im debating on which series to get, the 02 or the 05?

 

umm it depends. 04's have the best seats, and are the best looking in my opinion. If you can pony up the extra cash get an 06' TR, they're the quickest and most refined wrx's made. Its really up to you though, whatever you like better.

 

How can you say no???

 

i'd get a bug eye...

maybe im just saying that cuz i have one...?

=)

 

WELLL i own a Bug eye, I do think their the best xD can't resist those Eyes and their seat are more comfy then the 04!!! But the 04-05 have the RA gears! get the 02-03!!!

btw Nice pic Superglue

 

ooh ic ic yea 02s are pretty nice when u add a little cash into it but 04s look more "built" but idk yet

 

The RA gearset is not found in any factory-produced WRX 5-speed in the U.S. The RA and STi RA are special close-ratio gearsets while the ratios in the WRX 5MT gearbox have remained the same since its debut in the MY2002.

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0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

see even he says get teh bug eye

bug eyes are the best!

 

Bugeye FTW!

 

Bugeye if you can find one with low miles in good condition. I like the 05 because of the factory colormatched sideskirts though.

 

bah the seats are no good

and teh crosseyed is no good

 

i admit the 02'-03' seats are more comfy but they look very ordinary. the 04's look sporty and are fairly comfy.

 

Ah thank you! As I was scrolling down I came to that post and I was like "Oh noes!" But then I saw your post. I've heard that from several people but, as Wingless said, it's not true.

To the OP, get what you like best. It's mainly just personal preference, although the 02-03 have had more transmission failures that I've heard of. The 05 (not 04) also has a revised steering rack IIRC.

 

So the rumor that the +MY04 have 1mm wider gears is false? I wonder how that rumor got started in the first place.

 

That may be the case - I've heard that improvements were made to the strength of the '04 and later 5MT but it isn't the RA gearset that is installed in our U.S. trannies by the third parties. I would have to get a verified observation from an outfit like Gruppe-S that regularly installs those gearsets in the U.S.-spec transmissions.

Transmission cases can only fit a specific sized gearset, to my knowledge, but the most common way to increase strength is to machine a gearset with coarser pitch teeth. The only drawback with a coarser pitch is increased gear noise when engaged. This is how in ancient times (the late '60s) Muncie Gear Division of General Motors manufactured a coarser pitch gearset for Corvettes equipped with certain high-output big block Chevy engines to handle increased torque input. The transmission was RPO option M-22, otherwise known fondly as 'The Rockcrusher'.

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0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush