Went down to the local John Elway Subaru dealership this evening and drove around Impreza WRXs.
Me like.
Didn’t try the STi — finding those available for test drive, or sitting around dealer lots, is, evidently, like finding hen’s teeth. But the WRX has plenty of pep (especially at speed), and it a good tick lower in price. Maybe just as well, then.
We tried both the sedan version and the wagon (read: hatchback). Both handle nearly the same, and while the sedan is definitely sportier in appearance, it’s hard to argue with convenient space to stack boxes into if need be. I could live with either, but I think my direction’s going to be toward the wagon. I know Margie will be crushed to lose the rear spoiler, but hopefully the air scoop on the hood will make up for it …
And this sounds pretty positive. More photos here.
So, tomorrow evening we sit down with one of the fleet sales guys at a local dealership, via CostCo, and find out what-all this is going to cost us, and what precisely we can get. The center armrest extension is a must, and there’s any number of nice-to features in the accessories (alas for Margie, it seems that the heated seats only come with the Performance Package — which is only on the sedan, and includes a headspace-sucking sun roof). We definitely don’t need the super-fancy-schmancy racing trim (nor do I want a car in red), but some amenities, the cargo bin and net, the bumper protection — aaaaaand maybe the short-throw shifter — would be fun.
I can’t tell if the comment about Margie and the spoiler was facetious or not.
Heh.
Margie is disinclined aesthetically toward most spoilers — though I ended up with one on the Saturn, and she was the person who pointed me toward the Impreza, which comes standard with a spoiler in the WRX line and above. Though I’ll admit with her that the large spoiler on the STi is a bit goofy.
On the other hand, I think the hood scoop is cool (“No, it bootiful!” as Katherine would say).
Looks good. Subarus have a great rep in our valley.
Two of our friends own the Subaru Outback wagon and I can tell you both are thrilled with those vehicles (which are a lot less sporty than what you’re considering, of course). We really punish cars here–it can get down to -40 two or three times a winter, lots of snow, ice, steep roads … if a make is reliable here, it will serve you well there, too, I’m guessing.
Yeah, My mom went through CostCo for her Subaru and it was quick and painless. Luckily they had the kind (color and package) she wanted on the lot. So the trade in part and the paper filling out part took all of an hour.
I still think that you should go for the Outback 3.0, but oh well.
And it’s nice to know that the Scoop is a girl thing and not a boy thing in Kitten world.
I would say (possibly misled by New Car Visual Selectivity Syndrome) that Subaru Legacy Outbacks* are the most popular car on the road here in the Denver area. There’s a zillion of the things. I’m happy enough to be taking a slightly less trodden trail by the beaten path.
The Saturn is old enough (10 yrs, nearly) that I suspect its trade-in value is next to nil (based in part on comments when we tried to trade in Margie’s Accura back when we bought the van). We will likely instead donate it to a Worthy Cause and take the Blue Book write-off.
Biggest question mark is the financing thing, which could be via the dealership, or could be reactivating our relationship with BellCo (They of the Mystery Pink Slip), or could be doing a equity line of credit, or some combination thereof. Need to discuss with the Missus.
*The Outback is a dressing on the two car lines Subaru has, the Legacy and the Impreza (the Legacy version is the Legacy Outback, or Outback Legacy; the Impreza version is called the Outback Sport). They are essentially a middle model, in the Impreza line, between the baseline 2.5T and the WRX. Thus endeth the lesson.
Stick!
Vroom vroom!
Absofraginlutely.
There are aspects to manual transmissions that are annoying, to wit, the need to drive with two hands, one hand being insufficient to both steer and shift. As a result, eating food and using the cell phone is more problematic.
On the other hand, that’s probably a good thing.
The biggest questionmark with the stick is whether to get the short throw shifter, and which (if any) of the three designer stick knobs to get as an accessory … 🙂