new member.. trying to decide between wagon or sedan

[steve_sc]

Hey everyone! I've been lurking for a couple weeks now so I thought I'd jump in and say hi. I'm going to be getting a new WRX sometime in the next couple of weeks so I've been spending tons of time here reading up. You guys have been amazing source of information in my new car search.

So here is a question for everyone.. I have seen a lot of talk about the specific differences of the wagon and the sedan (ie, its 80lbs heavier), but I haven't heard the opinion of people that have gotten to drive both really hard and are familiar with the handling discrepencies of the two when driving to the limit. Once you switch out the rear sway bar for a 20mm, does the wagon feel almost identical to the sedan? Is the balance similar.. ie, do you still get the nice, controllable 4 wheel drift in a wagon or does the extra weight in back change that?

Thanks for any info I can get and its nice to meet you all!

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[dorifto88]

i have the sedan. if i could do it all over agian, i might get the wagon. ive only driven my car, so i don't know how the wagon feels, but its cheaper, roomier, the seats fold down(i think), and there's also a rear windsheild wiper. Theres some really nice lookin body kits for it, and lastley, i also heard insurance is lower.

























lastley, how would you feel if you just got blown away by a dude in a wagon? either way, the WRX is a great car, in fact, its still too much of a car for me.

[Coati]

Yesterday I brought home $800 worth of furniture (a coffee table, two end tables, and a console table in boxes with the legs off) in the back of my WRX.

And it's still fast and drives like a dream on dirt...

[Amesser]

I just got mine and I picked the wagon because it looks better.. More head room for back pasangers. And yes storage space.

[Skyline]

I have a sedan and I love it. Still, sometimes I wish I had gotten the wagon. Depends on my mood.

Get the wagon.

[ASUscooby]

wagons are cool...never thouht anybody would ever say that

[VSG]

i say if your thinking about the wagon you should get it. I would have gotten the wagon if I didn't find a used sedan. Plus with the roof rails removed the wagon looks especially sweet (tough it seems like it woudl take a while to do that) ! The handling may not be IDENTICAL, but who's gonna notice anyways...you'll be having too much fun to say "If I had a sedan I could have taken that corner 1.5 MPH faster"

[snowcat]

I got the wagon, and the only semi-weird thing about going from a coupe to a wagon is that I can "sense" the extra space behind me, even though the car is really not much longer (if at all!) than my previous car. In fact, I turned pretty sharply while parking and I think it has almost the same turning radius as my previous ride. (Felt like it anyway.) So, that's not really a drawback, but I do sense the extra mass in the back. (Not in a "physics of driving" way but in a "psychology of driving" way.)

My favorite thing to do in the wagon? Blast past SUV's. Tons of 'em around here, and they all think they're hot stuff. They look down at me beside them and the look on their faces is "Oh, it's a wagon." But, I don't see their faces for long as I give it some gas and all they see is my tail.

Have a dog? Get a wagon, period. You don't want your dog to wreck your wrx seats do you? In a wagon, there's plenty of space for a reasonable-sized dog to ride on the floor behind the back seat. This is the #2 reason I got a wagon (first was that it was cheaper!). I am not disappointed I got the wagon, doubt I ever will be.

Want another reason? Stereo system! The WRX has that cool pull-over flap in the back so people can't see what you've got in your ride. In a wagon, you could just basically set a big 15" woofer in back (or whatever) and aim it forward for a lot better sound than shooting bass through the material of the back seats. Do it right, and I bet you could even aim it upwards so it bounces off the ceiling and comes right down into the front seat. Then, when you park, pull the cargo cover over it and no one will even know you've got a kick'n stereo system. (Of course, you might have to pick between a dog and your stereo. Or, you could put headphones on your dawg and have a kick'n backseat DJ - that would surely get the girls! )

-snowcat

[Edvig]

I bought a wagon because I can carry stuff in it. With the seats folded down you can fit a ton of stuff in it.

It would have been a harder decision the the sedan's seats folded down.

Edvig

[gtguy]

Originally posted by steve_sc
So here is a question for everyone.. I have seen a lot of talk about the specific differences of the wagon and the sedan (ie, its 80lbs heavier), but I haven't heard the opinion of people that have gotten to drive both really hard and are familiar with the handling discrepencies of the two when driving to the limit. Once you switch out the rear sway bar for a 20mm, does the wagon feel almost identical to the sedan? Is the balance similar.. ie, do you still get the nice, controllable 4 wheel drift in a wagon or does the extra weight in back change that?

Thanks for any info I can get and its nice to meet you all!

Bone stock, the sedan handles better. Some attribute this to the 20mm wider track (please...). Actually, it's the swaybar size difference. When you drive both hard, stock for stock, the sedan rotates very well, and feels more chuckable with impunity (or as much as the RE92s allow). It feels more neutral than the wagon, and doesn't understeer as much.

Add the larger sway bar to the wagon, and it feels like a version of the sedan that rotates into the corners better, thanks to the extra weight over the back end, coupled with the bigger sway bar. At the limit...well, you don't want to be there. The WRX's performance is prodigious. The wagon also has stiffer rear springs in its stock configuration, to compensate for the extra weight.

Essentially, get the wagon if you want to haul more than ass. You will suffer no performance deficiencies, and have plenty of room, a rear wiper, etc. There are nice body kits for both cars, and plenty of suspension mods for both. Both drivetrains are the same, so if you're into go faster mods, either one is fine.

Good luck, and welcome

Kevin

[forced4]

Get the wagon:

1) cheaper

2) insurance lower

3) hardly any performance loss

4) MUCH more room inside

5) cool wagon factor

I wouldn't trade my wagon for a sedan any day.

forced4

For the wife and me it was a no-brainer. This is our only car so we needed maximum utility along with our get-up-and-go. Throw dogs into the mix and the sedan never entered into the picture. I just hope the STi comes in wagon form too when it gets here. Besides, there is little on this earth more precious than the look on the face of a pimply-faced Mustang GT punk as he realizes he's getting beat by an econojapwagon.

[desiwrx02]

For a family car i would get a wagon. Peformance should not be an issue when deciding this. I have sedan, because i have no family to drive around, and lug stuff for.
Ajay

[steve_sc]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I decided to go with a white wagon and I LOVE it! I picked it up yesterday afternoon and came up with enough excuses to drive around town to put 100 miles on it! I can't wait to get past that 1000 mark.

[Skyline]

Congrats!

It's wholly different beast after the 1000 mile breakin. Get working on it!

[steve_sc]

Oh, I almost forgot to give some props to Santa Cruz Subaru. They were just absolutely awesome during the whole car buying experience. Especially Charlie and Morgen.. thanks you two.

I recommend everyone in the bay area go there.. not only do they have a super friendly staff, I got a great deal. $300 over invoice and free oil changes for the first 60000 miles (thats like a $500 discount!)

[Edvig]

Congrats and welcome...wagons rule!

The 1000 mile break in period almost killed me...but once it was over. WOW!