Same here, my buddy has a 2004 WRX and when I told him I finally got my Type R he came over and I let him drive it and he said he liked how the Type R handled more than his WRX. He let me drive his WRX and those things certainly have power down low in the 1st and 2nd gears but I didn't get it up that fast to comment on the higher end power of it. Both are nice cars.