke from blowing the crap outta that car, and if I see ya on the side of the road crying like a little baby, maybe I'll stop and give you a few tips on how to drive, one on one.

Anyone who wants to talk about cars or has any questions gimme a shout. and alex, just give it up, sell it, just don't bad mouth it because if your poor driving skills

p.s. for the love of god, quit yer bitchen

For Nick W you can hear the turbo a little better than before, atleast I can because I have a down pipe in my suby.

Anyone had any problems with thier oxygen sensor, Looks like I'm going to have to replace mine. Or just run with 93 and octane boost. Other than that my WRX runs like a dream, no problems.

LOOK SAM I LOST ONE ENGINE AND U HAVE CHANGED TWO SO I WOULD RECOMEND TO WRITE U'RE SHIT BEFORE U TYPE U'RE SHIT,TALENT,HUH,U CAN'T EVEN BACK THAT UP W/THE RIGHT ATTITUDE,THAT JUST LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT U ARE A POSER,WELL IT LOOKS LIKE DADDY CO SINGED FOR YOURS WHILE I PAID CASH FOR MINE,I EARNED MY FUTURE,IT WAS'NT FREELIKE U'RE DADDY GIVES U YOURS AND HOW HE TELLS U TO TAKE CARE OF U YOUR SHIT BECAUSE THATS THE LAST ONE HE'S GONNA BUY YOU!I WONT SELL IT,SHIT I'LL KEEP ON WHAT U CALL BITCHEN BECAUSE IM YOUR KIND OF ASS HOLE U FUCKEN YUPPY.

WRX'S ARE BAD ASS,2002,BAD ASS BODY STYLE,19INCH RIMS W/LOW PROFILE TIRES,MAN,IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING FAST WHEN ITS STANDING STILL,SO YEA THATS WHY I STILL HAVE IT AND IM SHURE ILL KEEP ON MESSING SHIT UP BECAUSE I ACTUALLY ENJOY IT!

P.S.MINE IS BAD ASS BLUE!

Alex, no one cares how you paid for your car. I said that I changed 2 wrx engines, they were not bad engines, they had cast aluminium blocks added and forged pistons and rods, I am just making a small point that I know a little about the cars.It helps that my father-in-law owns a dealership though. You obveously have more problems in life than just your car so why don't you find a forum that people can better relate to you on I really don't wish to hear any response from you you have no contrabution to this forum.

Sleeper, do you have any exhaust mods, and what year is your car, 2002-2004 need 89 octane or higher, and 2005,2006 need 93. Octane booster is not good to run with the wrx on a daily basis, I was told by spt to use it if your converting from low octane to high octane just once, and then about every 3 months pour a little in and rev it up a little on the highway, that should help things get cleared out by removing any excess carbon build-up

Jamie, what state are you from, In NY you can't take out any of the catalytic converters becaust it will not pass inspection, and if the car has less than 50,000 miles and the cat is good and you take it out, you can be fined $2500.

my point proven,hey at least u're honest SAM,I'M A ROUGH RIDER SO PEACE OUT!

P.S.KEEP ON CRUISIN/NO PROBLEMS,ONLY SOLUTIONS!

Sam I took out my intake silencer not my cat. Where I live our cars don't go through inspection, I live in WI.

Were thinking about buying a WRX wagon. Were selling our van for around $12,000 and hope to find another car around that same price range. Can you find them this cheap?

I am planning on purchasing a WRX, and I was just wondering(I did not read some of the posts so if it was already answered, then i'm sorry), how does the transmission feel? I have heard various things such as "the shifting is clunky" or "heavy".

SAM
Yeah, I got a custom exhaust, couldn't tell you what kind though, bought my 02 WRX with the mods already done. I hear the O-2 sensor is common to go on WRX's, just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. It is a $300 part alone.

Jamie
I wish I lived in any state but NY, I'm thinking about doing a test pipe project and just switch the cat with a downpipe after I get it inspected. Catalytic converts for all we know cause smog in the environment, danm the dept of conservation. lol

Van and N
buying a wrx for around 12,000 is possible, but most likely risky. Dealerships generally trade wrx's for between 14,500 and 25,000. The vehicle is def worth the value that you pay for it, I would just recommend that you have a car fax done on it. I would look for one under 50,000 so you can buy the extended warranty. the reason for that is not that the vehicle needs it, I would say if someone traded in a wrx it would possibly be that they beat the car until it didn't run correctly, otherwise there is not many reasons to get rid of the car.
As for the transmission, I have a factory short throw shifter on mine and I noticed that you have to be stopped when you put it in 1st gear or in reverse, but the car is really smooth through the gears. One thing you don't want to do is try to smoke the tires on it. the transmission won't break but the driveshaft’s can't handle that much torque being shot from the engine to the wheels like a bullet http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4945545771210383944&q=sti+break. so don[t try anything funny, the car will out corner any stock vehicle and give you one hell of a thrill, but don't beat it, because anything can break on any car.

sleeper
I haven't heard of any problems on stock exhausts, but if you take out a few catalytic converters, the car will run hotter, and that could burn them out, also keep in mind that the less cats that you have, the less backpressure that you will have, and the car needs some but not as much as they have stock. I would recommend that if you live in a state that doesn't test emissions, that I would change the pipe that the O2 sensor is on, if it is the one that comes directly off the engine block, put a header on that puppy, if after the exhaust than do it up with a downpipe... ect there are quite a few of them. $300 can definitely get you something that you will benefit power from and by-pass the cats.

Thanks Sam, the i'll consider a short-throw if I buy one, but I'll probably mantain it mostly stock (Maybe a new exhaust because i love the note). Have you driven it with the sstock configuration? Anyways, I'm not into that burnout stuff, just normal driving and sometimes a bit of fun. All cars have limits and I will keep in mind to maintain a reliable car.

yea when I bought my car, it was completely stock except for the short throw. I had it for about a month before I got the exhaust and then another 3 weeks before I got the CAI. it has equal exhaust and engine noise, but the turbo drowns out everything with the intake. The exhaust will keep your car in good shape being that you don't need to rev it up to hear it's beastly sound. I rarely take it past 4k rpms, only if someone in one of those cheap honda civics tries getten me to race. (j/k I used to have a honda)

Have a 02 wrx wagon (traded my 04 rs wagon;night and day difference). Just wondering if its normal for the clutch (only when cold) to jump a bit at normal starts. Also if its good or bad to use octane booster ?

Specify jump. Octane booster is good once in a while, just don't 1.99 for the crappy stuff.

When the pedal is released at about 1200rpm and full contact is made with the flywheel the car moves foward with couple of noticeable surges; only when cold, upon a few shifts the clutch is smooth as a babys skin. I have read at SPDUSA.COM that this is normal or is it a sign of a worn clutch. Does anyone else notice this with their 02 WRX ? Thx

My 02 wrx jumps at normal starts when not fully warmed up. I just rev it up a little more and then it goes nice and smooth. I'm still not quite sure if it is normal or not, just started about a year ago. I have had the car for just over 2.

What is the best way to start a WRX off the line on a 1/4 mile track? Thinking in the boundries of a safe(mechanicaly) but fast start. Is a 3500rpm clutch drop start Safe? What has the better time?

Or a Full RPM decrease throttle to 2000 and drop the clutch to maby still have the turbo spolled up?

Or FUll RPm Drop the clutch and watch the axeles fly? :>

I wouldn't try to break the tires lose when your launching off the line, I let the clutch out just a fraction of a sec slower than usual at about 4000 rpm and I smell no clutch and I spin no tires, the car goes nice and smooth.

Not sure which has the better time. If you keep the rpms above 3000 you will get a better response then below 3000. You will also keep the turbo going and pass everyone in your way.