It's not the noise that makes the car!

 

Maybe not entirely, but it's a huge part of the equation.

 

What Subarus have a decent sound? Some of the boy-racer types here put different exhausts on them. Not very impressive, I'm afraid.

 

Subaru Impreza WRX - without boy racer exhaust (I hate those exhausts on any type of car). Has a rythmic thrum and warble due to engine configuration and firing order. For a four cylinder engine I thing it’s quite nice. Other four cylinders do not sound special in any way. Sure manufacturers are adding exhausts (Alfa 4C, Fiat Abarth etc) but it’s just a raucous rasping noise with some pops and bangs engineered in.

I have had some great 4 cylinder cars. MK2 Golf GTi 16V in late eighties, Porsche 944 Turbo and Lancia Delta Integrale (I grew up in UK) in early 90’s and the last 4 cylinder I had was a supercharged Lotus Elise just before moving to US around 9 years ago. The cars were great. The engines weren’t.

Someone posted earlier about engine note not making a car. I totally disagree, for me it’s a major part of the enjoyment and a big part of the reason I love my V8S, I never tire of the soundtrack. Part of the decision making process for my car buying is how it sounds. Best sounding car I have ever owned is an F355 back in the early 2000’s, what a sound.

 

I'll have to notice next time one goes by. I was never very impressed with Subaru; seems very much like the typical Japanese 'appliance' vehicle. I drove a manual version of the Toyota variant of their brz 'sports car' and it was definitely underwhelming in every respect.

 

My mother has a red manual Toyota 86, it isnt very quick at all, the seats pill, the speedo has 0 at about 5 oclock so you have to really look hard to see what speed you are doing, the clutch is weak, the gearbox notchy, and with the door style you have to open the doors right out to get in or out which makes it a pain, and the suspension is spongey.

That said, it sounds pretty good for a NA 4 and the steering is beautifully direct.

 

Again, I disagree. WRXs are rally cars. To fully appreciate one you have to take one fast on a gravel road. While you could take WRX on a track, it is not a track car.

Most Subarus are appliances, but not WRX.

 

Have a heart and at least get her some seat covers or bottle of car wax for Christmas mate.

 

It is certainly your right to disagree as much as you'd like.

I was at the Honda test track in Marysville Ohio a while back watching Honda drivers and engineers evaluate a Subaru WRX. We were all underwhelmed even before the engine suffered catastrophic failure from a connecting rod coming through the block.

 

This is like complaining that you took F-type offroading and ended up ripping transmission out.

I looked it up, and that track is one big paved oval. You probably ended up sucking air into sump during high speed sloped turns. Unless it was STI trim, WRX oil pan doesn't have sump design and baffles to survive this. Nor is this an issue in rally driving, where turns are short and sharp. The same design limitation applies to most Honda cars.

See relevant info on WRX pan here: http://www.superstreetonline.com/how...ystem-upgrade/

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I owned both Hondas and Subarus. Aside from one-off gems like S2000, Honda only makes appliances. Subaru on other hand always offered performance cars in addition to standard offerings.

 

The track was set up like a gymkhana-style with short quick turns and manoeuvres, not 'one big paved oval.'

Hopefully the Subaru engineers designed the sump deep enough and the oil pump pick up low enough that 'sucking air into sump during high speed sloped turns' is not possible.

I certainly would not buy a Subaru, nor drive a Jaguar of any type 'offroading' as you call it.

I hope the X152 2.0 litre is a success and brings more and younger buyers to the Jaguar brand despite it being a four cylinder car.

 

All the Design, R&D and factory tooling monies for the F-Type have been invested. Thus introducing the 2.0L will add only a minimal over-all cost factor and JLR will in turn get an up-tick of xx% in F-Type sales.
It's makes very good business sense from that perspective, as well as possibly getting younger, less affluent buyers into the brand. Over-all a very good business strategy to increase both market share and brand awareness.

 

In a bizarre way, the validity of the Ftype-4cyl is being addressed.
There is reality and there is delusion.
Buying a sports car for a gravel road is sheer delusional- Even in unpaved Africa you need massive oil sump, not a boxer engined sports car.

But nothing as sadistic at Bruce redlining mom's 86 Toyota 4-banger and complaining of a weak clutch.

 

true, though I'm gentle on that car compared to my mum. It positively bellows when she drives it away, and now she is wanting to put a spoiler on it for christmas!

 

Rhymes with all hat; no cattle. If these become the mainstream F-Type, it would be a good excuse to move over to an Aston.

 

After watching most of that video review, I think there are definite advantages to reducing the weight in the car with the 2.0L turbo engine. Most people here seem to be looking at it just from the standpoint of "cheapening" the brand. Is the 2.0 even that much cheaper than the old base V6???

I bet Jaguar would do better with a smaller 2-door roadster than the F-Type, to compete with the Miatas/Fiats on offer. This car could have more of a focus on handling and less on grunt, and built from the ground up with that in mind. F-Type seems to have been designed more to be able to handle a large V8 engine!

 

Best to the point YT Comment by Lenad Johnson
2 weeks ago
This car is a beautiful girl with a terrible voice

80%+ of the videos you will find about the F-Type (S and R/SVR with dynamic exhaust) are about its amazing SOUND. Better to buy used if cost is the reason for going 2.0L (imo only).

 

To some our fixation on exhaust sound is an evolved perversion, not unlike wanting our blue cheese to have more and more pungency resembling the same mold that grows between our toes. I do love my Stilton, however there are those who like Camembert.

 

Frankly its been a bit overdone these days with all the bloody civics and pickup trucks belonging to bubbas sounding like that. Its alright if you are trying to attract blokes. But with some birds it can stick out like a sore thumb in a world of Teslas.

 

Subaru's sound god awful...wouldn't own one strictly based on that alone.

Same with Vipers.