GT Wagon
03-31-2007, 08:10 AM
I've wanted to go turbo for quite some time now. The original thought was to do a WRX swap however a couple of things have changed my mind.
- I'd still have a late 90's body with many aging parts. Its the little parts that break one at a time that cost money. Speed sensor $150, reverse light switch $50.....
- I wanted a 2.5 turbo. Not a lot those floating around and drive by wire costs more to swap over. I don't want to deal with 2.0 turbo lag.
- My 97 GT plows like a pig. A rear sway would help but I would still be at a dissadvantage against the WRX's on the track. I compete in Solo II and track day events so this matters to me.
- It would just be nice to have something new or nearly new. Warranty is a nice word.
So...... I knew I was buying another Subaru that wasn't a question. But what to buy..... Legacy GT - WRX - STI - Forester XT ? All I knew was it had to have a 2.5 turbo. I started by knocking out what I didn't want
STi
- pig on fuel
- limited to 17 inch wheels thus $1000 additional cost for winter tires/wheels
- they just cost a lot more
WRX
- everyone has one, enough said
- 2.5 turbo version has 4 pots thus, forced to run 17's unless I buy RS wheels
Legacy GT
- heaviest of the Subies, remember that I compete and weight counts
- limited supply of aftermarket parts, they also cost more
- more handling concerns
The winner for me: Forester XT
- Almost as much cargo room as my GT Wagon
- Insurance costs are a joke. I paid $20 more a month than my wife's base 00 Forester
- Based on Impreza platform, parts are easy to find
- Handles almost on par with WRX wagon, aftermarket suspension will cure that
- Nobody has one
- Doesn't say "Give me a speeding ticket"
- Probably less likely to be stolen than WRX
....and possibly the best: $1500 in bolt on parts gets me more power than an STi. Net result is a wagon that's faster than an STi for much less money and insurance costs. This has been proven time and time again on the Forester boards
I've been seriously looking since January for one specific model which has proven very difficult to find in mint condition: 04-05 Forester XT, 5speed, NO SUNROOF / LEATHER, in White. Turns out white is the rarest colour, around here it was not even stocked at the dealerships. You had to order a White Forester from Japan to get one.
I wanted an 04 to save some money but the mileage on them was too high. I wanted sub 35k miles. So I ponied up the extra $$$ and started looking at 05's. In the end I located only 3 White FXT's in a 20 hour radius from NY all the way to New Mexico, that's how rare these cars are. Black or Silver, found plenty within 4 hours drive.
My car turned out to be located just outside of Boston, an 8 hour drive away. It also turned out to be the most mint example available for sale in the US that was advertised on the web. It has a mere 13k miles on it and looks like new. So, sorry to say but I have moved to a Forester. Its been a slice and I've loved both my Legacy's. Driving it has been a blast, its stupid quick when you get on the turbo and makes me laugh every time.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/
- I'd still have a late 90's body with many aging parts. Its the little parts that break one at a time that cost money. Speed sensor $150, reverse light switch $50.....
- I wanted a 2.5 turbo. Not a lot those floating around and drive by wire costs more to swap over. I don't want to deal with 2.0 turbo lag.
- My 97 GT plows like a pig. A rear sway would help but I would still be at a dissadvantage against the WRX's on the track. I compete in Solo II and track day events so this matters to me.
- It would just be nice to have something new or nearly new. Warranty is a nice word.
So...... I knew I was buying another Subaru that wasn't a question. But what to buy..... Legacy GT - WRX - STI - Forester XT ? All I knew was it had to have a 2.5 turbo. I started by knocking out what I didn't want
STi
- pig on fuel
- limited to 17 inch wheels thus $1000 additional cost for winter tires/wheels
- they just cost a lot more
WRX
- everyone has one, enough said
- 2.5 turbo version has 4 pots thus, forced to run 17's unless I buy RS wheels
Legacy GT
- heaviest of the Subies, remember that I compete and weight counts
- limited supply of aftermarket parts, they also cost more
- more handling concerns
The winner for me: Forester XT
- Almost as much cargo room as my GT Wagon
- Insurance costs are a joke. I paid $20 more a month than my wife's base 00 Forester
- Based on Impreza platform, parts are easy to find
- Handles almost on par with WRX wagon, aftermarket suspension will cure that
- Nobody has one
- Doesn't say "Give me a speeding ticket"
- Probably less likely to be stolen than WRX
....and possibly the best: $1500 in bolt on parts gets me more power than an STi. Net result is a wagon that's faster than an STi for much less money and insurance costs. This has been proven time and time again on the Forester boards
I've been seriously looking since January for one specific model which has proven very difficult to find in mint condition: 04-05 Forester XT, 5speed, NO SUNROOF / LEATHER, in White. Turns out white is the rarest colour, around here it was not even stocked at the dealerships. You had to order a White Forester from Japan to get one.
I wanted an 04 to save some money but the mileage on them was too high. I wanted sub 35k miles. So I ponied up the extra $$$ and started looking at 05's. In the end I located only 3 White FXT's in a 20 hour radius from NY all the way to New Mexico, that's how rare these cars are. Black or Silver, found plenty within 4 hours drive.
My car turned out to be located just outside of Boston, an 8 hour drive away. It also turned out to be the most mint example available for sale in the US that was advertised on the web. It has a mere 13k miles on it and looks like new. So, sorry to say but I have moved to a Forester. Its been a slice and I've loved both my Legacy's. Driving it has been a blast, its stupid quick when you get on the turbo and makes me laugh every time.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/