THE 02-03 2.5RS ones

I would like to know what they think of it......I'm thinking about buying one because Im unable ($$) to go the wrx way :mad:

so i'm here asking what the GENERAL thought about them and if anyone has one what they have done to them?


thx

A friend of mine loved my WRX wagon, but couldn't afford one so he settled for a TS. He's happy, though he'd still rather have a turbo.

He's benefitted from my handmedowns. His car has my old 16" WRX wheels, and the stock rear swaybar from my wagon. The only other thing he's done is hack the airbox to get cooler air from the wheel well.

I love mine lots... I also wanted an AWD sedan and figured the WRX would just be too much $$$ in the long run.

I've got about 30,00 miles on my 2002 RS. Love it, even after 19 months of ownership. It is fun to drive in it's own right, and it has a ton of potential.

Done already:
GanzFlow CAI
WRX muffler
Lightened crank pulley
17mm rear sway bar

Planned:
WRX front brakes
H6 rear brakes
COBB cams
Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" midpipe
Torque chip or S-AFC
Prodrive springs and STi top mounts
Morette headlights

:)

For more testimonials, check out these links:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135484
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=215258
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156517

Enjoy!
~Paul

I picked up my 02 RS 4EAT 3/30/02 and have now 18k miles :) The car is great. Big torques for city driving, althought sometimes on highways it feels a bit heavy. The only thing I wish is different is maybe I should have had a 5spd.

1100 miles - Cracked windshield from rocks
14000 miles - Front driver window squeaks, fixed warranty
17000 miles - Rear right shock blown, inspected and will be fixed under warranty with brand new strut assembly as soon as I get my lazy butt to the dealership :)

No mods :o

I too couldn't afford a WRX (wagon) but had wanted a Subaru for a few years, so I settled for the TS Sport Wagon. It is a great car that is A LOT of fun to drive in all weather conditions. This car/engine also has alot of potential... (see Cobb Tuning as well as others)
There are a great deal of suspension, brake and drivetrain parts available for the WRX that are compatible with the non-turbo cars, as well as a good size variety of go fast parts available for the 2.5 engine.

I am to the point now that if I could have afforded the WRX model I would probably still stick with this car... Unless you really want the extra horse power.

My car doesn't have all the options the WRX came with but for the price difference (about 14k in Canada) I can make A LOT of purchases for the car or the house or the girlfriend etc, etc.

I love my '02 RS. Apparently I'm more of an exception since I could easily have afforded the WRX but went for the 5 speed RS. I'll be honest and say there has been a time or 2 that the turbo would have been nice. However, the daily tractability of the 2.5 litre around town with the .20 cent cheaper per gallon gas, 25% lower car insurance and the initial approx. 20% cheaper car I am very glad I went with the RS. Lower car payments and more money in the bank are a nice bonus.

I had a '97 Eclipse GST so I had experience with the lower torque turbo issues leaving stops and decided that low end torque was more important to *me* than the power above 2500 rpms as I rarely shift much past 3000 rpms.

If having the fastest vehicle in that product line is really important to you I'd probably save up and wait if you can until you can afford the WRX. I'd hate to see you have buyers remorse.

While I haven't picked mine up yet, I'm going with the rest of the people in this thread. I could've afforded the WRX without issue, but with the difference in initial cost, insurance, gas (I have a huge commute), and extended warranty, it just didn't make sense for me. I bought a 2003 2.5 RS this past Sunday and am picking it up Wednesday or Thursday after my options get installed. I've driven a few different years and models and love them already, so we'll see how my experiences go. It's definitely a step up from what I was driving (no comment).

I think they're great.

I've got an '01 RS coupe and an '02 OBS. I love the RS, but the interior is just crap. The new shape with new interior is light years ahead. We also bought the OBS because we needed something that we could haul our outdoor stuff in and that I finally convinced the missus to get a Subaru. :)

The OBS is a 4EAT, which I didn't like at first, but after adding a K&N filter, and catback exhaust, it feels almost as fast as my RS. I wish I had waited for the new RS, TS, or OBS, but everyone was going crazy for the WRX and I didn't know if the 2.2 was going to continue over into the new shape. Our friends love the OBS too and I've only seen a handful on the road.

As for dependibility, we've put 28k miles on the OBS after one year of ownership. I've put 60k on my RS in two years of ownership.

As for the WRX issue, I say no to massive car insurance premiums and premium fuel--especially with the amount I travel. I could make the payments, but knew that the insurance premiums would've been two thirds of what I'd pay for the car's ownership. No thanks. Plus I think the 2.5 is great. If you do get a '02 or '03 RS, get the 5 speed, its perfect. :)

I bought a used 02 RS this past week, and I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. The low-end torque is fantastic for getting around town, and the suspension and decent brakes make the ride all the more enjoyable.

I also really, really like the darker blue that the 02/03 RS can have. It stands out much better among the tons of WRX I see around town.

Sure, I would have liked the turbo, but this is great for the first car I've truly owned. As my first car, it's also difficult to justify the additional insurance and gas costs.

There's also some real potential here for mods, but I've got quite a bit of reading to do before I get started on any of those :)

Yeah, I am with the general consensus here--
I could have bought a wrx, but i just couldnt see the costs justified for me.

I would have loved a turbo and being able to say 'yes' to the times when people used to come up and ask 'is that one of those wrx's?'

But in retrospect, its a better fit for me. Cheaper insurance, and gas, and the fact that it has more than enough power for me.

I just drove my friends new jetta 1.8t, with 180hp. Man that thing is quick. I felt so bad about my car while driving his-- the interior is like a bmw almost, and his car cost about the same as my rs, and he has a nicer interior, and turbo!

But then I almost crashed because of either his handling/suspension sucked, or cuz of awd, dont know why i really fishtailed (almost) while switching lanes.

For me, the awd, handling and suspension are really great, and thats what I needed in a car. Sure speed and having a 'wrx' would have been awesome, but I just couldnt justify the extra costs for that, since i dont race (i just drive to the metro daily).

Ifyou are looking for a great fast car, get a wrx. If you are looking for a nice car thats not as fast, get an rs. If you are looking for a smooth, quiet, quick car, and are more concerned about ride quality (smooth, no noise etc,) i would look to a jetta 1.8t (but dfintelty get some sport suspension on it).


dan

I test drove a Jetta 1.8T before buying my '02 RS. During the test drive I took a curved on ramp to a highway a bit spirited and about understeered right off the road. I was not going that fast. I knew right then that the Jetta was not for me.

I'm certainly no full tilt into the corners kind of guy but the Jetta was way too soft for me.