No, this isn't such an insane comparison. I'm thinking that I could get a 2.5RS, add a turbo, and better the rex -- and still have a couple of grand to spare. Even without the turbo, the low end torque of the RS would be better than the 2.0. And if rex insurance is going where you guys are saying then this really is a money saver. The problem is that it's not all factory fresh and turnkey. I think I'd like the low end torque of the 2.5 over the 2.0 anyway.

that's not much of a difficult thing to do..

dozens of people on this board have proven that a RS-T (as we call them) are significantly more "lively" then a stock Rex...


So yes.. it's more effective to buy and mod a RS then to just by the WRX... Money being a concern and all...

Jorge (RiftsWRX)
www.ProjectWRX.com

well, each to his own. sounds like you've thought it out and made up your decision - you should be the one who's most happy if you're the one spending the money! just be sure to test drive both.

the main thing thats bad when you put on a turbo on a RS, is that it voids warranty. yes the torque will be higher, but I've heard that the transmission isn't as strong as the wrx. plus, the reliability should be better on the wrx then the rs.:)

the wrx comes with all of the ECU, plumbing, and engine design needed for reliable turbo power.

The 2002 RS doesn't come with a rear limited slip differential, side airbags, or the in-dash CD changer. Also, the front brakes are a wee bit smaller. I'm not sure about other interior stuff, such as the Momo wheel and the aluminum pedals that come on the WRX.

All of that said, however, I've also thought about buying an RS and installing an aftermarket kit on it, instead of buying a WRX. Thing is, a turbo kit with a quality engine management system isn't cheap. What's more, with any aftermarket kit I think you have to worry a bit more about reliability and durability of the whole vehicle (over and above the obvious transmission issues).

For these reasons, I've decided to wait at least until Shiv has fully developed the Vishnu turbo kit. I'll wait, watch this forum, and hopefully learn as others experiment.

Experience is when you learn from your mistakes. Wisdom is when you learn from others' mistakes. I'm trying to be wise.

A local guy who shall remain nameless has one of each. He likes them both, but one is for sale. And it's not the WRX.

Just one persons story, but turbocharging a car not originally designed for it opens a very large can of worms. Not to say it can't be done reliably, but I don't think anyone could argue that a turbod RS would not require more maintenance and tweaking to keep running right. Still, that's what some people love about it, and to each their own. Just don't think that you can throw a turbo kit onto an RS and drive 150k carefree miles as you could with a stock or mildly modded WRX.

As for money, by the time you spent the money to really do it right you'd have spent as much as you would for a WRX. I'm talking new vs. new though, and if you got yourself an old RS used it could be quite a budget hotrod.

Phil

saw a similiar post on edmunds.com, not sure if you are the same person tho. If not..
Unless you want constant maintenance, upkeep, WRX will be better. Not to mention if you don't know too much about turbos, you might have to take it in everytime something goes wrong. That can be very costly in the long run. So yes, inital cost of the RS-T might seem lower, but the long term upkeep is not. Not to mention installing a turbo will void your warranty, everything that breaks will be coming out of your pocket.
I don't think a RS-T is cheaper at all, it might be cheaper initially. But it will catch up and surpass the wrx value at the end.

If you were going to turbo the RS, why not twin-turbo it. I know a guy that is an engineer for mitsubishi and he is planning on doing that. But, you void warranty on the entire engine. As far as insurance goes, it will be cheaper, but the turbo won't be insured unless you tell the company you put one in there. If the engine fails or the turbo fails, you're SOL. By the time you buy the RS and the turbo and everything else you would have to buy in order to get it up and running, and pay for it to be installed, you might as well just buy the rex and chip it.

steve-O

I went with the WRX over the RS. There are many reasons but for starters to get the RS to the level of the WRX it would be about the same cost of the WRX. Secondly the WRX's 2.0 was designed for turbo applications were the 2.5 RS was not designed for a turbo. Just some thoughts please correct me if I have my info wrong.

Bout the same thing as turboing a Honda. With adequate fuel, our engines can run 20 psi of boost. I bet the 2.5 can't do that. Plus there are so many components that are not setup for a turbo. Modding a turbo car is definitely more reliable than adding a turbo to an NA car. My $0.02

Originally posted by gabedude
Bout the same thing as turboing a Honda. With adequate fuel, our engines can run 20 psi of boost. I bet the 2.5 can't do that. Plus there are so many components that are not setup for a turbo. Modding a turbo car is definitely more reliable than adding a turbo to an NA car. My $0.02

exactly. I was deciding between boosting my GSR or getting a WRX. I got the WRX because of reliability. A GSR with a bolt on turbo kit at 8 psi would murder a WRX, but for how long?

boosting a RS would involve check valves which fool the computer and hides the fact that you're boosting. In a WRX if you overboost, the computer will back timing accordingly, and eventually cut fuel. not to mention the LSD, interior, std fog lights, lightwieght hood, hoodscoop, more ground clearance, better brakes, forged internals, and most importantly a factory warranty. you'd need a stand alone computer, injectors, etc, etc and end up paying more than a WRX and end up with less.



All in all, the WRX will be a much better way to go "new vs new."

-C

BTW, you can go to subaru.com and go to "comparison" and choose 2002 WRX and 2002 2.5RS to get most of the differences.
HTH, -C

project car vs. daily driver

I thought about getting a 2.5RS (GC8 style) and adding a turbo to it. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I'd also need to keep my Civic "just in case" I needed to get to work and the project car had a case of the hiccups!