My old 370z vs. my new 2012 WRX

Methodical4u · 03-24-2012, 06:51 PM

Well, I unfortunately had to make the switch from a car i've wanted for a long time to the WRX, but surprised about a few things I thought I would share.

With my 370 having the sport package, the brakes and handling feel better on in than on the WRX. The 140 rated tires on the Z also do help with this as well though to try to be fair to the Subaru. Obviously we're not coming it to an STI here.

The WRX's first tank today I filled up equated to a total of 27.3 mpg. I know some may not believe this since it's not rated that high, but do keep in mind the speed limit here is still 55. The Z I have gotten an average of 25.8 total I believe it was, after the exhaust and ART pipes it dropped a few mpg though.... probably because of the tune.

The WRX is more comfortable hands down... the suspension is softer yes, but seats are also very comfortable. This is a big thing for me because of having scoliosis, so any sort of long trips must be taken into consideration when it came to picking a car.

I almost went back the Evo route, but because gas mileage was not as good, and because of the weight of the X's... the WRX seemed like the better choice since it was 6,000.00 less.

Rare.. both the Z and the WRX's are both rare here. Although I did see 1 or 2 Z's within about 30 miles of me. I have seen 0 WRX's.

Power... on a stock for stock basis, obviously the power in the Z is rated higher. I have also read however that the WHP on the WRX's are under rated and that they are within about 10 whp of the STI's. We have guys here that have run 12.9's stock and the same with the WRX.

The tuning potential obviously would go with the Subaru simply because of the turbo and the pretty rich OE set-up that it has. A down pipe, a better top mount IC and a electronic boost control solenoid with a protune will yield around 290-310 or so whp, but the biggest part is that the torque will jump up to 320-330. That's a pretty impressive number. With the almost 2 grand that I spent on my exhaust set-up I could have those numbers. vs. the 20-25 whp that the Z would have given me... just the perks of having a turbo though.

If I wanted my car to handle like a Z or even like my old Evo, it would take sway bars... coilovers and a big brake set-up... and i'm pretty much done with doing all of that kid stuff and with a house and a wife, don't have the money to do it anyway.

The subaru's steering is very ... well easy I guess is the word? It takes VERY little effort to turn the wheel, while the RWD pushes the car more... a little weird to go to from my Z.

Safety I guess is about the same.. the 370 I never could find info on, the Subaru gets 5 stars all around except rollover which is 4. Safety is important for my wife driving around in the car.

Coming from AWD and going RWD was strange... now it feels like I never left. I loved my Z very much and whoever buys it is getting a great car that was well cared for. I will keep the WRX for a long time and hope that the thin paint subaru tends to use holds up well (which is why I opti-coated it

)

Different cars, but anyone would enjoy driving either and any time if they got the chance IMO.

kenchan · 03-24-2012, 07:01 PM

GL!

sfearl1 · 03-24-2012, 07:09 PM

thx for the comparison!

LakeShow · 03-24-2012, 07:13 PM

Cool! Got any pics? I like the hatchbacks.

TerribleONE · 03-24-2012, 07:17 PM

gr8-wrx · 03-24-2012, 07:32 PM

You and I are opposites. I came from a WRX to get a Z

kenchan · 03-24-2012, 07:35 PM

i had a WRX back in 02'...was new.

waterbull · 03-24-2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

Well, I unfortunately had to make the switch from a car i've wanted for a long time to the WRX, but surprised about a few things I thought I would share.

With my 370 having the sport package, the brakes and handling feel better on in than on the WRX. The 140 rated tires on the Z also do help with this as well though to try to be fair to the Subaru. Obviously we're not coming it to an STI here.

The WRX's first tank today I filled up equated to a total of 27.3 mpg. I know some may not believe this since it's not rated that high, but do keep in mind the speed limit here is still 55. The Z I have gotten an average of 25.8 total I believe it was, after the exhaust and ART pipes it dropped a few mpg though.... probably because of the tune.

The WRX is more comfortable hands down... the suspension is softer yes, but seats are also very comfortable. This is a big thing for me because of having scoliosis, so any sort of long trips must be taken into consideration when it came to picking a car.

I almost went back the Evo route, but because gas mileage was not as good, and because of the weight of the X's... the WRX seemed like the better choice since it was 6,000.00 less.

Rare.. both the Z and the WRX's are both rare here. Although I did see 1 or 2 Z's within about 30 miles of me. I have seen 0 WRX's.

Power... on a stock for stock basis, obviously the power in the Z is rated higher. I have also read however that the WHP on the WRX's are under rated and that they are within about 10 whp of the STI's. We have guys here that have run 12.9's stock and the same with the WRX.

The tuning potential obviously would go with the Subaru simply because of the turbo and the pretty rich OE set-up that it has. A down pipe, a better top mount IC and a electronic boost control solenoid with a protune will yield around 290-310 or so whp, but the biggest part is that the torque will jump up to 320-330. That's a pretty impressive number. With the almost 2 grand that I spent on my exhaust set-up I could have those numbers. vs. the 20-25 whp that the Z would have given me... just the perks of having a turbo though.

If I wanted my car to handle like a Z or even like my old Evo, it would take sway bars... coilovers and a big brake set-up... and i'm pretty much done with doing all of that kid stuff and with a house and a wife, don't have the money to do it anyway.

The subaru's steering is very ... well easy I guess is the word? It takes VERY little effort to turn the wheel, while the RWD pushes the car more... a little weird to go to from my Z.

Safety I guess is about the same.. the 370 I never could find info on, the Subaru gets 5 stars all around except rollover which is 4. Safety is important for my wife driving around in the car.

Coming from AWD and going RWD was strange... now it feels like I never left. I loved my Z very much and whoever buys it is getting a great car that was well cared for. I will keep the WRX for a long time and hope that the thin paint subaru tends to use holds up well (which is why I opti-coated it

)

Different cars, but anyone would enjoy driving either and any time if they got the chance IMO.

Methodical4u · 03-25-2012, 01:27 AM

this is after washing, polishing and adding opti-coat. I HIGHLY recommend opti-coat to anyone with thin or japanese paint.

gsxr750 · 03-25-2012, 04:12 PM

I test drove a WRX abut 10 yrs ago. while it did handle well and had adequate power a compact car. Only having 227hp is just to low and with the turbo there was to much turbo lag to make the car and real fun to drive and with the all wheel drive, it just didn't have any real power.

From transfering from 370z to a WRX, I feel you've taken a step backwards and will regret the change, the WRX simply isn't a sports car, Nissan Altima Sport V6 would have been a better all around car, if you make the choice for more room.

The car simply looks to much like an AWD Toyata Corolla with 2.4 L motor, not any real sports car styling to it.

Now if you are into 4 door, AWD rally cars and tearing up back country dirt roads, then the WRX is a good choice, although I would prefer a 4x4 mini truck, with a good suspension and engine for that type of driving.

urdeliveryguy · 03-25-2012, 04:38 PM

my neighbor has this car in the dark grey color. been tryin to get him to let me take it for a spin. nice car good luck with it

Red__Zed · 03-25-2012, 04:42 PM

Paint looks great....love the blue!

Red__Zed · 03-25-2012, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsxr750

I test drove a WRX abut 10 yrs ago. while it did handle well and had adequate power a compact car. Only having 227hp is just to low and with the turbo there was to much turbo lag to make the car and real fun to drive and with the all wheel drive, it just didn't have any real power.

From transfering from 370z to a WRX, I feel you've taken a step backwards and will regret the change, the WRX simply isn't a sports car, Nissan Altima Sport V6 would have been a better all around car, if you make the choice for more room.

The car simply looks to much like an AWD Toyata Corolla with 2.4 L motor, not any real sports car styling to it.

Now if you are into 4 door, AWD rally cars and tearing up back country dirt roads, then the WRX is a good choice, although I would prefer a 4x4 mini truck, with a good suspension and engine for that type of driving.

Sounds like your knowledge of the car is out of date.

It has also never been sold with a 2.4l motor...

Methodical4u · 03-25-2012, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red__Zed

Sounds like your knowledge of the car is out of date.

It has also never been sold with a 2.4l motor...

and it hasn't had 227 hp for how long either? It's 265/244 tq now. The car really isn't much of a step backwards when 2 grand will have me well about the 370's power levels. You also have the symmetrical AWD which for me is a big plus when you live in a climate that has rain and snow.

edub370 · 03-25-2012, 05:06 PM

dont get too boost happy. subie ringlands and high hp dont get along very well

03-24-2012, 06:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Methodical4u A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,393 Drives: 11 370 6mt pw w/sp Rep Power: 15	My old 370z vs. my new 2012 WRX Well, I unfortunately had to make the switch from a car i've wanted for a long time to the WRX, but surprised about a few things I thought I would share. With my 370 having the sport package, the brakes and handling feel better on in than on the WRX. The 140 rated tires on the Z also do help with this as well though to try to be fair to the Subaru. Obviously we're not coming it to an STI here. The WRX's first tank today I filled up equated to a total of 27.3 mpg. I know some may not believe this since it's not rated that high, but do keep in mind the speed limit here is still 55. The Z I have gotten an average of 25.8 total I believe it was, after the exhaust and ART pipes it dropped a few mpg though.... probably because of the tune. The WRX is more comfortable hands down... the suspension is softer yes, but seats are also very comfortable. This is a big thing for me because of having scoliosis, so any sort of long trips must be taken into consideration when it came to picking a car. I almost went back the Evo route, but because gas mileage was not as good, and because of the weight of the X's... the WRX seemed like the better choice since it was 6,000.00 less. Rare.. both the Z and the WRX's are both rare here. Although I did see 1 or 2 Z's within about 30 miles of me. I have seen 0 WRX's. Power... on a stock for stock basis, obviously the power in the Z is rated higher. I have also read however that the WHP on the WRX's are under rated and that they are within about 10 whp of the STI's. We have guys here that have run 12.9's stock and the same with the WRX. The tuning potential obviously would go with the Subaru simply because of the turbo and the pretty rich OE set-up that it has. A down pipe, a better top mount IC and a electronic boost control solenoid with a protune will yield around 290-310 or so whp, but the biggest part is that the torque will jump up to 320-330. That's a pretty impressive number. With the almost 2 grand that I spent on my exhaust set-up I could have those numbers. vs. the 20-25 whp that the Z would have given me... just the perks of having a turbo though. If I wanted my car to handle like a Z or even like my old Evo, it would take sway bars... coilovers and a big brake set-up... and i'm pretty much done with doing all of that kid stuff and with a house and a wife, don't have the money to do it anyway. The subaru's steering is very ... well easy I guess is the word? It takes VERY little effort to turn the wheel, while the RWD pushes the car more... a little weird to go to from my Z. Safety I guess is about the same.. the 370 I never could find info on, the Subaru gets 5 stars all around except rollover which is 4. Safety is important for my wife driving around in the car. Coming from AWD and going RWD was strange... now it feels like I never left. I loved my Z very much and whoever buys it is getting a great car that was well cared for. I will keep the WRX for a long time and hope that the thin paint subaru tends to use holds up well (which is why I opti-coated it ) Different cars, but anyone would enjoy driving either and any time if they got the chance IMO.

03-24-2012, 07:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
LakeShow A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: L.I., NY Posts: 5,307 Drives: Everything Rep Power: 25	Cool! Got any pics? I like the hatchbacks. __________________ \|2013 Audi S4\|Ibis White/Black\|S-Tronic P+\| \|2013 370z\|PearlWhite/Persimmon\|Touring/Sport/Nav\|F.I. CBE 18" CF\| \|Sold\|2011 370z\|Gun Metallic\|Touring/Sport/Nav\|

03-24-2012, 07:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
TerribleONE A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 10,203 Drives: WOT Rep Power: 5850	__________________ 638WHP 541WTQ @ 13.5PSI Build thread

03-24-2012, 07:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
gr8-wrx Track Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 607 Drives: 10 370z Roadster 7AT Rep Power: 15	You and I are opposites. I came from a WRX to get a Z __________________ Me: 2022 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double-Cab SB, 2023 Toyota Corolla Wifey: 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD Weekends: 2010 Nissan 370z Roadster

03-25-2012, 05:06 PM	#15 (permalink)
edub370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: KCMO Posts: 3,458 Drives: 09 370z S/T 6MT Rep Power: 19	dont get too boost happy. subie ringlands and high hp dont get along very well __________________ 09 370Z ST 6MT//Injen CAI//Greddy CBE//TP//TSW's//Swifts//Stillen lip//Whiteline sways 326whp/268tq

03-24-2012, 07:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	GL!

03-24-2012, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
sfearl1 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: St. Louis Posts: 2,300 Drives: 2013 FBO E85 GTR Rep Power: 17	thx for the comparison!

03-24-2012, 07:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	i had a WRX back in 02'...was new.

03-25-2012, 01:27 AM	#9 (permalink)
Methodical4u A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,393 Drives: 11 370 6mt pw w/sp Rep Power: 15	this is after washing, polishing and adding opti-coat. I HIGHLY recommend opti-coat to anyone with thin or japanese paint.

03-25-2012, 04:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
gsxr750 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: west Posts: 443 Drives: 2012 370z man. sport Rep Power: 13	I test drove a WRX abut 10 yrs ago. while it did handle well and had adequate power a compact car. Only having 227hp is just to low and with the turbo there was to much turbo lag to make the car and real fun to drive and with the all wheel drive, it just didn't have any real power. From transfering from 370z to a WRX, I feel you've taken a step backwards and will regret the change, the WRX simply isn't a sports car, Nissan Altima Sport V6 would have been a better all around car, if you make the choice for more room. The car simply looks to much like an AWD Toyata Corolla with 2.4 L motor, not any real sports car styling to it. Now if you are into 4 door, AWD rally cars and tearing up back country dirt roads, then the WRX is a good choice, although I would prefer a 4x4 mini truck, with a good suspension and engine for that type of driving.

03-25-2012, 04:38 PM	#11 (permalink)
urdeliveryguy Enthusiast Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: philadelphia / delco Posts: 278 Drives: 09' touring 6sp Rep Power: 13	my neighbor has this car in the dark grey color. been tryin to get him to let me take it for a spin. nice car good luck with it

03-25-2012, 04:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 119	Paint looks great....love the blue!

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