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Old 02-07-2004, 06:00 PM   #1
GSR94
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Default what's the right subaru for me?

im looking for an all season 4 door vehicle. the car needs to be reliable at all types of weather. im in the police academy and weather is not an excuse for being late or calling in. im coming from the fast and furious end of imports. im curretly have a 94 GSR. 100% rice free, most of my mods are in the suspension. i've been managing w/ snow tires to get me around this winter, but i want lil more assurance that i can get to work safely and on time.

im not too big in straight line performance, im more into handling/well rounded cars. i've narrowed my choices to 3 subarus. from small to X-large.

WRX sedan (IMO the best looking in the bunch. might be the best handler also)
WRX wagon (a good middle ground)
Forester XT (biggest and fastest!! looks its ok not too bad not too flashy)

my plans is to keep my next car for awhile (future family hauler).
is the sedan's turnk really that small? is there a big jump in terms of interior room from the sedan to the FXT? sorry, i can't swing the STI. also im getting tired of harsh and loud cars. im not looking to dump large sums of money into mods either right away. tell me what u guys think.
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Old 02-07-2004, 06:13 PM   #2
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The sedan trunk is tiny, and the rear seats don't fold down. Luckily my parents owned a truck so I didn't have a problem. Now I have a wagon and it's great, has a huge trunk, plus the rear seats fold down too. The forester is bigger than the wagon in the back, but it's mostly in height. I needed something that would have room in it for future things since my gf has an msp and it really isn't all that practical for kids. The wagon is a nice medium between the two, but if it was my choice I would get the xt just because it's a total sleeper (what I wanted but couldn't afford)
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Old 02-07-2004, 07:02 PM   #3
GSR94
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what's MSP? mazda speed protege??
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Old 02-07-2004, 07:17 PM   #4
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Wagons own! Think wagon or XT. Visit a dealership and play with them all to see what you like best.
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Old 02-07-2004, 07:25 PM   #5
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Wagon for sure. I think it is the best looking of the three.
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Old 02-07-2004, 08:16 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by GSR94
what's MSP? mazda speed protege??


yup one of those
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Old 02-07-2004, 09:03 PM   #7
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I have a sedan and I wish it had fold down rear seats. GET A WAGON
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Old 02-07-2004, 09:19 PM   #8
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Another for wagon! If you have plans to keep your next vehicle of a while, and have plans to possibly make this into a family mobile, then, I would look into either the Forester or the new Legacy wagon. Both of these are considerably larger than the WRX wagon as far as the interior space.

Stan
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Old 02-07-2004, 11:07 PM   #9
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XT

OR hold out for the New GT wagon.....
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Old 02-07-2004, 11:23 PM   #10
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Do you do any mild off-roading or driving in deep snow? If so, the Forester XT might be better. Otherwise, get the WRX wagon. It's a little slower in a straight line but the handling is way better than the FXT. As a road car it is much more "well-rounded" than the FXT. Also as said the upcoming Legacy GT is bigger and nicer than either.
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Old 02-08-2004, 01:04 AM   #11
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i would go for the XT, and it sounds like you might do some suspension mods anyway. stock, the XT has a lot of body roll, but you can fix that up real quick and bring it to WRX level (or better) fairly easily with just SPT or STi stuff. Though as Mike just said, having a little extra clearance in the XT might be nice as well. Problem is that the XT that comes in manual doesn't come with a lot of luxery items so a WRX interior might be a bit nicer.
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Old 02-08-2004, 01:29 AM   #12
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Best thing to do is go to the dealer and check all 3 out and drive them
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Old 02-08-2004, 08:17 AM   #13
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I don't get this "tiny trunk" commentary on the sedan. For the size car it is, the trunk is more than adequate.
I wish the seats would fold down, however.
The wagons are nice, and as a general trend seem to be coming into favor again.
I'd also say that the WRX wagon will hold it's value better over the long term than the more 'average' appealing Forester.
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Old 02-08-2004, 09:31 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally posted by NotAnRS
I don't get this "tiny trunk" commentary on the sedan. For the size car it is, the trunk is more than adequate.
I wish the seats would fold down, however.
I agree - even with 2 kids (and coming from an OBW), I don't think the trunk lacks that much in size; albeit folding seats would be a bonus.
We're in the same boat, turning in an SUV at then end of the summer and not sure what to go with next - we're just going to wait until the Legacy GT comes out, test them all, and then decide.
Good luck - I don't think you'll be disappointed in any of them. Having so many turbo options is making the decision oh so much more difficult!
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Old 02-08-2004, 10:18 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally posted by filbert
i would go for the XT, and it sounds like you might do some suspension mods anyway. stock, the XT has a lot of body roll, but you can fix that up real quick and bring it to WRX level (or better) fairly easily with just SPT or STi stuff.
I think if you are going to lower an FXT you may as well wait for the Legacy GT wagon. Similar engine or a little better, better handling stock, more interior space, nicer features, similar price once you pay for the FXT mods, no warranty issues with mods.

I would only buy the FXT if I really needed the extra clearance, and then you have to give up some handling. There is also the upcoming Outback XT to consider.
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Old 02-08-2004, 04:26 PM   #16
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well the only reason y im not considering the legacy GT is the projected cost. its seems like it'll be around the $30k mark. accodring to edmunds True Market Value, a forester XT is around $24k.

does anyone kno the ground clearence of a stock WRX and FXT? my teg is lowered and i have about 4 inches to play w/. next weekend, imma stop by a dealership and play w/ the 2 cars.

thanks for all the replies fellas.
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Old 02-09-2004, 10:21 AM   #17
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WRX clearance is 6.1"
FXT clearance is 7.7"

Legacy GT is expected to start around 27k, not 30. Look in the News and Rumors forum for more info.

Anyway, as you will see when you drive the cars the WRX handles much better than the Forester. The Forester engine is stronger, especially at low rpm, but that can be offset somewhat in the WRX by keeping the revs up higher when you need them.
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Old 02-09-2004, 12:56 PM   #18
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1 vote for the sedan. I think the trunk is actually pretty big for the size of the car. I prefer the looks of it also, and its wider if that matters (than the wagon).

No matter what you go with, you'll get a winner!
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Old 02-09-2004, 02:34 PM   #19
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You'll love the subies in the snow. The wagon form factor serves my wife and I well, and the WRX is so much more planted in slick conditions than the Civic. Even though it costs more to operate (23 mpg vs 32 mpg), we prefer road trips in the WRX just because it feels better and more solid regardless of weather.
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Old 02-09-2004, 02:52 PM   #20
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If cargo space is your main concern, the cargo area of the wagon isn't huge if anyone is sitting in the back seat (i.e. kids). I have one child and we can just fit our stuff in for camping etc. Two kids and I'd need a larger car. With the seats up, the wagon's cargo area isn't much bigger than the sedans. You can just pile stuff up a little higher. The Forester is based on the same platform as the Impreza so it's about the same horizontally, but is a lot higher. One solution is a cargo bin on the roof, if you have roof rails.

The Legacy wagon has a wider, longer cargo area, but it is not as high as the Forester. The 2005 Legacy GT wagon would be nice, but you could also consider the base Legacy, or the Outback if your concerned about ground clearance.

Speaking of ground clearance, unless your going off-road 6.1" is plenty. Lots of WRX's (and Legacy's) compete in rallies on relatively rough roads at the stock height. See for your self:
Ontario Winter Rally Entry List
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Old 02-09-2004, 04:52 PM   #21
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sounds like the wagon is what you need.
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Old 02-09-2004, 08:10 PM   #22
GSR94
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im such a dunce, should have made this thread a poll....
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Old 02-09-2004, 09:14 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally posted by nhibbert
One solution is a cargo bin on the roof, if you have roof rails.
Yup:



I agree about the ground clearance; I have driven the WRX on some pretty bad dirt roads with no trouble.
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Old 02-10-2004, 03:11 AM   #24
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XT's are ugly and are for old people IMO.

Old people that want to go 0-60 in under 6 sec, but it's still an SUV
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Old 02-10-2004, 10:50 AM   #25
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The WRX is no beauty queen either.
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