2002 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.7 turbo

Summary:

Absolutely amazing!!

Faults:

None! This car amazes me!

General Comments:

Car is extremely quick it can easily beat a 1994 Ford Mustang GT 5.0, and you can stay with if not beat a Porsche Boxster S while the car is stock. Trust me I have done it.

The car handles better than any I have owned to this date and is awesome even in the rain or snow. I have taken it and love to take it out on windy back roads just to see what it can do. I am pleased to state that despite my sometimes idiotic driving I have not been able to out drive the car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd September, 2004

4th Mar 2005, 07:30

I'm considering buying a WRX and from what I have heard from a lot of people including yourself, is an outstanding handling car. Is this the case??

4th Apr 2005, 14:15

I have a 2002 WRX. The car handles great, but has some understeer if you pull it around a hard corner. On a hard corner you need to lift the throttle and let the back of the car find its way around the bend. Or, you can just dig into the brakes a bit and feel it catch. It does have some body roll, but the car drives great. Definitely worth the $$$.

2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Sportwagon 2.0L turbo

Summary:

Low rent, High performance

Faults:

Two transmissions, the first repaired due to failure of the synchos from 1st to 2nd. This took a month to get parts, as there were a number of failures of this nature in Canada, and the parts were back ordered. The dealer provided a loaner at no cost, and was very helpful. The second time the transmission was replaced (as opposed to repaired) due to whine in the 3rd gear bearings, heard on deceleration.

There was a chronic problem with gas smell due to a problem with the fuel rail, and needed the whole intake manifold off to replace. It was in the shop three time to get it right...

The paint chips very easily, although having the clear 3M plastic "bra" really helps the front hood.

The metal is very thin on the body, I bent the rear trunk in closing it firmly.

My wife finds the transmission hard to shift when cold, but that's normal for most manuals. Shifted to synthetic tranny fluid and may have hastened the synchro failure, although the dealer didn't think so.

General Comments:

This car is a blast!!! Although there have been some problems (it's not a first year car as some have said, it's been on the market elsewhere for years) they have been handled fabulously by my dealer (they also handle BMW and it shows!) They have been helpful, and willing to listen whenever I've had an issue.

The seats are comfortable (I'm a chiro and this is a critical issue for me) and the seat heaters are terrific. Stereo is OK, and the 6 cd capacity is great. Fuel economy on premium sucks, but I didn't buy this car for it's fuel mileage.

It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I love the round headlights and since it was only two years on the market in this style, I think it will be worth something in a decade? First of the Japanese Muscle cars...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th August, 2004

3rd Apr 2005, 10:01

"The metal is very thin on the body, I bent the rear trunk in closing it firmly."

Funny you should mention this. I did the exact thing to my 04 WRX sedan. I've also had a couple of trim problems, where the plastic strips from the 2 rear wheel wells came loose, however Subaru happily repaired and replaced them under warranty. The 3M film protection for the hood is a must have as well.

The car is a dream in questionable road conditions, especially when icy. I can't say enough good things about it.