WRX vs 1.8TQ

[JanDebL at aol.com]

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I totally agree with lack of quality with the Subs.  When exposed to road
salt, the life expectancy is 5 years max - then you have holes big enough to
throw a hat through.  About 10-12 years ago I bought a 4 year old Sub wagon
for my daughter to drive.  What a TPOS.
In one winter, the body rusted away.  It handle very unpredictably.  Massive
understeer  which would instantaneously turn into oversteer (and a spin)
without any warning.  At least 3 people beside myself spun the car into a
snow bank without any warning what so ever.  Possible a good set of Hakka
might have improved the situation. Then there were the broken timing belts,
broken accessory mounts and other parts that failed without any warning.
The absolute scariest part of the car was the quality of the fasteners and
the metallurgy of critical components including suspension parts. Once while
removing a screw on the carb, the pot metal bracket broke away from the carb
body.  The final straw was when replacing a front wheel bearing, using hand
tools with very little  force, the lower body of the strut fractured and
separated from the shock tube. The road salt had just eaten away the metal.
After 2 years of ownership, I can't remember one redeeming value on that car.
The German cars have maintenance issues, but at least they are repairable,
safe (and fun) to drive.
Jan Lahtonen