Not another BRZ vs WRX thread...
 

Hello,

I'm hoping to purchase a new car this year because I want the peace of mind of having a brand new, reliable car. As both a Subaru and Toyota fan, of course I had to consider their new sports coupe.

The conservative side of me was considering the redesigned 2012 Impreza Sport hatchback, but after thinking about it I decided that fun factor has to be high for long-term happiness. I also want to move away from FWD vehicles, as there's a feeling of imbalance by having everything up front. Thus, I'm now trying to decide between a WRX hatchback and BRZ coupe.

:confused0068:

I know, I know, very different vehicles. But I like both for different reasons.

The WRX does offer more utility, but I have no kids and don't haul much stuff around, so space isn't a big necessity. Today's cars are pretty safe, and fuel efficiency in both cars is good enough for me.

So it boils down to this: the WRX offers better acceleration and all-wheel-drive, but the BRZ is lighter and better balanced, so cornering and handling will be better.

Which is more important to me? I don't know. That's why this has been a hard decision that I'm still giving thought to. I wish I could afford both, but not possible. I want the acceleration and AWD, but I also want lightness and low CoG. All that in one car for <$28K would be an engineering marvel.

Of course, the winters here can be bad, so that is something weighing heavily on my mind. My wife actually likes the idea of a sporty coupe, but I'm worried about RWD in the winter because I have never owned a RWD vehicle before. Certainly I would get snow tires, but still can't be too confident.

:sigh:

Will keep thinking about it...

Drive both then decide.

There's a subforum and a thread for this, already. If winter capability is really a concern then you already have your answer.

um... seems like the WRX is the better choice just cause of the AWD. if your winters are bad, thats the car you need.

Impreza is AWD.

Also snow tires make RWD just fine in the snow. I drove a MKIII Supra for 2 winters and it was my favorite car to drive in winter :)

how is this not another "vs WRX" thread exactly?