Subdriven | The Subaru Enthuisast Website

Making a decision to buy a car in today’s world can be downright difficult to say the least. There are countless numbers of options between new and used cars, all of which have given up one thing or another to satisfy what the manufacturer thought the owner wanted. In North America., this problem is even worse as poor manufacturer moves and American nostalgia have given many great product types a bad name: diesel, station wagons, etc.. In reality, the U.S.A. should be called the U.S.S.U.V.D (United States of Sport Utility Vehicle Drivers).

Enter Travis (that’s me folks!). I’ve grown up in this society of gargantuan “woody” wagons (National Lampoon’s Family Truckster anyone?), overgrown SUV’s (now who REALLY needs a Ford Expedition?), and overgrown sedans or “luxury” cars sporting V8’s or even larger engines. In reality, the majority of cars in the American market do nothing for me except blend into the smog-filled cities caused by the large population of gas-guzzlers driven chugging along in the left lane with only one driver who probably has forgotten that their blinker is on.
The hardest part of picking a car is finding one that fits your lifestyle. While cars have made prodigious leaps in performance and technology over the decades, with GrassRoots Motorsports Magazine comparing a minivan to two ‘60’s vintage sports cars, most of today’s cars and SUVs still lack the sportiness often expected. Many modern cars can be just plain drab to drive. They make most peoples’ first to second most valuable possession a complete bore. Many of these cars have abstracted the fun of driving for most drivers, simply leading the way towards automated cars.

So what does a person like me do? Well, let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself and what I do and, more importantly, what I like to do. I’ve been an automotive enthusiast since I was a little kid, although for the most part I didn’t get to explore this area of interest until I got a little older. A lot of my enthusiasm began when I learned of exotic cars, such as the Lamborghini Countach. My interest also grew tremendously as my father played off an on with motorcycles, namely a Honda Magna (pre V-Max times).

This interest grew and grew and once I was old enough to drive, I entered the land of motorcyclists. As virtually all of that two-wheeled fraternity will tell you, the mantra is “high-performance on a budget”. You can’t quite beat it. This lead me to lean towards more practical cars, offering backup as I got my excitement fix from the bike. My interest in obtaining a sporty, performance-oriented car was rekindled with the advent of the Subaru Impreza 2.5RS in 1998; a dream car for me indeed and just beyond my reach. Practicality also played a hindrance for me as I just couldn’t see the usefulness in a car such as that. Why you ask?

The reason behind my desire of practicality and utility could most easily be explained by the way I was raised by my parents. Through the normal course of the summer, we would normally cram the car full of that which could stock a small sporting-goods store, go to the park with a large group of friends and play everything from baseball to basketball to everything in between. As the seasons changed, so too did our activities, hitting the road for countless ski trips. We made a habit of going out west for 1-2 weeks a year, spending time in ski resorts such as Whistler / Blackcomb, Telluride, Aspen, Lake Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Steamboat, and many more.
When we would venture out on these trips, we would typically fly out and rent a vehicle (typically a SUV) and drive to our destination. It was amazing how so many SUV’s backed by claims of roominess, were a somewhat inadequate for a family of four with luggage and skis. As I sat in the back of those many SUVs on location in some astoundingly beautiful ski-resort towns was just how easy it was to spot tourists in their SUVs. It was obvious that the locals were in on a secret that had not yet been discovered, as they motored around in cars such as Subarus and Audis.

Eventually, the world of motorsport also received much of my attention. Subaru and the World Rally Championship was hard to miss, as well as the world of rallycross. I was actually very lucky and, not too long after getting into rally, was able to begin competing in SCCA ClubRally series and began as a co-driver in Headwaters 2002. After competing in, working in and spectating at rally events, my requirements for a vehicle got tougher.
Thankfully, by this time I had already found a nearly perfect vehicle to suit my diverse needs. The car was a 2002 Subaru WRX Wagon. So why did this car fit the bill?

My attention was immediately caught when I found out the Subaru WRX was coming to the USA. I had honestly thought about just getting the sedan. But, as I examined the cars and did additional research, I found the wagon to be much more attractive. Why choose the wagon?

First of course, anyone can easily see that the wagon offers far more cargo space. In fact, that cargo space makes the WRX wagon a great hauler whether it is people, cargo, furniture that will fit, etc. The greatest advantage though, was that cargo area could become much more flexible than the sedan. Surprisingly, the 60/40 split rear folding seats are only available in wagon trim, whereas the sedan gets a single trunk passthrough that can hold perhaps a pair of skis and not much more. Trunk pass-throughs in my opinion have always been a joke, as the utility they provide is near nil when in comparison to a car with 60/40 split folding seats.
The WRX Wagon also came with those wonderful roof rails, which are a nice way to extend the carrying capacity of the vehicle. Not only can you fit a lot inside the car (and it’s hard to believe how much you can fit until you do), you have extra space on top in the form of various equipment holders or auxiliary storage cases.

What else is so great about the WRX Wagon? I could go on and on about the standard options like 6-disc in-dash CD changer, but a lot of that had nothing to do with my purchase of the car. What is great is though are the dynamics and ruggedness of the car.

From a handling standpoint, while it isn’t Porsche territory in stock form, it is solid, responsive, and doesn’t get offset when hit with poor road conditions. Actually, I think the beauty of the car becomes most apparent when you come upon roads that would have most other car-owners screaming bloody murder and pondering where all of their tax dollars go. The car simply goes where you want it to. Potholes, grooves, gravel or road cracks all are simply something to keep the trip interesting in a WRX wagon. The car can take a lot and it just keeps asking to be pushed more and more. While the suspension still isn’t quite right for a true rally or tarmac racing, it is a nice compromise for a “sport wagon” as Subaru terms it.