My wife and I have been thinking seriously of
getting a new WRX. Since I am going to become a father the fifth of August to a boy Bryson Donovan Byers. Anyways, got a bit off track, I now own a slightly modded 97' Mitsu Eclipse GST, love the performance of the car. I have a FMIC, 16G, 550 injectors, intake, exhaust, gauges and run around town at 18psi. So I am no stranger to performance. With the birth of my son around the corner I am in need of getting a car with four doors, being the performance crazed person I am I didn't want to give up my speed and performance. Thus when the idea of the WRX came up it something I had to look into. I have read quite a few of the posts and seen the problem with the CE light, I feel it is something that will be solved in a short time so I am not concerned about that. I am under great assumption the performance and handling is right on par as to what it was advertised as being, I am just curiuous about gas mileage, is it close to the factory specs for mpg in town and on highway? what kind of range do you have in the city versus highway? Secondly, do you think I could get the baby stroller in the trunk? LOL I will quite boring you guys for now. Love the posts and the information is very helpful!

John

I just refill my WRX this morning, and it's been running about 20 mpg so far. I've been drving it with caution (shift below 4k) since it's still in break in period. Dunno is it because it's not run in yet or not. hopefully the mpg will improve, but then i will add some mod and make it worst again....
anyway, congratulation to your new member at home.

Get the wagon (or if it makes you feel better, call it the hatchback or 5 door) and you'll have room for the baby stroller, and the stuff you get at Costco - or some luggage. It's a wonderful car, and yesterday I got to use the cargo capability for the first time as I had some big boxes to deliver.

I got 22 mpg on the first tank, mixed highway and suburban driving. I think the factory specs (20/29) are probably about right, depending on how fast you drive and the length of your trips.

And the only problem I've seen so far is the strange wear on the front rotors, but I'm sure that will be a warranty issue, probably a run of bad pads.

hehe, its (20/27) http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

but hey, you'd make a good salesman http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

Suby-Owner of the lil red monster named Wrxhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

Sucky!
I get about 16mpg.

<Warning> I'm invading this post for a minute <warning>

Hey, you above me...where is Bryn Mawr in relation to Carlisle/Harrisburg? We have a Bryn Mawr stereo shop around here, and Carlilse Productions (the company that runs the car shows) is located on a Bryn Mawr street. Too weird, and now your telling me there is a Bryn Mawr town? Neat-o!

Suby - Owner of the lil red monster named Wrxhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

Bryn Mawr is a western suburb of Philadelphia along US 30. The first Bryn Mawr stereo store was in the town of Bryn Mawr.

I am getting about 20mpg....but that is because I like playing the "When will the boost really kick in" game. The factory says 20/27...and I will believe it when the car is actually broken in.

The mileage in my RS was a bit better, but again, I am not driving this car in the same way.

Toby

I've been getting 23-24 a tank. I've got 900 miles on now. This car is spanking my '98 RS at 18-21.

Who knows how it will suck it up during high boost driving. My RS dropped to about 15-16 during Auto-X's and the drive there and back.

Shane Kullman
'02 WRX Blue

Thanks for the Bryn Mawr info dave. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I dont know the specifics yet, but I can tell you im getting less mileage compared to my 2000RS (mostly unmodded)

Suby-Owner of the lil red monster named Wrx.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

Thanks for the info guys. Oh, and thanks for the words of advice on the new addition to the family! That would be interesting, a WRX wagon or sedan sitting next to my 2200CC dual carb 62' VW Beetle. Though my wife tells me when we get the WRX the VW doesn't get the garage anymore, the jury is still out on that one!

http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/cool.gif I can't wait to actually test drive one, there isn't one at the Subara dealer in Wilmington, NC. I have stopped by and they weren't for sure if they were going to sell them at MSRP or not, that kinda worried me, may shop around to some of the other dealerships in NC.

John

Got almost 23mpg on first tankfull, 1/2 stop-n-go city and 1/2 freeway w/about 300 miles on the odometer. I expect that all city will be about 19 on next tank.

Stephen
5-spd wagon

Congrats on the new boy!

Talking as one driving enthusiast Dad to another...

Buy The WRX Wagon!!! You will not be disappointed.

I have been looking for a <$25k _Sport_ wagon for about 2 years. I was very close to buying a Passat 1.8t wagon when I heard about the WRX wagon. Boy am I glad I didn't buy the VW.

I just bought a new car seat for the WRX and the box fit in the "trunk" with the privacy screen closed. I know a stroller will fit with the screen retracted.

MPG is 20-25. It matters how I drive http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lildevil.gif

Feel free to e-mail me for more info on family life with the WRX.

Todd
tgiencke@juno.com

29 MPG - highway Last Tank.
1100 miles on the car. It will get better as it gets broken in. If you take it easy you will make the numbers

29mpg the first tank, 24mpg the second (more "spirited" driving", pulling somewhere between the two on the current tank. 700 miles to date!

Yeah I would agree with you. That is the nice thing about the 97' GST is its performance and great mileage. My wife just loves the sedan, I would be more fond of the sedan cause I have never owned a wagon, but the thought of a grocery getter whipping up on Crustangs, Slomaros and anybody else that wanted to pull up to me at the stoplight! LOL, ok.........sorry had to vent that excitement, needless to say I am looking forward to my testdrive which I hope will be soon. I hope to have the car before September!

Thanks guys for all the info. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

Hey ImprtTuner88, one more thing. Don't be too disappointed if the car you test drive doesn't seem as fast as your stock eclipse. Especially if it's not broken in yet. I've never had a car before whose performance characteristics have improved so much after break in. I was a little disappointed the first day or two coming from my GST, but after putting some miles on it, it now seems to haul twice as much ass as when I picked it up! This is probably the reason for some bad reviews from people who have test driven it. This baby really needs to be broken in to enjoy.

I have been getting 26-28, and I have the auto sedan. I usually go about 55 mile a day and about 10 or so is city driving, and the rest is freeway (70-75mph), and I have about 900 miles so far. I think that if I ws to just cruise on the freeway, and not play with all the cars that want to race all the time, I would be around 30 or so.

I've gotten 25 and 27mpg on my first two tanks. I've been minding the posted speed limit and haven't pushed the car. I typically get comparitavely good gas mileage in my cars. I just don't race anybody to the next stop light. If I'm going to go fast, I like to do it on the track.

WRX1 how has your automatic fared against other cars in races? What have you raced so far?

Mid to high 20s on the first 3 tanks. Lots of highway.

Last tank was 19.4. City driving, with some fast starts.

My first five gas tanks:

1.22mpg
2.20mpg
3.22mpg
4.24mpg
5.19.5mpg
6.??? ( i think its gonna be about 20-22)

I do lots of mixed driving, stop signs, 15mph speed bumps, lights, 1-3gears a lot.

obviously the better tanks reflect more freeway mileage than street.

the ultimate test will be a trip to So Cal.

EJ20WRX

Honestly I think the worse thing about the WRX is the gas mileage. It eats gas like crazy. I had a V8 Camaro Z28 and both cars are just about the same. I think I'm filling up every one and a half weeks at about $20 per tank.

My 2000 ss gets 20 mpg. My silver WRX gets 23 mpg

The best I have got is 18.9. But I am all city.

I fill up every 3 days, its horrible on the checkbook.

EJ20WRX

Megatron, thanks for the info about the test drive. I will keep that in mind. My Eclipse stock ran a 15.09 at the strip two day after I got it with just the spare and jack taken out. But, I have gotten the drag racing out of my blood I think. I just go now to enjoy watching, I want to seriously give AutoXing a try. The mileage is about what I thought, besides.......this will be the wife's car to a sense, and mine to play with. She drives 6 miles tops to work, I drive 45, that is why I have a 84' Peugot 505 STI turbo diesel to commute in, can you say on synthetic oil she gets 45+mpg! That is what I am talking about!

John

Man, I hope I can get damn near 30mpg when I get mine next year. I've always had cars that made at least 35mpg minimum(I'm a cheap a$$) and will probably have heart palpitations if I get what you guys seem to be averaging - 24mpg!

My wife's old Z28 use to get 28 mpg(soft & highway driving) for God's sake! That 6th gear must've reaaaally helped.

No subarus (new models) can reach 30 mpg! AWD, unfortunately, comes with a price. If you drive hard, you can see as low as 17 mpg on WRX.

Foxbat

Unfortuantely, the WRX's poor mileage is one of the factors keeping me out of the car.

The performance is great, but with my 100 mile a day commute, I need my VW TDI.

First few tanks about 20mpg 280 - 300 miles a tank. My last tank I drove hard and got like 250 miles like 15 mpg. I was in the turbo alot. It was worth the extra money. My wife is having a baby in May and I cant wait to show the newborn the TURBO G's. Kinda kidding.

Chuck

blue-adept- wow 29! I've been avg 23-24. Hey its the pedal on the right! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/tongue.gif

This is kind of off topic but what a coincidence. My son's first name is Donovon and he was born August 5th 2000.

I'm going to buy a WRX Wagon for pretty much the same reason you are http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif while i don't have one yet so I can't comment on the milage, you can definately fit a stroller in the back of one no problem.

Yes, 23MPG here too. I'm sure it will get better as I have been driving a LOT of city miles and the car isn't even fully broken in yet. As a previous owner of a 97 Eclipse GST, I can say it doesn't seem to be getting quit as good mileage though. Of course the GST was 23/31. Don't you love these hi performance cars that get great gas mileage? Where the hell were these things during the mid 70s when we had to drive around in Chevy Citations and Ford Pintos if we wanted good (decent) gas mileage. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

ImprtTuner88.. Have you driven a WRX? If so how do you think it compaired to your 2180cc VW?.. I've been to many BUG INs/OUTs and have a good baseline on VWS performance.

I wasn't really considering the gas mileage I would get when buying this car, but I was pleased to get 25+ on a quick run up to Killington this past Friday evening ( the last hour or so on snow covered I-91 and Route 4... yikes! ). And returning on Saturday evening ( yes, only one day of skiing, otherwise I'd be talking to my wife's attorney on Monday ) got 25+ again, while maintaining a slightly higher average speed than the night before. Been shifting at 3 - 3,500 rpm's... 820 miles on the odo, and I have to think it only going to get better ( even if it's only a little bit ). I love this car...

Driving at 80 for extended perieods mine is getting 26.x Started with several tanks in the 21-22 zone so those of you with less miles just wait.

When I was two laning through Southern NY I got 23.x.

On the track, filled up at lunch, drove out with the fill-me-up-now light 9 MPG!

Your kid(s) will fit fine in the back of a wagon or sedan. Start small or you'll end up in a Chrysler Town & Country when your second kid goes to pre-school.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

AndyHidley, to answer your question, my bug will flat out fly in strait lines, it still has just minor mods done on the suspension, I have my hands on a 73' Porsche 411 that a tree fell on, think I am gonna snatch the tranny and motor for another project(more on that later)and convert the suspension and disc brakes from the porsche onto my bug. I have never really taken it to the dragstrip, although now that you mention it, that would be a cool idea. I have just enjoyed spanking crustangs and slomaros on the street. The look people give you when you leave stoplights and your front two tires leave the ground! When I get to actually test drive a WRX then I can compare the two, if there is any comparison. The VW is an old, kinda nostalgic kinda fast. I really just cruise in that car..........hey, it was my first car when I turned 16 and I just can't seem to get rid of it!

John http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

ImprtTuner88..you call em "crustangs" up here where there is yankee gas we call em "mustrags"!!

LOL, that is an interesting way to rag on a crustang.............my personal favorite is slomaro...........

Oh, I had fun last night, I didn't even race the guy hard, just pulled through second and a bit in third, but this "rice boy" in a 90ish Honda Accord with his coffee can exhaust tip decidded to try and buzz me, I backed out at the speed limit and he flew by me laughing like he whipped me, if he only knew.

john http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

well, when I was driving nice I got about 260 or so miles before the I need gas light came on. On my last tank I had gone out and done a some racing on a sat night and I got about 210 miles before that light came on. Big difference....my 2.5RS was nearly close to 285 and I hauled a** all the time.

subaruForLife,

Drive a car until its tank almost empty is very bad to your fuel system. You will get a lot of dirt clog your gas line and in the winter, it's a sure way to get water condensation in your gas tank.

Foxbat

20-22 MPG mixed driving. Highway, I'm not sure yet.

Winter.......whats that ? http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif I live in Florida. What would you consider almost empty? When that light comes on it still has approx 2 gallons left.

Thanks.