I'm at a crossroad as to which car to buy. This is the deal.

I want to get a performance car because I have this old sedan that only has 120HP, doubt that it have that much. I test drove two cars.

1. stock 2003 Impreza WRX: Good power, decent handling, a fast SEDAN.

2. stock 2001 Miata: exceptional handling, power has a lot to be desired. TWO seater only.

3. Buy one of them used? I heard people tell me not buy a used WRX because many owners tend to abuse the cars. Miatas are pretty cheap especially the first gen ones.

4. Buy them brand new? The new WRX will have a 2.5L, and the new miata will have the 2.0L 170HP engine, optional 6speed and bilstein shocks. 170 on a car that light sounds promising, but again, no cargo space. Both cars should be about the same price.

What does everyone else think? input would be appreciated! Mazda has specs out on the new MX-5, but Subaru still has none. Anyone know of any? (chassis improvement, weight, etc)

 

It's really hard to compare those two cars as they're are 100% different.

You need to look in to what you want and make a decision.

Do you need AWD, four doors and a bigger trunk? Do you want a turbocharged car? Or do you really want a RWD convertible coupe with limited storage space and no turbo? What is more appealing to you? When you drove both cars, which did you prefer to drive?

As for the '06 WRX, it's going to have a 2.5L four cylinder instead of the current WRX 2.0. Power isn't up much, just 3hp and a little more torque, but the additional displacement will help seriously with the little turbo lage the 2.0L WRX has. The look of the '06 is COMPLETELY different than the '05 or '03. They just released pictures last week - www.subaru.co.jp.

As for the new Miata, man it looks hot. If I could live with the limited storage space I'd be all over the new Miata. It's bad ***.

For buying used, I wouldn't buy a used WRX. Turbocharged performance cars tend to be purchased by people who want a fast car and want to drive their car fast. Many have been modded, MANY have been abused by their owners. Sure, some clean, unmodded examples of the WRX do exist, but I don't know where, and I imagine finding one would be difficult.

If you wanted to buy used on the Miata, I don't really see a problem with that. I don't know a lot about them, but it seems like it would be easier to find a used, unmodded/unabused Miata for a great price than it would be to find a used, unmodded/unabused WRX

 

yeah. it really is a tough decision. The cornering ability of the miata is awesome. The car goes in the direction that the wheel is turned to. The WRX is a less responsive, but the accel out the turn is great. I guess with tuned suspension, the WRX can hold its own on cornering and the practical reasons of cargo... tough choice.

 

Don't forget, you can turbo/super charge the miata for some very nice power. Since the car is a lot smaller and lighter than a WRX, you might even notice even little power add ons more... There are only a few issues to consider as have been addressed: all wheel drive, and size. Depending on how you weigh in on those issues will determine the purchase you make. Personally I have a WRX and love it, but am in the process of buliding up a miata as a project car with a turbo and ic. It's fairly inexpensive, and a great solution for the weekend warrior project car. It's a great little roadster, reliable, and has a lot of potential. Good luck with your decision, either way you'll have a great car.

 

It certainly can. I have Ground Control coil overs with v7 STi struts and a thicker rear sway bar with endlinks (+17 inch wheels and 235/40/17 tires). Yesterday I cruised through a left turn at an intersection at about 40mph with two gallons of paint and all the supplies needed to paint a room in my house.

The guy in the Accord who had a head start on me through the intersection was pissed :rotfl:, but the car cornered so flat the paint just slid across the trunk. No spilling or falling over

 

Is this your only car?
If you want to see if you can handle a miata, go test drive one when it's raining, and leave the top UP, and drive it around for a while. Unless you're in a VERY good climate area (like Arizona), you're nuts to try to daily drive a miata as your only car. You're going to have to make multiple trips to the supermarket just to get groceries.

 

Decided to go with the WRX for practicality. The question now is, 05 or 06?

The 05 is going on the summer sale, and I could potentially get it cheap.

The 06 though I really don't care for the front end, the 2.5L engine sounds promising. However, I heard of rumors that this engine's has some weak points, limiting the amount of mod you can do.


how much should I expect from a summer "sale" for the 05?
Does the EJ20 have significant lag?
can minor mods(up/downpipe, access port) decrease this lag?
The idea about the first year cars for a new generation having flaws, does subaru have this also?

Thanks

 

the 06 is not a "first year car". It's a slight freshening, and a motor swap to an existing motor (2.5L has been in service for several years). I wouldn't expect major problems from it.

You should be able to get a new 05 base WRX 5-speed for somewhere in the 21's before taxes and after incentives, depending on your area. Obviously, if you add features/accessories, it goes up from there.

As far as the turbo lag, there is some lag on the turbo with the 2.0L, and the 2.5L will fix much of that, although the car will be somewhat heavier, and not significantly more powerful. Minor modifications can reduce the turbo lag on the 2.0 somewhat, but will not eliminate it. Once you learn how to drive it well though, it's not as much of a problem as people make it seem. Yes, if you're in 5th at 45, you'll have trouble passing a Geo Metro with a flat tire, but if you keep the revs up a bit when driving agressively, you mitigate a lot of the lag.

 

Thanks for the info! So the 06 is not a make-over like the 06 miata. I though the chassis and suspension were all redesigned. I guess I can stick w/ the 05.

My only concern now is the tranny. This age old myth about the glass tranny doesn't hold a lot of water, but still a concern for me. The probelm seems to lie in the tranny case and the input shaft. Honestly speaking, how much ponies can I add to the EJ20 before this case flex becomes an issue? Subaru is known for their reliability, so I assume they won't keep something that is really a problem right?

 

The "transmission of glass" thing is mostly an exaggeration, and has been greatly improved since 02, when it was a somewhat legit concern.
HOWEVER
This has nothing to do with your question of how heavily you can mod the vehicle without it damaging the tranny. Subaru is known for their reliability, true, but it is the manufacturer's responsibility to ensure that a car, as delivered from the factory, will last a long time, not to make the car a bulletproof mod platform. The earlier WRX's do have some pretty significant transmission issues when heavily modded, and the jury is still out on the 04 and 05 models, since there's not really enough with high enough miles to be getting into trouble.

In most cases, light to moderate bolt on mods (stage 1 and 2 upgrades) shouldn't have a significant effect (I've got about 50K on my stage 2, and it's been modded almost from the day of it's birth, and it's fine). The other thing that has a huge effect is the driver, and how hard the vehicle is driven. WRX's aren't built to drag race. Race starts put a ton of strain on the transmission because the wheels don't slip like on a RWD vehicle.

 

I don't plan on launching the car from 5-6K so I hope it shouldn't be an issue then. My main idea of fun is to drive spiritedly at the mountain passes. Was planning to get an Sti, but I like to wrench cars, so I decided on the WRX.

I feel a correctly tuned 250-260 HP is enough for the street. An uppipe and downpipe with cobb stage1 should be sufficient for this. Well, before any of that I probably need new suspension and tires... Coming from a 92 accord, I'll need to get used to the power first. I drive a turbo diesel truck at work, and that thing has some massive lag. It takes like two seconds for it revup once I floor the pedal. That's were I got my conception of turbo lag. Pretty sure the WRX is not that bad.

 

I've never dyno'ed my car, but I'd estimate that that's the range that I'm running in (@ crank), and my power mods are similar to what you suggested, full TBE with race cat, intake, chip. Throw in some suspension mods, a short throw, better wheels and tires (mostly tires), and it's a very fun daily driver that should last a long time, and I haven't had any issues getting warranty work done, except for an oxygen sensor, which I would have to be insane to think that they would cover.