Texas S

Those are all great cars that you'd be happy with, I think. So it comes down to what you want. Don't forget, the WRX is an econobox as well, just with more of a rally heritage than most. I had an '02 WRX wagon with absolutely no problems, the only real problem was you get the mod bug and next thing you know you're driving a racecar that's not that fun to commute in. I also had a CRX Si that was a frickin blast. I loved that car, Honda Civics are amazing engineering for the price. They're front wheel drive though, and torque steer can be an issue. I don't know anything about the RSX's other than that they seem to have alot of potential but are kind of girl cars... but again, Honda (Acura) engineering is not to be dismissed. Have you driven these cars? A turbo AWD car is a totally different beast than a high rev FWD car. Good luck, I don't think you can go wrong really but to me the Subaru is the better deal.

Reading through your post I was thinking 'clogged fuel filter', so maybe that's all it was. Do you know if the dealer reset your ECU? It will take awhile for it to relearn itself after that incident if you don't reset it. Just disconnect your neg terminal, press the brake pedal for ~~10 sec to drain the charge, then reconnect and drive the car like you normally do (ie bat out of hell or how many lives per gallon style), should get it back to what feels normal for you. You'll have to reset your preset stations on the radio, and clock. I had that exact model, and constantly reset the ECU to get rid of transmission lags. Man I miss that car, one of the best looking Subarus ever in my opinion.

Ouch! Maybe check out www.subaruforester.com, there's some nice looking 'pimped' Foresters on there that will flat out scream. You may find it's not as simple as you think if you want to do it right... let me guess, you inherited the car? There's some nice lowering springs out there that will drastically improve the handling of the car but lose ground clearance, and the same with larger wheels + tires with shorter sidewalls. In South Texas you likely don't care about ground clearance, which Mr. Montana up there may not realize... which reminds me, make sure you get some locking lugnuts so some vato loco doesn't steal your new spinnaz... Make sure you do some reading so you don't potentially mess up what sounds like a nice car at the moment.

Do the STi's have side airbags in the seats? If they do you may have to either disconnect them or extend the wiring? Good luck with it, you must have long legs as I'm 6'4" and have more than enough leg room in the WRX's.

The Baja T's actually the 2.5, the WRX is the one with the 2.0. The LGT is similar but revamped and quite a bit nicer and more refined. I think the tranny's also considerably re-engineered. So you're saying it's an auto (sportshift) correct? Subaru has some problems with their autos, I'd talk to them about either getting one of the more recent autos off the assembly line or consider a manual. Like Seahag says, they can be a bit touchy but once you learn it you'll love it. Don't give up on the Subaru!!

It's not just the Outback LL Bean's, it's pretty much every Subaru my friend! I think the old Subaru line is 'All Subaru's vibrate, some more than others'... I've owned 4 now and they all do to one degree or another. Sometimes resetting the ECU helps, or just get used to it as it's part of the personality of the car...

What transmission do you have Phunlover?

In the past two years, I've gone through 3 Subaru's and am now on my fourth (2001 Forester S, 2003 Forester XS, heavily modded 2002 WRX wagon, and now 2005 Baja Turbo). Maintenance other than routine fluids, filter, etc = 0 Problems other than less than impressive auto transmissions = 0 I have to say my local dealers are lame though. I read all the negative experiences on this site and am mystified as well.:-\

Hey Perry; I ordered the seats but am going to try to install them without first. Also, I looked into the longer strut question... the KYB's for Legacies MIGHT fit, but nothing for sure. I'm wondering about brake line extensions, whether they'll be required or not. Did you get your springs?

You're going to spend a lot of money to get a WRX to the performance AND RELIABILITY (not to mention warranty coverage) of an STi. Have you ever had a turbo AWD performance car before? They take awhile to learn to drive, and some people just plain don't like them. Make sure you drive a few WRX's (as they'll probably be easier to convince the dealer to let you take them out) to see if you like them first. If you do, but find it a bit utilitarian, THEN check out the STi. Don't overlook the Forester XT if you're mainly looking to go fast. The XT is slightly quicker than the WRX, much nicer interior and option availability, MUCH LESS turbo lag due to 2.5 litre engine, and easier to get to the performance levels of the STi if you really need it. Factor in the difference in insurance prices and the amount of attention you get from the cops also.

Man, the STi's not really a logical buy so I don't know if it's worth considering pros and cons... if you want one and can swing it, go for it. Toys are rarely regretted! That said: Pros - WHEEEEEE!!!!!!! Great scooby community Cons - Noisy Stiff ride Premium fuel Insurance costs Attention from cops (helps to remove rear wing) Attention from punk kids Generally poor dealership support Replacing tires Becoming addicted to modifications etc PS- Did I mention WHEEE!!!

Greg; Are we talking about the same place? Xcceleration is in Vermont, and they definitely don't sell shoddy parts! They're Scooby specialists, have been developing parts and putting together packages for quite some time. I HIGHLY recommend them and would say their customer service is fantastic. If you have a problem with their return policy, get in touch with Sam there and he will hook you up. They're the ONLY place I know that is even bothering with the Baja performance issues, so that alone gets my respect.

www.xcceleration.com

Hey Greg, I just replied to your blow off valve question... check out www.xcceleration.com, they seem to be doing more BT related work than anyone else. Let us know what your plans are, and check out the Baja board on www.nasioc.com!

First off, why do you want one? If it's just for the sound, first try taking off your snorkus. You'll get a strong 'psssh' blow off noise under hard acceleration, just enough to freak people out and make yourself giggle and waste gas far too often. If it's for performance, you'd have to be making serious boost pressures and horsepower to really need it over the stock valve. If you are, write it up because lots of BT owners would like to hear about it. If it's for looks, make sure it'll fit under the hood. Generally all WRX/Forester XT blow off valves will fit our mounts but some won't fit under the hood. I know some people have to reverse mount it which seems like a lot of trouble for nothing but looks.