HA! Paying it with my hard earned money thank you. Anyways, the deal is that I want a track car. A durable car that I can beat up on the track yet still depend on everyday. The WRX is a fine automobile, no doub tin my mind, but the weak link on it is the transmission. And if theres one thing I need, its assurance that my tranny will stay strong.

Other than that, the Type R is a superior handling car. Plain and simple.

The WRX might be a superior car is the minds of most people, but I have different priorites...

 

Actually, it's a common misconception that the transmissions are weak. The weak link is in the drivers, 9 times out of 10. Most people buying WRXs (or other Subarus) are coming from FWD cars, like Hondas. They're used to being able to shift very hard, dropping the clutch without worrying about anything.

Well, in an AWD car, you really can't drive like that. (You're better off with an STi or Mitsubishi Evo, which have strengthened transmissions, but there's still a limit.) You've got a LOT more grip, so there's therefore that much more load on the transmission. Now, I *will* agree that the transmissions aren't very smooth, compared to say a Type-R or S2000 (but then, I've never felt another transmission as nice as those ). Subarus don't shift like Hondas/Acuras, but that doesn't fall into the same category as transmission quality.

First starting at All-Things-Integra.com, I was a member and Moderator (S2000) here for a couple/few years, then moving to s2ki.com to Moderate them while I still owned my Integra. I shifted to www.nasioc.com and www.i-club.com (which used to be one and the same) when I bought my RS. (And I'm currently a Mod at www.RS25.com .) In all those years--starting, I'd say, in 1998--I've seen and learned a lot. And honestly, most of the time it HAS been members not taking the time to learn that different cars have different needs.

You can't drive a FWD car like you drive a RWD car, and you sure can't drive an AWD car like you can a FWD car. They might understeer in a slightly similar fashion, but that's just about where the equality ends.

=S2=

ps - I've started a new job at a Honda dealership in PA, rekindling an old love affair with the brand. So I decided to rejoin up here in the forums. 'Tis good to be back!

 

ah, well then welcome back! its hard to leave the Honda family isnt it?

well anyways, everything you said is true! When the WRX first came up these people were so excited about an affordable turbocharged vehicle that they would take it to the quarter mile and abuse the living freak out of it. That, combined with an AWD vehicle (which most people are not accustomed to driving), combined with a sub-par transmission has resulted in all these stories about WRX trannies blowing, etc etc....

However, when you are road racing the transmission WILL take on extra wear even if your name is Michael Schumacher. Redline shifting, double clutching, and what not will take a toll...and on a sub-par transmission, well, you see where Im going

 

i couldnt agree more with siper2. but one thing that scares me about these awd cars is that viscous clutch. i dont know if this would really be considered a weakness but the whole aspect of one just scares me a bit. just the sound of the liquid heating up and shearing (which causes the plates to grip). and the fact that if you screw one up you're not going to be able to fix it. you would have to replace the whole damn thing. i wonder how much those things cost.

 

bailey-

I wouldn't call the WRX transmission "sub-par." I'd just call a Type-R transmission "much better than average."

Anything is "sub-par" compared to the ITR. But as I said, there's nothing wrong with the transmission.
Thanks for the welcome, though!!!


Tek-
Bah, don't worry so much. The WRX has been out since 1992, won the UK's "Car of the Decade" title (I think in CAR magazine), and just keeps on rippin.'

Of course it's more complicated in some respects than a FWD drivetrain, but most of the worries are highly overanalyzed.

=S2=