doughboy

iTrader: (3)

edited b/c of what gogats said...if you're looking for shortcomings in this car, you will find it regardless of how well it was engineered. i'll leave my opinion to those who are seriously considering this car.

XkrazyAsianX

iTrader: (5)

well you can't just "drop" an awd car like a rwd, you have to go with the clutch .. dont just drop the clutch and stomp on the gas, drop it and step around half way on the gas and den go all the way. and the reason the wrx tranny is weaker than the evo is because the wrx clutch is better and the evo clutch is weaker. in many evo forums u can find ppl replacing their stock clutch within a few months. since powers gotta go somewhere .. so it's either the clutch that breaks or the tranny which ever's weaker. so since our clutch is strong and the tranny's not .. the tranny tent to go out first. and vice versa with the evos ... iono why subaru did this buh guess your just gonna have to get a jdm sti 6sp

XkrazyAsianX

iTrader: (5)

well you can't just "drop" an awd car like a rwd, you have to go with the clutch .. dont just drop the clutch and stomp on the gas, drop it and step around half way on the gas and den go all the way. and the reason the wrx tranny is weaker than the evo is because the wrx clutch is better and the evo clutch is weaker. in many evo forums u can find ppl replacing their stock clutch within a few months. since powers gotta go somewhere .. so it's either the clutch that breaks or the tranny which ever's weaker. so since our clutch is strong and the tranny's not .. the tranny tent to go out first. and vice versa with the evos ... iono why subaru did this buh guess your just gonna have to get a jdm 6sp

XkrazyAsianX

iTrader: (5)

well you can't just "drop" an awd car like a rwd, you have to go with the clutch .. dont just drop the clutch and stomp on the gas, drop it and step around half way on the gas and den go all the way. and the reason the wrx tranny is weaker than the evo is because the wrx clutch is better and the evo clutch is weaker. in many evo forums u can find ppl replacing their stock clutch within a few months. since powers gotta go somewhere .. so it's either the clutch that breaks or the tranny which ever's weaker. so since our clutch is strong and the tranny's not .. the tranny tent to go out first. and vice versa with the evos ... iono why subaru did this buh guess your just gonna have to get a jdm 6spd

bassplayrr

iTrader: (9)

True and not true, you are oversimplifying. The gear brakage problem that manny experience is in fact abuse related. However, many many people have a problem with bad syncros, more specifically a grind when trying to engage first from a dead stop, and a grind entering fourth. In most cases this is NOT abuse related and is instead a result of a rather poor dual cone syncro design.

-Chris

thebankman

iTrader: (7)

People telling you the transmission is bulletproof are liars. My transmission has destroyed two synchro gears and reverse goes into gear maybe half the time you try, if you're lucky. This is after normal use. Check the posts on transmission and clutch issues. I recommend NOT getting a standard WRX if you don't have the money to fix the clutch and transmission...the Sti has a stronger transmission and would be a better choice overall for purchase.

thebankman

iTrader: (7)

I find this to be incorrect.
If the WRX clutch is "better", why did I have to replace my first clutch through a Technical Service Bulletin? Why did it have clutch shudder before 10000 miles were put on the car?
The EVO clutch goes out because the car has a STRONG TRANSMISSION, and the clutch takes all the force off the transmission. There are systems in a car that link together- engine mates to clutch, clutch mates to transmission, transmission mates to driveshafts. If one of the links in the system is weak, it's going to give out. Having a strong transmission that can take heavy force (which the 2.0T powerhouse in the EVO can put out) in the end puts most of the wear and tear on the clutch. The fact that there is no Technical Service Bulletin on the EVO's clutch says something about it's strength.
In my opinion, the clutch, transmission and driveshafts in the standard WRX were never designed for the amount of power the engine puts out. 160hp at the wheels stock is pushing those parts, let along 300 crank (maybe 230hp at wheels). 300 crank horsepower will destroy those parts in a short time, and don't even try to rally or drag race or they will fry very quickly, if not snap the driveshafts and stop you dead in your tracks.
ok that's all i have to say

fantomrex2402

well i drive my wrx pretty regurlarly. i dont do the 5k clutch drops i dont do nething like that. but my syncho went out in 1rst gear. took it 2 a transmission specialist that iv known 4 quite a while & he told me what it was. he said theres no abuse there & it shudnt b dont race my car or i havent autox it but id like 2. but i took it 2 southern states subaru & they started in w/ the user abuse & i told him simply its a daily driven car but not abused iv taken it 2 a specialist & its the synchro & if im not mistaken quite a few of the wrxers have had a 1rst gear synchro promblems. but im lookin 4ward 2 gettin it back since i have 59k miles on it & it is under warranty. but it is how u drive it but it also comes down 2 parts just givin out after a while. but its a good car awesome in the snow. good day now.. i.... am .....out
BT

PyroManiac

Holy run on sentences Batman!

In regards to the original question, your best bet is to play it easy until you can put in an STi tranny or something. I know of may people that use WRXs as Daily Drivers, and you will be fine.

jigga

It isn't that the wrx clutch is better overall, it just happens to have a higher clamping force than the evo clutch... The fact that you have clutch shudder is just even more evidence of this.. The TSB that came out was for dealers to install a weaker clutch in place of the stock one. This one did not have the clamping force of the original, and non of the shudder issues either. I am sure you must have noticed the lighter pedal effort as well with the new clutch setup. When you step up to the really gnarly aftermarket clutch setups, clutch shudder and lack of smoothness should be considered part of the game.. Since it was not something that most consumers were familiar with on their cars, SOA must have felt it necessary to make the change.

Heck, the EVo's clutch issue showed up on numerous comparos of both cars back when I was in England. The Evo's stock clutch will simply not tolerate too many launches... not like the wrx clutch will, but I think it is also a universally accepted fact that the evo's transmission is much tougher than the 5speed wrx transmission, and is good to go (as durable as awd transmissions go) as soon as the clutch is replaced with something more substantial.

As for the EVO clutch going out because it has a strong transmission, It simply aint the case... It is a well known fact that the clutch is not very conducive to abuse (READ: AWD launches). It is an even better known fact that drivers actually miss 2nd gear (from first) simply because of the issues with the clutch. Since this is involved in 1/4mile activity, most owners quickly swap it out to something that wont give up as easily

thebankman

iTrader: (7)

My clutch didn't just shudder...when I had to have it replaced, the clutch was failing to deliver power in almost every gear. It was total junk; the new clutch is supposed to be heavier and take the load off the transmission (i.e. more force going to the new clutch). BTW it failed at 15000 miles.

You ask me, a car should not be sold with a drivetrain that cannot take the power the car makes under normal or even tougher use. Clutch shudder is totally unacceptable considering these cars have been produced in Japan and Europe for years.
And clutch shudder from an aftermarket clutch? I think that's a flaw, but then again I've never used an aftermarket clutch.

If you want an example for a perfect clutch and transmission: C5 Corvette 6MT. Borg Warner transmission with a heavy-duty clutch. Power in every gear at any RPM over 1000, launches are just beauty at any RPM or speed, synchros in every gear including reverse that allow you to shift into any gear or even skip gears (there is a 1-4 skip shift built in for increased mileage).

jigga

I agree with you in the sense that a car should not be sold if the trans is unable to take the power that the engine dishes out.

With regard to clutch shudder, that and harsh engagements are very much a fact of life when you get those high-end clutches.

The transmissions of 2wd cars have a much easier time with regard to stress, simply because the excess power can be bled off in the form of wheelspin. When you have an awd transmission where both front and rear axles are tied together, wheelspin is not so easy to come by. The excess power has to go somewhere... If it aint through the tires are wheelspin, its the gears that eat the punishment. Such is the case with any awd car...Be it an EVO, an STi, a 911TT (owners of those cars won't ever launch their cars for you ... wonder why?), 3000GT VR4, etc. With enough launches, any transmission will eventually fail.

With regard to your statement about the C5 having power in every gear above 1000rpms, this is partly because it is a high displacement V8 engine (as I am sure you know), and the fact that it is normally aspirated, so there is no lag in power (the off-boost sensation). Also, those cars have super long 5th and 6th gears in order to provide the wonderful fuel economy that they are known for. Also, the massive torque of the engine allows the car the luxury of hopping from first to 4th without flinching..
Did you know that the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage with the V12 engine will actually accelerate cleanly from a stop in 4th gear?? All in a gear that will carry the car to around 140-150mph.. Thats displacement and low end torque for ya!

I agree that subaru should have provided synchros into every gear, but on the 02 models, I know that the only gear that had no synchronizer was reverse, and that was added later. The synchros that are in the other gears are on the weak side though, and it is possible to actually shift faster than they are willing to work.

Your original clutch failing at such a low milage was very unfortunate... It is documented though that the new replacement clutches that they are handing out under the TSB though will not hold as much power as the oringinal clutches that shuddered.. Whether this means anything to you really depends on what you want to do with your car... If you are going for the big whp numbers, then the first clutch was nice, but if staying with more modest whp numbers, the newer clutches worked fine, and were easier on the left leg as well... Especially in stop and go traffic. To Subaru, it was a perfect solution, since it would hold the ~160whp of the stock car.

thebankman

iTrader: (7)

I'm not adding any power to the car, can't afford to replace any parts.

And the Vette's transmission...so much butter, it's beauty. I've launched from 3rd by accident and it's sputtered and just gone forward, never been able to do that with any other car. The engine's power has a lot to do with it, as does the gearing. I've found 6th is decent for cruising but both 5th and 6th seriously haul *** at high speeds and are not an overdrive. I've driven a GT mustang and the 5th gear is straight up overdrive, you will not accelerate in it on the freeway even at full throttle.