looking for a new DD and autox car

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:36 am

DickRasmussen wrote:

I think Jason is referring to the newer Bullitts than the 2001's I was describing. The 01's had the same 265 HP as the normal GT (at least "rated HP") but a little more torque.

Doh, sorry. I misunderstood your post. Yeah, I'm talking about the new ones.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

RodneyWright wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

The 2.0L engines seem to be much more reliable (02-05). The 2.5L WRX (06-07) seem to have more problems than they are worth and have worse gearing.

The 02 WRX has the weaker tranny so if you really want a bugeye (02-03) it might be worth finding an 03.....particularly if the PO was 16 years old.

Not a fan of the bugeye styled front end, so I guess that's out as well.

Maybe I need my 70 Cutlass back

If I did it all over again I'd get an 04-05 wagon. Sedan will be a better autocross car though (lighter and stiffer). They seemed to have all the bugs worked out by then, and I like (gasp!) the newer style lights too. Unmodified adult owned ones are out there, just have to be patient in a search. I had found a really nice 04 wagon in Cary with low miles back when Karl was shopping for a car for like $12k, but even that seems on the high side these days.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:38 am

Yeah, if I were going for a WRX, I'd take a well vetted 04-05 (blob eye) (or 05 STI

).

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:02 am

Obviously IMO, but I don't think Subaru is the best path to follow for what it sounds like you want, mostly because very few are satisfying to autocross in Stock or TIR form...the exception being the 2011WRX which does pretty well given its improved front camber (-2.5* max vs -1.1* for the 08-10).

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:04 am

Steven Carter wrote:

Obviously IMO, but I don't think Subaru is the best path to follow for what it sounds like you want, mostly because very few are satisfying to autocross in Stock or TIR form...the exception being the 2011WRX which does pretty well given its improved front camber (-2.5* max vs -1.1* for the 08-10).

I didn't go into the newer generation because they are still well over $17k. I thought the 09 was fun to autox in TIR-stock.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Steven Carter wrote:

Obviously IMO, but I don't think Subaru is the best path to follow for what it sounds like you want, mostly because very few are satisfying to autocross in Stock or TIR form...the exception being the 2011WRX which does pretty well given its improved front camber (-2.5* max vs -1.1* for the 08-10).

I thought Rodney's priority was like 80% daily driver, 20% autocross. WRX fits the bill there, reasonably fun but not competitive. If it's the other way around, I agree, WRX isn't the right choice. But neither is the 330.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:28 am

Rodney,

Have you ever autox'd a fwd or awd car? You will probably hate it.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

RodneyWright wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Absolutely 100% love my WRX as a 4-door daily driver. So much more of a rewarding driver's car than the 540i which it replaced. Then again, I'm "into" cheap cars these days, enjoying the heck out of the simplicity of the car compared to BMWs.

So Mike, any recommendations of certain years to look at? Any gotcha's I need to be aware of? A WRX would be fine, don't need the STi. That's a very bold statement to say it's better than the 540 it replaced. THAT was a nice car. I think the problem here is finding one that hasn't been beat to death by a teenager....

Didn't say it was better (although it is, in many many ways) but that it was a more rewarding driver's car.

Comparing a 540i to a WRX is like comparing your wife to your mistress. Which one is better? Well it depends on what you're in the mood for ... dinner or a quick fix.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:14 am

By the way, if you are thinking of a 2011 Mustang GT, get an 09 WRX.....it is *WAY* better

.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:25 am

let's think outside the box a bit here folks.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.js ... f=national

well inside your budget and economical-ish. could probably tow up to 5500 lbs with out much issue.

fix the E36 and sell it or keep it for autoX. or fix the E30 and autoX that. for now anyway. this way you will always have a DD no matter how the economy affects you. :wink:

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

05-06 STi is pretty much the best all-around daily driver/fun car in stock form for less than 20k, with a set of revalved or adjustable struts. (the stock ones will make you hate life on I-40 with all the bouncing)

I just got back from a vacation in the mountains - took the 06 STi. Stock class autox suspension (front bar, revalved struts), STU tires. Good ride on the highway, great at playing on tarmac (including passing lots of moving roadblocks quickly where necessary), great on gravel. And nothing else Subaru (sold in the US) is anywhere close to being this much fun at an autox, especially in stock class.

My 02 WRX wagon is a lot quieter, smoother and cheaper to own, though.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:43 pm

JamesShort wrote:

By the way, if you are thinking of a 2011 Mustang GT, get an 09 WRX.....it is *WAY* better

.

Depends on what you want/need/like. :lol:

Easy for me to say since I already owned the best autocross car I'll ever have or want and was tired of a stick shift daily driver (around half a million daily driver stick shift miles is enough for me :oops:

). Nothing like lots of torque with an automatic and I'm hooked on Mustangs.

I have no clue what I would chose now to be both daily driver and autocross car (even with stick shift). My first autocross car (260Z) turned out to be perfect at the time but that was dumb luck by a guy who hadn't autocrossed more than 6 times prior to the purchase. Once the Z was not competitive anymore I never found another combination car that fit "my needs".

The Lotus certainly wasn't and the 88 5.0 Mustang wasn't.

Fortunately CM with Formula Fords was created shortly before I went looking for "the next step" and I could tow it with my daily driver 88 5.0 Mustang. Problem solved . . . for me.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:58 pm

JamesShort wrote:

By the way, if you are thinking of a 2011 Mustang GT, get an 09 WRX.....it is *WAY* better

.

..and quicker in the 1/4! :lol:

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:24 pm

Dick, don't take my comment personally. It's a joke from last year when Michael Westerfield bought his 2011 and we got into a pissing contest about my impressions of straight line acceleration between my WRX and the 2011 GT.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:25 pm

Matt McGrain wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

By the way, if you are thinking of a 2011 Mustang GT, get an 09 WRX.....it is *WAY* better

.

..and quicker in the 1/4! :lol:

Some of us value "form or bling" as much or more than "function". If I want a "blah" look I have mirrors for that. :lol:

If I want 4 door sedans/wagons I just look in any grocery store parking lot.

Or I'm just "old" and come from a generation when "sports cars and race cars" had no more than 2 doors . . . if they had any doors at all. :oops:

Plus if 1/4 times were important to me there are better choices than either the WRX or the Mustang.

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