After an Impreza.

[Noblebenn]

I have a 34 mile commute 5 times a fortnight now to work, half of which is country roads.

I've always wanted to scratch the Impreza Itch so am going to purchase one to make the to and from journey as fun as possible.

So any advice as to which one will be the most fun to own. The car will be looked after so maintenance is not an issue nor is fuel consumption, FUN is the main ingredient.

I don't mind an older car thats costs £1000 but want a top budget or say £6/7k. If it is worth getting one that has investment potential and worth keeping long term then thats fine but not important.

Is there much difference between standard WRX and an STI, Type UK, one with PPP etc etc.

Any opinions welcome.

[AuralisMatty]

I now own a 2003 JDM Sti and believe it to be the best all round Impreza you can buy for the money comes as standard with a twin scroll turbo setup 320bhp with no lag 2.0l semi closed deck block engine which revs to over 8k and is far stronger than the UK 2.5l adjustable centre diff quick rack steering plus all the usual type UK Sti bits like brembos and six speed box and so on both are far superior to the wrx but the JDM Sti is just a little more special
I've owned 4 classics spent a lot of money on them and none were as good as my current newage Sti

[paulmoonraker]

A Blobeye STi will be the best bet. You wont get a decent 2005 wide track car for the money, but you should get a 2004 car. Get it mapped and you'll have 330 or so BHP to play with.

The WRX is a good car, and with a PPP it's as fast as the STi, but all round it's still not an STi.

The 2.5 Hawkeye is a great car, but you need cash reserves to have the engine rebuilt. It does not rev as high, but it's much quicker in real word terms.

I've had a 2005 WRX PPP, 2005 STi and now have a 2007 Hawkeye STi.

[Noblebenn]

Are the JDM cars just another special edition, import only car and on what year cars are they available?
How does the hawkeye engine differ to the blobeye engine and where are the weak points?

Thanks

[paulmoonraker]

Noblebenn said:

Are the JDM cars just another special edition, import only car and on what year cars are they available?
How does the hawkeye engine differ to the blobeye engine and where are the weak points?

Thanks

JDM cars all have the 2.0ltr engine, a twin scroll turbo and equal length headers (no burble). They are better cars.

The 2.5lr engine has cast pistons and the heads are known to lift under high boost which causes head gasket failure. HG failure is the biggest problem with piston ringland failure next. I would not buy a 2.5ltr car unless you have funds to get the engine rebuilt with forged pistons, better head studs etc.

The 2.0ltr engine is more fun and revs much harder. I miss my 2005 STi but do love the brutal pace of my current car.

[300bhp/ton]

You want a classic STI. More raw and fun than latter models. But better spec than UK classics. DCCD is pretty cool too.

[paulmoonraker]

300bhp/ton said:

You want a classic STI. More raw and fun than latter models. But better spec than UK classics. DCCD is pretty cool too.

DCCD is a novelty with road driving. You'll forget it is there after a fee weeks...

[Noblebenn]

I was thinking about the DCCD and to be honest I can't see me using it that much on a road and I have another car if I wanted to track.

Something basic and fun, easy to maintain, goes well and good grip levels would be fine.

So it seems like I should stick to the 2 litre engine and if it is a simple WRX, not STI, then an exhaust and remap should help it along its way.

Will have a look at JDM models, just a little less common.

Love the look of the Blobeye WRX STI Type UK with PPP. Okay a bit over budget but are these sought after cars with strong engines and likely to hold their value?

[GravelBen]

The novelty of adjusting the DCCD might wear off but you'll still have a much pointer, more neutral handling car than a non-DCCD equivalent.

[AuralisMatty]

Very true about dccd I never touch mine on the road I've had a play with it on track but end up just leaving it in auto.
This is my JDM blob which I picked up for 6.5k if you keep your eye out UK versions pop up even cheaper.

[300bhp/ton]

Noblebenn said:

I was thinking about the DCCD and to be honest I can't see me using it that much on a road and I have another car if I wanted to track.

Something basic and fun, easy to maintain, goes well and good grip levels would be fine.

So it seems like I should stick to the 2 litre engine and if it is a simple WRX, not STI, then an exhaust and remap should help it along its way.

Will have a look at JDM models, just a little less common.

Love the look of the Blobeye WRX STI Type UK with PPP. Okay a bit over budget but are these sought after cars with strong engines and likely to hold their value?

It's more than just that. The Classics are what 150kg lighter, ok not as rigid. But a lot more raw and arguably more fun.

DCCD might be a novelty, but I'd think you'd want to dial it back for more RWD bias for dry driving on the road. You'll still have AWD traction, but a better balanced car with less tendency to push the nose wide.

On a wet road dial in a bit more fwd bias and if in the snow or on a loose surface all the way.

They also look the business:

[AuralisMatty]

I think they may even be a bit lighter than that I've had both classics and newage and you do notice the difference in weight but I do prefer the new age cars to drive especially with the twin scroll setup response is amazing I would say try and get a drive in both as it does really come down to personal preference there both great but in different ways.
Do agree though they looks the nuts this is my last classic

[rb5er]

Classic STI type-r would be my pick.

[TEKNOPUG]

Classic RA - the lightest model with shortest gear ratios. In reality, pretty much all mechanical parts can be swapped between models and years, if you so wish. So really comes down to body shape preference. Classic/Newage, 3/4/5 door etc.

The biggest difference between the WRX and STi is the gearbox. The 5-speed WRX box is only good for around 350bhp. More power than that and you are in the hands of the gods. The 6-speed STi box will take pretty much anything you can throw at it. Although the boxes are interchangable, it's not really cost effective to put one in an WRX. So if you want much more than 350bhp, you should start with an STi.

O4/5 Blob STi should just be in budget. You may prefer a slightly less hardcore WRX (although as I say, you can build pretty much any level of performance from any model - 330+bhp from a WRX is only £1-1500. A standard STi is 265bhp...)

If you want a Wagon, the newage ones only come in WRX flavour (there are some JDM 02 STi Wagons but they were import only so just a handful in the country). Classics come in 3/4 and Wagon models for both the UK2000 (WRX) and WRX STi(STi).

Need to have a poke around a few and see if you can get some drives. By on condition and history - mileage is largely an irrelvance on 10+ year old cars.

[Noblebenn]

Thanks for the replies.

Hopefully this won't open up a can of worms, I am looking for an Impreza, but just wondering if anyone had first hand experience of the comparison with a Mitsubishi Evo 6 GSR to a similar aged WRX STi?

[300bhp/ton]

Noblebenn said:

Thanks for the replies.

Hopefully this won't open up a can of worms, I am looking for an Impreza, but just wondering if anyone had first hand experience of the comparison with a Mitsubishi Evo 6 GSR to a similar aged WRX STi?

I don't. But my understanding is the Evo is probably the better track tool but not quite so nice on the road. That said the biggest issue for me is the noise. Sure an Evo can be made loud, but none of them sound very good IMO. The boxer in the Impreza however sounds friggin awesome!!

[sandman77]

300bhp/ton said:

I don't. But my understanding is the Evo is probably the better track tool but not quite so nice on the road. That said the biggest issue for me is the noise. Sure an Evo can be made loud, but none of them sound very good IMO. The boxer in the Impreza however sounds friggin awesome!!

Check the servicing requirements of the EVO. I have heard that some of them need done every 6000 miles.

[plenty]

You'd be very lucky to get a JDM blob for that budget nowadays.

IMO DCCD vs non is not an important criterion - had both and real-world difference on the road not that great. On the hand suspension setup can make a massive difference to the drive, and it took me a while on both the classic and newage cars I've owned to find the solution for my needs.

Although I wouldn't swap my 2004 JDM back to a GC8, the P1 suspension for the classic is perfectly-judged for the road and can be retrofitted quite easily via a batch of springs currently available new via a group buy promoted on various Subaru forums

On the other hand the standard (non Alcon P1) brakes on a classic are very weak (obviously you can upgrade these and larger wheels to fit) and the twin-scroll power delivery on the later JDM newages is just phenomenal.

[nottyash]

I've just bought the wife a Hawkeye WRX on a 55 plate so low tax.
It's standard 2.5 227bhp but feels a lot more Torquey than the 2.0. Also feels more solid, less rattley than the 2 bug eyes I've had over the years.
I've heard scare stories about the engine, but dig deeper and t usually when people start messing with them.
I think the Hawkeye is the best looking but I don't know what they were thinking about with the lighti grey interior. it's more padded and seats feel higher up than previous models.
Maybe finding an SL with heated leather and sunroof is a better bet.

[Noblebenn]

1999 WRX TYPE RA Limited.

So many variants its getting a little confusing. Are these any good?

Imported only?
Are they STI or JDM edition?

Worth £5-7k?