Drove an ugly car today and was impressed and concerned (long)
03-25-2001, 11:20 PM
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Drove an ugly car today and was impressed and concerned (long)
Ok, I have been lurking on this board for several weeks, reading current posts and searching old ones for everything I can find about the A4. Time to join the arena because I have a big time concern and I want to get an idea of what other think about the issue.
I have my heart set on an A4. However, all the media comments about the WRX caught my attention (e.g., "The WRX and the 911 are not competitors, really, but they're very definitely in the same league." Automobile Magazine, March 2001). So, to satisfy my curiosity, I drove a WRX 5 speed manual wagon. It was a real rush. I did not notice any turbo lag. As soon as I hit the pedal I was pushed back into the seat. In fact, I had a hard time reining the car in during some stop and go traffic. However, this could have been due to the fact that I have never driven a turbo before and I am kind of used to putting my foot into it. The car is fast.
The stock suspension was also very impressive. I have test driven a few A4's with the sport suspension and the WRX was very comparable. I powered the car through some sharp turns at intersections and took one freeway onramp at high speed. It was very surefooted and cornered with ease.
However, despite its great performance "out of the box" and its cheap price, it is not an Audi. I have been spoiled by my wife's GLX Passat (4motion) and all of the Audi's I have test driven. IMO there is a very definite distinction between the interior components of the two cars. Somebody on a prior post wrote that the WRX is the top of the econo class and I think that was right on point. If I was deciding to buy this car after owning an econo car (you fill in the model), I would definitely feel that the WRX was a step up. But to go the other way, is IMO a step down in creature comforts.
As for the exterior, I was not impressed with the fit and finish of the car, especially compared to the Audi. For example, the doors did not shut with that solid thunk I love. Most importantly, I think the car is absolutely ugly. I do not like the hood scoop (yes, I know it serves a vital purpose and is not that way for show) or the boxy flared fenders. I think the Audi is a prettier car.
However, the WRX is a fantastic car and I am sure that if I was not so caught up in the Audi's luxuries and styling a WRX would be my next car. Nonetheless, I do not relish the idea of looking at the taillights of this ugly beast as it blows the doors off my A4. I have looked at Subaru's comparison chart on its website. Compared to the 1.8, the WRX has 57 more horses (227 @ 6000 rpm vs 170 @ 5900 rpm) and 51 lbs/ft of torque (217 @ 4000 rpm vs. 166 @1950 rpm), but the WRX is a heavier car (by 85 lbs.)
Will a new chip and exhaust be enough to catch the WRX? Or will it take even more mods? And, yes I`m talking about a stock WRX. I know they are already chipping them to get another 50 hp+ (in that case, I think it will be up to the PES supercharged 2.8 and chipped S4's to defend Audi's honor).
I have my heart set on an A4. However, all the media comments about the WRX caught my attention (e.g., "The WRX and the 911 are not competitors, really, but they're very definitely in the same league." Automobile Magazine, March 2001). So, to satisfy my curiosity, I drove a WRX 5 speed manual wagon. It was a real rush. I did not notice any turbo lag. As soon as I hit the pedal I was pushed back into the seat. In fact, I had a hard time reining the car in during some stop and go traffic. However, this could have been due to the fact that I have never driven a turbo before and I am kind of used to putting my foot into it. The car is fast.
The stock suspension was also very impressive. I have test driven a few A4's with the sport suspension and the WRX was very comparable. I powered the car through some sharp turns at intersections and took one freeway onramp at high speed. It was very surefooted and cornered with ease.
However, despite its great performance "out of the box" and its cheap price, it is not an Audi. I have been spoiled by my wife's GLX Passat (4motion) and all of the Audi's I have test driven. IMO there is a very definite distinction between the interior components of the two cars. Somebody on a prior post wrote that the WRX is the top of the econo class and I think that was right on point. If I was deciding to buy this car after owning an econo car (you fill in the model), I would definitely feel that the WRX was a step up. But to go the other way, is IMO a step down in creature comforts.
As for the exterior, I was not impressed with the fit and finish of the car, especially compared to the Audi. For example, the doors did not shut with that solid thunk I love. Most importantly, I think the car is absolutely ugly. I do not like the hood scoop (yes, I know it serves a vital purpose and is not that way for show) or the boxy flared fenders. I think the Audi is a prettier car.
However, the WRX is a fantastic car and I am sure that if I was not so caught up in the Audi's luxuries and styling a WRX would be my next car. Nonetheless, I do not relish the idea of looking at the taillights of this ugly beast as it blows the doors off my A4. I have looked at Subaru's comparison chart on its website. Compared to the 1.8, the WRX has 57 more horses (227 @ 6000 rpm vs 170 @ 5900 rpm) and 51 lbs/ft of torque (217 @ 4000 rpm vs. 166 @1950 rpm), but the WRX is a heavier car (by 85 lbs.)
Will a new chip and exhaust be enough to catch the WRX? Or will it take even more mods? And, yes I`m talking about a stock WRX. I know they are already chipping them to get another 50 hp+ (in that case, I think it will be up to the PES supercharged 2.8 and chipped S4's to defend Audi's honor).
03-26-2001, 01:42 AM
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luv my audi....but the japanese pocket rockets.....GRIN!!!
We got a watered down version of WRX. In Asia the WRX and its rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (up to VII) have 280 hp and 6 speed manuals. They are bad *** setups. The jap spec ones go 0-60 under 5 secs. They of course are comfort cars because they are built for 1 purpose rallying!!! Maybe if we stripped out all of the interior put on stage 3+ from APR we might be able to catch up with them.
Plus they are cheap to build up...they come with an awesome front mounted intercooler setup
One thing is for sure, why is the new WRX so FUGLY?
But I still luv the styling of my AUDI!!!
Plus they are cheap to build up...they come with an awesome front mounted intercooler setup
One thing is for sure, why is the new WRX so FUGLY?
But I still luv the styling of my AUDI!!!
03-26-2001, 04:26 AM
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I bought my car because I wanted the best of all worlds...
A car that is reasonable fast, moddable, handles well, looks nice, is comfortable and luxurious, is reliable, and handles the winter and poor weather well(AWD). I think the car is fairly economical when it comes down to how damn practical it is....the mods are a different story. If I wanted a car built purely for speed, or purely for luxory, there are far better choices out there, but few cars bring it all together like the A4.
03-26-2001, 04:36 AM
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To me, our cars and the WRX are not the same at all.
I would hope that everyone here bought an A4 for more than its power. That is not what an Audi is all about. You can do much better for the money. The WRX was made exclusively for power, within reason of course (they have to pass emmisions and gas efficiency. Everything else was put aside.
For me, I like a well balanced car, fun power (not whacked out power), fun handling, nice looks, nice feel to the touch, little conveniences, good design, cool features and class (related to styling).
As much as everybody talks about power and performance here, there is an equal amount of attention towards style and almost equal amount of attention to functionality.
For me, I like a well balanced car, fun power (not whacked out power), fun handling, nice looks, nice feel to the touch, little conveniences, good design, cool features and class (related to styling).
As much as everybody talks about power and performance here, there is an equal amount of attention towards style and almost equal amount of attention to functionality.
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03-26-2001, 08:06 AM
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You have the weights wrong...
...a WRX 5-speed sedan weighs 3085 lbs while an A4 sedan (5-speed, Quattro) weighs 3241....a 156 pound difference.
I drove a WRX wagon a week or so ago and wasn't blown-away with the power, but I was being pretty gentle with the car due to the low miles (14 miles on the clock).
I feel that the WRX out-handles the A4...it feels much more nimble and light on it's feet. Steering feel is superior to the A4 and the suspension strikes a great balance between handling and comfort.
The A4 is the more luxurious of the two, as you'd expect.
<i>Will a new chip and exhaust be enough to catch the WRX? Or will it take even more mods?</i>
I think you might take one off the line as I think my chipped/exhaust-equipped A4 has more torque down low. But I think once the boost starts building in the WRX, he'll win.
<i>And, yes I`m talking about a stock WRX. I know they are already chipping them to get another 50 hp+</i>
From what I've been reading, it sounds like 250-260 hp is about the limit of the stock WRX transmission. So anything more than that and you might be looking at a trashed tranny or some fairly expensive mods to beef it up.
I drove a WRX wagon a week or so ago and wasn't blown-away with the power, but I was being pretty gentle with the car due to the low miles (14 miles on the clock).
I feel that the WRX out-handles the A4...it feels much more nimble and light on it's feet. Steering feel is superior to the A4 and the suspension strikes a great balance between handling and comfort.
The A4 is the more luxurious of the two, as you'd expect.
<i>Will a new chip and exhaust be enough to catch the WRX? Or will it take even more mods?</i>
I think you might take one off the line as I think my chipped/exhaust-equipped A4 has more torque down low. But I think once the boost starts building in the WRX, he'll win.
<i>And, yes I`m talking about a stock WRX. I know they are already chipping them to get another 50 hp+</i>
From what I've been reading, it sounds like 250-260 hp is about the limit of the stock WRX transmission. So anything more than that and you might be looking at a trashed tranny or some fairly expensive mods to beef it up.