new member MS3/WRX?

if it were me i'd go with the wrx. fwd sucks for a performance car and since subaru has used the same basic engine forever the aftermarket has it pretty well figured out so parts are abundant for any level of modification. you'll be able to make as much power as your wallet will allow and be able to put it all down to the pavement. plus in the northeast awd is great for those snowy days. sure a fwd car with winter tires and and LSD is ok but awd is just better, even more so when you find an empty, unplowed parking lot :)
 
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if budget in the 25k range, i'd get the 09 wrx sedan or hatch. if budget in 21k range then ms3. my 08 awd outback more tossable than my ms3 and doesn't plow in tight twisties like the ms3 does. front/rear weight ratio really bad in ms3 if looking for good handling characteristics. it handles good but not great. 09 wrx has both power and awd handling. exterior/interior/power +'s for ms3. handling is the only negative imo if comparing to awd and rwd.
 
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Not an easy choice

I had an 08 Impreza 2.5i Premium Sedan that I bought last Fall and traded-in for the Speed 3 a few months ago. After hearing and reading about the '09 WRX I decided to visit my friendly Subaru salesperson from last year and see if they had one I could test drive. Sure enough, they had one, so drive it I did.
Here are my thoughts coming away from it:

1) WRX advantages: AWD, smoother ride, quieter when just cruising (in fact at idle it's hard to tell it's running), 5-speed (1st in the MS3 is too low, and the overall spacing is too tight), no power limiting in 1st & 2nd gears, lays down the power better in lowest gears, Faster from a standing start, optional sunroof.
2) MS3 advantages: Seats are much, much better (both comfort and support), Overall interior is better (it's hard to tell from pictures, but obvious when sitting in it), Steering feel is better, Overall better looking, Faster once you're moving, $3k less for same options.

So, which to get?
Assuming I didn't already have the Speed 3, it would not be a slam dunk.
Since I live in the Pacific Northwest where we get rain (and some snow) 6 months out of the year, I would probably shell out the extra dough and go with WRX. But I know that once the weather got nice, I would be missing the sweet Speed 3 seats and interior, and the extra $3k that used to be in my bank account.

However, since I've already made the investment in the Speed 3 just a few months ago, there's no way I could logically justify making that move right now. So luckily I'm not stuck having to make that decision.

Hope that helps.
 
I think most people just get an MS3 and then just swap over the WRX hood from a junker. Best of both worlds. You can't go wrong, really. (evil)
 
with a diferent cat back. our cars sound like a rex mixed with an evo. but more on the side of the boxer

that was the first thing i noticed about this car.

it actaully sounds better than a rex to me. espcially when it has cpe downpipe with corksports catback
 
have you heard the MS3 with turbo back exhaust. cpe down pipe and corksport CB?
 
i'm surprised no one has brought up the EvoX? if you are looking at a WRX or STi you might as well consider stepping up to an EvoX while you're looking.
 
the sti and evo are both at much higher price points than the ms3 and wrx.

you are talking nearly 10k more
 
^^pretty much.

but evo x front and ass>evo8/9 front and ass

i think the look of the front and rear of the X sh*ts on the evo 8/9's

but the cabin of the x is terrible. its the only part of the car thats not aggressive. and even worse than that its in the shape of a bubble
 
you need to drive both before you make a des. both are great cars/ both have alot of potential one will be slightly cheaper ( the ms3 ) but the wrx is certianly faster is a straight line stock for stock. As far as i know there are no ms3's stock going that fast in the 1/4. the ms3 is a great car with alot of potential. The wrx can be modified very cheaply and tuned with an open source tune for free. ( do alot of research on this before going this route though)

as far as handling goes not sure - the 09 wrx is prob. the best handling stock wrx to date due to the suspension and tire change for that year. I can't comment on how it would stack up to the ms3 here as i have yet to drive an 09.

another thing to look at too is resale value --- which will hold it's value better? I'll leave that up to you to research.
 

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