What do you think of the WRX?

[SL five hunnert]

Not wanting to drive my new SL this winter, we've decided to change our "stable" a little. I'm going to sell (give away...?) my aged Toyota Camry, and drive my wife's Honda Accord this winter.

So, my wife gets a new car. We thought about a C-Class, but she's a little scared of the rear-wheel-drive on the snow. So, I thought here's our chance to get an AWD car. Here's our short list: (Mercedes! Where's the C240 4-matic!?)

1. Subaru WRX. Expensive for an Impreza ($37,000), but seems tough and lots of fun. The AWD combined with snow grips would make a good winter combo.

2. Audi A4 1.8T. Good value ($41,000) and AWD, but I am leery of Audi quality and reliability. Opinions?

3. BMW 325ix. Expensive due to option packaging ($46,000), but really nice exterior. Heard bad things about BMW's AWD system from way back, wonder if this one is better?

Help!

[el presidente]

Of the three you have selected, I would go with the Audi. Their quattro system has been proven over time (as has the Subaru's), but I think the WRX (especially the rear end) is plain ugly.

I have "heard" that MB will be introducing 4-matic on several new models in the coming months. Could your dream about a C-class 4-matic come true?

What about an ML320?

[420]

I'd go with the Audi too.
I do have a 02 Subaru forester, It's got 18K on it now and it's been a good car but it's not an Audi. The Audi has a MUCH nicer interior and just seems to be a little more sophisticated overall.
The WRX will have more power, but a simple chip upgrade in the Audi can bring you 50 more HP.
My Brother and his wife had a 98 A6 wagon with no problems.
Drive one, you'll like it.

[JCE]

My son and I drove a friend's WRX for about 100 miles, and rode in their Legacy wagon for about 400 miles. The seats were not very comfortable, at least to us, in either car. The WRX interior trim didn't come up to the level of the Wagon. However, they have owned damn near every AWD/4WD ever made except an MB, and say the Subaru is the most reliable and versatile of any of them. Also, the WRX had a lot of power and decent handling, and would be a fun short-trip car. (25 miles each way)

I also am wary of the Audi and BMW choice, based on the experience of my friends who have owned them. If you have had good luck with the Honda, why not another? While I haven't had good luck with either my Honda or Acura cars, others seem to love them. My Japanese car tech says that the lack of quality, complexity, and failures of the new Japanese cars is such that he wouldn't buy a new or late model one himself, but he rated Honda at the top of the list for durability (except for brake issues), followed by any Nissan except the Sentra, with Subaru and Mazda tied for second to last place, and Toyota at the bottom of the list.

If you need the AWD/4WD feature, Dvid C Klasse posted a link to Edmunds best used cars which ranks the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Pathfinder, and Honda CR/V as best buys. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/articles/index.html

[jsmith]

AAUUGGGH! Bigtime Stickershock!! Is that what the WRX is going for? I checked out invoice and MSRP before and it was well below $30k with all possible options. Is this with dealer padding on top of the MSRP? The only thing I can say about options 1 & 2 are that I don't like TURBO LAG. Both of them have it with the Audi less so, although the heavier Quattro makes it even more perceptible. Also, with the latest incarnation of the 1.8T, engine programming has been tailored to pretty much what the chip vendors were doing. Good news is you can still chip it for more power and that engine is race/rally proven and is very reliable. The Subaru, once the turbo kicks in, is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. I don't much like the styling, but the prospect of humiliating some unsuspecting Boxster drivers does have its appeal. A note on JCE's remark about his friend's 4WD experience - there's a reason that Subarus have a following in the snow belt!

Sounds like a fun car shopping exercise though. If money were no object, I would have your order reversed, otherwise that is how I would rank them.

[jsmith]

oops didn't catch that one. i didn't even blink with the other prices though. excuse me while i take my foot out of my mouth...

[SL five hunnert]

I talked to MB Canada today, and they said that yes-indeedy a C-Class 4-matic is going to be imported sometime in late 2002 or early 2003!

GREAT! I hope the pricing isn't too bad, as we're not too eager to break the $45K mark. They said the C240 4-matic will be available in sedan form only, while the C320 4-matic will be available in sedan or wagon. I'd like the C320, but at $60+K for a well equipped car, it's just too mucho-bucks.

Looks like we're going to hold out...

[el presidente]

Congrats

Sure you wouldn't rather have a G500?:p

[SL five hunnert]

Originally posted by el presidente
Congrats

Sure you wouldn't rather have a G500?:p

Sure. A G500 costs nearly as much as an SL500! Over $100,000 for an SUV?

One "hundred grand car" is enough in our family. Also, if that G500 burns gas like my SL500, we would be BROKE in no time. I've never owned a V-8 before. Can this thing use premium like Saudi Arabia was giving the stuff away? You bet...

[el presidente]

The G500 gets about 250 miles to the tankful

Capacity: 96 liters
EPA estimates: 12 city / 14 highway