Bishop_Tx

I have a friend that likes the Subaru product - he says it has the Rally car look and that appeals to him.

For me, the WRX is second on the "Ugliest Cars in the world" list --losing out to the Pontiac Aztec.

And the performance of the cars aren't that similar; not in purest sports cars terms; esp against the Track model.

But for those that the styling appeals to, differences of opinion are what makes the world go around. To each his own.

Chris
Austin, Tx
CS Track

Wiley

I actually have a bit of experience with the WRX so here goes:

2 of my best friends have WRX's, one modded, one bone stock. I have driven the crap out of both.

OMG i just looked at the clock, got to go, i will finsih this later
two problems:
1. Motor is only good for about 300HP
2. SO is the tranny, to go above 300 you need motor work and sti tranny

will explain later, bye

TJZ

i had to make the same decision. Fortunatley my dealer was marking up the wrx so that made the decision much easier. One thing you might want to consider is the base. That cuts the price difference between the two a lot. Also, you need to decide if you want a 2 seater sports car or a sedan. Further, you need to decide if you really want to mod the hell outta your car and void your warranty work. In the Z you get 287 ponies with a warranty. It's your decision, but i would recommend the Z.

bhobson333

I don't know the WRX, but I personally don't like turbos. In traffic, when I step on the gas I want power THEN not a second and a half later. I guess it must be something you get used to.

integraowner

The 350Z will be my daily driver. I don't want a car that requires me to drive like I'm at a track in order to get the "magazine" spec performance.

By this I mean I don't want turbo lag, I don't want to wait for VTEC to be felt at high rpm. I want power in a wide RPM range, and I want that range to start as near to 0 RPM as possible and continue straight on through the normal driving rpm range.

Why? Because that's where most city/street driving happens. I want to be cruising along at 2500rpm in a gear and if I need to "punch it" I want power then. That immediate (torque) power is ALWAYS faster than having to go through a downshift and it's also less hassle in day-to-day driving.

I know we're all auto enthusiasts here, but honestly, how often do all these people with high-revving or turboed cars (or otherwise not normally aspirated) drive them in their power band? Not very often. Driving through the city traffic of Seattle every single day, I often drive by these sort of vehicles (Integra Type R's, WRX, S2ks, etc.) and they are not rapping their engines out at 6000+ rpm; they are crusing at average joe type rpm's, where many of these cars have significantly reduced performance.

I currently drive an Integra GSR. It has an 8200 rpm redline. The fun in that car doesn't even begin until VTEC comes on at about 5500 rpm. Unfortunately, just like everyone else out there, I only get to to rev it like that once in a while, and for casual driving it's just not fun to be buzzing at 7000 rpm all the time. It's nice for the racetrack, but not as nice when it's day in, day out type driving.

So what's the point of this novel? Simple really:

1) If performance is important to you, please don't do yourself a disservice and compare based on the magazine specs; YOU go drive the cars you're considering, and drive them in the fashion you would for daily driving. All else being equal, pick the car that you feel performs best under those conditions. Rember that to get to the 6000+ RPM powerband of these cars, you first have to pass from 0 rpm to 6000 - and that takes time unless you're thrashing the **** out of the car, and it's outside the normal (street cruising) RPM range. Following this guideline should find yourself the car that will provide you the most driving pleasure overall, since around town is how you'll usually be driving it.

2) If you still can't get past the unrealistic (i.e., racetrack driving attitude) stats posted in the magazines, then get a separate car just for racing! Suggestion (1) above still stands in this case for your daily driver. This suggestion should let you finds the most pleasurable car for your TRACK driving pleasure (as opposed to average street driving). Here is where you drive them all and decide "yeah, for the track this 8000rpm driving is perfect!"

Voila'!

350zpower

unless you really need a 4 seater sedan or the extra 6k really pinches your budget -- go for the Z!!

Good to see your looking towards the enthusiast model and not the base model (not that their is anything wrong with the base) .. but the Enthusiast really does add some significant features (like TCS, LSD, Cruise Control, Xenon, etc..)

The Z has charisma and the styling is what you expect a $50k sports car to have ..

z350z

Great post, integraowner! You have summed up nicely an important point that many people seem to ignore when they speak only of 0-60 times and other numbers when comparing cars. The feel of torque in my 350Z that is always ready to launch me at the beckoning of my right foot is a far cry from other cars I have driven that required a downshift or too and a screaming engine to pass a slower car. Numbers don't tell the whole story.

You give good advice: drive the cars and feel the difference!

I had a similar experience when test driving a 220 hp Mitsubishi GT 3000 -- it felt really slow in normal use. I ended up buying a less powerful Mercedes SLK230 because the low-RPM torque made it feel so much better to drive. That's when I realized that the basic numbers don't mean that much. (Then again, I ordered the 350Z without ever driving it, so a lot of that was based on faith and the estimate HP/Torque numbers.)

Zterritory

I went through the same decision-making process, and here's what I thought about the comparison between the two.

They are both great performance cars for the money. The styling of the WRX is more in the vein of a muscle car -- aggressive, powerful, blistered fenders, scoop, tall. The styling of the 350Z is obviously that of a sports car -- beautiful, sleek, flared fenders. One is a beast, the other is a beauty. Two very different animals.

The WRX has 4 doors and rear seats, which can accommodate someone with more than 2 people in his/her immediate family. With all-wheel drive, it is the best choice for someone who may do a lot of driving in inclement weather, needs to fit more than 2 people on a regular basis, and still wants a lot of performance.

The 350Z is the best choice for someone who does not need to fit more than 2 people on a regular basis, wants a lot of performance, wants the steering feel associated with rear-wheel drive, and wants the aesthetic look of a beautiful sports car.

In the end, I bought the WRX because it was the most logical choice for someone starting a family, plus at the time the Z was a year and a half away from launch. I love my WRX, but I've owned 2 Zs before, and it's always been my favorite car. My wife and I are working on a timeline for getting one.

I hope we can keep both cars. I would love to have the WRX as my everyday workhorse beast, and the Z as my pampered beauty.

Ted

silvrz5

I have heard someone say the wrx looks like a pig before? After looking more at them on he roads, i conclude they do look like a pig, snoot and all. The real jewel is the engine and all wheel drive. I have sat in one before and looked them over, several times I have had a chance to drive one. I just had to say NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because if I would have there would have been a very good chance I would get one. The proof is in the performance, the looks take a back seat, and hope you get use to them.

All wheel drive makes alot of scence for a year round driver in the winter. The Lancer evo7 is coming out soon with like 270 hp. It looks a little more tame than the wrx, but just dosnt cut the mustard either. How bout a $40,000 2003 911c4, keep wishin'.

mdouvris

If you can swing it with the cash....Go ZZZZ! that suby is one ugly ride...IMHO

ATL350Z

iTrader: (2)

Although I believe the WRX to be pretty darn ugly, I would agree that in addition to the Asstec there are many other models that are fuglier than the WRX. For example, any of the other Pontiac models....

jasonintoronto

i'm hoping they bring the mitsu evo 7 here.

TJZ

the 7 will never come here. MAYBE the 8, but i wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

BRICKS Z

i suppose we could find a YUGO and drop a small block chevy in it and it would be fast but you still couldn't pick up herpes in it
so if your stuck on speed get that subaru lesbian car but if your into speed style and the hottest car of the year there should be no question...

bighamz

Ya, the interior of that Suburu always bothered me... and that's what you see the most.

Zterritory

Some people enjoy performance cars of all types, and can appreciate different cars for what they are designed to be.

The Z rules, but the WRX is great, too. Two very different cars, with performance in common. I also like the G35 coupe, S2000, Mini Cooper, and M3 -- each different and great in its own right.

By the way, the WRX gets plenty of envious stares, too.

spf4000

One argument for cars with high-rev power bands is that they are nice and tame when you just want to drive around the city, but come alive when you want to push it. The added benefit of this type of car is the gas milage. I was getting 28-30mpg in my RSX Type-S under normal conditions, yet it was plenty fun to drive when pushed.

Phi-1002-

If you want the AWD rally-based vehicle... Wait for the WRX Sti or Mitsubishi EVO 8. IF not, get a 350Z.