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What Happened To The Subaru Community?
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2023
- Todays video is a look back at my experience in the Subaru Community the past 8 years and where I believe Subaru took a wrong turn! I want to hear your thoughts in the comments!
I think the basic human interaction is almost out the door these days in general. Back in the 90s and 2000s car culture in general was on a different level. Social media did not exist and we just looked forward in meeting new fellow enthusiast at car meets or on randomly on the street.. We as young guys respected the older guys and it was a good vibe back then just hanging our learning from each other and getting along. Now a days most people just looking down their phones and posting. lol... So glad I am 80s kid!
yeah this is it, im not a subie owner but youre 100% right
Sadly yes, I am right. I wish I was not. I miss them good ole days! @@Danbimmerfan
Culture changed, not so much the cars but the culture has definitely changed. Society after the “pandemic” has also changed.
Yes pandemic was simply the cherry on top of shit!@@awdobsession717
Those were the days when you could hang out and meet randoms from all different areas. Back when i had my 91 Celica.
i also feel like the community is dying ill wave at others but very rarly they wave back lmao
dude i used to get the wave all the time and then i swear as soon as i built my motor which was like 2 months ago, i went without my car for almost a month. Then once i got back on the road i feel like i haven’t gotten a single wave since 😕
On god I feel the same way lately no Subarus waves back, but EVOs still do
Feel this heavily
@@jonathanvalencia1843 I’ll always wave dont worry about that buddy
dont give up on the wave because no backsies tho most of the time im admiring ur ride instead and dont notice
As a VB owner it’s actually the opposite for me I feel like many people who own the older generations don’t respect the VB platform and don’t wave back at me😂
Yep, I’ve only had 1 ever wave back at me. They usually just give me a stank face lol
same here! I feel like the entire VB community is super enthusiastic about subaru's in general but the rest of them don't like us even though we love and care about it :( I give a subie wave to all my wrx owners, and honestly it's the WRX owners that are usually cool about my car. it's the STI owners that are douche's about it
@@Korruidon’t worry sti owners don’t even wave back at me most times and I’m an sti owner
For me its the opposite haha, most of the vb owners by me don't wave back what so ever just stare at me like im crazy, still wave to them but I've definitely noticed that vb wrx and va wrx owners wave back the least.
Yeah fr I barely get wave back😭 they look at me and look away :(
Subaru community used to be mature techies back in the day, all IT guys. Now its completely opposite. To me it seems as if all the ricer civic guys from the early 2000s took over the modern day subi community and all the mature tech IT guys that used to run the subi community left to either the GTR, M3, or Audi RS community.
I tend to agree. Especially the VA chassis. That being said, I am in IT and drive a VA WRX, but being in the fb groups, everyone is just looking for the loudest exhaust and the cheapest way to go fast regardless of reliability and blowing motors left and right and just overall giving the 3am civic vibe to the Subie community which honestly sucks since I love the WRX I have and don't want to be grouped in with those people
Mature techies bro.
Or gti
i am a broke techie
@@FinalExploit same except VA sti
You are 100% correct. I heard Subaru was targeting new buyers with the new 2015 WRX
Absolutely true. Stopped waving when I see newer WRX, unless they wave first, for this reason
I, like you, was never really into cars growing up until I saw Ken Block make a car do what I never thought it could in Gymkhana. The sound and action timed with the release of Fast & The Furious left a lasting impression. I haven't been able to afford a WRX until about 7 years ago when I got a '15 WRX. Since then, I've been to SubiFest and have loved the culture. Never stop doing what you believe in, be it The Wave or anything else. ...Except maybe murder.
Gr Sti and Gd bugeye owner here! Totally agree with everything you said. I wish there was still that special feeling of being a subie owner especially gd. I hope you are able to make more gd content because nobody makes good content around them anymore. Yesterday I pulled the carpet out thats been in there for 21 years and replaced it with black carpet from an 06 wrx. $53 from the junkyard lol. Got an 05 sti center console/dash swap, built motor, new paint, cl development xbrace, emotion xd9, v7 jdm sti seats, airlift, and the list will continue to grow. Going in for a tune this Thursday so im excited to put this fp green to use. Car is already so far long and I only bought it mid august but im constantly thinking about what next so its no surprise. Looking for a sti swap along with brembos later on too. My third gd and i plan to keep this one forever. Anyways love watching people share the same passion I have and special feeling of it used to be like owning a subie.
same here got a gr sti and a bug, sedan or hatch?
I have an 08 wrx hatch WRB 160k on the chassis, 5k on the IAG500. I still give them all the horns 🤘 when I see that hood scoop coming at me! 9/10 do wave back around here still, in the PNW. Whether they wave back or not, I still feel it's my duty to spread that community feel to my fellow Subi drivers. I drive the crap out of mine, even in town makin all the sounds of a Subi is iconic, echoing off the buildings, never forget, and it's getting more rare every day, like unicorns almost around here. Making sure people do not forget about the Subi's. Deeper down I think some of the newer gen and younger drivers are possibly a little jealous/envious (I don't like saying that really) of the older Subi body drivers. The older cars require maintenance and less people are into actually fixing their cars nowadays, so they just buy a newer version and then realize it's just not the same. Surprisingly, I get a lot of respect and compliments from the 40-50 year old guys who also have modified cars, they can't not like the rumble. There's just something about the mechanical nature of the experience that is mesmerizing. Cheers and go rip it!
No love for the modified N/As? 🥲
If I notice quick enough, not too many of those around!@@chubbschubbs2x
08 sedan owner 180k... 20k on built ej257 ..just sending you a peace sign via comment
I had a 2005 LGT. Now I have a 2016 and 2020 STI. I like them a lot. Fun to drive and it's an AWD Turbo sedan, what more to love? It's a well-rounded car you can haul your friends and family around.
When I got my Legacy years ago, I noticed when I would go to the store or run errands, I would often come back out to the lot to find 1, 2, or even 3 other Subarus parked around me. We started calling it a "Subaru Section" ... other Subaru owners have expressed the same experiences. It still happens today.
Yeah, I was going to buy a STI in 2021 ... first the O'VID delay, then the cancellation. I have to admit, it did damage my enthusiasm.
I think you're right about the change. I think it's a consequence of success. Subaru is no longer a "boutique" car maker. A certain type of person used to be the ones buying Subarus. Now everyone buys them. So, yeah ... a different type of person is buying Subarus now.
We need to educate them ... so keep the Subi Sections in parking lots going. Look for another Subaru before you park it.
Now I have to go back to figuring out if I want to get the cylinder head replaced on my 100k 2008 Legacy SE.
I think part of the reason is because a lot of Subaru enthusiasts shunned the VA WRX and wasn't welcomed into the community as much as the previous generations. That caused new owners to find their own way and unfortunately its ended up to what it is today.
My Subaru experience has been pretty typical, blew up a 4EAT and three 5MTs. Couldnt handle my 300whp forester ig lol.
you blew up a 4eat vtd? theyre known to handle over 500whp stock
@@buss1205 might've been operator error inflicted
@@buss1205 maybe if you never launch it or beat it lol. They can’t take much of a beating once you start making power
@Mattc278 4eats can take 4000rpm launches all day with only a tc mod, they're quite popular in drag racing for a reason
So true. The influx of people that were buying the 2015+ WRX/STI was huge! I believe that most of them weren't enthusiast and didn't really get and or want to understand the culture behind the WRX and Subaru. They were just regular consumers that liked the "sporty" look, but they don't know about the history which is a bummer. I don't think the 2015+ will have an impact as the other gens did. Luckily I have my 2006 STI that retains that spirit of the "old school" Subies.
'18 STi here. As a motorcycle rider we wave to each other, and the fact that wrx/sti owners wave is one of my favorite things about this car. I find it to be rare to not get a wave back.
i have a 2020 STI. I absolutely love driving this car and I have already put 75,000 miles on it. I plan on keeping it and driving it till it falls apart around the engine.
I feel like 80% of the people that buy STI/WRXs (just my opinion dont 🔥 me)
are not car people. they don’t service their own vehicles, they don’t keep up regular maintenance, they drive the shit out of them, and then call them a piece of garbage when they eventually break, or they improperly mod the car without the supporting mods and they break.
I religiously keep fresh fluids in it, regularly check my oil because you have to do that with a turbo charged car, I change my differential fluid every 40,000 miles, make sure the car has fresh brake pads… I have had zero issues, my car runs like the day I bought it, and in my opinion, this like mini sports cars is one of those vehicles you have to stay on top of if you want to enjoy it, and I feel most people don’t do that. I really don’t understand why this car gets so much hate because it’s one of the last true analog sports cars you can buy, it’s all wheel drive, which is rare and it’s just so much fun to drive?!?!?!
You have a valid point here, these cars NEED proper maintenance and it’s people who go broke on car payments to get a used 5 year old one that have barely enough $$ to properly maintain them and instead of doing so when they have money, they buy the dumbest mods every, when shit breaks they’re like, subie is shit, so yeah, if you can’t pay to maintain these (which btw isn’t that expensive) then don’t buy one! Great point you made sir!
I have a 2020 as well but no where near that many miles/Kms lol
@@littlefoot4417 valid point. Ill also add, that thanks to guys like vargas, bader, smeedia, devin..........I knew what i was getting into. I took time to do the due diligence to make sure this is what I really wanted. With all cars you have risk/reward with performance and high horsepower. Think about it like a candle, and everytime you drive that car, that candle burns down faster and faster. You buy a car upwards of 100,000 plus and the you surpass reliability/performance bell curve and now you have a super fast car that breaks more because the engine is being pushed much much harder. It just boils down to what you like and personal preference. Im a huge WRC/Rally fan and grew up watching subaru dominate EVERYONE. And I have immense respect for the handful of car manufacturers that still participate in motorsports and trickle down the race R&D to thier production cars, and I believe subaru is up there.Porsche still uses boxer, BMW puts them in theyre motorcycles, and literally subarus entire line up uses them, so if it really was a shit engine, well.....nobody would be using them. I just get tired of the crowd that screams....IF YOU DONT DRIVE WHAT I DRIVE YOUR A MORON! Well if that were the case the world would be a very boring place
I have an 05 fxt modded to the T. Ive had it since 2012 and the BAM era. The community has changed a ton and its definitely is not the same as it used to be. I agree with what you said here but I believe it all comes down to how people maintain their cars and how they mod them now.
Wrx owner since 2001…. Im in the Hudson Valley and in Brooklyn, I can tell you the wave and the community are as strong as ever. I never don’t get a wave. I also drive a Wrangler and the waves are exactly the same. I just have to remember which car I’m driving 🖐🏻
I recently had some older guy follow me into the WalMart parking lot to say my 2006 impreza was their dream car lmao
Community in my area is pretty cool. I got my bugeye in March. When I got it, it was sitting on race lands that were seized and stank like cigarettes. After reaching out to community they took me in were super friendly. One guy gave me rear seat in great condition new carpet and white line lowering springs. The community has been great to me. I love my bugeye.
dude can’t believe it’s been this long! MUCH RESPECT 👊🏾🙏🏾
I think the new generation can’t see their hoodscoop from the drivers seat so they forget the wave. Also old gen drivers need a minute to accept the new body style. Got my first Subie wave from a new one yesterday. It’ll get better. Got the most waves in my 2018 and 2020s. Was thinking that the wave has died down but I think it’s just related to people getting used to new stuff. Make the hood scoop bigger and everyone will start waving again! 😊
You hit the nail on the head man.. nobody waves back anymore.
I’ll always wave 🫡🫶✌️
I love my bugeye it has 215k on it and I've rebuilt it myself. It makes 305 at 19psi on the Dyno. The original engine got rod knock at 209k. I've met so many awesome people building my Subaru, others.
@@XD_Alious same here! 💪
@@EISBAR15 shit I’ve got a 02 wrx wagon makes 270 at 18 psi
@@EISBAR15 what’s ya instagram?
I have a VA STi and I try my best to wave at all subie generations.
I don’t think the car is less ‘rally’, its just more mainstream, so there are more mainstream buyers.
Pastrana & Semenuk are doing a service for the new chassis’ with their recent successes.
But the days of OG rallying in a bug eye, blob eye, and hawk eye are def over. Which was the spark that lit the candle. Now, that candle has been burning, other manufacturers are replicating the format and people who may have only seen Subaru as an option are looking to other brands for a similar driving experience.
It also doesn’t help that the newest STi’s still can barely crack 20 mpg, all the while needing tons of money to get the same HP results as DIT cars for less $.
I have an na subie and many of the Subarus in my area are SUVs and streamline consumers so unfortunately I don't get a wave back very often between those 2 conditions, but as soon as I go to cars and coffee or small meet and ask someone about their car, they open up right away and think my car is just as cool as theirs. Social media seems to be a bit different but in person it's great
Alex, I have noticed the same thing, which makes me appreciate the wave more when blob or hawkeyes do it.
imagine being an old head with a new VB!
130k miles 06 Sti Hawk. Owned it for 8 years. You are 100% right about everything you just said! Keep your Subaru.. just like the mark 4 supra... our Hawkeyes will sky rocket in price after 25 years..
I finally bought the subie I've wanted for years, a 2011 Outback Sport, and anytime I catch another subie driver on the road or a parking lot here in Mass they've always been awesome folks, happy to chat about our subies, helping me out with info about the area I didn't have, and exchanging thoughts and ideas... I feel lucky to be part of the community.
Back in the i-Club days for me in 2004 I loved the Subaru community and the 🚘🤙🏼🚘🤙🏼 we gave to each other. I miss those days 😢
I'm waiting on my new (and first) Subaru that should come in November. First thing I learned when I get myself into all the Subaru stuff, is the Subie wave. So surely I'll start giving the subie wave to other Subaru owners. I hope they will give me the wave back. But even if they don't, I'll still continue to put my hand out every time ✌🤙
I drive a hatchback and my first subie wave actually came from a guy driving in front of me in a early 2000's wagon. I was admiring his rear end when he stuck his arm out the driver window and went "👋"
To which I responded: "✌️" through my windshield.
This is 1000% accurate, literally every single opinion Mr. Vargas has in this video is true. I've had a 2014 WRX since new, my favorites are the early-mid 2000s era like anyone else but a major fan of the 2008-14 STI and 11-14 WRX body style as well. No doubt that the 2015 WRX with the auto/CVT trans option and tamed styling (it still looked good to me, just a step towards Camry like was said), increased marketing, it seemed like a lot of newbies and normies came on board. A lot of these same people didn't consider the previous WRX because it only came stick.
Back in 2014 it felt like a small community that had these cars and there really was a 100% 'wave' rate from other owners passing by. The car shows always had a healthy Subaru group, they still do I guess but it isn't the same. I agree that 2016 may have been about the peak, possibly earlier, the tanked economy from 08-11 messed a lot of things up along with a not good WRX model at that time; this helped prop up the guys with the 02-07s and those cars became even cooler, the STI though and WRX after 2011 started to pick up steam, in person the more you saw them, they just looked badazs. People started working on them more, the 02-07s remained popular, it was a good time. It definately seemed to die sometime 2019 or so. The new model 2023+ also played a role in this, so many reviewers slammed it instantly and no one seemed to like how it looked (again I don't think that bad, but not as good as my 2014 imo), Subaru just seemed to lose respect as a whole brand. Kind of like what started happening to Honda a long time ago, they really seemed to abandon their tuner car guy base but at least they still offered a good Civic I guess.
Around my area here it CT the community is still around just not as much as before. I have a 04 Blob eye 189k and I’ve had it for around 6-7 years now. She never lets me down.
I'm a VB owner. I don't consider myself as part of the WRX community and the community doesn't interest me. It's just my car. I don't wave back because I don't notice another WRX. It's not personal.
I've been in the Subaru community since 2012. Now I daily a 2012 wrx hatch and have a bugeye too. Seems like people wave when I'm in the GD, but as you said, the GR and VA were more for the average consumer. So unless it's clearly modded, people don't really wave.
8:33 I owned a 2004 wrx from 2016 to 2023. Got it with it's first engine at 140k miles. Drove the car till 211k miles and got ringland failure(waited to long to replace my spark plugs). After that I got a pro tuned 06 sti(FMIC, bpt turbo, spt air intake, hks bov) with 174k miles pushing 17 psi as my new daily and have owned it for almost a year. Literally the only problem I've had was a bad speed sensor and it took like 5 min to replace.
On the other hand I know a guy in my town who bought a 03 wrx, he owned it for a week before blowing the engine. The thing is his wrx had an imported jdm engine put in it and those engines run with high compression so they need higher octane gas than we have available. I read online about them when my wrx got ringland failure so i avoided the jdm engines. When this guy showed me his car after he got the engine pulled/repaired it's check engine light was flashing like my missfiring 04 wrx but was still running okay. I pulled his codes and there was like 9 different codes going off and he told me its alright cause his car runs okay.
My experience owning 2 subarus was great, you just have to find the right one and keep up maintenance. Even when my 04 did get ringland failure it was during a big snowboarding trip. There was a billzard in a utah canyon and it got a missfire code that led to ringland failure on that cylinder. The wrx still got me and my friend home which was many hours away.
2003 bugeye, bought used in 04 with 18k miles. Currently have 217k on og motor. Yup, when the new body wrx came out, the peace signs were one sided. However, last weekend I went to run some errands, and spotted a newer sti and wrx, and got peace’s back. Felt like old times. 😂
I got my 2018 Subaru WRX a little over 2.5 years ago. I am the second owner currently at 46k miles. This is the first car I have ever modified and maintained myself and it made me fall in love with working on my car. I always try and wave at other subies and it does feel bad when you don't get the wave back, but like you said there are more people that don't know or care about the 'subaru community' since the looks appeal to the masses more.
I’ve had my 19 STi for about a year now and have gotten waves from almost every Gen subi wrx and STis. Even other platforms like the Focus ST, VW Golf and a few Civics in my area have waved.
However, the handful of times I’ve waved and gotten nothing but a blank stare have all been from 15+ wrx and a lot of 22+
I still throw up the peace even if it’s the same guy a waved at last week and ignored me 😂
Things change - adapt or die. Its like saying 90s music was the best because you grew up listening to it. Absolutely love my VB WRX! #hawkeyelover
It must be yalls town, here in Paducah we wave at each other. I just got a new 2023, I didn't know about the community, but I started to look up add ones and stuff, and why I found was an amazing group of people ready to feed all the info I would ever need. Everytime I come across another owner, we wave at each other.
Bought my bugeye new in april 2002. Street racing was so fun in those days. I think im finally ready to bring it back to life and fix the ej207 after years of sitting in the garage.
2003 WRX Wagon, 195,000 miles engine number 2. I am owner number 2 bought it with 30k on it in 08. been a great car and I agree 100% on what Alex has to say. I am at a point now where I want to either fully build the car and go all out or I am upgrading to something else.... I have a live hate relationship with my WRX many memories and has been fairly reliable other than throwing a rod! she has been trusty but we will see!!!
22 wrx owner here. I owned an 04 blobeye back in the day. All older Subarus still wave. Like 02-07 wrx’s and foresters. 08-14’s are hit and miss. Va guys are mostly stuck up. Some nod lol. Vb owners usually nod as well. Got to say I love my Vb a lot. Just don’t see as many of the older ones anymore.
I have a 13' sti hatch 147k miles on it original block and i dunno in Europe Subarus are quite rare to see so people who own one are known with each other way more then in the US i guess. 🤷 Nonetheless i love it and I love my friends i made through that car . Always waving ✌🏻
I have a 2005 Subaru Impreza, its a fake sti, i have the sti wing and stabilizers and all that and I don't race it, I do zoom on the streets with it here and there, people tell me it looks like a race car tho because I pretty much have only focused on the outside and not the engine but i just did timing belt and I do oil changes myself so just basic stuff to keep it going, it has 200k miles so its getting up there, I hope to swap the engine someday with like my future kids or something and all around its been quite reliable, people always say Subarus are unreliable but truth is you just gotta be able to keep it maintained. I definitely agree with this video tho, I haven't been in the community very long so I cant say much but i do know its definitely changed since the new subarus have released and its very sad to see. thanks for the vid I loved it
went from GDB-C to VAG-A to VAB-D... been around the Subaru scene since 1998... still wavin' to other subies on the road.
Dont sleep on the 22+ wrx. Yeah it sucks theres no sti, but the FA24 is the engine we've all been waiting for. Im gonna get one and swap in a sti 6 speed.
I've had my 17 WRX for just over a year now and the wave seems to be very hit or miss. I have not been able to do too much to the car yet, but I can definitely say that driving a stock VA WRX no one waves to you unless they are also in a VA WRX. The STI owners can be hit or miss for sure. Overall, car has been amazing. Never had any issues with it. Got it with 41k 100% stock and now at 56k a year later (it's a daily)
After 8 years of owning Subarus, waving has been the corniest interaction I’ve ever had experienced. Since day one. Talk to people at a red light or gas station
@@bigboybmx69sounds like your part of the problem.
I owned an 05 sti since about 2010 up until last month when i sold her... there was been a real shift with car people in general recently (not for the better) and the subaru community is definitely a showcase for it. It's easy to blame the pandemic but there were signs before that.
It happened with the skateboarding community too. When skating went mainstream, it just kinda got....weird. Like, the newer people joining in lost the love that grew the community in the first place.
Get plenty of waves and sometimes get ignored of well, sometimes im just sad and depressed and dont feel like waving at strangers
Still driving my Bugeye since 2005. When the Boxer Rumble went away so did the community :)
It’s this generation that’s killed it tbh. I’ve done the wave and half the time I dont get it back . Most people don’t even dig cars like that anymore but for the ones that do are awesome.
:( I have a 2016. I fell in love with the 2013, and my all time favorite is the 04. I’m 23 and the perfect opportunity lined up. 100% stock 2016 limited. I hate the EL headers. I wanted the rumble. I will always respect my elders. I wave at every subie I see. Even the new gens lol. I do agree with the whole video tho. Just, not the part where all 2015+ just got it for the “consumer car” type look. Great vid man!
I got my Wrx in 2014 and can agree the community was super cool haven’t had a Subaru since 2016 but still see it all on the outside weird place honestly
I have had my Hawkeye since 2015. It’s 550whp since 2018 and I haven’t had 1 single issue. I over maintain and it’s been a super awesome car to own but now I’m going to list it for sale
I’ve got the 2015 STI, and you are right about the wave. Very rarely do other VA/VB owners wave, but the Hawkeye, blob eyes and bugeyes owners all wave. But where I’m from the Subaru community is really strong out here.
Whay hay !!! good to see you back on RUclips dude hope you keep it up [used to love your content].😉🤘👍
Hey thanks!
Imo, it’s not just the Subaru community. I feel like it’s the “JDM” community in general (at least in the US. I can’t speak for the community elsewhere). Especially since the pandemic, it feels like Japanese cars have become increasingly more trendy. These days all the Tiktok kids are getting into Type Rs, BRZ/86s, and WRXs. With my Subaru, the community was primarily the clout chasing tiktok kids. These kids rlly don’t care about their cars. It’s all just to uphold that image to them. I’d be at event’s talking about my Subaru and a lot of times i wouldn’t rlly get that human-to-human interaction. I’d just get brushed off 😕. It was more the Euro owners who i’d get into legit convos with (even tho i hop out of a Japanese car). Especially coming from owning a Subaru and now going to Euro events with my mom (who now owns a GLI), i feel like the Euro scene is more serious about the community and have genuine love for their cars. In comparison to “JDM” kids who are just in their cars for an image, i actually get the time of day with the Porsche, VW, Mercedes owners. I think there’s something to be said for the generational gap between Euro enthusiasts and “JDM” enthusiasts
I own a 2022 WRX. Prob 3 mods in. 5 years prior, I wanted a WRX but couldn't afford it. Would prob have been an STI. So I got a 2013 Crosstrek, one of the best cars I've owned, despite multiple engine recalls. I try to salute other WRX drivers when I can. Hope to keep my 2022 WRX as long as possible, then rebuild the engine lol I'm def gonna look into Subie Fest. Thanks :)
Everybody: I love the Subie Rumble.
Also everybody: Installs equal length headers.
I got my first subaru in 05 (STi), the community was so tight nit. You had frog eye WRX's and blobs, everyone through up the ✌️. It was such a slim amount of people who persuade the cars, but they did it for the reasons that you explained (rally inspired street beasts) . Even though we were too afraid to rally them, the modding community was at the best I've ever seen.
Fast and furious was fresh, and it didn't matter if you were an Evo or WRX/STI owners we always had our weekly meets. Went to big events in packs, and welcomed anyone who was interested and respectful.
Anyway getting back to me point, I think it just became overly saturated with douche bags. People who bought them with no real knowledge of the history, or wanting community involvement. Just wanting a car they knew had a good reputation in the street scene.
I'm not too informed with Honda, but I bet if they made a factory turbocharged car in the 05-14 Era, the subaru world would be a completely different place now.
just bought a 2002 wrx wagon with some tasteful mods done to it and no subaru guys wave back, most of the time i just get a look like "wtf u doin bro". a big part of the reason i chose a subaru was because of the community that i would always watch on youtube growing up and was always just looking forward to being a part of it but it's not there like it used to be and the only way i can find that charm is by finding the older enthusiasts that haven't already given up on the car scene.
I have a 2012 sti sedan and lately I’ve been getting much love ❤️
Had my '06 Forester X with El Manuel for about 7 years now. I love it and I'm just now wanting to modify it to do more off-road stuff.
I've meet several people in the community totally randomly who where eager to help me replace parts on my car and they where super awesome and have a story to tell. This vehicle has brought me more experiences that I'd ever have compared to buying something like a corolla lol
In the past 3 years of ownership of my '14 hatch, I've only had 5 other subies wave back 😢
I've got a 2008 legacy 3.0r as my daily, only major issue I've had was an oil seal leak right behind the timing cover, it would leak about a couple quarts for every hour of driving very common issue on high mileage ez30s. By far one of the best cars I've ever driven
I imported a 2003 blobeye wrx from Japan a few years ago and its been great. Ive had no issues and it has a few bolt ons and has been tuned by a local tuner. Its all about how you treat these cars. I feel like most people who have problems are neglecting maintenance and just beat on them way too hard 😅
Honestly, the cars are very reliable, it's the owners who are not with the questionable mods haha.
@urbanizeddreams so true, the price right now for an imported unit is a really good deal too, never had such a fun car for the price
The community back in the day was just different. I vividly remember getting waved at 3 years ago by an STi, not while I was in an STi; hell not even in a WRX. I was driving a N/A LEGACY. Now I drive a widebodied 2009 WRX. I rarely get any waves back, and just like you said, the ones who do wave back are the old gen EJs. I think I have about a 15% wave back rate from the VA/VBs. Sad times.
Hawkeye generation (06-07) was the last generation where I felt Subaru camaraderie was at its all time high. Bugeye, blobeye, and hawkeyes all waved at each other! Multiple generations, parts highly interchangeable. I missed that. I sold my 07 sti in 2019.
I’ve had my 05 blobeye Sti for 6yrs now and I’m currently at 206k miles on it and still stock with exception of the suspension up pipe down pipe and exhaust and now I want to restore it as close to factory as possible
If you have a Gc8, you almost certainly get a wave back Because the car is pretty old and only a handful of people still drive them on the road.
Ever since the 15 wrx came out, the community was polluted/saturated with the younger crowd. Thought about selling my 13 STI but I might keep it now
the subaru community is alive and well where i'm from, must be your area
98 STI swap legacy wagon 200,000 miles still rides and drives amazing 10 years
I own a 21' STI and I wave at every Subie I see and get nothing but dirty looks especially from the older generation Subies... But your point is very valid.
We have a similar origin story except I was in my mid 20s when I got into cars. I rode along with a friend to a Subaru meet, fell in love with the community and just bought the first wrx I saw which was a 06 wrx. I was stationed in California but moved back to Texas after I got out in late 2016 and the community was dead out here so I took it upon myself to start a new one. Faced a lot of hate, which caught me off guard but stuck to to my guns and kept going. I have owned 11 Subarus in the past 7 years but my focus was more about maintaining some sort of genuine community. I don't have fully built cars or anything like that but it seems like a lot of today's car people don't feel "worthy" or are intimidated to even pull up in their work-in-progress car because of some of the toxic nature that has been around lately. The community will constantly change but I remind my people to enjoy your car they way you want enjoy it. However ridiculous it may seem to others.
got a 07 wrx limited owned it for about 3 years first week of owner ship my transmission goes out🤣 get that fix 6 months later my head gasket went out but still hasn’t stopped my love for these cars!
I have a 2015 STi and I am constantly on the lookout for other WRX's to wave at.
I agree 100 percent with you! We had such a great time back in the day... also brought back good memories seeing us at subiefest!
Longtime subaru owner with a long post here....sorry im passionate about this. I completely agree with everything you said but I'll add a little more. I think with the addition on the 15+ wrx and the influx of new people to the subaru platform you get owners that dont really undertand the nuances of these cars. People dont do research on forums like they used to and use FB groups as gospel. I lost count of how many "can i run 87 octane gas" posts ive seen in the kast few years lol. People just slapping on parts and not getting tuned is leading to unreliability stigmas in these cars as well. Also with lower prices these cars are more accessible to the everyman instead of the enthusiasts of old leading to people who just want a cheap fast turbocharged car.
Ayyy I know those SubieFest awards when I see one! I volunteered at the first Texas SubieFest, being a new owner of a wrx, I wanted to be immersed into the community. Everytime I see a Subaru, I wave. Yes, 99% of the time I don't get any wavers back, but the wrx's always wave back. Subaru's I feel have become too mainstream in america, that a lot of owners don't know about the community, just the reliability and AWD on majority of their cars.
I think Khanh did a good thing by making SubieFest, because it allows new owners like myself, and other big enthusiasts, to come together and bond. Love for everyone!
9 out of 10 wrx/sti owners from 2000-2023 still wave where im at the community is strong over here!
In the wrong or not, 02-03 bug eye, 04-05 blob eye, 06-07 hawk eye best years hands down ! The rest is trash ! 06 STI owner here, bought it from the dealer brand spanking new in beginning of 06 and been the single owner and always will be, I will die in my STI. Pretty modded, NEVER had ANY mechanical issues what so ever, I always do my fluid changes, and other maintenance, probably more often than it is recommended, I don’t beat the crap out of my car, or neglect it, I treat it with respect like you should. I do agree, used to see more waves in the community, then I started to see only waves to the older generations 02-07 the real subie people. Let’s be 110% the 08-09 hatch back version was such a downfall for Subaru, it was the worst design EVER ! That’s when you started to see people who had no business in the Subaru community leech their way in. And maybe not many people know this, but Toyota bought part of Subaru some years back, and that is why you saw design changes left and right which made most of us older gen subie guys shake our heads in embarrassment. Subaru’s looking more like Toyotas year after year, loosing the iconic raised hood scoop, and in more recent years, the WRX looking like entry level Honda Civics (Nothing against Honda, but they are no Subaru), so freaking sad, adding more plastic on the outside trim making them look even more embarrassing to even mention you own one of those models (in my opinion of course). I don’t wave to Toyotaru’s I give the wave to the real Subaru’s and the OG community. BUT if anybody with a newer than 07 model year gives me the wave peace sign honk or flashes lights, I will show some love back, modded car or not. Hate on my comment all you want, I don't’ care how fast your car is, how modded it is, what rims you have, how much camber you got, if you got coil overs or air suspension, how loud your BOV is, carbon fiber this or that, YOU DO YOU, all the keyboard gangsters will NEVER hurt my feelings, I have better things to do, than have words from a complete stranger on the internet effect my daily life. Peace and love to the real Subaru heads ! 😎
I have a 07 Hawkeye and I love it. I'm really sad no one ever gives me the peace sign whenever I pass another wrx. People only buy them now as grocery getters. The only ones that seem to give respect back are the sub 2015s. How interesting . . .
I just recently got my 2019 WRX and I love it, I first got into Subaru because of the community too honestly lol. (Almost was a Honda owner NGL)
Subie gang slackin. Didn't matter what you have, we're a brotherhood and sisterhood, wake up and stop the mindset of what you have is better. Its all the same in terms of why we got these cars. The love.
I got a 04 wrx sedan 225k miles and yes I do hoon it and it does break but I take care of the still got original motor and trans still sounds healthy. Just love the car.
Same here up in Canada, I get all excited when i see another subi with a scoop, throw up the hand and get nothing back
Salute from Brooklyn NY !!!!! Dope Video and perspective…. I think you are dead on, but let me add on … Hate from others killed Subie Community because ppl didn’t want to be the butt of jokes , Other cars coming out making the same level of power with ease of tuning killed it also. A lot of the Subie peeps left to buy other cars…. I still own my 02 but I also got a GTR R32 and Now a Type R so a lot has changed bro
On my 3rd WRX driving, them since highschool i'd say this is pretty accurate.
I own a VB WRX and a 04 WRX blobeye its funny the different reactions and interactions in the cars. No one waves or even smiles in the VB
'21 WRX and I wave at every one I can. Worst case I confuse someone, best case I make someone feel good. I think the more customized you are the more likely you are to get the wave. I'm biased, I live in an area close to a military base and there are a ton of WRX/STi's driving around so I usually get a ton of waves, but once I'm out of the area it drops off quick.
I actually don't care, I enjoy my wrx every day, my friends and people I see in person love it and get to drive it. And yes, me and other subie guys still wave at each other in the street. In Australia we're not quite as damaged by social media as America is..
The Hawkeye STI is the absolute apex generation, the peak of STI performance!
The reason the community is dying is because Subaru started offering the WRX in a CVT and killed the STI, and it was no longer enthusiast specific, I started realizing I was throwing peace signs and waves at old people and soccer moms in WRXs who didnt understand why.
Absolutely noticed the same thing. My first car was a 2008 WRX hatchback in 2016. I’ve owned four Subaru since then and have yet to experience the wave and the supportive community like I used to
I owned a 2017 subaru Impreza sport, it was in island pearl blue with a 5 speed, i absolutely babied that thing, especially because i worked at a jack Williams tires and auto, so when bored I’d even do oil changes on my car at 3k just for the hell of it and really invested a lot to keep it nice and maintained but with only a 56k miles my check engine came on, both my crank shaft sensors came on so i paid the money to get them fixed, and i still had the check engine light and they told me to drive it 500 miles and bring it back so they can delete the code, they said that should fix everything just for the check engine to come back less than 10 miles later and then that’s when they told me basically the car is a lemon and needed a new ECM and possibly a new crank shaft, they tried to blame me saying i had improper maintenance but when i should them all the records of my maintenance i was basically told go kick rocks, it sucks because it was a cool first stick shift car.
I understand the sentiment. I had an '04 Wagon, which I loved, and then my son took it over, we almost cracked the 200k mark until it got stolen and totaled. In the meantime I bought a 2020 WRX Limited and he bought 2019 Grey edition WRX.
But I do see people that maybe don't have the history or appreciation of the Subaru's of the past. I still throw the fingers at any I see and I would say that in the PNW I get a return more often than not.
As a mustang owner I too agree, I wave at subaru owners and they do not wave back at me either.
Yeah, the STi side of the Subaru community still resembles the average tuner scene, for the most part. Not as bad as the full-on tuner scene, but definitely a significant number of infiltrators that are still acting llike children with a cool car. The rest of the Subaru community is aces, though, especially the off-roaders in Crosstreks and Outbacks. Stay away from the car shows and find Subaru owners that also organize community events, like fund-raising or volunteer work - those are the good folks.