Got a new car today!

[MF-DIF]

2004 WRX. Picked it up this afternoon, haven't even had a chance to remove the dealer sticker and pinstrip yet. Tomarrow we will have a date with a heat gun & some goo gone. This is also my first 5spd car, and for only having about 1hr of drive time im in pretty good shape. Everything is going smoothly except for starting from a stop on hills. I stall like crazy on hills. Can anyone give me any pointers? RPM speed, brake release timing...? Im using the hand brake method because we have some steep hills here and im not quick enough to try the normal method.

 

[Veleno]

congrats on the new car. What will you be doing with the heat gun and goo gone? I'll guess and say you're going to remove the emblems on the trunk?

 

[MF-DIF]

congrats on the new car. What will you be doing with the heat gun and goo gone? I'll guess and say you're going to remove the emblems on the trunk?

Im going to be removing the car dealership sticker on the trunk lid and the pin stripe that they put on the car as well.

 

[jlindy]

Let us know what you think of its power after you break it in and learn how to master a stick shift.

 

[MF-DIF]

Let us know what you think of its power after you break it in and learn how to master a stick shift.

LOL, I dont think many NSX owners would enjoy a review of a WRX unless it was an STi but sure why not. It of course would be nothing compared to an NSX, still shooting for an NSX down the road. After taxes and fees my WRX came in mid 20K's. Thats not too far from a 91 NSX. Nows just not the time. Im 23 w/ 4 tickets in my past, so my insurance would be jacked. Plus it would be my only daily driver so it would limit what i could haul around. I also live in a apt complex with open parking and work on a college campus. There is no way I could even sleep at night or concentrate on my work knowing my NSX is out there in the open.

 

[satan_srv]

starting on a hill....rev up the motor man!

haha you can start off with the handbrake on...then you can use your foot exclusively on the clutch...but I wouldn't do that all the time.

You just get used to it, once you know your clutch and engagement point

 

[Brian2by2]

LOL, I dont think many NSX owners would enjoy a review of a WRX unless it was an STi but sure why not. It of course would be nothing compared to an NSX, still shooting for an NSX down the road. After taxes and fees my WRX came in mid 20K's. Thats not too far from a 91 NSX. Nows just not the time. Im 23 w/ 4 tickets in my past, so my insurance would be jacked. Plus it would be my only daily driver so it would limit what i could haul around. I also live in a apt complex with open parking and work on a college campus. There is no way I could even sleep at night or concentrate on my work knowing my NSX is out there in the open.

I wouldn't be so sure about the insurance. You are driving a turbo 4 cylinder AWD car right now...

When I went from my Mustang (v6) to my NSX, insurance increased about $5 per month...and I was 19. At 21, insurance will go from $289/month to $140/month on my NSX and $89/month to $60/month on my Xtreme.

 

[jlindy]

LOL, I dont think many NSX owners would enjoy a review of a WRX unless it was an STi but sure why not. It of course would be nothing compared to an NSX, still shooting for an NSX down the road. After taxes and fees my WRX came in mid 20K's. Thats not too far from a 91 NSX. Nows just not the time. Im 23 w/ 4 tickets in my past, so my insurance would be jacked. Plus it would be my only daily driver so it would limit what i could haul around. I also live in a apt complex with open parking and work on a college campus. There is no way I could even sleep at night or concentrate on my work knowing my NSX is out there in the open.

Ah, my bad...I thought it was the STI. How does yours compare in HP to the STI?

 

[unc0808]

^^it doesnt.

 

[jlindy]

^^it doesnt.

227 HP vs 300, still not that bad especially for the price.

 

[unc0808]

drive in the 2 and you will see why they dont compare.

 

[MF-DIF]

drive in the 2 and you will see why they dont compare.

Agreed.

 

[MF-DIF]

I wouldn't be so sure about the insurance. You are driving a turbo 4 cylinder AWD car right now...

When I went from my Mustang (v6) to my NSX, insurance increased about $5 per month...and I was 19. At 21, insurance will go from $289/month to $140/month on my NSX and $89/month to $60/month on my Xtreme.

My insurance rate stayed the same as my Integra w/ the WRX. The insurance quote I got for the NSX was substantially higher.

 

[jlindy]

drive in the 2 and you will see why they dont compare.

I can believe it, and at only 6K more than the slower model, it is almost a no brainer to get the STI for the price.

 

[MF-DIF]

I can believe it, and at only 6K more than the slower model, it is almost a no brainer to get the STI for the price.

The STi is about 7.5K more than the WRX. The dealer is also alot less willing to cut deals on STi's as opposed to deep discounts on WRX's. The lowest I could get my dealer on for an STi was 31.9K of what they where asking of 33K. On the WRX it was a totally different story. I got it down to 23K from the 25.9K he was asking for. Not a big difference in price for some, but for a person who hasn't been out of college for even 6 months, it makes a big impact on my lifestyle.

 

[hlweyl]

I think it's always a good idea to use the handbrake on steep hills when starting. I usually let the clutch out at about 1500 rpm or less. Let the rpm drop while you are letting the clutch out and don't let the clutch out too slow.

All of those tips will prolonge the life of the clutch. Once you gain experience you can start to learn how to rev match each time you downshift. That's also a clutch saver.

 

[jlindy]

The STi is about 7.5K more than the WRX. The dealer is also alot less willing to cut deals on STi's as opposed to deep discounts on WRX's. The lowest I could get my dealer on for an STi was 31.9K of what they where asking of 33K. On the WRX it was a totally different story. I got it down to 23K from the 25.9K he was asking for. Not a big difference in price for some, but for a person who hasn't been out of college for even 6 months, it makes a big impact on my lifestyle.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Congrats on the new purchase and being out of college even though you are going to wish you were back real soon.

 

[NSXForEver]

I had a 2002 WRX (with the bug-eyed headlights) for about a year. I used it as my daily driver.

I'd still have it, but, once I saw the 2004 Acura TL, I had to get one. I traded the WRX for the TL.

WRX's can be a lot of fun as long as you keep them wound up. It was a blast on snowy roads. I love my TL, but I have to admit, I miss the WRX (except for those headlights). The 2004 headlights look much better.

Congratulations on your new car!

Matt