Imprezza 2.5i vs WRX... for a daily driver

[Raza]

So you're open to hatches, but not wagons.  Okay, that's fine.

You don't want to buy a used car because you want to get a car with better mileage than your RX-8, but you want an AWD car.  That makes a lot of sense.

You're set on AWD, but you've been driving a RWD car through winters for however long.  Okay.

Your fate is yours.  If you want it, get it, but it doesn't make financial sense to me. 

[NomisR]

they don't have anymore home depot space then my 8...

That's what roof racks are for!

[r0tor]

Compared to the Rx8, yeah anything is horrendous.  For some reason, the Rx8 gets awesome rates

since I had the first rx8 in the area, the Rx8 wan't in the insurance database - so I got rates based on a 4 door 1.3L normally aspirated car 

[r0tor]

You're set on AWD, but you've been driving a RWD car through winters for however long.  Okay.

this will be winter number 6... its a bit hair raising normally, my snow tires are shot, and I'm moving further into the mountains now

[Eye of the Tiger]

i have an large dislike for wagons

How are you going to carry anything that you wouldn't otherwise be able to carry in the wrecks8? Wagon or pickup.... ?

[r0tor]

How are you going to carry anything that you wouldn't otherwise be able to carry in the wrecks8? Wagon or pickup.... ?

the 8's rear seat do not fold, the center pass thru is about 6 inches wide, and the trunk opening is about 10 inches deep.

[Raza]

this will be winter number 6... its a bit hair raising normally, my snow tires are shot, and I'm moving further into the mountains now

Okay, with that bit of information, I understand the want for AWD.  I'd still look at a hawkeye wagon over the 08+ WRX hatches.  Now if you could get a used 08 STI, that would be a slightly different story; they are pumped up to the point of looking okay, but, as I recall, there's a big strut brace in the boot (like the one in the 350Z) that eats up a lot of cargo space.

[Eye of the Tiger]

the 8's rear seat do not fold, the center pass thru is about 6 inches wide, and the trunk opening is about 10 inches deep.

The ratio of price:utility of a new WRX is quite high. I recommend getting the WRX for it's own purposes, but also picking up a used Ford Taurus Wagon, removing the rear seats, and using it only for your building supply runs.

[the Teuton]

Compared to the Rx8, yeah anything is horrendous.  For some reason, the Rx8 gets awesome rates

It's a 4-door, 4-seater sedan for all intents and purposes.

[Raza]

It's a 4-door, 4-seater sedan for all intents and purposes.

With a tiny engine, too.

[NomisR]

It's a 4-door, 4-seater sedan for all intents and purposes.

yeah, 1.3L engine to boot.  The insurance for that thing was better than the RDX, the RSX, and Elise.  I miss that car..

[AutobahnSHO]

The ratio of price:utility of a new WRX is quite high. I recommend getting the WRX for it's own purposes, but also picking up a used Ford Taurus Wagon, removing the rear seats, and using it only for your building supply runs.

??

You can get minivans more dependable and spacious than a wagon.





Easier to take the seats out, too.

[Eye of the Tiger]

??

You can get minivans more dependable and spacious than a wagon.





Easier to take the seats out, too.

Yeah, but Ford Tauri are way cooler. 

[GoCougs]

Another possibility would be a used Legacy 2.5GT wagon, which would have more space than either Impreza generation.

Or sedan; the refinement gulf between the Impreza and Legacy is much larger than the price difference would suggest.

It should be really easy to get a 2-3 year old Legacy GT sedan for well under $20k...

[r0tor]

It should be really easy to get a 2-3 year old Legacy GT sedan for well under $20k...

with a slushbox... very easy
with a stick.... next to impossible

can the trunk swallow a bag of cement?

[ifcar]

The old Legacy has one of the smallest trunks of any recent sedan.

The back seat could easily hold the cement, though.

[r0tor]

...i shake my fist at mazda for never selling in the US the AWD Mazda 3 they have in other parts of the world...

[Eye of the Tiger]

When I worked a wallfart, a guy came in for service with a fairly new Camry sedan (<30k miles IIRC) (perhaps it was a flat repair?). He worked construction, and the thing was completely trashed. The interior and exterior were in horrible condition, and it looked like the car had more like 200k on it.  I assumed he must have inherited it, or won it in some contest, because nobody with their head screwed on straight would buy a brand new sedan for the purposes of hauling building supplies, when there are literally millions of trucks and vans to choose from.

[TBR]

with a slushbox... very easy
with a stick.... next to impossible

can the trunk swallow a bag of cement?

You mean a standard 90 lb bag? What car couldn't take one of those?

Seems to me like the obvious thing is to get a beater for winter/hauling purposes, but keep DDing the RX-8 the rest of the time. Then replace the RX-8 with something with AWD in a couple of years.

[S204STi]

Toyota hardbody for beater/home despot duties?

[TBR]

Toyota hardbody for beater/home despot duties?

Wasn't it the Nissan Hardbody and the Toyota Truck?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Wasn't it the Nissan Hardbody and the Toyota Truck?

Neither one of them are hardbodies around here. They're all rusted out.

[S204STi]

Wasn't it the Nissan Hardbody and the Toyota Truck?

Yeah I guess I got them confused.

[Raza]

with a slushbox... very easy
with a stick.... next to impossible

can the trunk swallow a bag of cement?

How big are bags of cement?

[GoCougs]

with a slushbox... very easy
with a stick.... next to impossible

can the trunk swallow a bag of cement?

KBB shows private party value of $18k for an '06...

Most any car with a trunk can hold a bad of cement. You're probably best off getting a class I hitch and a $1,000 light duty utility trailer IMO...

[Eye of the Tiger]

How big are bags of cement?

A MKIII MR2 could carry four or five bags.

[sportyaccordy]

Get an '04 STi

What would be your fun car? Don't say what I think you will...

[S204STi]

Why are people telling him to get a high performance sports sedan for his winter beater/errands car?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Why are people telling him to get a high performance sports sedan for his winter beater/errands car?

It was r0tor's brilliant idea / excuse to buy a WRX.

[S204STi]

It was r0tor's brilliant idea / excuse to buy a WRX.

I had assumed he was at least thinking of the hatch, which is semi-practical.