You should be pleased, although people I know who had 04-07YM and later got an 08-09 say they prefered the older models

Let me share a little story I shared with my dodge forum.

Not that I'm overly big headed about it, but I've thought my truck was pretty fast and damn it is good lookin.... Well, leave it to the U.S. Marine Corps to send me a neighbor from San Diego to give me a quick reality check....

So I come rumbling through my apartment complex from the auto parts store (for the 3rd time today)  and there is a Semi parked in front of my garage. I hop out and meet this little guy 5' 2ish who is on the phone cussing someone up and down. He hangs up and unlocks the back of the trailer, pushes it up and reveals the sickest car I've ever seen in person. A 2006 Subaru WRX STI with a Stage 2 2.4 liter racing engine, ported, cammed out, the works, stage 3 racing clutch,  35mm turbo?, meth and water injection, EFI Unlimited tuning, turbo timing, and a sexy body kit.
It's not covered in stickers, it doesn't have any stripes, but it screams badass.

So we talk a bit and after the car gets unloaded he takes me for a ride.. with 91 octane from Cali in the tank (we have 93 octane here in Texas) and HOLY HELL was that thing fast. he had slips with 11.01 on them (with 91 octane). The thing hit its rev limiter @ just under 7k and when he was in the throttle it was literally 1-1.5 seconds between beeps to shift. We hit 60 in 2nd gear within the blink of an eye and it pulled hard through all 6 gears and pegged out the speedo at 140... and kept pulling...

So he drops me off and we say "nice to meet you" etc. etc. and I look at my nearly 6000lbs truck and fall in love all over again. And reality sets in... my truck will never be that fast... my truck never NEEDS to be that fast... While twin turbos and flashing lights would be really fun I realized that my truck does what it was designed to do and does it well. It just took a little guy in a little car to remind me of that so I thought I'd share.

He is running nearly 600hp through the STOCK STI 5 speed Transmission. The WRX 5 speed is the "glass jaw" of that car. The STI is upgraded. I've never ridden in a stock one, but that little car blew my friggen mind.

ETA: my truck is a 2005 Cummins Turbo Diesel Dodge 2500 4x4 with a intake, exhaust and tuner. my 37lbs of boost is about half as fast as his 8lbs... funny shit.

No he's not.

Because the STi is a six-speed.

Edit: He's not running 8psi, either. Stock is almost double that.

*faceslap*



uber car pwnage. lol.



 

Audi hasn't used a true Quattro in decades. Their current AWD cars are Haldex-based systems. A4 included.



Torsen is just the brand name of a torque-biasing differential. AFAIK none of the low-end Audis have a limited slip rear differential. They mainly have an open front different, open rear differential, and either a visco-lock center diff or limited slip center diff, which really means jack.



The ideal AWD setup has a limited slip on the front, center, and rear. The STI, Lancer Evo, and Murcielago fit this description.



The Haldex systems and the Haldex-style systems in Fords aren't nearly as capable.

In the poor guys defense he did mention going through 6 gears earlier in the story...

Although I agree with you about Audi's capabilities, you are incorrect in your assertion that the A4 and above are Haldex-based.
Only the transverse-engined VAG cars are Haldex based.

Ok, I was confused with the A4.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldex_Traction#Haldex_in_use

Doesn't the WRX use an open differential up front with a limited slip in back? I know there's a viscous coupling center differential but I thought the non STI versions used an open diff in front as a cost saving measure. I'm referring to manual transmission versions.

subarus are for dykes and liberals.

Subaru = Japanese = Quality.

Toyota RAV4 = Japanese = Quality.

Ford = Mexico, Brazil = Junk.

You make your choices... you live with the consequences.

Is that why several magazines are stating that fords new cars are comparable or exceeding imports now in quality?

QFT, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Read the magazines again, they are talking INITIAL quality. Ford still hasn't exceeded the level for imports yet, they just improved a lot. However, expect the Fords to fall apart within 1-3 years of ownership unlike some German and Japanese cars. Fords still have trouble making problem-free cars to this day. I buy them knowing they are affordable and reliable vehicles, just not the best quality product. Ford has now bumped up the prices on all of their cars, so their affordability is no longer at the same level.








The WRX is not listed as having a limited slip differential in the front! The 2010 WRX is listed as Open front, LSD rear, viscous center. The STI's have a torque-biasing differential in the front, center (with a clutch pack that you can control using the center-diff controls), and rear.



The problem with the WRX / STI for use in inclement weather is the low ground clearance. I am contemplating the purchase of a STI just for winter use, but my concern is that it will get stuck in 8" of snow and I do not want dedicated snow tires.



 

There's some smarts in this here thread. Tagged for a later read.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Right now, I think you are the only one posting that knows what you are talking about.  Most others are just heresay myth repeaters.  When I get back from work, I'm going to read your posts carefully.
 

what's the difference?

4x4/4WD allows you to switch back into 2WD mode, and offers a transfer case with variable speeds/settings. In 4WD mode, the transfer case locks the front and rear axles together
(or rather makes them run at the same speeds) so it's not recommended
for use on dry tarmac.





AWD generally relies on a center differential that allows you to operate in "4 wheel mode" full-time even on dry pavement. Some Haldex/Haldex-style units have a 90/10 bias for the front wheels, other units are optimized for more power in the rear wheels (Audi R8).





A vehicle like the HMMWV actually has a torque-biasing transfer case that allows you to operate it in 4WD full-time without the same problems as a standard 2-speed transfer case. The HMMWV also allows you to operate it in 4WD-Low / Lock (IIRC) giving you additional capabilities over AWD.




Then there are some full-time 4WD/4x4 systems that automatically switch between 2WD and 4WD. Most 4x4/4WD vehicles actually have open front and rear differentials, which translates to a 2-wheel drive vehicle. In order to really get a "4x4" you want at least a limited slip differential in the front and rear differentials, but for off-roading, I've seen many setups using lockers for the front and rear!




Bottom line: AWD is simpler to use and doesn't require switching into or out of 4WD mode. With a 4x4 pickup, the user has to switch into 4WD-High/4WD-Low on the right surface.





 

excellent, many thanks!

btw, what does my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee have with its Selectrac? it has Fulltime and Parttime and I know what and when to use them but I don't understand the system itself...

According to the Chrysler site, the Selectrac II is a 4x4/4WD system, but the transfer case uses some clutch packs to help shift torque between the front and rear axles. I guess it acts much like the torque-biasing transfer case on the HMMWV.



I think a few vehicles like the Explorer have on-demand 4WD.



To cut through a lot of the marketing BS, most AWD cars aren't really AWD, the same with 4x4/4WD. The AWD cars generally have a front-wheel bias (90% power in the front, 10% in the rear) and shift torque to the rear wheel upon demand. They then rely on traction control (ABS-operated) to control wheelspin, which doesn't always work very well. You really want a mechanical method of limiting this slip and biasing the torque to the wheel(s) that grip. From experience, a limited slip differential for the rear axles helps immensely in snow.



The vehicles with 4x4 might have an optional locker rear or optional LSD rear, but the fronts are almost always open. In a split-mu condition, you'll have 1 wheel in the front spinning. The HMMWV isn't the best off-roading vehicle, but it at least has a Torsen/torque-biasing unit in the front and rear axles - something I haven't seen in many current production cars other than: Mitsubishi Evo, Subaru WRX STI, and the Lamborghini Murcielago.

so... this is a good system? in 2002, it was supposed to be the best off road system available. I got it with limited slip differential. I had no idea why that would be good but the salesperson was a friend and I trusted him...

I am not sure about reliability but it sounds like a good setup for general purpose use. I know the off-roaders like to use a slightly different setup in the differentials. The Ford F-150 FX4 and Raptor have a selective electronic rear locking differential that only engages in 4WD mode, so you get maximum traction (for the rear at least) on loose surfaces. A limited slip differential (clutch driven, torque biasing, or speed sensing) unit is preferred for normal driving since it can be more controllable for mixed road surfaces.

Get a used 2004-2005 STi.  I had an 04' that I miss dearly.  I drive an 08' Evo X now but I would go back to my old STi in a heartbeat.  

I'll never forget when I bought my first WRX.  Went for a test drive and the salesman picked out the WRX sitting in the front of the lot behind about 30ft of very uneven snow, mud, and grass.  I go to put the car in reverse and back up so I could go out on the paved road and he says with a smile, "put it first and go through the grass".    Car pulled right through that crap no problem.    They then loaned me that car for a week (it was new BTW) until the color I wanted came in.

-X

The Fusion is based on the Mazada 6. Remember that Ford has a large interest in Mazda.
I like Subaru but I think dealerships can be few and far between, almost a nich market. However Ford is pretty mainstream.