As many of you know, we have been looking for a suitable daily driver for over 6 months and I finally found the right one. It is another red headed step child as it is badged as a Saab 9-2x Aero, but it is actually a Subaru WRX turbo hatch with a few STi parts thrown into the mix. It is very rare as they only made ~10,500 of them from 2005-2006, with less than 5,000 of the Aero turbo model.

With 227 HP out of the boxer 4, and only weighing a touch more than the XF at ~3250, it is a fun little AWD daily. I am going to do some mild stuff, such as tune, tint, lower, and paint the wheels, but keep it very subtle, so I do not look like a boy racer

I have joined a few Subaru forums and they affectionately refer to the vehicle as a Saabaru, and I have already ordered new badging to subtly state the fact. Everyone over there is very friendly, and they not only mod the crap out of their cars, like us, they document it and answer questions from noobs very patiently.

I liked the Subaru WRX, but with insurance being more than twice as expensive, and the Saab being a touch more refined with the same performance, it was a no brainer.

Here are a couple pics when I first picked up the car, sorry for the crappy cell phone pics. Once I polish it this weekend and have her looking as she should, I will post some more...

 

Cool car, I'm not sure we got them up here.

 

Nice find! That looks like a great winter car and with those turbos it could be a great track car as well.

 

Not that I am aware of, and I have only seen a handful around. I see loads more crossfires than these things. Just glad to have another car that people say, "what is that?"

Already scheduled an autocross, it is very cool, the Subaru plant where these cars were made (WRXs) is about an hour from our house and they provide an excellent space for the Subaru club to do several events per year. New rubber and a tune will make it more enjoyable

 

Excellent car John. This car would be a perfect candidate for the Continental DWS, as it's a great tire in light snow (<5") and has excellent wet traction, with very good dry traction. An all-purpose tire for your all-purpose car.

Is it a manual-trans?

I actually mentioned this car to Kim, and she simply said "no wagons".

Girl has a lot to learn.

 

Looks really nice! Should be a great vehicle in crappy road conditions with the AWD. Hopefully those don't come with the lawnmower-style muffler like the WRXs do.

 

You don't like the percussion of the WRX exhaust note? I LOOOOVE that sound.

 

To be polite, it is not my "cup of tea".

 

I just love the sound of a boxer motor... preferences in exhaust notes are very subjective.

For instance, I think the Viper sounds like a bread truck. My SRT sounds like a Dyson.

A Honda with a performance muffler is annoying, a Mini is not. Both have small engines, but the tone is totally different.

That's why they make Vanilla and chocolate, haha.

John, you putting the big muffler on this one?

 

LOL, funny you should mention that, as Molly 'let' me check out the car when we first viewed it. She HATES wagons, so I left and made the guy a lowball, cash offer. He said he did not need to sell, so I said call me if you get tired of dealing with bullshitters. 10 days later, after many emails with potential buys and BS, he asked if I still wanted it.

Molly is happy because she knows it is a good car, but until I had her drive it, she would barely get near the thing. She drove it, likes it, and it is growing on her everyday. We don't use the W word at home, it helps her if we refer to it as a hatch LOL.

Has a full touch screen DVD/Nav system with Infinity Kappa components running off an old school ADS amp and a single 10" sub running off an old school Precision Power Instruments (PPI) amp. Sounds like a concert hall, not a boom box. Both amps are from the days of handmade amps with incredibly low ratings on them that typically made 2-3 times they power they advertised, not like today where it is the opposite.

Should be a great little car, looking forward to AutoXing an AWD...

No Evan, no load exhaust on her. It is a little more subdued than the WRX, because of the Saab market, but it is not too terrible sounding...

 

I did not know Saab and Subaru shared anything. Are they, or were they related?
I've been hoping to replace my Gas-gulching Bronco with a Subaru Outback.

 

According to what I have read, GM owned Saab, and a nearly 20% stake in Subaru so they made the cars. Then GM sold the Subaru stake and not too many years later, the Saab brand as well. I think this is why the only 2 year production run...

 

I like the looks over the WRX "hatch" as you put it lol.... Seems like a very nice vehicle, congrats.

 

Nice looking car John ! Susan and had few Subaru in are life time , you can run the crap out them and they still keep going, great on snow , the dealer in Lexington would mound snow up and park one on top in the winter time , Should last you good long time

 

After a 4 stage polishing/detail, debadging the 9-2x and Aero, rebadging the saab to Saabaru, and tiniting the windows, she is standing a lot taller, and the color is growing on me a LOT.

Hard to tell, but the depth of the paint and metallic flake just look fantastic...

 

That looks a lot nicer now ,I like it.

 

And it's got a Hood Scoop..Squirrel Crusher

 

very nice... i'm hoping for a cheap Subaru for my winter beater... is it rude to ask how much you paid?

 

Thanks guys.

Rayth, something like this would book between 11K-13.5K depending on where you find it and the condition.

 

John, I hope Molly is warming up to it more. I really like the side view, (and not just because it has a scoop).
Back in the early 90's I once picked up an old 1974 Dodge Dart 4 dr. Burnt Orange metalic (my favorite color) white vinyle top. For a winter car.
My Wife always refered to it as "The Old Mans" car. I was just planning on driving it during that winter, but it turned out, I really enjoyed it because it was sort of a "sleeper" because it had a 318 V8. Not that those were fast or anything, but most people figured it had a six. Anyway I wound up keeping it for about 2 years, then selling it for just what I paid for it.
Personally, if I have to get a 4dr. I'd much rather have a sporty wagon than a 4 dr. sedan.
At least if push comes to shove, you can "camp out" in a wagon in an emergency, and with the right person, that can be a lot of fun.