along the "brand snobbery" line....

along the "brand snobbery" line....

Author
Discussion

jdbecks

2,788 posts

197 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
I really want to get an Impreza after owning an Outback, I would probley look at getting one around 06/07. I am not really bothered about the stereotype they have...pretty much most cars have some kind of sterotype with them.

briSk

14,291 posts

225 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
y2blade said:
EDLT said:
One thing that puts me off Evos/Imprezas is that they are popular with tea-leafs.
It is not just tea-leafs.....
have a look at some of the adverts for a while

What sort of person calls a car a "Scooby-doo" or "Subaru-Doo" (yes really) or even "Scooby" in the advert title...you then go on to read the advert, it generally says "I luv my scooby it iz da sh-t and well wikkid fast with skidz sellin coz I run out ov dollar and me bh iz up da duff"
word!

wink

you're right though. 'back in the day' when it was all nerds and dweebs and stuff it was fine. as you say it's all the 'bookah bookah real jap parts innit bro aiight blow away dem toffs in porches [sic] and boat shoes brrapp brrapp.

____

..i still might buy one though!

____

i went to chav fest at castle combe last year because all the ATR people my cousin knows are decent chaps and grown up and all that stuff. plus i hoped to see loads of ae86s and the like. and i have to say the standard of the cars was actually really quite good and there wasn;t too much in the way of chavarama. i mean there was a a lot of aftermarketry but it was pretty good quality and appropriate..but fecking hell there was some scum there! and the on track bits were a bit full on. there was one chap who resembled busta rhymes in an evo 4 who drive like an absolute cock end but there was another chap in a really nicely done red 8 or 9 MR type of thing who clearly wasn't having any of that and just out drove him. he looked like a bit of a spod and that's why he could get away with it. ( wink ) hehe

Edited by briSk on Tuesday 2nd February 13:51

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
motoroller said:
Most cars (completely stock) are fine. If it came with any of the following, I wouldn't buy it.

LED washer jets
Loud exhaust
Wheels that are more than 4" bigger than stock
Any form of vinyl stickers
Aftermarket bodykit / spoiler

Those are all fairly bad signs - the car will look stupid and most likely be thrashed.
Not sure I follow that. My car has a loud exhaust and a front rally like spoiler and wheels substantially bigger than stock. But I can't see how it's chavy at all.

y2blade

Original Poster:

56,029 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
motoroller said:
Most cars (completely stock) are fine. If it came with any of the following, I wouldn't buy it.

LED washer jets
Loud exhaust
Wheels that are more than 4" bigger than stock
Any form of vinyl stickers
Aftermarket bodykit / spoiler

Those are all fairly bad signs - the car will look stupid and most likely be thrashed.
Not sure I follow that. My car has a loud exhaust and a front rally like spoiler and wheels substantially bigger than stock. But I can't see how it's chavy at all.
pictures?

CampDavid

9,145 posts

197 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
Gaz. said:
I haven't yet, with 8 out of 10 of mine being associated with chavs of some description. The biggest drawback imo is when you come to sell your P&J, with the rudest, most arrogant and just downright cheeky scum calling you at all times of day & night.
Ah yes. Selling a hot hatch is, without doubt, worse than visiting A&E with a gun shot wound. Especially when, a couple of days later it develops some kind of epic fault and they want to return it. "Bottom ends gone". Well, it lasted 110k in the hands of sensible owners but for some reason it's died in 400 miles with you. Great

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
y2blade said:
briSk said:
you're thinking about a rally weapon aren;t you?!
yes was looking at Version 1-6 Imprezas or even a Version 7

have looked at loads of bdised and chaved up ones on Autotrader and tbh it has pretty much put me off ...

...in a "I don't want to be a part of that" kind of way

to top it off, on Sunday was out for a bit of a run in my T5 and came across a Version 7 Impreza, it was Blue with bright yellow 555 and Subaru rally stickers all over it and bright Yellow extended mudflaps...I just thought "what a COCK"
Hows a rally car chavvy or making someone a cock? confused

is this also chavvy confused



Edited by 300bhp/ton on Tuesday 2nd February 19:01

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
EDLT said:
One thing that puts me off Evos/Imprezas is that they are popular with tea-leafs.
But so are BMW's. Wasn't the e36 like the 7th most nicked car in England & Wales.

y2blade

Original Poster:

56,029 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
y2blade said:
briSk said:
you're thinking about a rally weapon aren;t you?!
yes was looking at Version 1-6 Imprezas or even a Version 7

have looked at loads of bdised and chaved up ones on Autotrader and tbh it has pretty much put me off ...

...in a "I don't want to be a part of that" kind of way

to top it off, on Sunday was out for a bit of a run in my T5 and came across a Version 7 Impreza, it was Blue with bright yellow 555 and Subaru rally stickers all over it and bright Yellow extended mudflaps...I just thought "what a COCK"
Hows a rally car chavvy or making someone a cock? confused

is this also chavvy confused

the car in question was NOT a rally car banghead


I can't see the picture from work..so can't comment frown is it yours? will see it later from home




Edited by y2blade on Tuesday 2nd February 14:01

fivesixseven8

6,146 posts

226 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
Silverbullet767 said:
If I didn't need to travel 25000 miles a year to work I would have an Evo in an instant.

Just can't afford the fuel. hence my oil burner.
If I wasn't being snobby about my next car choice then I'd be in an Evo too. 4 doors, big boot, only needs to do about 5-6000 miles a year. It makes perfect sense when you look at the requirements I have.

Could I drive it anywhere even remotely "posh" and not feel like a bit of a plum? I'm not sure I could.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
y2blade said:
300bhp/ton said:
motoroller said:
Most cars (completely stock) are fine. If it came with any of the following, I wouldn't buy it.

LED washer jets
Loud exhaust
Wheels that are more than 4" bigger than stock
Any form of vinyl stickers
Aftermarket bodykit / spoiler

Those are all fairly bad signs - the car will look stupid and most likely be thrashed.
Not sure I follow that. My car has a loud exhaust and a front rally like spoiler and wheels substantially bigger than stock. But I can't see how it's chavy at all.
pictures?

briSk

14,291 posts

225 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
i grew up in north wales (for my sins!) and there the evobishi is more acceptable - as it seems to be in most ruralish areas - as much as anything because porsches etc aren;t really a goer for all but the lucky few.

but also because people like rallying and stuff. and also because the poeople who own them up there all have proper go faster parts not luminous yellow stickers.

(for the most part).

the thing i hate most is say a dark green impreza with bright yellow decals..what's that all about? it's not even a 'replica'!


Edited by briSk on Tuesday 2nd February 14:07

Silverbullet767

10,680 posts

205 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
fivesixseven8 said:
Silverbullet767 said:
If I didn't need to travel 25000 miles a year to work I would have an Evo in an instant.

Just can't afford the fuel. hence my oil burner.
If I wasn't being snobby about my next car choice then I'd be in an Evo too. 4 doors, big boot, only needs to do about 5-6000 miles a year. It makes perfect sense when you look at the requirements I have.

Could I drive it anywhere even remotely "posh" and not feel like a bit of a plum? I'm not sure I could.
Wouldn't bother me in the slightest, people who look down there noses at an evo or impreza have a problem, not the people driving them.

The 'modified' POS that go about though, fair game.

y2blade

Original Poster:

56,029 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
y2blade said:
300bhp/ton said:
motoroller said:
Most cars (completely stock) are fine. If it came with any of the following, I wouldn't buy it.

LED washer jets
Loud exhaust
Wheels that are more than 4" bigger than stock
Any form of vinyl stickers
Aftermarket bodykit / spoiler

Those are all fairly bad signs - the car will look stupid and most likely be thrashed.
Not sure I follow that. My car has a loud exhaust and a front rally like spoiler and wheels substantially bigger than stock. But I can't see how it's chavy at all.
pictures?
no that is not "chavy"

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
y2blade said:
the car in question was NOT a rally car banghead


I can't see the picture from work..so can't comment frown is it yours? will see it later from home




Edited by y2blade on Tuesday 2nd February 14:01
Hi smile

I'll try and make a better response.

If you don't like a car for its looks of image then that in all honesty is fine. And a good enough reason not to get one.

As for being chavy though, I struggle a bit with that.

If I'm honest I see very few Impreza's in the hands of chavs, mostly because until recently they simply haven't been cheap enough to buy, and even though now they are, they still cost a lot to run in terms of fuel, maintenance and insurance.

That said, while I accept there are a few chavved up ones in the area I live in, there are far more chavved up hatches (of every make and type pretty much) and plenty of other makes like BMW's and even Mercs.

So I don't see how these other brands aren't treated or tarred with the same brush?

As for not being a rally car, well ok. But even the homoligation specials are still a far cry from the full on competition versions in most cases. In short "real" competition vehicles that are road legal are rare, expensive and not really very suited for road use.

But to follow on this theme, the Impreza Turbo (in all its guises) is for all intensive purposes the road going version of the rally car.

Even more so if you are looking at the STI imports. As the Type R versions of these formed the basis of the homoligation approval.

So all in all, I can't really see what the issue is with making a rally "replica" look and sound like a rally car?

It's not different to a Stratos kit or other cars like these (rally or race):








And at the end of the day, if you really don't like that. Then keep it stock looking, or even tone it done with a small wing and regular rims and a "normal" exhaust.

smile




y2blade

Original Poster:

56,029 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
the Lotus Cortina has given me a hard-on smokin
I have spent many a day watching them sideways around most the circuits in the UK usually with a classic yank muscle car bullying them on the straights only for them to pass again on each corner with a front wheel off the deck and sideways cloud9

ditto the Mk1 Mexico cloud9




yeah I see what you are saying, the Version 7 Impreza wagon looks pretty Ordinary cool

Edited by y2blade on Tuesday 2nd February 19:48

briSk

14,291 posts

225 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2010
quotequote all
...the thing is though, 300, is that around out manor they all have hondas - if you go anywhere more 'urban' and less 'american' (!) and there are gazillions of ropey imprezas. particularly places like bristol and say west yorkshire..

Chris71

21,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2010
quotequote all
y2blade said:
would you avoid buying a car with a chavy reputation if it was something that suited your needs?

or would you look elsewhere?
I wouldn't let it put me off if it was the only car of its type, but it might be a contributing factor to which one of a group I'd buy.

I'm a big fan of the Saxo/106, but I'd be reluctant to buy one of the go-faster Citroens because of their popularity with the big stereo brigade. Somehow the Pug has managed to remain fractionally less chavvy so I might be more tempted by a 106 GTI than a VT, for example.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2010
quotequote all
briSk said:
...the thing is though, 300, is that around out manor they all have hondas - if you go anywhere more 'urban' and less 'american' (!) and there are gazillions of ropey imprezas. particularly places like bristol and say west yorkshire..
I do hear what you say. But is it really all that different for any other semi affordable fast car? 200SX, 300ZX. 3000 GTO, Integra Type R, GT-Four and even Skylines. smile

Mark Benson

7,498 posts

268 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2010
quotequote all
A couple of years ago, I wanted something to complement my Exige in winter that had AWD, could carry the dog but would be fun to drive, since it was a third car however, I only wanted to spend £5k or less.

I'd had an Integrale a few years ago and as far as I was concerned the Impreza was a pale imitation with Japanese technology doing all the driving for you. But for the money I was willing to spend, there aren't many other cars that fulfil the brief (I won't have another Audi, or any VAG cars, they're dull and soulless). One thing that had swayed me a bit was seeing Tiff drive one in Wales on 5th Gear, then the following weekend being in Wales in the Focus and having some farm boy tear past me in a fully liveried STi classic - in their element they do look OK, not what I'd want to be seen in, but OK on a mud splattered Welsh hill road. However 99% of the time they look like the council estate Ferrari they undoubtedly are.

The image I can just about live with, but my budget put me firmly into Bug-eye territory and even as a Wagon, there's something not right about that car's looks. Where the classic looked very Japanese and a bit cheap, the bug eye just looks wrong. And it's heavier by about 200kg.

But Oh my God the chavs have got hold of the classics! Some absolute abortions on sale, and call me prejudiced, but I just don't trust a bloke called 'Daz' who is "Only sellin cuz my gf dont like the color".

I want unmodified, service history for the full life of the car, not just until the chavs got hold and their 'mate' looked after it for them - and 'ICE' and 'zorsts' are definitely not a valuable addition in my book.

Then I was passing David Hendry cars in Malmesbury, they import Subarus from Japan and have a good reputation from what I remember. So I looked on their website and immediately over the phone put a deposit down, refundable if I didn't like the car for any reason, they'd been to Japan and bought a car they knew would sell back here in the UK because if it's condition:-

A 1995 WRX wagon, JDM spec and according to David, immaculate inside and out owing to the fact it had only 36000kms (21000 miles) on the clock as it had been bought by a Japanese guy who'd been posted to Hong Kong by his employer shortly after purchase. The car had been kept in storage for 10 out of it's 12 years, run regularly and serviced yearly regardless of use.







Driving it?

Well I was bloody amazed. I was not prepared for the amount of feedback, especially as it's 4wd I thought the steering would be dead, but aside from straight ahead, there's a lot coming through the Nardi wheel (which is lovely and tactile too) and the seat of your pants. The low CofG shows itself on turn in, and as the wagon is braced at the rear, there is no hint of understeer, boot it half way through the corner and it just grips and goes.
Damping is excellent, quite a firm ride but poorly surfaced roads don't send it off line and it's not jarring, as many German cars seem to be when their suspension is stiffened, maybe a product of it's rallying heritage - whatever the reason, it covers ground at an amazing rate.
No shortage of torque from 3k upwards, so 3rd gear B-road blasts are the order of the day, and even in the most atrocious weather, the car inspires confidence because you can feel what it's doing, and can lean on the traction out of corners.
The whole car feels solid and planted on the road.
The perfect beater? Almost....

Interior isn't exactly BMW fit and finish, although it's solid, functional and there are no rattles or squeaks, the seats hold you well and on long journeys they don't get uncomfortable. Fuel consumption is abysmal though, you could almost see the needle move and servicing is every 10k Kms (6000 miles) but as I only did about that a year thanks to working from home a lot, it worked out no different to any other car. It came with a nearly new set of Bridgestones and David Hendry did a full cambelt service before delivery.

All in all though, for a car I paid £3500 for, it was a very accomplished beater. My prejudices were completely shattered by that car.

We only sold it as we moved to North Yorkshire from Wiltshire and my wife wanted something better on the motorway for the 250mile drive - we went straight back to Subaru and bought a Legacy. Still miss the Impreza though.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Wednesday 3rd February 2010
quotequote all
You ride a Fireblade! You can't seriously be worried about looking like a chav? smile