Subaru Impreza WRX 4D

Bought a Subaru 1.5 A 4D. Service from the SUBARU car dealer in SINGAPORE ain't that good. Drove the car for around a month or less it broke down. It only clock a 1200km and it broke down. That's terrible for a new car. If gt a choice to choose again i wont even buy from THEM.

Test driven the 4 door WRX couple of days ago. 1st impression of the car, both its exterior & interior bland. No more boy racer looks. Cabin/boot spaces much better and confortable than before.

On the road, the car is quick but brake & suspension way too soft to cope with the 230 horses. Stock twin exhaust pipes needs to be upgraded for looks, performance & to bring out boxer note.

Priced at $84k which is quite a big price tag, not forgetting gotta spend quite a bit on aftermarket parts like rims, exhaust, brakes and suspension(easily cost $18k to $20k). Might as well go for a STI or JDM Civic Type R which is priced slightly above $100k.

Well it was my very first car, what should i say, "no regrets for getting it". My wife and family love to sit in it, and from the looks of it, it looks small, so can always tell pple not to put too many things in my car or let them in for a ride. Engine pick up is good, has never fail me when overtaking other vehicles.

This is one of the ugliest WRX ever roll out of Fuji Heavy Ind. It is better in term of comfort as compare to the old model. More spacious, quieter, comfortable, more head and legroom and also larger cabin/ boot.

As for the power, it seems a bid lag during acceleration as compared to the old model. Gone were the lightweight aluminium bonnet, weightsaver spare tyre and framless doors. Popping the hood reveal the downsize intercooler. I've no idea why subaru made such move. There's VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) on the WRX hatch but missing in WRX sedan. More expensive than the hatch yet lesser options.

The suspension setting is a bit on the soft side for spirited driving. Its more approperiate on normal sedan. Even the the brakes has been downgraded from the previous 4/2 pots to current 2/1 pots.

Sigh! Its a disappointment!

I like that fact that no one notices Sabrina, my new rex in WR Blue/5MT trim. Looks like a Korean made Chevy Epica, or a Mazda6-IS250 kind of mundane executive look. Less conspicous means less attention from prying eyes.

Handling is ok, haven't pushed it yet but my wife felt dizzy after I did some flicks through Bukit Timah Rd onto Newton Circus onto Scotts road. Springs could be a tad stiffer, but for everyday driving I think it's more than adequate.

I spend 90% of my time below 4000rpm, so the early spool up from 2800 is perfect for my power band. The ECU apparently uses the CAN bus type, so it's not so straight forward as the GC version which I owned from 1999 to 2003. I was told that instead of following a table,eg A/F or boost, the ECU now chooses between different tables depending on the situation. It's quite smart though, senses when I start to get aggressive, cuts off the AC compressor cos I can hear the click in the engine bay. Then as I cruise back down, the compressor clicks on again.

At the moment, I'm waiting for my 60k warranty to finish before I think about doing anything. In the meantime, the tint is done, paint protection is next week and V lip maybe in November.