The New “What did you do with your Z today” (with off topic replies) XXXV

abm89

Man, I should have bought this car a while ago, but I'm glad I didn't until learning so much more about automotive repair and tuning with the Z. Here's a write-up:

I have a 2016 Pearl White WRX Limited 6MT (top trim) that i got used (just under 25k miles) last November. I needed something more engaging than my HRV I had for a daily because I was still putting commute miles on the Z.

Practicality:
The WRX works for practicality because it has a high-ish ground clearance, REALLY good visibility, and good cargo space. I am also able to get excellent fuel mileage thanks to the FA20 engine, which is direct-injected (never lower than 26 combined, but i can get 30-33 on the highway depending on how I drive). It does take premium only, but I don't think that's a huge issue. The car does have quite a bit of road noise, even changing tires to the cont extreme-contact sports didn't help that much, so I recommend an extended test drive if that's a possible issue. The seats are pretty comfortable, and the adjustment range for the power seat is decent. the Rear seats are good for taking people around, but I'm not sure I would want to do a road trip back there. there's ample leg room (i'm about 5'11" and I can sit behind my driving position with no issues), but it's no luxury car.

Drivability (sp?):
Out of the box, the handling is pretty good. The symmetrical AWD is basically invisible to you on the street, which is what you want, but on the track you can feel the torque vectoring work. There's definitely a limit to how hard it want's to get pushed, but you shouldn't ever see that limit on street driving. I live in Texas, so no snow testing data is available from me, haha. The amount of power it has is what was attractive to me for a daily. it's enough to have fun, but not enough to get you into too much trouble. It does have the infamous torque dip (FA20 engines have this problem in the software from Subaru) but It's only there if you're blasting pass 4-5k WOT. I'll report back on my OTS stage 1 tune on whether that changed. The gearbox is pretty good on the manual, but you can't shift it quickly like a Z. It doesn't like to be hurried into the gear changes (especially 1-2 shifts). The electric steering isn't bad either. There's feedback through the wheel and it feels pretty natural. Also, I have StopTech sport pads installed and it helped with overall stopping power, but coming from the Z with the Akebonos, it's not even close. I should say it was enough to keep me safe on the track. Overall, I can't find too much to complain about from a daily driving standpoint.

Features:
My 2-cents is to get the Limited Trim;heated seats and LED lights were what I was after. The stereo in mine sucked ***, but I don't know about the facelifted models (18+). The gauges illuminate red, which is good at night, and you can turn the digital speedo on and off, as well as the center screen in the dash.

Why did you skip the STi?:
Price was one dealbreaker, the other was the EJ25 engine. The newest ones (19+) have revised pistons to alleviate some of the problems with ringland failures, but they have to run those cars lean from the factory to meet emissions and efficiency targets. Speaking of efficiency, it's crap in that car. Now, if you want a track toy, by all means, it's better than the WRX out of the box.

Stuff I did to mine:

• Subaru wheel studs are subpar; i swapped all of them to ARP
• Since mine was used, i cleaned the MAF and installed a K&n drop in. it fixed some boost hesitation issues.
• There's noticeable gear slop in the lever, so i have the Perrin shift stop kit to reduce it. Get a factory STi short shifter if you're getting it new, i did like that in the one I test drove.
• new pads, clutch/brake fluid, and tires, because i don't trust the previous owner
• I use Castrol full synthetic oil on my last change. So far so good, and stick with the factory recommended weight. Don't change the weight to what some of the subie bros say, do what the factory recommends.
• I replaced the head unit with an android one (jury is out on that) and the speakers with the factory Kicker replacements. that fixed my crap audio issues.
• bunch of other exterior ****; because why not.

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Complete Parts List:
https://github.com/abm89/ztouge-build