ccrn

Greetings everyone!

Long time lurker here now joined.

Have some questions about the V as I recently discovered it and test drove one. Currently I own a 2003 WRX (purchased new) which has been an outstanding car for me especially considering I live in the Midwest and the extreme weather conditions we have. Ive not had one hiccup from the Rex and maintenance has been very easy.

At 117,000 miles on my car I face replacing the turbo, and installing some mods to get a little more performance and longivity out of it.

Or upgrading to another vehicle to get towards the level I want. Unfortunately keeping my current ride while buying another is not an option at this time due to financial contraints.

I figure my options are 1) Keep my WRX for another year or two and depreciate it even more before trade in or resale 2) Keep it period and get a C5 in a year or so or 3) Sell it and buy a car like the CTS-V.

Ive also considered BMW or the LS1 M3 swap (too much work for me). I love the LS1-6 motor and just need to find a chassis for it. That would mean Corvette, CTS-V, or Jeep SRT8.

My driving style is fast highway and canyon carving. I dont ever go to the strip. So I need a vehicle that can pull strong at a roll, and handle the twisties (which the V might be a little big for). Id like to have a car that can handle well, accelerates below 5.0 seconds, and a top speed between 170 and 200. Unfortunatley the V only has a top speed of around 165.

So from your experience is the V:

A good daily driver (it would be my only car and get a lot of use)?

A good handling car (Ive heard it compared to the M3 and M5 though it is slower than the M5 can it handle and corner anywhere close to those cars)?

A good car for the winter (I will be in the Midwest one more season from there I move to Texas)?

Have a good maintenance history? Ive heard of the wheel hop problems etc but Im speaking more from the nuts an bolts things cars have problems with ie software, electronics (windows and controls), recalls etc.

Cars Ive looked at are the 2008 STI, EVO, used porsche ( not practical), M3, M5, Charger SRT8, CTS-V, C5 Corvette. The C5 and V seem to be the finalists for my needs. The C5 would be quite a bit cheaper too and a better preformer.

So, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. This is something Id like to move on fairly quickly but would like to do so with some input.

Great forum you guys have here!
Thanks

OHSIXCTSV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSWm1RH0NCI

m3 who? isnt that a 6 cyl.? junk! (i know ur not buying current mdl yr.)
m5 wut? 7 grand for an exhaust upgrade? garbage!
c5/or cts-v....2 or 4 door is your only factor...
every1 has a vett...they made under 18000 cts-v total...
good luck!

OHSIXCTSV

dont dip in ur big toe...dive right in...
the excitment comes at the point of no return.
take a chance...like my grampypappi always said,
"low risk ,low reward, high risk, high reward"...
and my grammy mammy use to SAY" oh michael, back when i was a little girl,
frankfurters only cost a nickle"...

CTSV_510

iTrader: (1)

Extreme weather performace? Check. (need snow tires)
Pull strong from a roll? Check.
Canyon Carver? Check.
Comfortable? Check.
Practical? Check.
Relatively cheap and easy do-it-yourself maintenance? Check.
Tons of aftermarket parts? Check.
Nice Interior? Check. Much better than a C5.

y2kfrc

iTrader: (3)

I own both

-Twin turbo, built motor C5
-414 LS3 stroker V

The V is by far more fun to daily drive, mainly due to the extra room and more comfort, but doesnt come close to the vette in performance.

DoctorNick

Hey, welcome to the club! So you have a rex? You on nasioc? Where abouts in the midwest are you? There seem to be a influx of chicagoland rex owners going V owners recently.

Honestly its not the nimble fox that the rex is, but it makes up for it with power and comfort. Don't get me wrong though, this car CAN cut corners. A few weeks ago I was in WV rolling thru the hills near Summit Point raceway. The car did VERY well at high speed with very tight roads. Even chasing a friends 08 evo with suspension upgrades. I was able to handle my own against him very well. The car does need better pads and rotors but stock for stock, it does bite very well and at highway speeds it will pull you down from the triple digits to legal speeds with very very little peddle effort.

The brembos are the same as the STis so you can use the same pads. Which is nice. Otherwise the real issues I have are rear sail (sp) panels(where the rear seatbelts come out of) breaking off. But they are covered under my 100k warranty so its all good. The other issues would be radio buttons wearing out quickly (again covered under the 100k). I also had a radiator fail but I hear thats not really a normal issue with these cars.

What is a plus is how you are treated at the service centers. Free rentals (if you have a full warranty still) snacks/drinks and generally treat you as a customer. While sometimes the subaru dealerships treat you more like a number and a problem.

Long story short, the V is not a direct comparison to the rex. Its bigger, its got more highway grunt and at low speeds, sharp hairpins... you will notice its not as nimble. But at the end of the day the comfort and torque will win you over!

OHSIXCTSV

^ very well said/written.

ccrn

Thanks everyone for the input its truly appreciated.

I understand about risk, its the nature of my profession. But I do like to do my research when it comes to plopping down my hard earned cash (or credit as it were).

Yes Im on Nabisco, and I read about the WRX for a year before I bought one. Test drove them a bit too.

Anyway, after having a couple bad experiences with American cars ( later generations) and service I swore off them forever with the exception of Corvettes. Ive always respected Cadillacs but know that they have poor resale value and thought they kind of lost their way as did most domestics.

My main issues with the V are the rear end, the weird 1st to 4th gear thing, cheap interior construction and design, and what I consider to be non-intuitive nav stereo system (and non-touch screen).

The huge positives are the engine (obviously), transmission, and outstanding exterior.

So concerns for me would be how good is the suspension? Is it world class and does it need upgrading?

What about maintenance?

Why does this car only go 165 top speed when the Charger SRT8eportedly can go 170+?

Thanks again-

OHSIXCTSV

i'll take it from here...lol
okay..and begin





















and end!

nikon

iTrader: (2)

no way it's gonna handle snow like your rex....if you can't afford a beater for winter driving I say forget it....although the only car I've driven in the snow is a K-car and a awd jeep...but hey, DD it's great....blends in with the crap cars and can stand out with the benz'....suspension is ****...I had mine on homestead speedway and ran with a modded z06....04...but still....as for maintenance....it takes synthetic oil....thats about it...as for top speed....I've never had mine above 140....but if it's that big a deal, buy a porche or benz....it's all in the gearing.

idoitforv

When i had one I took mine to 163mph before I got scared shitless that CHP would be taking me to jail that night and let go; it took forever to get there though.

OHSIXCTSV

^ horse shyt...that thing gets to 163 in 5th in just over a mile(effin car ripps up top)...i've been there 4-5 times...but truth be told i'm done with 163 (i had an awakening)...nuthing good can come of it. thats all i have to say about that.

ccrn

Dang I was afraid someone might say that!

I realize the V is not an AWD car so therefore will not handle like one, which is a plus in many ways as after having an AWD for 5 years I think it over rated as far as pure handling goes.

But Ill never forget the night one of my kids ended up in the ED and I had to drive 3 hours through one of the worse ice storms around here for ages with no prob.

On the other side of that coin, I see BMWs on the way to work all winter and not all of the AWD either not to mention all the rearwheel drives and front wheel drives only.

And again our plans are to move to Texas next summer so this should be the last winter here (I wash my cars weekly here due to the road salt).

Any of you guys in MI and elsewhere in the Midwest want to comment?

Anyway, after reading your guys comments and having done some reading for the past few weeks I think this is the car for me other than a C5-

Thanks for the comments guys I truly appreciate it-

mocts-v

I have to disagree on this. Winter Tires or a great A/S will get you around just fine in the midwest. There are people in Colorado that drive their Vs year round with a Winter set of Blizzaks. If you have the right tire its no problem. Would it be nice to have a Winter car, yeah.

SilveradoSS500

I have owned all 3, get a vette.......I am buying another C5 Z06 in November (nice little bday gift for myself) it is going to be my project track car. There is a reason I am going back to the C5........It is unreal for the Money....

mocts-v

I think he has a growing family. The vette would probably not be the best idea. I too had to sacrifice my vette for the growing family. The V is the next best thing to it.

ccrn

Have 3 kids and a wife. Im down 1 dog currently.

Id really like to get the C5 but that would mean about a 1-2 year wait. At that time it would become a part time daily driver if I kept the Rex.

Problem is, the WRX is at 117,000 which means its time to get a new turbo, oil pump, and some other odd and ends. This car has always been kept well and synth oil used so Im pretty sure it will last a few more years.

However, every year it depreciates, and gets older. And everyday it seems to get smaller. I could sell it now (has had the major 105,000 mile service) and put that towards the V and at the price If found some at its very doable for the family.

Plus it seems like a great car for my purposes and the families.

My main concern is maintenance etc at this point and how much Illneed to put into it in regards to the rearend and suspension-

mocts-v

If you treat your V well it will treat you well. If you mod the hell out of it and drive it like you stole it, thats when you have to worry about the rear end.

JOHN_DEERE_LS6

iTrader: (10)

if you drive a cts v in the winter news flash you cant afford it..... makes me sick to think someone would drive one of these in salty slushy ****...

SilveradoSS500

True that, you must treat it nice! I didn't read all about the family. Get the V then. It will be a nice upgrade from a WRX. You need to treat it nice but if your in cold climate just be aware that the V is like a factory drift car when it comes to the rear slidding around on you. I could only imagine how it drives in snow. haha. I have a SRT8 and I straight up hate it becusae of the Gas issues. I mean, who really could drive these cars slow. I am spending 150+ a week in the SRT8, it does have a factory 2800 convertor. That is why my car drinks some much gas. It always wants to rev up.....get the V so you can skip shift around....