I’ve been car shopping. Having gone back to the Scion dealership and spent a little more time with ZN6, I’ve decided that’s not where I’m going. New impressions weren’t quite what they first were one year ago. The car still drives and handles fantastic. In stock form it really does react and drive the way I want a car to. People complain about throttle response on the track, but on the street it isn’t something that I notice. One year ago I was comparing the FA20 to my high strung 4AGE, and I liked the FA20 a lot. Having now spent time with an EJ2o turbo though, the FR-S is straight up slow. Not that I really care, the real complaint this time around is that I don’t actually feel that comfortable inside. My hair brushes the roof, the wheel feels low and into my knees, and the seat actually… isn’t that comfortable?? It’s probably just me, because the seats are supposed to be the best ever in a budget car.
All that made me realize that the WRX really is a great car for me. It’s big inside. My year of WRX with seats unique from other GD Impreza’s actually features one inch less head room than other models, and yet I still fit comfortably inside with a helmet on. The wheel is out of my knees and the pedals deep and far away. And more than that, there are back doors. A coupe would certainly feel more sporting, but with kids the back seats are actually required.
Before I was old enough to drive, and before the GD Impreza even existed, I was an expert Gran Turismo player who fantasized non-stop about GC8 Impreza’s. The WRX seems to be more than just a practical fit. That’s why I went and looked at some STI’s this week. For whatever reason, GD’s interest me a lot more than the newer GR’s, and it seems like I’m not alone in that because later GD’s are almost equally expensive as early GR’s. I enjoy driving both, and for sporting driving I appreciate the drivetrain upgrades offered over my lowly WRX. For whatever reason though, they both feel big and clunky in comparison to my base model. I suspect it’s just tire size, and gigantic visual presence caused by hulking flares and wings. The latter isn’t an image that I really appreciate though, and it’s one that follows through to the interior where in the GD, you get either leather, or neon blue seats. Neither appeal. Brembo brakes are too big for anything smaller than 17″ wheels, which means I have to run fat, useless winter rubber. Plus I’ve come to the realization that as much as I don’t want to be cutting, welding or re-wiring, I also don’t want to drive a stock car. It’s too boring, even if that stock car is a rocket ship. So in actuality, on top of shelling out 25k for a nice example of an STI, I’d still be obligated to dump money into it because… it’s just what I do.
Better plan to stick with what I got.