Help suggest a suitable replacement for this?
Discussion
Well after 2.5 years of ownership and 20,000 very enjoyable miles, for reasons I won't go into I finally got rid of this in March 2013:
My Mica Blue "Blobeye" Impreza WRX Wagon. It's the best car that I've owned by far. Fairly quick in a straight line (very quick point-to-point), great handling and traction, fairly comfortable and practical. My only gripes being it wasn't a beautiful car, interior plastics not the nicest and fairly high fuel consumption.
Since then I have owned one of these briefly:
with the 2.5 TD engine. It was just a 700 pound stopgap but nevertheless a massive boot (useful with kids), very comfortable, fairly economical and although not fast, not too slow either.
and this for the last 12 months:
Again, fantastic for space and comfort but not so good for speed and handling and 18mpg!
Sadly, the gearbox was about to give up the ghost on the Jeep and we were fed up with frequent and large repair bills, so traded it in for a new Toyota Corolla and I'm driving my wife's old car (a 2004 Chrysler), which is OK but nothing special.
Ideally, I would like something with 4 doors and a big boot (the boot on the Corolla appeared to be fairly large but is quite shallow, so not as useful as the one in the estate cars/4x4s but that matches or betters the performance and driving experience of the Impreza and preferably with a manual gearbox. I also think that it would need to be RWD or AWD. I have considered a Focus ST, which has more power than the Impreza but I don't really see it as a step up. The Estate version would seem like a modern equivalent to the WRX wagon but not available as an estate here and we looked at a Focus hatch before we bought the Corolla and the boot was surprisingly small! My nominal budget is about 15000 pounds.
My ideal two car garage would probably be something like a Mercedes W203 C270CDI Estate for the comfort, practicality and economy and a Mazda RX8 R3 for fun but I can't afford to buy and insure two cars. The Corolla isn't going anywhere, as my wife quite likes it and we're only a few months into a lease, so it would be financially detrimental to us to get out now. Any suggestions on what to get next, as this time, I'm genuinely stumped?
BTW, I'm in Canada, so don't have access to the full range of European vehicles but most German, Japanese and Ford stuff are available!
My Mica Blue "Blobeye" Impreza WRX Wagon. It's the best car that I've owned by far. Fairly quick in a straight line (very quick point-to-point), great handling and traction, fairly comfortable and practical. My only gripes being it wasn't a beautiful car, interior plastics not the nicest and fairly high fuel consumption.
Since then I have owned one of these briefly:
with the 2.5 TD engine. It was just a 700 pound stopgap but nevertheless a massive boot (useful with kids), very comfortable, fairly economical and although not fast, not too slow either.
and this for the last 12 months:
Again, fantastic for space and comfort but not so good for speed and handling and 18mpg!
Sadly, the gearbox was about to give up the ghost on the Jeep and we were fed up with frequent and large repair bills, so traded it in for a new Toyota Corolla and I'm driving my wife's old car (a 2004 Chrysler), which is OK but nothing special.
Ideally, I would like something with 4 doors and a big boot (the boot on the Corolla appeared to be fairly large but is quite shallow, so not as useful as the one in the estate cars/4x4s but that matches or betters the performance and driving experience of the Impreza and preferably with a manual gearbox. I also think that it would need to be RWD or AWD. I have considered a Focus ST, which has more power than the Impreza but I don't really see it as a step up. The Estate version would seem like a modern equivalent to the WRX wagon but not available as an estate here and we looked at a Focus hatch before we bought the Corolla and the boot was surprisingly small! My nominal budget is about 15000 pounds.
My ideal two car garage would probably be something like a Mercedes W203 C270CDI Estate for the comfort, practicality and economy and a Mazda RX8 R3 for fun but I can't afford to buy and insure two cars. The Corolla isn't going anywhere, as my wife quite likes it and we're only a few months into a lease, so it would be financially detrimental to us to get out now. Any suggestions on what to get next, as this time, I'm genuinely stumped?
BTW, I'm in Canada, so don't have access to the full range of European vehicles but most German, Japanese and Ford stuff are available!
I too used have a WRX , I could not afford the running costs when we bought our own house and have only just got back into a N/A impreza after 5/6 years away from one.
If it were me I would probably have an Outback 3.0 in your position, shame its an auto but I think one of the best all rounders imo. Perhaps a 3.0 Legacy Spec B if you need the manual.
If it were me I would probably have an Outback 3.0 in your position, shame its an auto but I think one of the best all rounders imo. Perhaps a 3.0 Legacy Spec B if you need the manual.
Jim AK said:
Not too sure about the 270 CDi.
Had one for about 18 months & was quite shocked at how agricultural it was.
C320 CDi? Assuming its sold there.
Didn't realise they did a 320 CDI in the W203. I could maybe stretch to a leggy W204 but not sure if I want to spend that much! I thought the 270 CDI was OK in a W203 and a W211 and a C270 CDI was the first car I ever got sideways on a wet slip road! Didn't think it was too agricultural. Unmistakeably diesel but I've driven worse (my C250 TD for example)!Had one for about 18 months & was quite shocked at how agricultural it was.
C320 CDi? Assuming its sold there.
That`s all a bit academic anyway because I don`t think they sold diesel versions here, so would be looking at a petrol V6. Not sure if it would offer the kind of drive I`m looking for though.
Steve H said:
This.
Get another Impreza, a Forester or an Outback.
A hawkeye Impreza (besides I prefer the blobeye), old-style Forester Turbo or Legacy Spec B Estate are all a bit older than I ideally wanted to go and I can`t seem to find any tidy, low mileage examples here. I could probably afford one of these but probably not the STI version. Any good or not a patch on the older-style Imprezas.Get another Impreza, a Forester or an Outback.
I currently have a 2008 impreza hatch - non turbo. I would have suggested one but the boot is very small for the class of car, its so shallow to allow for rear diff / exhaust position.
I used to have the 2003 blob eye wrx and it was the most perfect car ever to me , it never failed me or let me down and almost every drive was fun. So I new I wanted another.
I don't have much spare money as I used too ( House , wife , child on the way :-))So I got a real good deal on a 1.5 Impreza - no one wants them it seems. It is still an Impreza , Great steering feedback ,good awd handling, a good sound from the boxer , low centre of gravity and good weight distribution put it into a different league than many other hatches.
The interior has come on and I find it a nice place to be and easy to get a good driving position. Stereo still a bit poor mind. Economy is acceptable at around 33mpg also if you like to tinker , a doddle to work on.
Driving mine reminds be of the old wrx but as the revs build the shove in the back never comes. But tax is near £500 a year here + much more insurance and fuel so I have opted for the challenge of keeping up the speed in the bends!
Bring on the corners , bring on the snow!
I used to have the 2003 blob eye wrx and it was the most perfect car ever to me , it never failed me or let me down and almost every drive was fun. So I new I wanted another.
I don't have much spare money as I used too ( House , wife , child on the way :-))So I got a real good deal on a 1.5 Impreza - no one wants them it seems. It is still an Impreza , Great steering feedback ,good awd handling, a good sound from the boxer , low centre of gravity and good weight distribution put it into a different league than many other hatches.
The interior has come on and I find it a nice place to be and easy to get a good driving position. Stereo still a bit poor mind. Economy is acceptable at around 33mpg also if you like to tinker , a doddle to work on.
Driving mine reminds be of the old wrx but as the revs build the shove in the back never comes. But tax is near £500 a year here + much more insurance and fuel so I have opted for the challenge of keeping up the speed in the bends!
Bring on the corners , bring on the snow!
nickofh said:
I currently have a 2008 impreza hatch - non turbo. I would have suggested one but the boot is very small for the class of car, its so shallow to allow for rear diff / exhaust position.
I used to have the 2003 blob eye wrx and it was the most perfect car ever to me , it never failed me or let me down and almost every drive was fun. So I new I wanted another.
I don't have much spare money as I used too ( House , wife , child on the way :-))So I got a real good deal on a 1.5 Impreza - no one wants them it seems. It is still an Impreza , Great steering feedback ,good awd handling, a good sound from the boxer , low centre of gravity and good weight distribution put it into a different league than many other hatches.
The interior has come on and I find it a nice place to be and easy to get a good driving position. Stereo still a bit poor mind. Economy is acceptable at around 33mpg also if you like to tinker , a doddle to work on.
Driving mine reminds be of the old wrx but as the revs build the shove in the back never comes. But tax is near £500 a year here + much more insurance and fuel so I have opted for the challenge of keeping up the speed in the bends!
Bring on the corners , bring on the snow!
I hear you. House and kids (two now) have held back my car-buying aspirations too (but they're worth it)! I'm glad you like your Impreza and you have inspired me to try one out. Strange used car market here (Canada). You'll pay as much for a blobeye or hawkeye as you will for a new-style Impreza. I don't have a problem with the looks of the hatch (Imprezas were always abot the engineering, never the looks anyway) but you can also get a WRX saloon version here, which kind of looks like you would expect an Impreza to look. 265bhp doesn't sound too shabby either!I used to have the 2003 blob eye wrx and it was the most perfect car ever to me , it never failed me or let me down and almost every drive was fun. So I new I wanted another.
I don't have much spare money as I used too ( House , wife , child on the way :-))So I got a real good deal on a 1.5 Impreza - no one wants them it seems. It is still an Impreza , Great steering feedback ,good awd handling, a good sound from the boxer , low centre of gravity and good weight distribution put it into a different league than many other hatches.
The interior has come on and I find it a nice place to be and easy to get a good driving position. Stereo still a bit poor mind. Economy is acceptable at around 33mpg also if you like to tinker , a doddle to work on.
Driving mine reminds be of the old wrx but as the revs build the shove in the back never comes. But tax is near £500 a year here + much more insurance and fuel so I have opted for the challenge of keeping up the speed in the bends!
Bring on the corners , bring on the snow!
There really is nothing else quite like an Impreza. The sound of the Boxer engine, the handling, I like that it's more supple and cheaper to run than an Evo. Who else makes a smallish, practical AWD performance car? VW Golfs/Audi A3s seem a bit anodyne in comparison and the FWD biased Haldez system doesn't compare to Subaru's AWD system. Anything FWD (no matter how good) seems like a bit of a backwards step and if you want more real-world performance you're looking at M3s/M5s, RS Audis or AMG Mercs, which are significantly more expensive to run (and insure).
I quite fancy a Mercedes (C-Class, E-Class, ML), which would be lovely, comfortable long distance cars but isn't going to offer the driving thrills of an Impreza. I thought the Jeep was the ultimate car for the Canadian winter and it was pretty unstoppable but felt quite nervous at speed in inclement weather. I actually felt more confident at speed in my wife's FWD car despite the low speed traction issues on snowy and icy roads. The Impreza offers the best of both worlds really. Performance, handling, traction and confidence.
I hope it does not disappoint! I'm sure it will be a fun outing even if its not for you in the end! Funny you should mention the used market and the hawkeyes , I nearly went and bought a rally blue 2.0r 2005 hawkeye - always loved the colour and shape , but the price was just slightly more than my 2008 hatch!
It seems that few people want them here in the UK mine had been sat for months unused at the dealer while I kept watching the price go down. Perhaps most of the benefits you and I have listed are lost on most people who just want a big boot and 100mpg.
I thought Subaru was doing well in Canada and USA , hope they are as they are not as big here anymore , no impreza or wrx sti from 2012 - until now.
The evo always had the appeal but I have never driven one , it was just the sound and colour of a wrx first pulled me into a Subaru dealer and I left grinning from ear to ear after my first drive. I don't mind a bit of luxury from the likes a merc's & bmw's, I had to get rid of my first wrx and went for a 1 series , but had many little problems and one major with it. The Jap cars are the only ones to never let me down.
Good luck , would be interested to know if you get a drive and how it go's.
Nick
It seems that few people want them here in the UK mine had been sat for months unused at the dealer while I kept watching the price go down. Perhaps most of the benefits you and I have listed are lost on most people who just want a big boot and 100mpg.
I thought Subaru was doing well in Canada and USA , hope they are as they are not as big here anymore , no impreza or wrx sti from 2012 - until now.
The evo always had the appeal but I have never driven one , it was just the sound and colour of a wrx first pulled me into a Subaru dealer and I left grinning from ear to ear after my first drive. I don't mind a bit of luxury from the likes a merc's & bmw's, I had to get rid of my first wrx and went for a 1 series , but had many little problems and one major with it. The Jap cars are the only ones to never let me down.
Good luck , would be interested to know if you get a drive and how it go's.
Nick
white_goodman said:
sawman said:
How about this: infinity
Don't know anything about these. Have you driven one?Are they based on these?
Nissan Murano. Always thought these were quite cool for an SUV with the added kudos of a sports car engine (from the 350Z).
I havent driven the infinity myself, but know a couple of folks who had them when new. they look great and go well. I remember one would often hammer past me around the legislature building as I waked to my portage ave office - sounded great (although it may have been a v8 one)
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