"New" Impreza WRX or Evo X. Any good?

[white_goodman]

I am thinking of replacing my two vehicles (a 4x4 and a car) with one of the above. They are both still available new here but probably looking up to 3 years old. I don't live in the UK any more but when I did, I had a 2004 WRX which I loved. I have never driven the new-shape WRX but once had a standard 2.0 as a courtesy car and apart from the gutless engine it was nice enough. I'm probably looking at the WRX but may be able to stretch to the STI if a vehicle is available at the right price, although the WRX has 265bhp here which is not too shabby! Both versions are available as a saloon and a hatch but the hatch seems more common used. I have never driven an Evo X but have driven an Evo VIII, which I liked but seemed a bit uncompromising when you just want to pootle along! The Evo X certainly looks better than the Impreza and evidently is a bit more comfortable to live with but is only available with the SST transmission, which puts me off a bit, as I prefer a manual and plan to keep the car for a long time (10 years?), so the long-term reliability of the transmission would concern me. Also, I don't think I can stretch to the full bore Evo, so would probably go for the Ralliart saloon, which has 237bhp. From what I have seen, for the same money as a WRX, you can get a slightly newer, lower km Ralliart.


I'm not sure why these models were never as popular as their predecessors. I guess contemporary hot hatches had as much power, were cheaper to buy and service and better on fuel? The styling of the Impreza also took a step back in many people's eyes but IMO it was never about the looks but the engineering anyway. I guess with Subaru and Mitsubishi pulling out of the WRC, these cars lost the rally heritage as well.


I definitely want 4WD, as it snows for 6 months of the year here (the alternative is a smaller more fuel efficient SUV than my Grand Cherokee like a Toyota RAV4 or a "small" truck like a Nissan Navarra, which I can get with a 4.0 V6 and manual gearbox) but I really want another Subaru! Used cars are really expensive here and you have to pay 13% tax on top of the price, so a classic Impreza isn't really enough upgrade from my current car (a 2004 Chrysler saloon with low kms) to justify the outlay.


Does the newer Impreza still have the magic or will I be disappointed and is the Mitsubishi a better car?

[GravelBen]

The Ralliart is a big step down from the proper Evo based on mag reports I've read - NZ Autocar tested it against the WRX hatch and the WRX was a very clear winner IIRC.

[white_goodman]

GravelBen said:

The Ralliart is a big step down from the proper Evo based on mag reports I've read - NZ Autocar tested it against the WRX hatch and the WRX was a very clear winner IIRC.

Thanks, that's interesting to know. As you can see, I'm probably leaning towards the Subaru anyway but I read that the Ralliart was effectively the replacement for the old "entry-level" 260, which I have driven and found it quick enough, so thought it might be "on the money". I don't remember the reviews of the new-style WRX being that great but find it difficult to see how it can be worse than the old one!

[sawman]

white_goodman said:

I definitely want 4WD, as it snows for 6 months of the year here

most of my manitoban pals (ie the canadian ones not the expats) drive front wheel drive toyotas, volvo's and vw's they rate a decent heater above most things when getting a new car. Some of the better off ones drive big 4x4's either as a status thing or more likely because they live out of town.