Cheaper to run alternative to subaru impreza??
Discussion
I recently drove an impreza wrx sti and fell in love with it. I did what everyone would've done and looked into the cost and costs of owning one and i would really not be able to afford the insurance. I've got 8grand to spend and i wouldnt mind having a turbo and awd! Do you know of anything jap or other origin that could offer half the raw thrills for abit cheaper insurance and fuel economy? Cheers!
No 4WD turbo is going to be cheap to run.
You might do better looking at VAG 1.8T variants. These are easily remapped into the low 220's depending on spec and if you buy on that's had it's cambelt/waterpump service then you're saving a fortune.
Alternately if you're feeling lucky and have a bit of class then a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo that's recently had it's major cambelt service and a remap is hard to beat for value.
If you must stick with Jap cars then for 2K you can buy a near mint 2.2VTi Prelude Coupe with near 200bhp which will handle well, be reasonable to run and offer as many thrills as a Civic and Accord Type R without their ultimate practicality. A real performance bargain IMO.
You might do better looking at VAG 1.8T variants. These are easily remapped into the low 220's depending on spec and if you buy on that's had it's cambelt/waterpump service then you're saving a fortune.
Alternately if you're feeling lucky and have a bit of class then a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo that's recently had it's major cambelt service and a remap is hard to beat for value.
If you must stick with Jap cars then for 2K you can buy a near mint 2.2VTi Prelude Coupe with near 200bhp which will handle well, be reasonable to run and offer as many thrills as a Civic and Accord Type R without their ultimate practicality. A real performance bargain IMO.
nocarsgo said:
I recently drove an impreza wrx sti and fell in love with it. I did what everyone would've done and looked into the cost and costs of owning one and i would really not be able to afford the insurance. I've got 8grand to spend and i wouldnt mind having a turbo and awd! Do you know of anything jap or other origin that could offer half the raw thrills for abit cheaper insurance and fuel economy? Cheers!
I think this has to come down to what you want from the car. No fast turbo car will be good on fuel, be it an MR2 Turbo or 200SX, even a VAG 1.8T will still like a drink although I admit better than an Impreza.
AWD does not help mpg. So take any thirsty car and add it and it'll be worse.
So it comes down to which aspects of the Impreza appeal the most, ie being fast, turbocharged, 4 seater, AWD, rally pedigree and so on.
Also is fuel and insurance the major issues? If so, how many miles will you be doing?
It's also worth remembering that classic and kit cars are generally cheaper to insure. So without knowing what it is you are after here are some options:
Turbocharged:
Sierra Cosworth
Focus RS MK1
Focus ST
Nissan 200SX
MR2 Turbo
MX-5 Turbo
Mazda 6 MPS
Mazda 3 MPS
AWD:
Jaguar X-Type
Audi TT
Golf R32
Toyota Celica GT-Four
Lancia Delta Intergrale
Sierra Cosworth
Subaru Forrester
Subaru Legacy
Mitsubishi 3000GTO
Focused driving machines:
Lotus Elise
GTM Libra
Honda Integra Type R
Fast/fun:
BMW e36 M3
BMW Z4
BMW e46 330i
Camaro z28 LS1
Mustang GT
Honda S2000
Mazda RX-8
Rally pedigree:
MKII Escort
Triumph TR7 V8
Celica GT-Four
Sierra Cosworth
Lancia Delta Integrale
But there are loads others, just depends what it is that you really want
Subaru Legacy Gen 1
nocarsgo said:
I recently drove an impreza wrx sti and fell in love with it. I did what everyone would've done and looked into the cost and costs of owning one and i would really not be able to afford the insurance. I've got 8grand to spend and i wouldnt mind having a turbo and awd! Do you know of anything jap or other origin that could offer half the raw thrills for abit cheaper insurance and fuel economy? Cheers!
you won't find that much fun for much cheaper insurance tbh. but there are cars much cheaper that will be faster.how about an R33 Skyline Gtst? pick them up for around £3k. £3.5k will find you one running around the 300bhp mark.
exceedingly fast, RWD which is much more fun than AWD, around the 20mpg mark.
just think of the money you are saving in depreciation and initial cost of the car, and that makes up for the fuel costs.
I think 300 BHP/ton has summarised this perfectly!
It all depends on what you want from the car and this list covers most bases. If it really is something turbo'd, 4wd and Jap you're after, then allow me to sing the praises of the GT4.
I had an ST205, did a few small bits to it (boost controller, decat) and had to repair the superstrut suspension and a rear diff mount, but apart from that, I never spent on it, it was a reliable car, relatively quick, but like a Subaru, it did feel like it had that feel shove you in the seat find of power delivery. It did feel quicker than it actually was, but nonetheless, it was plenty quick enough.
I found insurance to be quite cheap, and with the exception of the suspension I had to change, the running costs were very reasonable. Switch the boost controller off and it almost becomes economical, 350 miles out of a tank or so.
If you're running on a budget, then maybe something turbo'd isn't a smart move. My engine was very strong and never had any issue, but a turbo and associated bits to run it get rather expensive when they go wrong!
It all depends on what you want from the car and this list covers most bases. If it really is something turbo'd, 4wd and Jap you're after, then allow me to sing the praises of the GT4.
I had an ST205, did a few small bits to it (boost controller, decat) and had to repair the superstrut suspension and a rear diff mount, but apart from that, I never spent on it, it was a reliable car, relatively quick, but like a Subaru, it did feel like it had that feel shove you in the seat find of power delivery. It did feel quicker than it actually was, but nonetheless, it was plenty quick enough.
I found insurance to be quite cheap, and with the exception of the suspension I had to change, the running costs were very reasonable. Switch the boost controller off and it almost becomes economical, 350 miles out of a tank or so.
If you're running on a budget, then maybe something turbo'd isn't a smart move. My engine was very strong and never had any issue, but a turbo and associated bits to run it get rather expensive when they go wrong!
AndySpecD said:
That actually made me lol!
I've been looking for exactly what the op is looking for, something like an IMpreza, just as quick, same handling, same look, just better mpg - in 4/5 years of driving Imprezas, I haven't found it yet!
Have you thougt about LPG? With. RON rating of 110-114 it should work well with a turbocharged motor and at half the cost of superunleaded should result in cost per mile similar to 36-42mpg.I've been looking for exactly what the op is looking for, something like an IMpreza, just as quick, same handling, same look, just better mpg - in 4/5 years of driving Imprezas, I haven't found it yet!
kambites said:
Why not an ordinary Impreza turbo?
I'm not sure there's a huge improvement. A mate runs a T2000 and the best be gets is 23mpg on a long run and teens all other times. The early new age cars weigh more but have taller gearing, so mpg is a but better, but not hugely and performance is quite blunted by comparison to a classic. STI is a far better drivers tool though.
I've had a browse at pretty every car mentioned! Im interested in something that just makes me smile when i get in it and drive, i do 20,000miles a year and cant afford a second car hence the mpg worries. I've checked out the Integra dc5 and really fancy one of those.. Whats the score with jap imports and insurance companys? mpg maybe abit better than a civic type r?
A slightly slower classic is also on the cards as what i would lose in speed and handling i gain in a more interesting experience overall. Thanks for the replys!
A slightly slower classic is also on the cards as what i would lose in speed and handling i gain in a more interesting experience overall. Thanks for the replys!
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