In terms of hitting bumps, pot holes/ Ruts. My car hasn't had a tougher drive then going back and forth to the ski resorts. I recall one drive where i was being Bounced quite viciously becuase of the odd way the snow drifts were forming up on the road. I might have slowed down if i hadn't been thinking "out of all the cars sold in the world, this is probably the best car to be driving quickly over a snowy public road" i was never at a loss for control, but if i had attempted to drink coffee out of a mug, i'de be missing large pieces of my teeth.
[btw they run a Grader over the rallyx course before anyone drives on it , i think Kahle drive (the road i live on in tahoe) is much worse for your suspension then the rallyx course, infact i won't drive over 20 mph on kahle cuase its so damn bad]
I was under the speed limit , under 4K rpms and in control. IF that's abuse then that's what i did on a public road under the speed limit. if that's Okay [ie not abuse], then the autox course was a joke by comparison in terms of suspension useage.
the courses i've driven, autox has been much harsher for rpms, either its the courses or my lack of good driving, but i didn't go over 6400 rpms the whole weekend. , and the 1 day prior event there was only one spot where i could have hit red line but i shifted into 2nd instead.
and yes Cody i actually have 3 offers to join the SCCA included with my car into (right before the warentee packet ) it starts off with 'thanks for purchasing a high performance impreza, we think you should race it blah blah blah ... '
and the First CEL, rough engine roughing happened before i ever went out to a rallyx (but after some autox) all the times the CEL has come on, strangly has been right when i started the car in a parking lot. the last time i was at wallmart and i didn't even get a chance to put the car into reverse. just a key in. clutch down, turn key, look left , look right, oh nice CEL is on
(*joke* course maybe i'm starting the car incorrectly /*joke*)
I don't know which one is harder on engine or suspension or tires or what. I do know that the car is advertised by seeing a car drive quickly, so i feel perfectly fine driving it quickly and then taking it in for warentee if it fails to drive quickly with out breaking down on me.
Had i gone for an AP upped my boost and blew the turbo / engine then i'de be a big dick to try and get it fixed on SOA.
if i drove it , never kept the rpms above 6k for more then 10 seconds at a time, and it broke on me, that's their bad. if it cant' handle more then 5K rpms they should put the fucking rev limiter lower. I've been honest with them, Told Jerry when i had the K&N, told him last time i took it in i went back to the stock breather box , but with no silencer. (he's the service manager) he said that wouldn't have cuased a problem. and he told me he has no problem with people buying a 35K car and driving it fast and that if it breaks and he's told the guy was doing 120 he would still fix it, cuase its a sports car.
okay yeah i'm just pissy cuase i have a mini van for a rental
<-- point and laugh!