Bought a 2003 WRX new. Tuned with Cobb AP in 2004 when they first came out. Drove it for over 13 years, then sold it in excellent condition. No major issues. I miss it and have second guessed myself selling it. Not much power under 3k, but pulled hard to redline. Stage 2 tuned mine for a couple years - thats 290hp on stock turbo. That thing pulled like crazy once the turbo kicked in. People modded these to death without understanding. Blow off valves causing lean conditions at shifts, modifications without proper tuning, or tuning using "some guy with an open flash map". Stock suspension was very comfortable too. Inverted STi struts is a NASIOC fanboy thing. Oh - regarding wind noise: with frameless windows, if you roll the window down a bit after you close the door and then roll them up, they seal much better than just closing the door. No wind noises.
Preach it brother! I had an '03 used and I never went crazy with it but I always appreciated what it offered and how simple it was. So much so I went back to it with the '16 model.
id like to be a keyboard warrior and correct you on something but everything you say here is 100% true. I currently drive a 2003 wrx wagon and have a cobb stage 2 tune and it works marvelously. the note about the wind noise is a nice trick i learned along the way and I just thought that it might be my cars age.
I agree on the suspension being a little too squishy. coilovers and maybe some strut bars make the wrx ride pretty well around the corners, but I think id miss the squishiness for the shitty MN roads.
Stock suspension is definitely soft. I had the wagon, with smaller rear sway bars, and while it rode super comfortable, it would also understeer at first in hard cornering before it would bite and turn in. After driving my NA Miata for a few weeks straight, I almost wrecked my WRX when I took an exit ramp way too fast. I got used to taking the exit ramp at a certain speed and was nearly painfully reminded that while the WRX is a sporty car, its not a sports car. Of course you can modify it to handle much better, at the cost of ride quality.
I just want to note that Subaru still pretty much gets universal praise for their high outward visibility and thin pillars with minimal blind spots, yet they still have great crash ratings.
Also want to note that Subaru still used rod shifting instead of cables in every manual transmission until the recent FA/FB engines and the new WRX, which can be converted to rod shifter. The STI still uses rods.
Yeah, they know what they're doing. Instead of making their pillars 9" wide (I'm talking about you Ford) they make theirs thin but incredibly dense, just google "subaru b pillar" so excellent roof and crash strength without sacrificing visibility.
No. Look it up for yourself. Impreza / WRX were mediocre up until recently and now it's scoring acceptable. The Impreza is NOT an IIHS top+ pick. www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/subaru/impreza-wrx-4-door-sedan I think the outback still scores high though.
I purchase my bugeye WRX new in 2003 then sold it in perfect condition in 2008. Come 2015 and I was looking for a new WRX and on a car website here in AU found my old car for sale. How could I resist it. The engine was rebuilt professionally by the previous owner (spin bearing) using forged pistons, rods and steel crank. Turbo also professionally rebuilt. Now in 2017 the car is modified with a stage 2 kit and dyno retune. So happy and proud am I to have my toy car back. It will never leave me now.
also that he has an STi motor in it that was tuned to be "stock" but you can hear Savage talk about how the tune feels like crap (because it's not tuned right LMAO) Cool car though, I just feel bad he's stuck in his ways and so blinded by anger towards the "Subaru Impreza fuccboi scene". The one thing they got right is getting rid of the stock tune that runs these EJ motors lean as hell, and come knocking from the factory.
What even is "stage 2"? What does it mean? Guys always use this term, but it has completely arbitrary meaning! One person's stage "X" can mean something completely different to someone else. The "stage" term has got to go.
Love you yanks with your "stages". It's not need for speed. lol. So what do you call a stage 1? A downpipe and tune is just the "first thing you should do" around here. My car must be a stage 10 then. :D
Seriously, I've seen a lot of beat ass busted subarus get way past 100k. Also some stock ones blow up with 2000 miles. Everyone makes up nonsense reasons why some Subarus blow up. Oh it's tuned, oh it's not tuned. It's the oil, it's the mods..blah blah shit happens.
I had one of these in college. It was amazing. Small, fast, and nimble. It was an honest driving machine. Although it did have some major turbo lag, a few mods cleared that right up. I miss it. Love the video.
ya really... its either crunching or about to start making nasty sounds. Credibility shot. If I had a lift I'd be fixing every single low cost thing I could.
7k for an STi? Here in germany, the online prices starting around 15k or so, mostly hawkeyes and hatches and WRXs you can find starting around 6-7k (or maybe some for 4k with over 250k km)
The Subaru WRX was the ONE car which really took the tuner scene to another level. This is the car that opened the gates for the STI, Evo, 350Z, RX8, S2000, and ultimately the GTR to come to the US of A. This is the car that you can spend an additional $2,000 in aftermarket parts and get to 300 hp and handle fantastic.
Thank god this guy is keeping it stock. He's so correct when he says that the Japanese perfected it, I absolutely hate ricers that think they're so much smarter than the engineers that made the car.
We’re you touched by a tuner as a child? It’s not that serious. You buy the car it’s your decision what you do with it. You have noooooo claim over what others to do their cars. He sounds like an old ass man with a stick up his ass.
He's not right either. Stock Subaru tunes are kinda whack. EJs blow up when you tune the shit out of them and then subject the motor to high revs. All those boxers have lubrication issues--cheap metals and a setup prone to failure at high G's and RPMs.
+savagegeese Lol thx for the response! Also, I have two suggestions for older cars to review. Mazdaspeed6 and/or either generation Mazdaspeed3. Thx again! Love the channel!
Awesome video! I totally agree with the comment about "simplicity" in this car. He is a hundred percent correct when he says that no one is manufacturing Vehicles like this anymore. They are all jazzed up with so much tech and fluff that they have lost a primary focus. Thanks for making videos like this!! The 90's where the best decade for Vehicles like this!
These reviews of older cars is exactly what I've been waiting for! I knew that you would do an amazing job covering these older cars and you delivered! I hope to see more of these retro reviews!
This review is beyond just a basic run of the mill review. When dealing with other UA-cam channels they throw so many accolades about handling and other metrics that I will not truly understand because I don't have the time or money to push cars to their limits. SavageGeese, you, on the other hand, take the time to explain many factors about automobiles in layman's terms that I can understand. No bullshit, you are the best automotive reviewer, bar none (the subtle comedy aspect is always welcomed). I'm dying for you to review a Honda Accord Coupe with the V-6 manual. I want to know whether Honda engineered that car as a driver's car. According to all other reviewers, yes, it is. Fuck them. I want to know what you think.
Love it, bought a 2002 WRX wagon new and put 240,000 miles on it in 6 years. No tune just a couple simple mods. Enjoyed every mile but just wore it out. God I wish they would bring back the wagon!
I used to be obsessed with the gc8 chassis imprezas for years. Over this last year, my obsession has shifted forward a chassis generation. Even now as I'm breaking my tradition by becoming a honda fan, still consider the 02 wrx to be a holy grail car. God bless your friend for finding one that hasn't been raped.
Still got my GC 2001 with a 2004 JDM STI Spec-C engine STOCK. 8 years and still going ! Even did some racing with it. Good maintenance and respect for the car is the key.
Mechanical engineer here. I’ve worked in the auto industry before and I 100% agree with this dude: DO NOT modify these cars unless you’re willing to pay the price. They lose their value and things break. Just remember, engineers that are passionate and are also ‘car people’ designed these things and they know what they are doing. The biggest mod to a vehicle you can do is a driver mod. You wanna be faster… practice more. Maybe get better suspension and a mild tune (if that), but make your skills sharper.
I have a '02 WRX hatchback that I bought new. In the past year I've thought about replacing it but the cars offered now just don't give me that "YES' feeling that I got when I when I drove the car years ago. Still enjoy the car today. Enjoyed the video
Thanks Goose, last night I agreed to buy an 02 WRX on Facebook just from the listing. 220k miles, 5spd wagon, "everything works, engine missing (missfires)." This, and a Throttle House video convinced me this morning to follow through. At $2k for the car, and Tom's mods, I now have a plan to get a stock JDM engine when I can. I've been gathering what I understand are ideal cars either at their best or at their simplest. This will be added to the 95 MX5, 97 Z3, 00 986, and 03 330cic w/hardtop. I believe Japanese cars were at their best from a QC, reliability, driver's car experience from the 90s through early 00s. Oh yeah add the 90s Celicas to the list. So many 90s cars on the wish list!
Laughed sooooo hard with the intro!! You just earned a sub from that lmao! hopefully he sees this and laughs too, awesome review from an owner of a blobeye.
Your videos are top quality. I think you should definitely continue with this idea of revisiting great cars (import and domestic) from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s. People need to revisit what they left behind.. These expensive computers that we "drive" these days suck and are costly to maintain.
Watching Petter Solberg win the WRC championship with what would be the '04 STI is a vivid memory for me and then when they unveiled the '04 model it instantly became my favourite. Always loved Subaru.
The owner sounds a little full of himself. I love subaru and am on my 3rd wrx so far. But subaru is by no means perfect and some mods can help, him saying that any mods at all is stupid is just him wanting to feel like he made the best choice.
Tiberius Hrafn-Úlfur, I agree, no one fix start with the need of removing that TMIC. Have you tried to change spark plugs? It takes 2 hours! The boxer engine gives a nice balance to the car, but its location is a curse.
I absolutely love you man! Honestly, if I didn't live in poor ass Romania and didn't have my own financial troubles, I would send you a bunch of money. This is the best car channel on the internet. Infinitely better than MotorTrend. Please, pretty please, more reviews of older cars and about how cars peaked in some ways in the late 90s/early 2000s.
I just recently sold my 2002 WRX for a 2013, and you really hit home with the, "what type of person/driver you are" statement really hit home for me. I changed a lot in the five years since I bought the '02, and it's all been recently. Pretty much completely revolving around the fact that I'm about to have a daughter. With the age of the '02, a lot of stuff would go on it, and I really didn't care, as this owner says, it's easy to work on. I liked working on it. But now, I kind of don't want that hassle, I don't want shit breaking down and being broke down on the side of the road with my daughter in the car. And before I didn't give a shit, but now I want all the safety features. The '13 is kind of a happy medium. It didn't break the bank like a new WRX would have. It has -some- electronics, but not a ton like the newer cars. It still has an EJ instead of an FA, which I'm way more in tune with when it comes to maintaining and working on the car. It's a bit faster than the '02, and I can't really say which transmission I like more quite yet, but the '13 is way more comfortable. The seats are amazing. And honestly, I think '11-'13 MY's are the best looking WRX's ever made, so there's the icing on the cake.
For the record, not all subaru owners are as miserable as that guy... And FWIW I can think of plenty of places on these cars that Subaru engineers blew it. ABS that turns off the brakes if there is a bump in the road (if you've driven one, you know), faulty brazed oil pickups that are at fault for many bottom end failures, narrower gears in the 02 transmission, lack of clutch damper on the 02-03, fuel lines that leak raw fuel in cold weather (ej205 and many naturally aspirated cars of that era also), lean factory tunes in 07+ cars, I can go on and on and on. Bottom line is, if you don't do some preventative improvements, and try to have some fun with them (autox, track day, etc) you're going to have a bad time. But with some prevention they can also be made to handle decent power as well. 300whp is fairly safe for the ej205, but the 5MT is a different story...
You must of had a bug eye, I have one too, all of that is true. You forgot about the cat pre turbo :S. Luckily these can all be fixed with aftermarket parts :D.
The stock tune is shit on these cars from the factory. On a Dyno the numbers speak for themselves. This guy made a dumb blanket statement when even Mark the presenter knew he was full of shit. Like you stated there are at least a dozen balls the Subaru engineers dropped making this car.....
"ABS that turns off the brakes if there is a bump in the road (if you've driven one, you know)" Yes! I thought that was just mine and I needed to replace something. This is "normal"!? Is there a way to fix this?
Lmao nice Subaruwrxfan reference. And yes please do more older cars!!! Would love to hear your view on classics like the FD RX7, Mark IV Supra and other cars of that time, and even older!
Great review, and your points about the simplicity of the "older" cars is spot on. I was one of the first in my area to buy a 2002 WRX, and I remember the fun handling (especially in snow!)...but the original engine was tough to live with. Turbo lag was so, so, so bad...and the heat soak of the intercooler was evident when continuously driving it hard. I also recall smelling fuel at one point (in the cabin), took it in the shop and was without the car for nearly a week (low mileage)...some kind of leak in the fuel rail if I recall. As far as the comments of the 2002 WRX representing the last simple "muscle" car, I also had a 2006 Mustang GT, and would argue that might be the last - to me that was nearly as simple (if not more), with vinyl-ish leather, no touch screens, didn't even have defrosters on the rear mirrors! But, it had a V8 ("only" 300hp lol), and pretty basic fun. Anyway - looking forward to the review of the 2018 WRX, and all your other reviews!! :-)
Cars were perfected in the '90's? Maybe he's just being facetious, but no they've never been perfected. Every car has it's characteristic set of issues. Some very minor, some catastrophic. The Japanese manufacturers are no exception including Honda.
+MotoBoy yeah I don't think perfected is the right word but development kind of maxed out then before you had all the regulations kind of dictate design
@@savagegeese - I know nothing about cars, but Nike Air Max in the 90s were THE best. Anything past 2001 is kind of weak. Look at the Jordans as well. They do retro 1995 Air Max, Jordan XIV, Jordan I, Jordan XI, etc, re-releasing these over and over again. If shoes were any indication, then cars may be likewise before they went super tech.
Hey Savagegeese. You're the only cartuber reviewing the underbody of cars. It's exactly what viewers want to see. Other cartubers just pop the hood, point at the motor and call it a day. But you really dive deep into the mechanical aspect. Great format!
The stars have aligned! I just caught up on Obsessed Garage podcast (your ep.) and came to your channel right away and subscribed because Matt has never steered me wrong. What I mean about the stars aligning is I'm 28 and at 13 I discovered my absolute favorite car which happened to be the 2002 STi and the most recent video you have is on the bug eye wrx. Love it. The production is top notch and you explain things well. Long time viewer you have in me from now on sir.
I'd much rather see reviews of older performance cars. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford something like a new Porsche 911, but a 2002 WRX is something I could actually get in my garage.
11:20 ehhh.. hang on though. When you look at your AFRs on a stock Subaru it tells a story across all models. Subaru ships their motors with a very rich tune.. this is the case across the board. So yeah an Accessport and a protune isn't a bad idea. Stage 1 or 2 is just fine.
Hi! *waves* I had a 2002 wrx, new engine put in in 2009. Ran a catless exhaust at stage 2 for 14 years and never had an issue with the engine or turbo. Fantastic, fun car.
Very informative video! Very well put together and we'll edited. I'm super interested in this car and I've had thoughts about picking one up within the next few months, and your video convinced me! That said, the most important thing that I learned from this video is that Tom is DEFINITELY not gay.
Not sure how you held your tongue with the owner lol. The stock tune really is quite awful, runs way too lean or too rich, lots of knock(these knock sensors are terrible btw). Car stinks bone stock just as bad if not worse than catless. A cat in the uppipe(early models only) just before turbo, which led to who knows how grenaded turbos and blown engines even at very low mileages. The stock downpipe is also poor with the blank plate design that blocks the wastegate from properly functioning. Just to name a few really poor engineering decisions. If you are looking for or own a bone stock wrx or very lightly modified, PLEASE get the uppipe replaced(aftermarket, sti) if it hasn't been already. Go stage 1 with an accessport(fantastic monitoring tool/tune device), maybe stage 2 with bellmouth dp. Protunes are always best. For the sake of preventative maintenance and piece of mind.
this guy is one of the better car reviewers out there. talks about what you as a consumer really want to know. plus I have a very dry/tragic sense of humor as well so I appreciate that in a car reviewer.
I have to say, the owner of this car is just ignorant. You're by far my favorite reviewer, but please keep him out of here. The stock tune on the EJ205 that was originally in these cars was terrible. Shit gas mileage and shit torque. There's nothing wrong with slapping a stage 1 tune on a WRX of that age. It would more than likely increase the reliability and obviously performance.
+Fidelity When you bring in owner cars you get their take on things. Thats part of the charm of it. Obviously people are not going to always agree but at least its unfiltered.
The proof is in the pudding. Tuners get these cars on Dynos and make them run better with more power and higher MPG. This guy wants to make a inflammatory ignorant statement to be a dick. I know for a fact, a cai, full exhaust and a tune and your WRX/STI taken care of will give you no problem
I briefly owned an stock 02 blue WRX and had to sell it for money reason - it's the car I missed the most of all the sports / compact sports car I ever owned. The turbo lag was the most fun thing ever, made it feel so fast and fun.
Wow time flies,that is one clean bug eye. I remember when the WRX first came to America in late 2001 as a 2002 model. Instant hit for Subaru with their Rally heritage and people who bought them knew what they were all about and capable of and were getting into. Has it really been 15 years already!? A Base WRX was $23,900 in 2002. Now today in 2017 a Base WRX is what 25-26k? So only a 2+k price increase over 15 years is amazing,plus Subaru has been improving and refining the car for every generation. The WRX is still the best AWD Sedan out there. Nothing comes close to it. I wish Subaru would bring back the wagon again.
WRX first hit the dealerships in March 2001, and I had mine within 2 weeks. A wagon. I beat on that poor car like a rented red-headed step-mule and got 215k miles out of it. I loved that car. Then in 2015, there was no WRX wagon. Sadly for me, a wagon is a must and turbo only a want. The 2015 Impreza wagon is much better on gas (of course) and has heated seats, otherwise the 2002 is superior in every way. I keep hoping Subaru brings the WRX wagon back one of these years, but doubt it will ever happen
I found 2002 wrx with 64000 miles. Its a very charming car. It's my third WRX, I had a 2011 hatch and then 2015 before it. Traded the 15 in for a 16 FXT and then picked up the bugeye as kind of a beater car. As you mentioned the simplicity of the bugeye is great. It definitely doesn't have the rigidity and flat cornering of the 2015 but it seems more tossable some how. The bugeye also has the best bolstered seats of any generation WRX. You are right about it being easy to work on too. I did my timing belt today and it went surprisingly smoothly. A couple nit-picks of your review. You mentioned the rod linkage shifter. The shifter in wrx's was the same up until 2014. The sti still has rod linkage and hydraulic power steering in 2018 and probably will for at least a few more years. Also the visibility in modern Subarus is still just as good and for a 2002 the Impreza was a pretty safe car, it has side airbags and a pretty decent crash test, sure the new stuff is better but it's no 1986 crx sardine can.
When Tom delivered the bit about not vaping and being a f- boy deadpan... OMG that was so funny. Especially when he paused after saying he wasn't gay to think, then reiterate. Wonder how many takes you guys did to keep from laughing. It's been a while since I have laughed that hard. Well done! Bravo! Keep up the great work!
Have a 2002 wrx wagon with a Stage 2+ Pro tune(all catless downpipe/up-pipe ), dyno'ed 210WHP & 218TRQ on a AWD dyno yet has 170,000 miles on original 2.0L WRX motor & transmission. As long as the car is tuned for & well maintained(synthetic oil changes every 3k miles, maintained timing belt) they will last for ever 250k+. Alot of miss-information in this video!
The argument he has at 20:30 is so true. Fast cars are all incredibly expensive now with a bunch of crap enthusiasts don't want. Or they are just too big and heavy with a focus solely on horsepower.
I thought your buddy in this video could use a lesson in "class". Savagegeese, you on the other hand do a phenomenal job of selling us. As to why this is a great car for someone looking at older Subaru models. Thank you.
What I miss from 2000 was all the light weight fun to drive cars Celica, RSX,MR, MX5, Boxster, Z3, S2k, NSX and so on. They all gained weight complexity or died by 2008. Only the 3000 pound Boxster and the 2300 pound MX5 remain true to their roots
Still have my 2001 WRX wagon, 115k miles and running great. Moved to Southern California and I haven't seen a single bugeye on the road in months, so I presumed people just don't like them anymore and have moved on. But it's awesome to see that they've stood the test of time, and there's still a small but ardent following.
Sorry broah Tom, while i like this WRX a lot, and this car era is probably my favorite, this attitude on modifying/tuning is laughable coming from a mechanic. My 2003 miata has had a good life, being hard driven and the last 5 years being turbocharged with at least +80% more power/torque. The car has almost 100k miles. NOTHING mechanical has been an issue...you can squeeze more out of those japanese cars of the era, without sacrificing reliability. You just need to be educated and mechanically inclined.
The owner seemed soo angry. Look how his arms were folded the whole time. 🤔 He got really defensive when Mr Goose pointed out some minor corrosion under the car. Typical Subaru knob. 🙂
Good review! I am owner of a WRX bugeye 02. It has 180k and still going strong. This has been my long last owned car and I plan to keep for many more years. Things about 02 Subaru: very mechanical, very well built, NHV of 2000's, everything is interchangeable with other Subaru models which is blessing and a curse if need to change transmission parts. Too many variations. Knowing this from friends. Things that still great for this 15 year car: If know how to keep the engine in the sweet rpm spot it is a great drive in canyon roads. You can actually surprise a lot of modern car drivers because you can carry more speeds in curves than many modern cars. About modifying these WRX of old generation. I don't think there is much harm if is done thoughtfully and mild. For example, putting a good aftermarket TMIC is a good measure together good silicon hoses. This will lower the air intake temperature and benefits the engine in the long run. Changing DP the stupid OEM one that causes the turbo creep. Change exhaust system for good quality and less restrictive one. Then you can think about change injectors and ECU tuning. I actually have a Prodrive stage 1to 2 package and I don't think it has altered the engine reliability. It was installed 14 years ago. It made the car close to 300whp and much improved drive ability. Problems of owning a 15 year old WRX. I am having some issues of vacuum leaks. This will be the source of most check engine light. After all the rubbers are 15 year old. Find a mechanic that really knows about Subarus. It will save time and money in the long run. Most of the costly fixes in my car were caused by mechanically that didn't fix it back on expecs. I remember that when 07 models came with new body, I felt bummed. Now, I feel just been the opposite, been an owner of bugeye. Here are some comments and questions about my car: "Do you want to sell it?" "I didn't know that your car is this old. It drives like new!" "How come that this old car can corners and drive faster than my car? ( 350 plus SUV) :)" Quote from a subaru dealer salesperson: "Don't buy the new model. Just keep yours."
@@mrk2ovtec I'm on my third VW, with all of my previous cars going over 170k miles. I can tell you that not one of them blew up during my time of ownership. It is NOT at all common for motors to blow up at 100k miles. 😒
@@vr6gls it was common for engines to fail at 100k back in the 1990s and earlier, especially GM products. But yeah 100k is NOT impressive longevity for an engine. Then again we are talking turbo here and using that tech means the engine takes more wear and tear and requires more maintenance.
I still have my first Subaru. I got it after graduating and have owned a few cars alongside it but it has always been around. It's a wonderful car and most everything in this video is true. The gearbox in mine grenaded when the centre diff failed at 300.000 kms. I've put that car through a lot of hell but it never let me down. As of now, it's back to stock and almost feels better than the day I first got it.
"I'm not a homosexual"
"I've known tom since we were doing body shots off each other in highschool"
"Good times"
6:40 "Where should we start, in the rear maybe?"
LMAO
*thinking
Joe G hahaha I was going to point that out too.
Exactly i was hoping that somone else caught that
I laughed my ass off when you used Subaruwrxfans old intro song.
KentB27 I thought the same thing, LOL!
I was wondering where I know that gay song from
futility of human endeavor What's up everybody? Subaruwuhsbsbckjdbfan here with another car review!
Haha he still uses it!
lmfao he even included some of the laugh. god this guy is great
Bought a 2003 WRX new. Tuned with Cobb AP in 2004 when they first came out. Drove it for over 13 years, then sold it in excellent condition. No major issues. I miss it and have second guessed myself selling it.
Not much power under 3k, but pulled hard to redline. Stage 2 tuned mine for a couple years - thats 290hp on stock turbo. That thing pulled like crazy once the turbo kicked in.
People modded these to death without understanding. Blow off valves causing lean conditions at shifts, modifications without proper tuning, or tuning using "some guy with an open flash map". Stock suspension was very comfortable too. Inverted STi struts is a NASIOC fanboy thing.
Oh - regarding wind noise: with frameless windows, if you roll the window down a bit after you close the door and then roll them up, they seal much better than just closing the door. No wind noises.
Preach it brother! I had an '03 used and I never went crazy with it but I always appreciated what it offered and how simple it was. So much so I went back to it with the '16 model.
id like to be a keyboard warrior and correct you on something but everything you say here is 100% true. I currently drive a 2003 wrx wagon and have a cobb stage 2 tune and it works marvelously. the note about the wind noise is a nice trick i learned along the way and I just thought that it might be my cars age.
I agree on the suspension being a little too squishy. coilovers and maybe some strut bars make the wrx ride pretty well around the corners, but I think id miss the squishiness for the shitty MN roads.
Stock suspension is definitely soft. I had the wagon, with smaller rear sway bars, and while it rode super comfortable, it would also understeer at first in hard cornering before it would bite and turn in. After driving my NA Miata for a few weeks straight, I almost wrecked my WRX when I took an exit ramp way too fast. I got used to taking the exit ramp at a certain speed and was nearly painfully reminded that while the WRX is a sporty car, its not a sports car. Of course you can modify it to handle much better, at the cost of ride quality.
Stephen E j
I just want to note that Subaru still pretty much gets universal praise for their high outward visibility and thin pillars with minimal blind spots, yet they still have great crash ratings.
Also want to note that Subaru still used rod shifting instead of cables in every manual transmission until the recent FA/FB engines and the new WRX, which can be converted to rod shifter. The STI still uses rods.
Yeah, they know what they're doing. Instead of making their pillars 9" wide (I'm talking about you Ford) they make theirs thin but incredibly dense, just google "subaru b pillar" so excellent roof and crash strength without sacrificing visibility.
Do they though? Pretty sure Subaru's side impact ratings are not good.
No. Look it up for yourself. Impreza / WRX were mediocre up until recently and now it's scoring acceptable. The Impreza is NOT an IIHS top+ pick. www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/subaru/impreza-wrx-4-door-sedan I think the outback still scores high though.
The forester is the one with the top safety ratings and ihs top picks for their crash tests. Especially when they went to the 2,0 liter for the xt.
The way he says "I'm not a vaper. Im not a fuck boy. Im not a homosexual" with a dead serious demeanour. Lmfao
Infiniti floormats, the most expensive mod done to this car.
Good for at least 15hp.
I thought that was a bit off too.
I think the replacement (non-stock) engine might have cost a tad more.
@@jukeboxzero1 I don't know. Those floor mats could have been a pretty penny.
Purchased one with Lexus floor mats 😂
I'm not gay.
Remember those body shots back in high school? Good times.
Also, when they're checking under the car: "Let's start at the rear :)"
I purchase my bugeye WRX new in 2003 then sold it in perfect condition in 2008. Come 2015 and I was looking for a new WRX and on a car website here in AU found my old car for sale. How could I resist it. The engine was rebuilt professionally by the previous owner (spin bearing) using forged pistons, rods and steel crank. Turbo also professionally rebuilt. Now in 2017 the car is modified with a stage 2 kit and dyno retune. So happy and proud am I to have my toy car back. It will never leave me now.
I got one and in Australia
You should have started with:
"What's up everybody Savagegeese here with another car review!"
Tori Black Arm motions have to be included as well.
Edward Razura-Perez Huge thanks to Tom for allowing me to review this for you guys!
KentB27 and he needed to have stood in front of the car, on the left of it.
"This is of course the 2002 Subaru WRX"
when are we going to see Tori Black's car (or truck or vehicle) reviews by savagegeese?
The man meant to say... If you buy a Subaru.. Go stage 2
edit: I love how he's praising the stock tune but the motor popped at 100k
also that he has an STi motor in it that was tuned to be "stock" but you can hear Savage talk about how the tune feels like crap (because it's not tuned right LMAO) Cool car though, I just feel bad he's stuck in his ways and so blinded by anger towards the "Subaru Impreza fuccboi scene". The one thing they got right is getting rid of the stock tune that runs these EJ motors lean as hell, and come knocking from the factory.
What even is "stage 2"? What does it mean?
Guys always use this term, but it has completely arbitrary meaning! One person's stage "X" can mean something completely different to someone else. The "stage" term has got to go.
AnyBodyWannaPeanut You are completely correct. In the Subaru realm, a stage 2 car has a downpipe and a tune.
Love you yanks with your "stages". It's not need for speed. lol. So what do you call a stage 1? A downpipe and tune is just the "first thing you should do" around here. My car must be a stage 10 then. :D
Seriously, I've seen a lot of beat ass busted subarus get way past 100k. Also some stock ones blow up with 2000 miles. Everyone makes up nonsense reasons why some Subarus blow up. Oh it's tuned, oh it's not tuned. It's the oil, it's the mods..blah blah shit happens.
I had one of these in college. It was amazing. Small, fast, and nimble. It was an honest driving machine. Although it did have some major turbo lag, a few mods cleared that right up. I miss it. Love the video.
You get another one?
9:21 Maintenance always maintenance , pans to torn boot on leaking power steering rack LOL
DrCrazyAzz I thought I was the only one to notice!!! Haha
DrCrazyAzz thats the axle boot. And yeah i noticed it too lol
DrCrazyAzz maintenance vs. repairs.
ya really... its either crunching or about to start making nasty sounds. Credibility shot. If I had a lift I'd be fixing every single low cost thing I could.
Nope, it's the steering boot. Check out 9:13 and you'll see them next to each other. Axle boot is significantly larger, and dry.
You forgot to mention its quirks and features
"Here's why a 2002 Subaru WRX is worth $5k..."
sti version is worth 7k my country
7k for an STi? Here in germany, the online prices starting around 15k or so, mostly hawkeyes and hatches
and WRXs you can find starting around 6-7k (or maybe some for 4k with over 250k km)
Bug sti arent popular in Australia . Btw i mention price in usd .chespest on the market atm 2002 wrx sti 8500aud
In new zealand even cheaper . 1995 wrx sti 5000 nzd
The Subaru WRX was the ONE car which really took the tuner scene to another level. This is the car that opened the gates for the STI, Evo, 350Z, RX8, S2000, and ultimately the GTR to come to the US of A. This is the car that you can spend an additional $2,000 in aftermarket parts and get to 300 hp and handle fantastic.
"Keep it stock"
Says the dude with a *MOTOR SWAP*
keep the engine stock ... OBVIOUSLY
Underrated comment
Thank god this guy is keeping it stock. He's so correct when he says that the Japanese perfected it, I absolutely hate ricers that think they're so much smarter than the engineers that made the car.
We’re you touched by a tuner as a child? It’s not that serious. You buy the car it’s your decision what you do with it. You have noooooo claim over what others to do their cars. He sounds like an old ass man with a stick up his ass.
Mr. Regular would have a field day with the Subaru owner.
Yeah he would
Mr. Furry can't wrench on cars so his opinion is irrelevant.
@@FuckMyParents420 I could take the former furry shit, but the absolutely horrible Stealth review finally turned me off of him
Make it happen!
Cars totally peaked in the 90s. There is nothing here to miss, bring back 1996.
Richard Hunter GC8>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any other Impreza
That dude sounds like he has a attitude
Being a mechanic will do that to you.
ShoryukenDatAzz yup truth.
Charles Norris well he's not wrong.
He's not right either. Stock Subaru tunes are kinda whack. EJs blow up when you tune the shit out of them and then subject the motor to high revs. All those boxers have lubrication issues--cheap metals and a setup prone to failure at high G's and RPMs.
thats why you build them. you cant just expect to tape on a massive intercooler and wing and go 10000mph
Let's start in the rear
Art Vandelay shall we start in the rear?!
shutup nate I dont like black ppl
as turbowski would say, "it's brown in the back"
That's what my girlfriend all ways says.
You nasty you! Haha
I had a 2002 WRX for 15 years. I absolutely loved that car! It did everything well including towing a boat and 2 place snowmobile trailer.
I myself own a silver bugeye, and after a year, It still is somehow simultaneously the ugliest car ever made, and the best looking car ever made.
The prodrive style package was simply a very good looking car.
My dad owns a blue 2004 Forester STI and it has a similar kind of vibe. Looks great, and also looks ugly as sin. Let’s call it Subaru Syndrome.
I also have a silver bugeye 😂 wheels and rear mudflaps really help the look (imo)
lol same but i have the uglier one..... the wagon lol
i got a 03 2.5rs.
The owner talks about keeping Subaru`s stock because the motors will blow up, yet his presumably stock motor blew up at 100k? Makes sense...
+Steven Broadbent Yes stock motor.
+savagegeese Lol thx for the response! Also, I have two suggestions for older cars to review. Mazdaspeed6 and/or either generation Mazdaspeed3. Thx again! Love the channel!
+Steven Broadbent Yeah need to get both, will have a video about getting people involved in this. I am sure plenty of MS6 and 3 around here.
+savagegeese Hell yeah I would love to see them both! Thank you again for the responses! Much appreciated good sir!
I have this same car and my motor also blew up just after 100K miles. *sigh*
Awesome video! I totally agree with the comment about "simplicity" in this car. He is a hundred percent correct when he says that no one is manufacturing Vehicles like this anymore. They are all jazzed up with so much tech and fluff that they have lost a primary focus. Thanks for making videos like this!! The 90's where the best decade for Vehicles like this!
These reviews of older cars is exactly what I've been waiting for! I knew that you would do an amazing job covering these older cars and you delivered! I hope to see more of these retro reviews!
He really pounded home the point that he wasn't gay and that Subaru isn't gay. That was cringy.
da0908 he also mentioned them doing body shots off each other in high school......kinda ghey.
Lol I'm still not sure if that body shot comment was a subtle joke referencing the gay comments.
me thinks thou protest too much!!!
John K its a joke
I'm pretty much thinking his a hater of Subaru lol evo guy 😂
I've been running my stage 2 with a straight pipe exhaust and spirited driving with minimal issues and the same engine for 5 years with 160,000 kms...
This review is beyond just a basic run of the mill review. When dealing with other UA-cam channels they throw so many accolades about handling and other metrics that I will not truly understand because I don't have the time or money to push cars to their limits. SavageGeese, you, on the other hand, take the time to explain many factors about automobiles in layman's terms that I can understand. No bullshit, you are the best automotive reviewer, bar none (the subtle comedy aspect is always welcomed).
I'm dying for you to review a Honda Accord Coupe with the V-6 manual. I want to know whether Honda engineered that car as a driver's car. According to all other reviewers, yes, it is. Fuck them. I want to know what you think.
Love it, bought a 2002 WRX wagon new and put 240,000 miles on it in 6 years. No tune just a couple simple mods. Enjoyed every mile but just wore it out. God I wish they would bring back the wagon!
How did you get it to run for so long?
I used to be obsessed with the gc8 chassis imprezas for years. Over this last year, my obsession has shifted forward a chassis generation. Even now as I'm breaking my tradition by becoming a honda fan, still consider the 02 wrx to be a holy grail car. God bless your friend for finding one that hasn't been raped.
Still got my GC 2001 with a 2004 JDM STI Spec-C engine STOCK. 8 years and still going ! Even did some racing with it. Good maintenance and respect for the car is the key.
Mechanical engineer here. I’ve worked in the auto industry before and I 100% agree with this dude: DO NOT modify these cars unless you’re willing to pay the price. They lose their value and things break. Just remember, engineers that are passionate and are also ‘car people’ designed these things and they know what they are doing. The biggest mod to a vehicle you can do is a driver mod. You wanna be faster… practice more. Maybe get better suspension and a mild tune (if that), but make your skills sharper.
I have a '02 WRX hatchback that I bought new. In the past year I've thought about replacing it but the cars offered now just don't give me that "YES' feeling that I got when I when I drove the car years ago. Still enjoy the car today. Enjoyed the video
**Infiniti g37 floor mat in a Subaru Impreza** "Yeah im not gay"
Thanks Goose, last night I agreed to buy an 02 WRX on Facebook just from the listing. 220k miles, 5spd wagon, "everything works, engine missing (missfires)." This, and a Throttle House video convinced me this morning to follow through. At $2k for the car, and Tom's mods, I now have a plan to get a stock JDM engine when I can. I've been gathering what I understand are ideal cars either at their best or at their simplest. This will be added to the 95 MX5, 97 Z3, 00 986, and 03 330cic w/hardtop. I believe Japanese cars were at their best from a QC, reliability, driver's car experience from the 90s through early 00s. Oh yeah add the 90s Celicas to the list. So many 90s cars on the wish list!
I love this owner, speaks the truth. I've never had a mechanical issue with my WRX.
Laughed sooooo hard with the intro!! You just earned a sub from that lmao! hopefully he sees this and laughs too, awesome review from an owner of a blobeye.
same lol
Rob Cameron he'll probably whine about it and try to file suit
lmao
Your videos are top quality. I think you should definitely continue with this idea of revisiting great cars (import and domestic) from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s. People need to revisit what they left behind.. These expensive computers that we "drive" these days suck and are costly to maintain.
Watching Petter Solberg win the WRC championship with what would be the '04 STI is a vivid memory for me and then when they unveiled the '04 model it instantly became my favourite. Always loved Subaru.
The owner sounds a little full of himself. I love subaru and am on my 3rd wrx so far. But subaru is by no means perfect and some mods can help, him saying that any mods at all is stupid is just him wanting to feel like he made the best choice.
Trev Rebel For a mechanic he was kinda clueless
Trev Rebel after owning 2 I would say somewhat over rated at least where I live where every kid owns one
I don't know if I would use the term "easy to work on" with a Subaru. I love mine, but oh my god nothing is in a place designed for human hands
Tiberius Hrafn-Úlfur, I agree, no one fix start with the need of removing that TMIC.
Have you tried to change spark plugs? It takes 2 hours! The boxer engine gives a nice balance to the car, but its location is a curse.
More like one hour, but you still need to break your hand to do it.
Made for Japanese hands
Agreed one hundred percent. Easy to work on does not belong in the same sentence when mentioning Subaru lol.
@Bob Lexus. Agreed, one hr job on my 02. Remove the intake tube and battery then have at it.
Subarus are great cars
-stock motor blew up at 100k
+Riley Testa haha
Riley Testa the sad truth lol
Lmao!
Subaru engineers knew what they were doing when they built these. . .
Buys a factory souped up engine from Japan. . .
My stock motor is pushing 175k...hasn't "blown up"
I absolutely love you man! Honestly, if I didn't live in poor ass Romania and didn't have my own financial troubles, I would send you a bunch of money. This is the best car channel on the internet. Infinitely better than MotorTrend. Please, pretty please, more reviews of older cars and about how cars peaked in some ways in the late 90s/early 2000s.
No fake Vents! No Fake Carbon Fiber. Awsome!
"I'm not a homosexual. I'm not a homosexual." Sounds like someone trying to convince themselves, no?
R Sid lol I think that was the idea
R Sid sounds like Norm McDonald’s “closeted homosexual” joke
And with how bitter that's guy seemed to be I think hes definitely hiding something....
It’s just dry humor
I hope you're not cheating on Turbowski.
I LOVE the owner. He’s hilarious and he knows what the fuck he’s talking about.
I just recently sold my 2002 WRX for a 2013, and you really hit home with the, "what type of person/driver you are" statement really hit home for me. I changed a lot in the five years since I bought the '02, and it's all been recently. Pretty much completely revolving around the fact that I'm about to have a daughter. With the age of the '02, a lot of stuff would go on it, and I really didn't care, as this owner says, it's easy to work on. I liked working on it. But now, I kind of don't want that hassle, I don't want shit breaking down and being broke down on the side of the road with my daughter in the car. And before I didn't give a shit, but now I want all the safety features. The '13 is kind of a happy medium. It didn't break the bank like a new WRX would have. It has -some- electronics, but not a ton like the newer cars. It still has an EJ instead of an FA, which I'm way more in tune with when it comes to maintaining and working on the car. It's a bit faster than the '02, and I can't really say which transmission I like more quite yet, but the '13 is way more comfortable. The seats are amazing. And honestly, I think '11-'13 MY's are the best looking WRX's ever made, so there's the icing on the cake.
For the record, not all subaru owners are as miserable as that guy...
And FWIW I can think of plenty of places on these cars that Subaru engineers blew it. ABS that turns off the brakes if there is a bump in the road (if you've driven one, you know), faulty brazed oil pickups that are at fault for many bottom end failures, narrower gears in the 02 transmission, lack of clutch damper on the 02-03, fuel lines that leak raw fuel in cold weather (ej205 and many naturally aspirated cars of that era also), lean factory tunes in 07+ cars, I can go on and on and on. Bottom line is, if you don't do some preventative improvements, and try to have some fun with them (autox, track day, etc) you're going to have a bad time. But with some prevention they can also be made to handle decent power as well. 300whp is fairly safe for the ej205, but the 5MT is a different story...
You must of had a bug eye, I have one too, all of that is true. You forgot about the cat pre turbo :S. Luckily these can all be fixed with aftermarket parts :D.
Idk, I was pretty miserable with both I owned, except my gc8 hated constantly fixing it loved driving it lol
The stock tune is shit on these cars from the factory. On a Dyno the numbers speak for themselves. This guy made a dumb blanket statement when even Mark the presenter knew he was full of shit. Like you stated there are at least a dozen balls the Subaru engineers dropped making this car.....
"ABS that turns off the brakes if there is a bump in the road (if you've driven one, you know)" Yes! I thought that was just mine and I needed to replace something. This is "normal"!? Is there a way to fix this?
Lmao nice Subaruwrxfan reference. And yes please do more older cars!!! Would love to hear your view on classics like the FD RX7, Mark IV Supra and other cars of that time, and even older!
Great review, and your points about the simplicity of the "older" cars is spot on. I was one of the first in my area to buy a 2002 WRX, and I remember the fun handling (especially in snow!)...but the original engine was tough to live with. Turbo lag was so, so, so bad...and the heat soak of the intercooler was evident when continuously driving it hard. I also recall smelling fuel at one point (in the cabin), took it in the shop and was without the car for nearly a week (low mileage)...some kind of leak in the fuel rail if I recall. As far as the comments of the 2002 WRX representing the last simple "muscle" car, I also had a 2006 Mustang GT, and would argue that might be the last - to me that was nearly as simple (if not more), with vinyl-ish leather, no touch screens, didn't even have defrosters on the rear mirrors! But, it had a V8 ("only" 300hp lol), and pretty basic fun.
Anyway - looking forward to the review of the 2018 WRX, and all your other reviews!! :-)
2002 wrx was my first sports car. It was a perfect first car for a 17 year old enthusiast. Sometimes I miss it.
Cars were perfected in the '90's? Maybe he's just being facetious, but no they've never been perfected. Every car has it's characteristic set of issues. Some very minor, some catastrophic. The Japanese manufacturers are no exception including Honda.
+MotoBoy yeah I don't think perfected is the right word but development kind of maxed out then before you had all the regulations kind of dictate design
@@savagegeese - I know nothing about cars, but Nike Air Max in the 90s were THE best. Anything past 2001 is kind of weak. Look at the Jordans as well. They do retro 1995 Air Max, Jordan XIV, Jordan I, Jordan XI, etc, re-releasing these over and over again. If shoes were any indication, then cars may be likewise before they went super tech.
just in case we don't know hes not a homosexual.... hes NOT a homosexual guys
alexander1485 If he can do body shots with SG and say he's not gay, boy is straight as a flat earth horizon.
alexander1485 HE'S NOT GAY OR HOMOSEXUAL OK?! NOT GAY AT ALL.
alexander1485 NOT GAY! 😂
Hey Savagegeese. You're the only cartuber reviewing the underbody of cars. It's exactly what viewers want to see. Other cartubers just pop the hood, point at the motor and call it a day. But you really dive deep into the mechanical aspect. Great format!
The stars have aligned! I just caught up on Obsessed Garage podcast (your ep.) and came to your channel right away and subscribed because Matt has never steered me wrong. What I mean about the stars aligning is I'm 28 and at 13 I discovered my absolute favorite car which happened to be the 2002 STi and the most recent video you have is on the bug eye wrx. Love it. The production is top notch and you explain things well. Long time viewer you have in me from now on sir.
SUBBBBAAARRRUUUU IMMMPOOSSBUUURRRUU
MITSUBISHIUUUUUUUUUUUU
This is racist
*UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU*
kachow! 4 WHEEL DRIFT AUUUUUUUUUU
*HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK HOTDICK*
Wyyyyyyteeeees
I'd much rather see reviews of older performance cars. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford something like a new Porsche 911, but a 2002 WRX is something I could actually get in my garage.
I enjoyed the new approach,the realization that it requires time and living with something that really determines it's value.Very good quality video!
This is probably the best video I’ve watched in a while!! 😂 Loved it!
Biggest disappointment of the whole video: "in the shoppe: without turbowski"
Love the older car reviews:) gear shifters, analog dials, steering feel... if only they had crank or vent windows
I love so much that you're doing this. Did you deliberately use Subaruwrxfan's intro music? Cause that's genius if so.
11:20 ehhh.. hang on though. When you look at your AFRs on a stock Subaru it tells a story across all models. Subaru ships their motors with a very rich tune.. this is the case across the board. So yeah an Accessport and a protune isn't a bad idea. Stage 1 or 2 is just fine.
That man is soooo angry.
He's so depressed
@@dallasmellsop5488 Mechanic life
Lmao I love that subaruwrxfan intro, sorry, Matt Maran Motoring
Hi! *waves*
I had a 2002 wrx, new engine put in in 2009. Ran a catless exhaust at stage 2 for 14 years and never had an issue with the engine or turbo. Fantastic, fun car.
Very informative video! Very well put together and we'll edited. I'm super interested in this car and I've had thoughts about picking one up within the next few months, and your video convinced me!
That said, the most important thing that I learned from this video is that Tom is DEFINITELY not gay.
I remember when my bugeye used to be stock like that. 404whp is so much more fun!
Keeping a wrx stock is a sin !
Alex Bwavert true, so much more fun modified correctly.
uhチュンチュンマル on a bugeye? Fully built and a gt3071r at least lol
Not sure how you held your tongue with the owner lol. The stock tune really is quite awful, runs way too lean or too rich, lots of knock(these knock sensors are terrible btw). Car stinks bone stock just as bad if not worse than catless.
A cat in the uppipe(early models only) just before turbo, which led to who knows how grenaded turbos and blown engines even at very low mileages.
The stock downpipe is also poor with the blank plate design that blocks the wastegate from properly functioning.
Just to name a few really poor engineering decisions. If you are looking for or own a bone stock wrx or very lightly modified, PLEASE get the uppipe replaced(aftermarket, sti) if it hasn't been already. Go stage 1 with an accessport(fantastic monitoring tool/tune device), maybe stage 2 with bellmouth dp. Protunes are always best. For the sake of preventative maintenance and piece of mind.
"Where do you want to start, in the rear?" -- the hits keep coming.
this guy is one of the better car reviewers out there. talks about what you as a consumer really want to know. plus I have a very dry/tragic sense of humor as well so I appreciate that in a car reviewer.
I have to say, the owner of this car is just ignorant. You're by far my favorite reviewer, but please keep him out of here. The stock tune on the EJ205 that was originally in these cars was terrible. Shit gas mileage and shit torque. There's nothing wrong with slapping a stage 1 tune on a WRX of that age. It would more than likely increase the reliability and obviously performance.
+Fidelity When you bring in owner cars you get their take on things. Thats part of the charm of it. Obviously people are not going to always agree but at least its unfiltered.
The proof is in the pudding. Tuners get these cars on Dynos and make them run better with more power and higher MPG. This guy wants to make a inflammatory ignorant statement to be a dick. I know for a fact, a cai, full exhaust and a tune and your WRX/STI taken care of will give you no problem
"I'm not gay"
"Ive known Tom since we were doing body shot off each other in highschool"
I briefly owned an stock 02 blue WRX and had to sell it for money reason - it's the car I missed the most of all the sports / compact sports car I ever owned. The turbo lag was the most fun thing ever, made it feel so fast and fun.
goddamn SG the new shop just put you on another level. all these big fancy youtubers dont even have a setup that nice
+Varg Sutton it's not how nice it is it's how you use it. ;)
Nice Subaruwrxfan intro
Lmfao that subaruwrxfan intro!!😂
SavagexRaccoon h
Wow time flies,that is one clean bug eye. I remember when the WRX first came to America in late 2001 as a 2002 model. Instant hit for Subaru with their Rally heritage and people who bought them knew what they were all about and capable of and were getting into. Has it really been 15 years already!? A Base WRX was $23,900 in 2002.
Now today in 2017 a Base WRX is what 25-26k? So only a 2+k price increase over 15 years is amazing,plus Subaru has been improving and refining the car for every generation. The WRX is still the best AWD Sedan out there. Nothing comes close to it. I wish Subaru would bring back the wagon again.
Keep going with these blast from the past reviews! Can you review an AP1 S2000?!
Ha, coming back to watch when its above 360pee
"I 'll be back"
WRX first hit the dealerships in March 2001, and I had mine within 2 weeks. A wagon. I beat on that poor car like a rented red-headed step-mule and got 215k miles out of it. I loved that car. Then in 2015, there was no WRX wagon. Sadly for me, a wagon is a must and turbo only a want. The 2015 Impreza wagon is much better on gas (of course) and has heated seats, otherwise the 2002 is superior in every way. I keep hoping Subaru brings the WRX wagon back one of these years, but doubt it will ever happen
James Miller search subaru levorg. No idea why they don't bring that in north america.
Subaru WRX wagon (Levorg) unveiled this year in Oz. Wish we got it here.
I found 2002 wrx with 64000 miles. Its a very charming car. It's my third WRX, I had a 2011 hatch and then 2015 before it. Traded the 15 in for a 16 FXT and then picked up the bugeye as kind of a beater car.
As you mentioned the simplicity of the bugeye is great. It definitely doesn't have the rigidity and flat cornering of the 2015 but it seems more tossable some how.
The bugeye also has the best bolstered seats of any generation WRX.
You are right about it being easy to work on too. I did my timing belt today and it went surprisingly smoothly.
A couple nit-picks of your review. You mentioned the rod linkage shifter. The shifter in wrx's was the same up until 2014. The sti still has rod linkage and hydraulic power steering in 2018 and probably will for at least a few more years. Also the visibility in modern Subarus is still just as good and for a 2002 the Impreza was a pretty safe car, it has side airbags and a pretty decent crash test, sure the new stuff is better but it's no 1986 crx sardine can.
When Tom delivered the bit about not vaping and being a f- boy deadpan... OMG that was so funny. Especially when he paused after saying he wasn't gay to think, then reiterate. Wonder how many takes you guys did to keep from laughing. It's been a while since I have laughed that hard. Well done! Bravo! Keep up the great work!
Have a 2002 wrx wagon with a Stage 2+ Pro tune(all catless downpipe/up-pipe ), dyno'ed 210WHP & 218TRQ on a AWD dyno yet has 170,000 miles on original 2.0L WRX motor & transmission.
As long as the car is tuned for & well maintained(synthetic oil changes every 3k miles, maintained timing belt) they will last for ever 250k+. Alot of miss-information in this video!
The argument he has at 20:30 is so true. Fast cars are all incredibly expensive now with a bunch of crap enthusiasts don't want. Or they are just too big and heavy with a focus solely on horsepower.
I thought your buddy in this video could use a lesson in "class". Savagegeese, you on the other hand do a phenomenal job of selling us. As to why this is a great car for someone looking at older Subaru models. Thank you.
What I miss from 2000 was all the light weight fun to drive cars Celica, RSX,MR, MX5, Boxster, Z3, S2k, NSX and so on. They all gained weight complexity or died by 2008. Only the 3000 pound Boxster and the 2300 pound MX5 remain true to their roots
9:25 The right drive sleeve is ripped the F*%$ up.
love the g37 mats lol
Still have my 2001 WRX wagon, 115k miles and running great. Moved to Southern California and I haven't seen a single bugeye on the road in months, so I presumed people just don't like them anymore and have moved on. But it's awesome to see that they've stood the test of time, and there's still a small but ardent following.
I've got one
In ca
Review what you want and I will watch it . You make great quality videos . Thank you .
Sorry broah Tom, while i like this WRX a lot, and this car era is probably my favorite, this attitude on modifying/tuning is laughable coming from a mechanic. My 2003 miata has had a good life, being hard driven and the last 5 years being turbocharged with at least +80% more power/torque. The car has almost 100k miles. NOTHING mechanical has been an issue...you can squeeze more out of those japanese cars of the era, without sacrificing reliability. You just need to be educated and mechanically inclined.
The owner seemed soo angry. Look how his arms were folded the whole time. 🤔
He got really defensive when Mr Goose pointed out some minor corrosion under the car. Typical Subaru knob. 🙂
I feel bad for the guy for some reason. People who are bitter have some serious issues.....
Good review! I am owner of a WRX bugeye 02. It has 180k and still going strong. This has been my long last owned car and I plan to keep for many more years.
Things about 02 Subaru: very mechanical, very well built, NHV of 2000's, everything is interchangeable with other Subaru models which is blessing and a curse if need to change transmission parts. Too many variations. Knowing this from friends.
Things that still great for this 15 year car: If know how to keep the engine in the sweet rpm spot it is a great drive in canyon roads. You can actually surprise a lot of modern car drivers because you can carry more speeds in curves than many modern cars.
About modifying these WRX of old generation. I don't think there is much harm if is done thoughtfully and mild. For example, putting a good aftermarket TMIC is a good measure together good silicon hoses. This will lower the air intake temperature and benefits the engine in the long run. Changing DP the stupid OEM one that causes the turbo creep. Change exhaust system for good quality and less restrictive one. Then you can think about change injectors and ECU tuning.
I actually have a Prodrive stage 1to 2 package and I don't think it has altered the engine reliability. It was installed 14 years ago. It made the car close to 300whp and much improved drive ability.
Problems of owning a 15 year old WRX. I am having some issues of vacuum leaks. This will be the source of most check engine light. After all the rubbers are 15 year old. Find a mechanic that really knows about Subarus. It will save time and money in the long run. Most of the costly fixes in my car were caused by mechanically that didn't fix it back on expecs.
I remember that when 07 models came with new body, I felt bummed. Now, I feel just been the opposite, been an owner of bugeye.
Here are some comments and questions about my car:
"Do you want to sell it?"
"I didn't know that your car is this old. It drives like new!"
"How come that this old car can corners and drive faster than my car? ( 350 plus SUV) :)"
Quote from a subaru dealer salesperson:
"Don't buy the new model. Just keep yours."
i have a 2001 jdm sti bugeye it is also tuned to 360hp and has been like that for the last 16 years and it has no problems
"Stock motor blew up at 100k."
Oh yeah, love the reliability of this vintage simple shitbox.
ak2112 dude 100k is pretty good on any car
Jdm sti engines last forever
no they dont
@@mrk2ovtec I'm on my third VW, with all of my previous cars going over 170k miles. I can tell you that not one of them blew up during my time of ownership. It is NOT at all common for motors to blow up at 100k miles. 😒
@@vr6gls it was common for engines to fail at 100k back in the 1990s and earlier, especially GM products. But yeah 100k is NOT impressive longevity for an engine. Then again we are talking turbo here and using that tech means the engine takes more wear and tear and requires more maintenance.
Great Car. Great Review. Simple is good. Stock is good. Thanks.
Score - 8.9
I got a 2003 blob eye. 100% stock. Gotta take it for a drive after watching this. These cars were built to win rally championships.
I still have my first Subaru. I got it after graduating and have owned a few cars alongside it but it has always been around. It's a wonderful car and most everything in this video is true. The gearbox in mine grenaded when the centre diff failed at 300.000 kms. I've put that car through a lot of hell but it never let me down. As of now, it's back to stock and almost feels better than the day I first got it.