I'm not really familar with the WRX, however I'm highly considering on picking one up as a commuter car. Are there any reoccuring problems? How reliable are they? Any help would be appreciated.

I think the word love comes to mind when i think about my car, no trubles great car :D :D

Spend alot of time here SEARCHING and reading the tons of info available on NASIOC. Make sure you read up in the "Newbies & FAQ's" and the "Warranty and SOA problems" sections. Also don't forget Unabombers FAQ's.
If after all the reading you still decide to get the WRX. I think you'll be more than happy with it.

Probably not the best commuter car - uses lots of gas compared to other, cheaper cars with reasonable power (vis-a-vis Focus SVT)

I'm not really familar with the WRX, however I'm highly considering on picking one up as a commuter car. Are there any reoccuring problems? How reliable are they? Any help would be appreciated.
Hmm... I had my car for about 1.5 years.

The WRX:

- Good on gas as long as you have some highway in the commute. I had a manual, and I got around 25 mpg, or 275 miles to a 1/4 tanks when I refill. With the STi, I only get to 220.

- Only thing you may have problems with in the long run ar the wheel bearings. Terrible design, and I had 2 problems within 26K.

- Battery isnt the greatest. That is something you may want to replace if you live somewhere where it gets really cold in the winter.

- In cold weather, I had cold start belt squeaks until the car warmed up.

- The RE92s are OK for street tires, but for that car, you are MASSIVELY undertired. I would suggest getting a light 17x7 rim with 225s for DD use.

- Windsheild and paint is thin. I crack the windsheild on day 3, and paint was chipped nicely by 26K miles on the hood.

- I didnt have the stock suspenion as I had the V7 struts and springs. I have been told and have seen the stock suspenion has some roll.

Other than that, my time with my WRX was fairly uneventful and very good. I would say it is a good sporty commuter car, and I don't feel that it is a bad commuter car. If I had to get another commuter car, that is what I would get. It sure beats the 20mpg with the STi.

- dow

How's maintainence on them?

Easy to maintain, no major problems. Change the oil and use premium gas and you'll be good. Fun to mod and make faster then it already is. People complain about trans and clutch, but no problems hear. Treat it nice and it will treat you good. Once you get addicted to boost, gas mileage decreases, but people are still putting out 350miles per tank. Very Very fun to drive, an yes ive driven new m3's as well(i see your sig) i work at a bmw dealership.
uncle lewie

Easy to maintain, no major problems. Change the oil and use premium gas and you'll be good. Fun to mod and make faster then it already is. People complain about trans and clutch, but no problems hear. Treat it nice and it will treat you good. Once you get addicted to boost, gas mileage decreases, but people are still putting out 350miles per tank. Very Very fun to drive, an yes ive driven new m3's as well(i see your sig) i work at a bmw dealership.
uncle lewie
+1, trannie problems generally come from ppl who aren't familiar with awd manual and abuse it.
I can't complain about my experience so far.

How's maintainence on them?

About the same as any other car. There is no extra maintanence because of the turbo.

About the same as any other car. There is no extra maintanence because of the turbo.
aside from a little extra oil during the oil changes. =P

Commuter, maybe for long distances.

I operate cross-country with a V1 in mine and could only be happier if I had an STi.

Probably not the best commuter car - uses lots of gas compared to other, cheaper cars with reasonable power (vis-a-vis Focus SVT)

aside from a little extra oil during the oil changes. =P

Still less than my brother's Hemi Ram so it's not extra. ;)

I've put 30,000 miles on my 04 WRX wagon and it's been mechanically flawless. It's only 2 trips to the dealer were for a minor recall on a cruise control clip, and to replace the rear struts that hold up the hatch (they failed)...otherwise, the maintenance has been very cheap with just oil/filter changes every 5k miles. The clutch and transmission are fine -- not BMW smooth, but fine once you're acclimated to its quirks.

As far as commuting, hmmm...it's a relatively comfortable and efficient commuter, but I'd honestly look closely at the RS, too, because it's more efficient (about 5mpg better) and has loads of torque down low and will handle virtually the same as the WRX.

Were I doing it again, I'd probably have gone with the TS (now RS) wagon and saved a ton of cash. I think the turbo motor is pretty lifeless under 3k rpms, where you'll spend most of your commuting.

Either way, these are seriously fun cars for the money -- and in my experience, totally reliable for everyday use.

Brian

Your glovebox will rattle. :lol:

Your glovebox will rattle. :lol:

so thats what that is... :lol: :lol: :lol: