What car when the WRX underwhelms?

My friend has had a GJ generation WRX for 5 or 6 years now that he bought new (the generation with the FA20 engine). I've driven it several times, and couldn't find much to like about it, but until recently I kept those opinions to myself because he was initially pretty excited about the car. This week, he admitted over the phone that the car falls short of his expectations, and listed reasons that generally mirrored my own experiences with the car: wonky throttle response (despite the Cobb tuner which helped a little), engine that is powerful but not "eager," chassis/steering that is capable but not necessarily fun.. to me it just feels like an appliance car that happens to be fast and make turbo noises. When he expressed his disappointment, my response was "oh well those cars are worth a ton in today's market, you could easily sell it and replace it with a ....... ummm"

It then occurred to me that in my mind there is not a no-brainer answer for a fun sporting sedan that's enjoyable to daily drive, allows you to shift your own gears, and also returns decent mpg with a practical amount of space for 2 or 3 passengers. I don't think the 3 series after the E46 has much personality, the Alfa Giulia is auto-only, and the 2nd gen CTS-V is still a considerable sum of money. Is the G37 sedan an unsung hero? What obvious car am I forgetting?

In reply to dannyp84 :

B8 generation Audi S4. 333HP supercharged V6 (that makes 450+ with just a tune), AWD, and a 6-speed manual. You MUST get the Sport Diff with it.

Not sure on new/used status requirements or price range, but what about...

Civic Si or Type R?

Golf GTI or R32?

Focus ST or RS?

Fiesta ST?

Focus RS had lots of same upsides as the STI, but was faster, and more fun to drive. 
They're holding their value as well.

The Civic Si and upcoming Integra fill that niche pretty well if you don't need AWD.

IIRC people in the real world are getting upwards of 40MPG on the Honda 1.5T, which is pretty amazing.

The aforementioned G37 and S4 get pretty crappy fuel economy but are probably alright if you don't care about that too much.

I think you can go a little further down the BMW line than an E46 -- an E92 M3 has plenty of personality, and an F87 M2 is up there as well.  Don't know if those are in the budget or not.

I've never driven either but if you like the Japanese AWD turbo thing, an Evo VIII or IX is supposed to be more "eager" than a WRX.

An Audi is going to be a pretty different feel than the others you've mentioned.  I like them a lot as street cars, but I don't know that "eager" is the adjective I'd use.

Mazda 6 is one that hasn't been mentioned.

I wouldn't discount the Giulia unless your friend really, really, really wants to row his own gears.

I've got a TI Sport Q4 and you can row (ish) gears via the paddle shifters, but I find the gearbox programming more than good enough to just select the driving mode and let it do things. The chassis on the Giulia is superb and playful in a way that a lot of the competition doesn't have anymore or never had. It's pretty quick as well, even if you're not looking at the Quadrofoglio, althought the engine note is insta-forgettable, at least inside the cabin.

It being a willing dance partner on back roads, combined with the superb sports seats, makes up for that.

Of course, if the requirement is for two people only, the answer is, well, the Answer. But there is really only one other four door I've driven (and owned) in that price range that was similarly fun to drive, and that was my Evo X.

I mean you can't really "easily" replace it with anything right now.

I drove a new WRX a while ago that was stock other than a tune and actually thought it was pretty good. I mean the handling was complete garbage at the limit, but at like 70-80% it was actually pretty good.

In no particular order I'd look at the fiesta st/GTI/civic si. Even after almost 100k miles I still really enjoy driving my fiesta, it's really good at feeling fast and fun even though it's slower in a straight line than most f150s and really doesn't actually handle all that well. But it's probably the epitome of "tossable"...and on street rubber it probably won't actually fall over. I was honestly a bit underwhelmed by the GTI, I feel like it falls into the same category of driving experience as the WRX so it might not be for him either. But a lot of people really like them and they certainly have the nicest interiors and a lot of nice options so it's worth checking out. No experience with the civic si but it seems like it should be a slightly more adult fiesta st.

I know of a Genesis G70 with a stick that might qualify...

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I would love to try the Giulia, it's great to look at and could be a great daily imo, though I haven't driven one.

In reply to dannyp84 :

Well, feel free to HMU if you make it to the Eastern Panhandle of WV before I turn in the lease in May.

Mind you, part of the issue with Alfas is the dealer network, it's not like they have a massive representation in WV. Never looked into how easy they are to DIY.

Depends on what you are after.  

I replaced my WRX with an F250, and then replaced that with a Land Cruiser (and replaced that with another Land Cruiser) but thats a different story.

If I wanted something that was WRX-y but turned up to 11, I would buy a 1G DSM or an EVO 8 or 9. 

If I wanted a fast luxury car, I would get a CTS-V

If I wanted the 4 door sleeper I would get a Chevy SS

If I wanted a fast unconventional sleeper I would get either a Explorer ST or the smallest F150 I could get with an Ecoboost and throw a toon on it.

If I didnt care about daily driver and wanted something JDM, I would get an R32 or R33 Skyline.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I will almost certainly take you up on that, has the ownership experience not been happy enough to keep it beyond the lease?

If you want something WRX-y but turned up to 12, get a STI.

Along those lines:  

CTR

Veloster N

Focus RS

If you want something more premium, then I'd be looking at some flavor of BMW, Genesis, etc.  I think these still have character, although they have grown a bit since the E46, which IMO is 'right sized' for that type of car.

Elantra N seems pretty cool.

If he's looking for feel, the first gen Mazdaspeed3 has it (and torque steer) in spades

I'd dig deeper into "what does eager mean?" Along with the comments on throttle behavior, he may not be enjoying turbo lag. Which means something with less bulk power but more involvement may be the ticket. Maybe something without a turbo. Or at least something that prioritizes response.

I've never driven one, but my auto journalist friends sure seem to enjoy the Veloster N. And if he just wants all the power, the Chevy SS is a very interesting option. The flat torque curve can make that engine seem a little lazy, it doesn't yearn for the redline because it doesn't need to.

Besides the Cadillac CTSV they also have an ATS which looks like a great option. I think they have a mt 

  My better half has an Audi S3 that I enjoy way more than I ever wanted to. If it were a manual, it might just be a "keeper".  Same platform as the Golf R but with a higher buy-in. Great steering and brakes yet rides very nicely as a DD in "comfort" mode.

As mentioned, the Chevy SS is a wonderful 4-door Corvette with a 6-speed gearbox and magnetic suspension. Her dad has this one and I'm seriously considering buying it from him when he gets bored with it. I figured he would have by now, but even at 78, he still enjoys sawing thru the gears on it.

If he has the money for strictly a toy, have him go find a Caterham and take it for a drive. If a 200hp+/- Cat doesn't turn him on then he's numb!

Thats all I've got..............

I'm no authority, but in my experience the WRX driving experience can be enhanced significantly with a little suspension tweaking. Stock, the tendency towards understeer is no joy.

This might be a controversial thing to say... but I felt the same way about the 2002 WRX I bought new. Overall I did like the car, but it wasn't what I was expecting. The 2004 STI I bought later... that was what I expected, but it also gave me a greater appreciation for how the regular WRX isn't painful to be in after a few hours.

If I had a WRX and wanted a replacement, right now I'd have a hard look at the 2022 Civic Si. At this point it's really hard to find newer, nicer sedans than that with manual gearboxes. M3? GLI?

In reply to MrFancypants :

What are the car critics saying about the 2022 Civic Si?

A dealer by me has a white one. $32,500 plus tax/title. I'm curious how good these are.  Just curious. 

The newest, nicest JDM STi you can find?

Part of the problem with the new WRXen is that they have the name and history of a 2500lb snappy-handling beast. That was 20-30 years ago.  Most of us are heavier and slower than we were 20-30 years ago...

I'm a fan of the Chevrolet SS but man are the prices up there (along with everything else, right?).

$38,000 - $60,000 with most in the $50,000's?

dannyp84 said:

My friend has had a GJ generation WRX for 5 or 6 years now that he bought new (the generation with the FA20 engine). I've driven it several times, and couldn't find much to like about it, but until recently I kept those opinions to myself because he was initially pretty excited about the car. This week, he admitted over the phone that the car falls short of his expectations, and listed reasons that generally mirrored my own experiences with the car: wonky throttle response (despite the Cobb tuner which helped a little), engine that is powerful but not "eager," chassis/steering that is capable but not necessarily fun.. to me it just feels like an appliance car that happens to be fast and make turbo noises. When he expressed his disappointment, my response was "oh well those cars are worth a ton in today's market, you could easily sell it and replace it with a ....... ummm"

It then occurred to me that in my mind there is not a no-brainer answer for a fun sporting sedan that's enjoyable to daily drive, allows you to shift your own gears, and also returns decent mpg with a practical amount of space for 2 or 3 passengers. I don't think the 3 series after the E46 has much personality, the Alfa Giulia is auto-only, and the 2nd gen CTS-V is still a considerable sum of money. Is the G37 sedan an unsung hero? What obvious car am I forgetting?

Evo?