My husband and I are thinking of buying a WRX. I was wanting to know some of the pros and some of the cons about the car. I've heard they have transmission problems, is that only in the manual? I can drive a manual I would rather have an automatic right now though. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

I haven't heard of any automatic transmission problems, myself. The 5 speed WRX(mainly MY02-03) is what you're always hearing about when you're talking about problems. The new 06 WRX is supposed to have alot better tranny...but who knows, only time can tell.

If you want a bulletproof transmission, buy the STi with it's 6 speed

 

The automatics have proven themselves to be quite sturdy. The biggest con of an automatic is more parasytic driveline loss(slower all around), inability to feather the clutch leaving you at the mercy of the torque convertor(slower off the line). Overally they aren't much slower, but it is easy to tell in certain situations. Also there is the "fun factor" to consider. I've recently driven a few 06s and the extra displacement(2.5l motor for wrx, as opposed to 2.0l in previous years) makes for a much nicer feeling, power wise. If my car had felt like an 06 automatic, I probably would be driving an automatic right now.

Pros? Easier on road trips, easier for commuting, much more repeatable at the drag strip, not known as the weak spot in a wrx(as opposed to the previous years 5 speed).

 

The main complaint about the manual 5speed is the first gear syncro, some of them grind when shifting into first. I dont know if this is a problem from the factory or just bad shifting techniques (like constantly jamming it into first while moving).

My 2002 has 45K miles and I have no problems/grinding...although I have driven my friends 2002 sedan and that thing would grind from a dead stop with the clutch to the floor. Proper shifting and care do wonders for the 5spd. Constantly dragging/launching/hard shifting can cause problems too.

 

2005 Subaru Impreza WRX

Pros:
Fun to drive (5 spd.)
Good gas mileage for a turbo car (if you're opting for that)
Comfortable ride
Nicely equipped for its price
Respond quite nicely with mods

Cons:
Power loss due to AWD drivetrain (that's up top of the speedometer)
ECU should be redone (OL/CL)
Door clanks when you close it when window is half way down

Next...

 

i have to pretty much agree on all acounts except for the fact that my car is a 2003 wrx and shifting it in reverse is very bothersome.

 

04 here, haven't had a problem at all. Running UP/DP atm, and my tranny is still going strong. Very good for what you pay for. Only complaint is the cup holder (02-04) tends to rattle when holding a drink