RE: SOTW: Subaru Impreza Turbo
Discussion
KB_S1 said:
I find the brakes (4 pots) more than up to road use. Plenty outright stopping power and easy to modulate. Perfect pedals for heel 'n' toe. Wouldn't want to have less.
The four pots are fine for road use providing you fit decent pads and disks, Pagid for instance, the standard pads feel soft and lack bite. Agree that the pedal are perfect for h&t, even at very low braking levels.
157,000 miles, thats a LOT of petrol!
Had a Brand new one in 2000 (W reg) and I have to say I found the whole car underwhelming. As the Impreza won every JD power survey going at the time I thought it was going to be amazing. Performance and build quality were nowhere near what I expected. Hated the juddery clutch (first one replaced after 10K miles under warranty) and it just never felt that nice or quick to drive.
I test drove an S reg one before I bought it and that felt quick, I am sure there was something done to the last 2000 cars for emissions that made them gutless. After the 1000 mile running in period I took it for it's oil change and put my foot down on the way home only to find nothing really there. I am sure earlier cars had much of a thump from the turbo.
At motorway speeds a BMW 328 was just as quick.
Plus 20MPG around town, 26 on a run soon got boring and fuel was 75P a litre back then.
Sold it 22 months after I bought it and lost 8.5K on the car which hurt at the time.
For a grand though you can't really go wrong.
Mine was W159 PPD and it seemed to not appear on any searches shortly after I sold it.
Had a Brand new one in 2000 (W reg) and I have to say I found the whole car underwhelming. As the Impreza won every JD power survey going at the time I thought it was going to be amazing. Performance and build quality were nowhere near what I expected. Hated the juddery clutch (first one replaced after 10K miles under warranty) and it just never felt that nice or quick to drive.
I test drove an S reg one before I bought it and that felt quick, I am sure there was something done to the last 2000 cars for emissions that made them gutless. After the 1000 mile running in period I took it for it's oil change and put my foot down on the way home only to find nothing really there. I am sure earlier cars had much of a thump from the turbo.
At motorway speeds a BMW 328 was just as quick.
Plus 20MPG around town, 26 on a run soon got boring and fuel was 75P a litre back then.
Sold it 22 months after I bought it and lost 8.5K on the car which hurt at the time.
For a grand though you can't really go wrong.
Mine was W159 PPD and it seemed to not appear on any searches shortly after I sold it.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 10th February 20:06
I had a 99 s (s735 tpp)plate with the PPP fitted when the car was new, I had it for about 5 years. From a tank I would get 350 miles. I replaced the front brakes with Black Diamond drilled and grooved disks, made a slight difference. I do remember the cam belt service costing in the region of £800, that was about 8 years ago. I enjoyed every minute of owning it.
KM666 said:
wagons can get flooded boots at this age too
They feel very 'soft' when compared to the harder set ups of european cars but at the same time feel like they have much higher grip levels than most.
Excellent description of the suspension set up from you- compliant up till the point where it matters and then feedback and resistance just as you'd like. My only complaints as said earlier understeer in extremis and a slow witted helm.
Monster44 said:
Can't argue with the value this shed offers but I never bonded with my W plate UK 2000 Turbo saloon. Too much understeer, savage thirst, terrible build and weak brakes.
Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
Were your tyres good? Geometry ok?Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
When i first got mine it was a bit understeery but good tyres sorted it out.
What was wrong build wise with yours?
KB_S1 said:
Monster44 said:
Can't argue with the value this shed offers but I never bonded with my W plate UK 2000 Turbo saloon. Too much understeer, savage thirst, terrible build and weak brakes.
Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
Were your tyres good? Geometry ok?Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
When i first got mine it was a bit understeery but good tyres sorted it out.
What was wrong build wise with yours?
KB_S1 said:
Monster44 said:
Can't argue with the value this shed offers but I never bonded with my W plate UK 2000 Turbo saloon. Too much understeer, savage thirst, terrible build and weak brakes.
Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
Were your tyres good? Geometry ok?Sounded great with a replacement rear exhaust silencer though!!!
When i first got mine it was a bit understeery but good tyres sorted it out.
What was wrong build wise with yours?
A Classic Impreza's firmly in my top 5 of what I want to move into next. Would just be the hunt for a decent one among the rotters really that'd maybe put me off but then I guess that's the case for most performance cars in this price bracket.
Probably wouldn't spend shed money on one though, mainly because I'm hankering after a P1 and they've not exactly dipped into that territory yet
Probably wouldn't spend shed money on one though, mainly because I'm hankering after a P1 and they've not exactly dipped into that territory yet
I bought a 2004 WRX Wagon just last week.
I'd always had the Subaru Itch. Haveing not owned a AWD car before it was just on my to do list. And I've got a baby and a dog, and a wife, so I need room for that little lot so a wagon was on the cards.
First impressions:
Love the "stripped back" nature of it. The sparcity of the interior and slightly raw feeling road roar is a reminder of what drove the cars development.
Mine is actually well appointed - heated leather, momo wheel, Decent (aftermarket) stereo and a sunroof.
Best pedal feel and modulation of any car I've had yet. All driver controls are to hand and ergonomically correct.
Brakes I've found good. Certainly up to spirited if not extended road use.
MPG - Averaged 28 across a tank, I can live with that. For the performance....
Which comes from: The Prodrive Performance pack, fitted at 10K miles by a thoughtful previous owner. It feels STRONG. And the exhaust note is wonderful. Expertly judged, never intrusive, rings tunnels nicely on an open throttle, sounds suitably rampant under hard acceleration but sits nicely in the background at motorway cruise.
I didn't buy it for the winter, I thought we were past all that. But what really, really sold me on the car was driving home last night in heavy fresh snow. 2 lanes of motorway closed, and a 15% hill to climb on fresh snow to get home... on worn Goodyear Eagle F1's. The Sheer depth of mechanical grip available, combined with it's nice predictable slip/grip characteristics, felt like a comforting aura guiding me home. Really ,really happy with it's performance in quite horrible road conditions.
It feels friendly, playful, solid and four square. It's a reliable mate who goads you on into a bit of fun but knows when to reign it in to stop it going OTT. It'll pull you out of a scrape, dust you off, and be ready again whe nyo udo somethign stupid.
I think that asides from a BMW 328i touring, it's hard to think of a more complete car for a grand! If you live somewhere remote, get an Impreza. Forget the "image" issues. People can think what they like, they're not having the fun a WRX driver is having....
I'd always had the Subaru Itch. Haveing not owned a AWD car before it was just on my to do list. And I've got a baby and a dog, and a wife, so I need room for that little lot so a wagon was on the cards.
First impressions:
Love the "stripped back" nature of it. The sparcity of the interior and slightly raw feeling road roar is a reminder of what drove the cars development.
Mine is actually well appointed - heated leather, momo wheel, Decent (aftermarket) stereo and a sunroof.
Best pedal feel and modulation of any car I've had yet. All driver controls are to hand and ergonomically correct.
Brakes I've found good. Certainly up to spirited if not extended road use.
MPG - Averaged 28 across a tank, I can live with that. For the performance....
Which comes from: The Prodrive Performance pack, fitted at 10K miles by a thoughtful previous owner. It feels STRONG. And the exhaust note is wonderful. Expertly judged, never intrusive, rings tunnels nicely on an open throttle, sounds suitably rampant under hard acceleration but sits nicely in the background at motorway cruise.
I didn't buy it for the winter, I thought we were past all that. But what really, really sold me on the car was driving home last night in heavy fresh snow. 2 lanes of motorway closed, and a 15% hill to climb on fresh snow to get home... on worn Goodyear Eagle F1's. The Sheer depth of mechanical grip available, combined with it's nice predictable slip/grip characteristics, felt like a comforting aura guiding me home. Really ,really happy with it's performance in quite horrible road conditions.
It feels friendly, playful, solid and four square. It's a reliable mate who goads you on into a bit of fun but knows when to reign it in to stop it going OTT. It'll pull you out of a scrape, dust you off, and be ready again whe nyo udo somethign stupid.
I think that asides from a BMW 328i touring, it's hard to think of a more complete car for a grand! If you live somewhere remote, get an Impreza. Forget the "image" issues. People can think what they like, they're not having the fun a WRX driver is having....
muppet42 said:
A Classic Impreza's firmly in my top 5 of what I want to move into next. Would just be the hunt for a decent one among the rotters really that'd maybe put me off but then I guess that's the case for most performance cars in this price bracket.
Probably wouldn't spend shed money on one though, mainly because I'm hankering after a P1 and they've not exactly dipped into that territory yet
Classic imprezas are phenomenal machines and the P1 is one of the best. Absolutely loved mine, wish I hadn't binned it in a tree Probably wouldn't spend shed money on one though, mainly because I'm hankering after a P1 and they've not exactly dipped into that territory yet
WeirdNeville said:
I didn't buy it for the winter, I thought we were past all that. But what really, really sold me on the car was driving home last night in heavy fresh snow. 2 lanes of motorway closed, and a 15% hill to climb on fresh snow to get home... on worn Goodyear Eagle F1's. The Sheer depth of mechanical grip available, combined with it's nice predictable slip/grip characteristics, felt like a comforting aura guiding me home. Really ,really happy with it's performance in quite horrible road conditions.
Absolutely - I have to wonder sometimes when I see comments on here about 4wd not being an advantage in the snow whether they've ever driven a 4wd car in snow, or at all for that matter.
I used to go out looking for deep snow in my scoob just to see if i could get stuck. There are lots of country roads around here that don't even get a look in from gritters or ploughs and don't see a lot of traffic either. Last year the snow was the worst we'd had for some time and i never got stuck once.
In fact while those around me were floundering up steeply inclined ice and snow covered roads the scoob just kept on going and going....on summer tyres!!
I've got a Surf now and where i take my dogs into some working woods/forest for walkies it's usually untouched virgin drifted snow when it does come. Unless you've had a 4x4 you have no idea what it's like to have the confidence to go into deep snow or up icy roads, or muddy tracks come to that, knowing 100% you just won't get stuck or come a cropper!!
Get a scoob whether it's the Impreza, Legacy or Forester, NA or FI, they are all very capable on the slippery stuff, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
In fact while those around me were floundering up steeply inclined ice and snow covered roads the scoob just kept on going and going....on summer tyres!!
I've got a Surf now and where i take my dogs into some working woods/forest for walkies it's usually untouched virgin drifted snow when it does come. Unless you've had a 4x4 you have no idea what it's like to have the confidence to go into deep snow or up icy roads, or muddy tracks come to that, knowing 100% you just won't get stuck or come a cropper!!
Get a scoob whether it's the Impreza, Legacy or Forester, NA or FI, they are all very capable on the slippery stuff, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
s m said:
Interesting how the revisions and detail changes improved the performance from the initial intro back in 94
Later ones seemed a lot more responsive
I love this road test. How they got 5.8 seconds for the 0-60 I'll never know - it's just barely powerful enough, in reality. They must have done a huge clutch dump from a lot of revs, and even then the figure they managed is still good going. The 0-100 time shows a more realistic measure of how quick it *feels* (and, really, how quick it is) - 18.7s isn't that rapid, nor's 137mph. An Audi TT 225, or 2.0 fsi feels noticeably sprightlier.Later ones seemed a lot more responsive
But that's to miss the point by such a huge distance. The car isn't about acceleration so much as the whole package. The grip, the steering, the way it all just holds together, the smooth decent engine, yet it is also a sensible all round useable package. AND it sounds good. And it even looks good and is ageing well, sadly a bit too rare for Japanese cars in my eyes. Like it a lot.
I'll be spending this Friday passengering on track in a 22B... Very different feeling to the stock turbo Impreza. But I think overall I prefer the standard UK turbo, just for how surprisingly competent it was.
Pentoman said:
I love this road test. How they got 5.8 seconds for the 0-60 I'll never know - it's just barely powerful enough, in reality. They must have done a huge clutch dump from a lot of revs, and even then the figure they managed is still good going. The 0-100 time shows a more realistic measure of how quick it *feels* (and, really, how quick it is) - 18.7s isn't that rapid, nor's 137mph. An Audi TT 225, or 2.0 fsi feels noticeably sprightlier.
I have seen a couple of magazine tests that were even quicker.Evo quote 5.4 and 14.7 for the 99/00 spec car.
ScoobieWRX said:
I used to go out looking for deep snow in my scoob just to see if i could get stuck. There are lots of country roads around here that don't even get a look in from gritters or ploughs and don't see a lot of traffic either. Last year the snow was the worst we'd had for some time and i never got stuck once.
In fact while those around me were floundering up steeply inclined ice and snow covered roads the scoob just kept on going and going....on summer tyres!!
I've got a Surf now and where i take my dogs into some working woods/forest for walkies it's usually untouched virgin drifted snow when it does come. Unless you've had a 4x4 you have no idea what it's like to have the confidence to go into deep snow or up icy roads, or muddy tracks come to that, knowing 100% you just won't get stuck or come a cropper!!
Get a scoob whether it's the Impreza, Legacy or Forester, NA or FI, they are all very capable on the slippery stuff, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
The majority of Scoobs would be stuck pretty quickly as they run massive wheels, PHAT tyres with no profile etc. This also applies to almost every X5, Q7 and ML I've ever seen (someone local to me got stuck last year on a residential street with about 4" of snow on it, in an ML - it was really, really funny).In fact while those around me were floundering up steeply inclined ice and snow covered roads the scoob just kept on going and going....on summer tyres!!
I've got a Surf now and where i take my dogs into some working woods/forest for walkies it's usually untouched virgin drifted snow when it does come. Unless you've had a 4x4 you have no idea what it's like to have the confidence to go into deep snow or up icy roads, or muddy tracks come to that, knowing 100% you just won't get stuck or come a cropper!!
Get a scoob whether it's the Impreza, Legacy or Forester, NA or FI, they are all very capable on the slippery stuff, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
4WD is no use when you're sitting on 4 inflexible steamrollers with contact patches twice the size they're meant to be (and thus way less traction) - never mind snow tyres
and on the topic I mentioned earlier, about noise in wagons, there's a guy a know who runs an old (L Reg) Wagon with a newly rebuilt engine and a 3" through exhaust and travelling in it is just plain unpleasant.
From 30mph upto way beyond the motorway limit the throbbing inside the car just gets worse and worse (and that's just the driver - heheh!!) - it's a horrible feeling tho, almost like pain in the pit of your stomach upto an ache in your bones.
I'm all for the Scooby 'wobbly' engine note, but this is like being next-door to the loudest nightclub on earth - you don't hear it, you FEEL it.
From 30mph upto way beyond the motorway limit the throbbing inside the car just gets worse and worse (and that's just the driver - heheh!!) - it's a horrible feeling tho, almost like pain in the pit of your stomach upto an ache in your bones.
I'm all for the Scooby 'wobbly' engine note, but this is like being next-door to the loudest nightclub on earth - you don't hear it, you FEEL it.
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