02 wrx vs 94 celica, after 1 month of ownership..now pics Options

[Rayme]

So yea I had the WRX for a month now and I'm pretty used to it now, and can finally make a good comparaison of the cars. I know it's kinda "unfair" I should compare a gt-four, but bouhou toyota, it's your own fault to not have brought them here and killed it in 99! And I know alot of celica owners will eventually upgrade to a better car and a wrx seems like a good upgrade if you're into rally car, turbo and boost...mmmh

Fuel efficiency and Insurance:
First off, the wrx drinks alot more gas, especially in the city It litteraly feels like it has half the MPG the celica had. On the highway its not too bad, I did get the advertised 27 mpg, maybe a little less because of cold temperature and winter gas. Also the insurance I pay is almost twice as what I paied with the celica, (which include collision that I DIDN'T have on the celica). So if you can pay of the car payment, be ready to spend around 100$ more a month on gas and insurance!

Power:
Perhaps this is the biggest change, the WRX feels very much like the 5s-fe under 3000 RPM but after that its a party up until the 7000 rpm redline, and god does that engine like to rev! It's so smooth! And the sound..orgasmic for a 4 cylinder (even on stock plumbing).

First gear really pull you in the seat thanks to no wheelspin, but it's a boring gear its too short, 2nd gear is also very impressive. The third gear will bring you in a flash from 80kmh to 140kmh, passing on the highway makes me smile all the time now..!

The only thing I "hate" is the engine response, the 5s-fe just pulls you when you go at WOT, the EJ20 has like a 0.5 - 1 second lag because of the boost.

Transmission:
This took some time to get used to, the gears on the 5s-fe are much much shorter than the WRX and I keep getting into a much taller gear than I should be (and I hear the drivetrain rumble from bogging). The celica hits around 70-80 in second gear and the wrx will hit 90-100 in second, etc..with 3rd and 4th.

I heard about how fragile the tranny is on the WRX..compared to the bullet proof toyota tranny, but its mostly due to stress from launching the car and just bad driving (it's not very forgivable), and also power upgrades..I can live with that since I don't go race and don't plan on power upgrade..pretty fast as it is

Handling:
This suprised me, the WRX feels alot more better in cornering, the car feels lighter because it just so tight, the celica even with the drop springs feels more combative in the turns (more steering input is needed), the WRX just feels more go-kart-ish vs the celica who feels heavier. It must be a combinaison of the extra stiff chassis and lower center of gravity of the boxer engine/transmission, and also the suspension of course.

Overall / fit and finish / interior:
The car reminds me alot of a Toyota as far as material quality and assembly goes, but the toyota wins here, like the wipers / signal controls and dashboards buttons feels more upscale. The stock Celica stereo speakers does sound better than the wrx, which really suck.. The car is also generally more silent and feels way more luxurious than the celica, which sounds..well, old and you can easily hear the engine and more road noise.

Style:
This is a personnal taste..the celica does looks better as far as sports car silhouettes goes, but the wrx just looks like a monster, which I love

Hope this entertained you guys.!

EDIT: Just a note to you guys who will say stuff like, why didn't I swap a 3s-gte, or stayed with toyota. Lets say it first, everything from toyota from the past 10 years or so is boring IMO, I was personally not interested in a 1.8 honda inspired engine. Lexus? not my style...
And yes I could have swaped a new engine in, but that would have still left me with a 13 years old car that's rusting and depreciating every year, and I have no garage to work on. I needed a change, getting a car that will still be worth something in 4-5 years from now is important since I have a house I need to pay and need a reliable car to get to work, not everybody's living at their parent's and have disposable income. And dumping 5000$ in an old car to go faster..is not a good way to spend money IMO, in 2-3 years from now I would still be paying the loan and would probably think I was stupid to spend that money on a swap. There I said it!

This post has been edited by Rayme: Jan 3, 2008 - 6:18 PM

[xs94st]

sounds like a lot of fun. drove one of my bud's STIs..very nice n tight. response is a lot better (cuz im stock susp) n it is very enjoyable being able to actually pass up vehicles instead of waiting for half an hour to get to 80mph lol. great choice rayme

[goferris]

don't get me wrong. i really do like the sti BUT you also have to take into effect the difference in age for the performance differences. for being an old design and getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the usdm celis the celi does hold it's own fairly well.
now would you even consider the wrx a sports car though? in my mind it's a fast sedan (being 4 door) it probably weighs less than the celi (the celi is a tank in this dept) and the wrx should handle better with the AWD.
either way i do applaud you for not selling out and getting a civic (i hate it when that happens) and congratulate you for the upgrade BUT the comparison (IMO) is unfair.
sorry to ramble

on a different note.... what are your plans with the celi? or have you already gotten rid of her?

edit: i do have to agree with you about the lack of decent sporty cars from toyota. i wouldn't mind a tc but that's just not the same. the is300 is nice but still not the same.

This post has been edited by goferris: Dec 31, 2007 - 4:24 PM

[forkee]

jeebus!! 1200/year more just on insurance and gas??

[Rayme]

don't get me wrong. i really do like the sti BUT you also have to take into effect the difference in age for the performance differences. for being an old design and getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the usdm celis the celi does hold it's own fairly well.
now would you even consider the wrx a sports car though? in my mind it's a fast sedan (being 4 door) it probably weighs less than the celi (the celi is a tank in this dept) and the wrx should handle better with the AWD.
either way i do applaud you for not selling out and getting a civic (i hate it when that happens) and congratulate you for the upgrade BUT the comparison (IMO) is unfair.
sorry to ramble

on a different note.... what are your plans with the celi? or have you already gotten rid of her?

edit: i do have to agree with you about the lack of decent sporty cars from toyota. i wouldn't mind a tc but that's just not the same. the is300 is nice but still not the same.

I know its not a fair comparaison, it was more of a testament of a guy who has been driving 135 HP celicas for 5 years and got into a real nice sporty car...
having 4 doors doesn't make it a sports car? That's to debate, but IMO a FWD cannot be called a sports car. Doors are just doors, they used to make 2 doors WRX and 4 DOORS WRX, same with the BMW M3s...doesn't make it less of a contender on the track.

The celica will be for sale this spring..I need to get rid of her unless I use it as a winter beater next year (which would be unjustified), so yes I will get a beater civic/tercel/paseo/corolla.

jeebus!! 1200/year more just on insurance and gas??

You gotta pay if you gotta play , insurance was 59$ a month and is now 88$, so not totally 50$ more(It would be if I didn't have a second car to lower the total premium price), gas is getting pretty expensive here.. supreme being around 1.13$/liter it costs around 60$ + bucks to refill when its almost empty. And 60$ get me 270-300 miles ...

This post has been edited by Rayme: Dec 31, 2007 - 7:57 PM

[stetsonaw]

where can we see some pics of your scooby?

[Valo666]

this is a good topic. I am actually thinkin of buyin a WRX after the celi maybe in the fall or winter. This kinda gives me a bit more to think about. I do agree with you about the scoobie feeling alot like a 5s b4 boost. I was looking at one last year and i did notice it did feel alot like a celica.

The good thing about this situation too is im gonna b gettin some practise working on a WRX. My buddy just bought an 05 STI that he wants me to help him with.

Nice write up Rem.

[95CelicaST]

Rayme, like I told you over on NASIOC, I too have made the Scooby jump. I got an '03 Platinum Silver Metallic WRX wagon - no one suspects the turbo wagon!



Reading over your post, I wasn't suprised. I too went through the same comparisons - except I was comparing the 20V.

I went with Subaru for a new car not because "everyone's doing it", but because thats what I grew up on. My mom had a 93 Legacy LSi wagon, and now a 99 Legacy 2.5GT. My brother had a 95 Legacy L, and now an 04 Forester 2.5XT. So after being raised on Subaru, it was time to get one.

To get a bit of a feel of the power difference after it goes down the AWD drivetrain, my friend, with is 93 SE-R and I headed to a backroad and had a spirited jaunt. We went from a roll, because coming to a dead stop looks very suspicious. I was suprised to see he kept up with me, however the difference in weight (almost 2000lbs) and drivetrain (FWD - AWD) was the cause. From a stop I'm sure the WRX would kill, but this wasn't a race.

For style I didn't care about what WRX I got. I hate the 06 and on, so anywhere between the Bugeye (02-03) or the Peanut (04-05) was fine for me. I always loved the wagons, and sedans are great too, but the deciding factor for me was the fact that the sedan rear seats do not fold down, which I needed.

Interior-wise I much prefer the Celica. Much more sporty, however my bad back says the WRX seats are leaps and bounds better than Celica seats.

As for the transmission, I opted for the '03 because of the transmission upgrades from the '02. Rule of thumb is to shift lightly in 1st and 2nd, and you'll be okay from thereon. The problem is that when you dump the clutch in an FWD car, the excess power is burned off by spinning the wheels, in an AWD car there isn't wheel spin, so the excess power travels down the drivetrain and is absorbed in other transmission components.

Handling was a step down for me, but that was because I went from AGX's with Eibachs and sways to stock, but stock for stock the WRX handles a bit better. Even for a wagon!

Overall I was very happy with my purchase. I feel as though (at least for now) that I am done with major modifications to my cars. When thinking about upgrades for the wagon I see a Cobb stage 2 suspension package (sport springs, endlinks, sway bars, bushings) and a set of Rota, Prodrive, or OEM BBS wheels. Tint the windows just a little. MadDad turbo-back exhaust, and a Cobb intake... of course this is all with a Cobb Accessport V2.

EDIT: And insurance-wise... I get mucho discounts for it being 4 doors, a wagon, ABS, AWD, All the airbags, newer vehicle, good student discount, etc.

This post has been edited by 95CelicaST: Jan 3, 2008 - 3:00 PM

[goferris]

^^^^^
so did you find a buyer for the yelli celi? i do hate to see that you can't keep it anymore but that is totally understandable. we will all have to move on eventually. i just hope that i don't have to move on for a while LOL.

[95CelicaST]

^^^^^
so did you find a buyer for the yelli celi? i do hate to see that you can't keep it anymore but that is totally understandable. we will all have to move on eventually. i just hope that i don't have to move on for a while LOL.

Kind of. There is a 6GC member who is interested, but nothing is for certain. I wish things were for certain

Yeah, the Yelli Celi is a great car - NOW. Now that I have poured thousands into the eletrical. I wish I could keep her, but I'm moving out here in a week or two and have to be able to pay for that, as well as pay for the WRX. I work for a school district, and I only get paid once a month. I'm not sure if that is the same everywhere, or if it's just Washington. My bank accounts add up to ~2,000. ~1200 of that is going to pay for the final repair on the Celica. The rest is the first month's rent and security deposit at my new place. I will literally be flat broke until the end of the month when I get paid, or until the Yelli Celi is sold.


....sigh. I suppose it's a good thing that I am paid as much as I am. If I could survive the next 3-4 months without selling the Celica I might be okay, but I wouldn't drive it much... which would be a shame.

[Rayme]

heres some pics, including 2 HDR

[Valo666]

lovin the bug eye scoobies...the wagons are pretty hot too..even for a wagon.

[bccentaur3]

Wow it snows like crazy up there. I think it doesn't matter what year subie you got. Its still awd.

[Punisher]

Just like my friends wrx.. They are neat and they do kick ass in 1st/2nd gear.. and I drove his wrx a few times... it is nice. However, I was driving my mod'd swapped 94GT... haha I'll take the GT! Kinda regret selling it now.

Anyway, my celi was much faster than my friends WRX.. but I LOVE the way his WRX sounded with the exhaust we made up... and he had the STi turbo on it and tein springs. Gearing between the WRX and my E153 were very similar.. except I knew my trans wasn't going to blow up. In the snow, having LSD and all snow tires my car actually handled better than his wrx w/ all-seasons.

[forkee]

wow that looks really cold, lol

pretty pictures though!

[axelrduvirage]

y fait frette en calouette au Dieppe-Nam !!!

Bravo on the WRX. i almost traded the Celipig and the 540i this fall for a WRX but i am still enjoying both cars so much i am just going to drive them into the ground. besides the Bim runs like a Ski-Doo in winter ...yes we are having a REAL winter this year "down south" in NS.



it was warmer last week and i had a chance to take the 6gc out for a spin. i should post a comparison too since i hadn't driven the Celi since Dec 1st last year...hahahahahahha. where's the beef !! I NEED A V6 OR A 3sgte SWAP.


cheers all

peace

[Rayme]

woohoo I just got 19.5 MPG LOL!!!!

[Einhander]

I recently picked up a 04 silver wrx, But I kept my celica as well. I can't make much of a comparison since I haven't driven the celica in over a year, But from what I remember the smoothness of the wrx makes it a more enjoyable car. But my celica was lowered on ebay coilovers with koni yellow struts, full decatted exhaust, and mostly gutted interior. Both are fun cars in their own little niches though. I would still choose the celica over the wrx for auto-x.

[lagos]

woohoo I just got 19.5 MPG LOL!!!!

thats about what i get in my celica.

[shin]

19.5mpg is pretty good for a turbo motor.