Vrs Comparisons

[puzzled]

After much thought I have decided to visit a Skoda Garge tomorrow morning to get a price on trading my Wrx Imprexa in against a new VRS for Jan/Feb 2008

I have a few questions which are particularly aimed at those of you on here who have come from a WRX to a VRS.

How did you find the drive and handling compared to the Subaru ?

Are the brakes good on a VRS as I found the brakes very poor on the WRX and in fact got Mintex Extreme Pads fitted which improved things a little.

Another question is are the lights good ?

I was considering the TDI 170 and getting it remapped but was a little worried getting that done to a brand new car .

I did like the Subaru but it isnt perfect either with crazy fuel consumption also the brakes and lights I felt were not nearly as good as they should have been in such a car.

I also found to get the most out of the car in terms of performance required a lot of gear changing.

Sorry if I am asking a lot of questions but when spending almost 24 K on a car which is what they cost here In ireland you would like to get it right .

Regards.

[mathepac]

Interesting little conundrum - the comparison poses certain problems for me personally as given unlimited access to finance I would still be running an STi. The cost of fuel, brakes, tyres, insurance, and so on just made it prohibitive for me. So theres my preference (or prejudice, if you like) out in the open upfront.

I agree that certain models in the Impreza range over the years suffered with relatively bad brakes, appalling lights and other technical and creature comfort specification gaps, BUT, my own experience with 5 different cars was that mechanically they were bullet and bomb-proof. The single biggest problem was with my MY1999 Turbo 2000 SW with factory fitted A/C which blew two A/C fuses and then behaved itself for the rest of our lives together.

I also need to say at this juncture that I have never driven a stock vRS; my current modified car, purchased privately 4 days ago, is the entire limit of my Skoda driver / ownership experience, but am I happy? - you can bet your a** I am?

I'm just back from a little gentle middle aged motoring trip along country roads with a massive grin on my ugly mug. I would bet that a couple of boy racer types I met will be calling into the nearest tuning shop / noisy exhaust hypermarket in the morning asking how on earth they were left contemplating the beauty of their pink furry dice while a small black diesel car ("Oi Kev, wot the f*** woz 'at?") driven by an bald old guy in specs disappeared over the horizon. I also met a dip-stick in charge of (as distinct from driving) an Evo, but that's another story.

My '04 vRS is a credit to its previous owner, and the lads who did a couple of jobs for me today while I was gainfully employed. What lads? The lads at my local Subaru dealership who did an oil service, fitted an ARB, replaced a blown bulb, covered the Furby in drool and fulfilled their quality control commitment by "road-testing" it. The Legacies, Imprezas and Foresters they had in for service seemed to drop down the priority list.

So, am I happy - ecstatic; if I had the money to run an STi would I be happier? As Fr. Jack might say, "That would be an ecumenical matter".

BTW 24k for what? A new STi is 60k+ - 2.5 tiimes the price, but do you get 2.5 times the smile per mile?

Rgds.

[VRStu]

I made the switch but I am now on my second TFSi.

Brakes are great but you'll never get the same handling as the WRX. Handling from new is more than adequate but I have added Koni FSD's to make it just that little bit better.

I too found that the WRX lacked any mid range grunt and found myself always reaching for a lower gear. The torque of the TDi will certainly deal with that for you.

The vRS will never be the beast that the Subaru is and neither will it command the respect or gazes of passers by like the Subaru will, however there is nothing better that seeing the look of 'what the feck was that' when the vRS disappears into the distance - That's part of the appeal for me. I've certainly surprised a few other drivers when the need arose.

[miff13]

I've come from 4 years of grinning like a chimp in my00 turbo 2000, which I loved, but as you know the brakes were scary (when I test drove it I was convinced they were faulty), and the lights were like trying to drive by the light of a flickering candle. I lost count of the number of times I hit a pothole, or a large puddle at night because by the time I saw it I was in it.

My TSFi vRS is fantastic, the brakes are good, and actually stop you, which is nice. I got the xenon lights, and now know that it is possible to see where you are going at night. I'm just about finished running it in, and increasing revs gradually (apart from minor blips, well sometimes you have to remind yourself why you bought the car) but it doesn't feel much slower than my old turbo 2000 (I suspect I'd get left behind on the twisties!), can't really comment on the handling yet, but the steering feels really positive. I did take a turn off from a main road slightly too quickly as was reminded what understeer was, but that's front wheel drive for you.

There's plenty of pull in gear, put your foot down in 5th or 6th at 50mph and it still pulls away nicely,and on top of that it's a much nicer place to be than the impreza.

If you don't do a huge amount of miles I'd consider the TSFi, the fuel economy is pretty good, and once I've had the benefit of most of the warranty I'll get it remapped for even better torque.

I've no regrets about selling the impreza but I do miss that burble!

Matthew

p.s rear parking sensors (which I always thought were for people who can't drive) are a must, you cannot see anything out of the rear window.

[Guest]

The WRX gives you a lot of bang for your bucks, - especially if you got one from Motorpoint for £14k!

I guess it depends on what your priorites are when buying the car and how much you are prepared to compromise on things like cost of ownership, poor lights, poor brakes, poor interior environment etc.

I've never owned or driven a WRX so am probably not best placed to comment but based on the comments above and from other feedback, reviews etc I don't think I'd be prepared to compromise, as much as I think I'd need to, purely for the added performance and handling the WRX gives over say the VRs.

The biggest perceived benefit for me of the WRX over the VRs is the 4WD handling as opposed to the inevitable understeer of a front wheel drive car. However, rarely do I drive that close to the limits of my VRs so it really isn't such a big issue for me.

In terms of performance I don't think there is that much in it between a VRs and a WRX in a straight line and at motorway type speeds. Where the WRX will win hands down is on the twisties and from a standing start and this I would imagine is largely due to the 4WD.

[decc]

I have also come from a WRX to an RS (via Golf Gti) and i would the have the RS almost every time over the impreza. I think the interior is just a nicer place to be and has alot more spec,better brakes as you said are also a nice touch!!

[oilburninnut]

I have also come from a WRX to an RS (via Golf Gti) and i would the have the RS almost every time over the impreza. I think the interior is just a nicer place to be and has alot more spec,better brakes as you said are also a nice touch!!

I agree with the above post,as all have stated the vrs won't live with the imprezza on the twisty's,it will nearly match it in a straight line,as for running cost the vrs wins hands down i had a wrx sti on an n and a legacy on a v,there are times i miss them,but it is just for a second,check with your dealer about a re mapped derv burner before you buy,some are very mod friendly.

Will you miss the scoob?Probably but then again not enough to wish you kept it:D

[ScoobyChris]

I think a lot depends on which Scooby you're coming from. I had a classic and loved the rawness but felt less inspired by the bugeye (even in STi guise). Brakes were sorted thanks to Ian Godney and lights courtesy of some uprated bulbs Full decat also sorted out any mid range deficiencies, although I don't remember needing to constantly change gear to get acceleration.

Things you'll miss will be the flat four burble, the glued to the road handling and the standing start acceleration. The vRS is pretty competent however, and as said above, it has a better quality interior and a decent amount of punch and most significantly cheaper running costs.

Chris

[bahnstormer vrs]

vRS lights are pretty good but the optional Xenons are absolutely ace, and then put uprated bulbs in the main beam to complete the job.

Koni FSDs tighten the handling whilst softening the ride and, for the TDI vRS a Neuspeed rear anti-roll bars neutralises the inherent understeer quite nicely.

Parking sensors are recommended.

Overall the WRX vs. vRS are different car but the vRS is very competent as a performance hatch, if not quite as hard edged as the Scooby; but your wallet will appreciate the switch enormously.

Good luck.

[twonks]

I'd say performace wise the Subaru is in a different class.

As much as I love my vRS (petrol), there is no way it would keep up with a Scooby on the straight or bends.

However, as a car to drive I rate the vRS above the Subaru, as I found the scooby too edgy and noisy for long distances - not to mention the fuel costs.

As an argument, today I had some guys in a MG Z180 (Rover 45 shape), and a new ish MR2 come past me going at a rate of knots.

I decided to have a play. Left the MG instantly in a straight line and he slowed massively for corners.

The MR2 was a bit quicker, but I still out ran him coming off a roundabout onto a dual carraigeway.

That was the first time I've really booted the vRS (Just done 4000 miles from new, so it may get better yet), and tbh it was more than quick enough.

The best thing is, over a relatively hard 8 miles I still got 20mpg average

[VRStu]

there is no way it would keep up with a Scooby on the straight.

It can and has been done

I will concede that the vRS wasn't exactly standard but then I don't think Scooby was either. It was one of those situations where he gave up in the end just so that he could find out was it was. :P

[twonks]

It can and has been done

I will concede that the vRS wasn't exactly standard but then I don't think Scooby was either. It was one of those situations where he gave up in the end just so that he could find out was it was. :P

Modified cars maybe, but a standard vRS with a standard scooby and the vRS will be left.

All a bit irrelavent really, as the speeds you'll be doing to prove one is superior will be a little naughty.

tbh I don't think the vRS is that quick*. Maybe it is how it delivers the power, but sometimes I am left wanting for a surge of boost like I used to get back in the 'ol RS Turbo days.

Their isn't really any feeling of being pushed back into the seat, or being slightly scared - which I suppose should be a good thing :lol:

Having said that, from a standing start the vRS is quite rapid. It just does it without any fuss.

*edit. What I mean is it doesn't feel that quick. Maybe it is, but just needs a shove in the back surge to make me really love it. Maybe a remap is in order..

[ScoobyChris]

Think the problem with a lot of modern turbo'd cars is that they are tuned to deliver torque from low down the range so you lose the 2.5/3k of turbo lag which would give you the all or nothing power delivery. A nice big turbo conversion should restore that though

Chris

[VRStu]

Modified cars maybe, but a standard vRS with a standard scooby and the vRS will be left.

All a bit irrelavent really, as the speeds you'll be doing to prove one is superior will be a little naughty.

tbh I don't think the vRS is that quick*. Maybe it is how it delivers the power, but sometimes I am left wanting for a surge of boost like I used to get back in the 'ol RS Turbo days.

Their isn't really any feeling of being pushed back into the seat, or being slightly scared - which I suppose should be a good thing :lol:

Having said that, from a standing start the vRS is quite rapid. It just does it without any fuss.

*edit. What I mean is it doesn't feel that quick. Maybe it is, but just needs a shove in the back surge to make me really love it. Maybe a remap is in order..

I find that the the vRS in factory trim runs out of puff when you get toward the top end of the rev range.

[twonks]

I find that the the vRS in factory trim runs out of puff when you get toward the top end of the rev range.

Mine seems to pull better from 5-6K than anywhere else.

I can feel it come in around 3k (Not a huge difference but a definate slight surge), then it goes again from 5-6.

Haven't taken it in to the red yet (Don't actually know where it is :lol: )

I do have a green filter element in and run it on v-power if that makes a difference.

/slightly sidewards move. Can I ask if you think the engine produces more power as it wears in. Somebody told me I could be as much as 20HP down till it gets past the 5k mark. :confused:

[VRStu]

This new one of mine is still stock and I know that the OEM filter is restrictive from previous experiance. I only ever use v-Power.

I don't know how much in terms of HP, but they certainly do loosen up

[Guest]

Modified cars maybe, but a standard vRS with a standard scooby and the vRS will be left.

If it's an STi then yes, in fact I had a play with one of these a while back and it did pull away but it wasn't like it left me for dead (until we got to a roundabout!).

As for a WRX, whilst I'd agree it would probably pull away a little bit on the straights, I don't think there'd be much in it at all.

[Harry_vRS]

A standard TFSi is pretty boring tbh...about the same as mapped fabia in speed. Stage 2 vRS' are fairly competent though.

[puzzled]

Thank you so much all of you that took the time to reply.

After reading so many posts I am not sure whether I am more confused or not.

Firstly my current car is an 04 Standard WRX with only a magnex exhaust fitted.

Thats another interesting point in that it costs almost 3 times as much to get my car mapped againt the cost of mapping a VRS be it either diesel or petrol.

Having looked at one today I have to say the interior has a classy feel unlike the Impreza but then again Subaru fans will say its a drivers car and that doesnt matter.

Some of your comments about the handling being superior would concern me a little but in my own expereince the brakes on my car dont inspire me to that level of hard driving anyway.

You are very lucky over there in the Uk as you seem to get the opportunity to test drive the car for a weekend or even a week that is unheard of over here which I think is a great pity,

Finally what I intend to do now is to make a contact with a friend of mine who tells me that his friend who is now on his second VRS will very kindly let me have his car for an evening so I will then decide.

[mattbeef]

once you drive one properly you will be hooked mate.

put it this way. My old man has a classic scooby (remapped, exhaust) and fights for my keys (MK1 Octavia vRS petrol) and my mums keys (Leon FR TDI 170 same as Mk2 Octavia vRS)

Why? He said that they have power where you need it and that while the scooby is faster out right you dont need it.

So he either loves our cars or is getting old

[Guest]

Thank you so much all of you that took the time to reply.

After reading so many posts I am not sure whether I am more confused or not.

Firstly my current car is an 04 Standard WRX with only a magnex exhaust fitted.

Thats another interesting point in that it costs almost 3 times as much to get my car mapped againt the cost of mapping a VRS be it either diesel or petrol.

Having looked at one today I have to say the interior has a classy feel unlike the Impreza but then again Subaru fans will say its a drivers car and that doesnt matter.

Some of your comments about the handling being superior would concern me a little but in my own expereince the brakes on my car dont inspire me to that level of hard driving anyway.

You are very lucky over there in the Uk as you seem to get the opportunity to test drive the car for a weekend or even a week that is unheard of over here which I think is a great pity,

Finally what I intend to do now is to make a contact with a friend of mine who tells me that his friend who is now on his second VRS will very kindly let me have his car for an evening so I will then decide.

Depending on your budget and whether you'd consider a smaller hatch consider any of Golf GTi ED30 (230bhp), Seat Leon Cupra (circa 230bhp) or Golf R32 (250bhp).

These all give out a bit more power than the VRs and if it's 4WD handling you want the R32 may be worth a look.

I appreciate you may have been looking specifically at the diesel VRs in which case the VRs or the Leon TDI FR are probably the most powerful standard offerings.

[mathepac]

You are very lucky over there in the Uk as you seem to get the opportunity to test drive the car for a weekend or even a week that is unheard of over here which I think is a great pity,

I'm not in the UK, and I have negotiated extended overnight / week-end test drives for a number of vehicles with a number of dealerships, for myself and for family members. I admit in this regard that certain dealerships are more flexible than others; examples are Kia, Mazda, Hyundai and Ford. Let me hasten to emphasise, for the record, that I was not the prospective buyer of any of these vehicles

From time to time manufacturers advertise extended test drives and recent examples were Opel who offered 3-day tests nationwide and I think Kia who were offering the Ce'ed for 2 days.

Negotiate with the sales person and you may be pleasantly surprised what they'll do to secure a sale with the economic downturn and a prediction that new car registrations will soften.

Best of luck with your buying decision :confused: