Confused by so many Impreza choices

[wilbo83]

Currently have a Celica VVTLi, but looking to change to an Impreza WRX (00-05, or newer) soon but I am not sure which engine would suit me best.

On paper (parkers), the 2.0 WRX 300 looks a good bet with a claimed mpg of 30 and 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, but I am guessing these are rarer as I haven't seen too many about. The STi would obviously be the choice from a power perspective but I would like to still have reasonable economy (for a WRX!)

I know some of you will be saying why am i even talking about mpg when looking to buy an Impreza. Well I understand it will be thirsty and i am more than happy with that, just wondering if there is much fluctuation between the engines.

It will be my main car commuting to work which is a 20 minute journey through b roads, and will be used for visiting customers probably averaging a 3 hour round trip.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Summary.aspx?m...

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Summary.aspx?m...

[SCR Racing]

I had a 2004 UK WRX saloon. I ran it for 2 years and put 30,000 miles on it. It never missed a beat (serviced well, no expense spared). Typically I would return between 27 - 32 MPG over a month (mostly on the M1).

If you are going to use it often go for a 2001 - 05 WRX. The 2.0l engine emits 217g of CO2 and keeps you in the £245 per year tax band and the car itself is more economical than the STI monsters.

[wilbo83]

SCR Racing said:

I had a 2004 UK WRX saloon. I ran it for 2 years and put 30,000 miles on it. It never missed a beat (serviced well, no expense spared). Typically I would return between 27 - 32 MPG over a month (mostly on the M1).

If you are going to use it often go for a 2001 - 05 WRX. The 2.0l engine emits 217g of CO2 and keeps you in the £245 per year tax band and the car itself is more economical than the STI monsters.

Thanks, exactly the sort of response i was after, i dont see that mpg being bad at all. So, something like this would be ideal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[paulmoonraker]

Personally I would go for a 2.0ltr WRX with the prodrive performance pack on. That does 0-60 in about 5 seconds (prodrive claim 4.8) and gives reasonable economy. I had one for 2 years and did 40K plus business miles in it. If I drove sensible I could get 370+ miles on a tank.

Don't get an STi if you need to preserve some sense of fuel economy I have one now and it drinks like a fish.

A WRX PPP is a great car...

[SCR Racing]

wilbo83 said:

SCR Racing said:

I had a 2004 UK WRX saloon. I ran it for 2 years and put 30,000 miles on it. It never missed a beat (serviced well, no expense spared). Typically I would return between 27 - 32 MPG over a month (mostly on the M1).

If you are going to use it often go for a 2001 - 05 WRX. The 2.0l engine emits 217g of CO2 and keeps you in the £245 per year tax band and the car itself is more economical than the STI monsters.

Thanks, exactly the sort of response i was after, i dont see that mpg being bad at all. So, something like this would be ideal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Exactly that! Such a great balance of AWD, fun, sideways, fun, practicality, fun, sound, fun, rally, fun, offence.

I also agree with Paulmoonraker. If you can, pick up one with the PPP. Free horse power/grunt with no daft fuel eating.

Win.

[wilbo83]

SCR Racing said:

wilbo83 said:

SCR Racing said:

I had a 2004 UK WRX saloon. I ran it for 2 years and put 30,000 miles on it. It never missed a beat (serviced well, no expense spared). Typically I would return between 27 - 32 MPG over a month (mostly on the M1).

If you are going to use it often go for a 2001 - 05 WRX. The 2.0l engine emits 217g of CO2 and keeps you in the £245 per year tax band and the car itself is more economical than the STI monsters.

Thanks, exactly the sort of response i was after, i dont see that mpg being bad at all. So, something like this would be ideal?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Exactly that! Such a great balance of AWD, fun, sideways, fun, practicality, fun, sound, fun, rally, fun, offence.

I also agree with Paulmoonraker. If you can, pick up one with the PPP. Free horse power/grunt with no daft fuel eating.

Win.

Just been browsing and I cant wait till the new year when i can go and test drive one of these. Will keep an eye out for the PPP versions. I really like the interior on the one below, looks similar to the STi, was this a prodrive extra or has the owner had the seats retrimmed?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[SCR Racing]

I think that's called a WRX300 not a UK300. The UK300 was a 2001 'bugeye' model. I would get that WRX300 ! They only made 300 . . funny old thing.

Here: http://www.carpages.co.uk/subaru/subaru-impreza-11...

[paulmoonraker]

Be careful with the 'special editions'. Most of the benefits are visual or to the interior. In the majority of cases the engine mods are just a remap and exhaust (a PPP in other words). You can get the big wing etc on ebay or scooby world. Having said all that, nice interior such as leather is rare and would be quite costly to do...

-P

[paulmoonraker]

wilbo83 said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Thats nice - but you are paying 1K+ for the UK 300... My old one went for 7K (dealer price) with 44K and that had PPP.

[wilbo83]

paulmoonraker said:

wilbo83 said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Thats nice - but you are paying 1K+ for the UK 300... My old one went for 7K (dealer price) with 44K and that had PPP.

So is that interior with the blue alcantara looking seats, only on the STi and the WRX300, or is it also in the UK300?

[Octoposse]

If you're settled on a WRX worth keeping an eye open for 'SL' models - give you leather, electric sunroof and heated front seats.

If you like that sort of thing.

I certainly do!

[stevieb]

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

[wilbo83]

stevieb said:

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

Budget would ideally be £8k max

[paulmoonraker]

wilbo83 said:

paulmoonraker said:

wilbo83 said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Thats nice - but you are paying 1K+ for the UK 300... My old one went for 7K (dealer price) with 44K and that had PPP.

So is that interior with the blue alcantara looking seats, only on the STi and the WRX300, or is it also in the UK300?

You have blue seats on the STi as standard. I am not sure about the WRX300 or the UK300. Personally, I would get a standard low mileage WRX PPP and just enjoy it... Richard (RRH - google him) will ge you a nice car. I know your paying dealer prices but you get piece of mind. I have had two cars off him and they have both been ace!

[paulmoonraker]

wilbo83 said:

stevieb said:

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

Budget would ideally be £8k max

You wont get a GB270 for that money. Besides, thats a different car - its the 2.5ltr and is a different drive (very good, but different)... 7K will get you a good MY05 WRX PPP... then with the 1K spare get some boost gauges and a decent exhaust I have an afterburner vortex and its mental (if you like that kind of thing)... Or as somebody has said, an SL with the nice leather seats...

Edited by paulmoonraker on Tuesday 21st December 20:31

[Gwagon111]

If you want an unusual wrx, with a load of extra goodies on it for that sort of money, try and find a UK300. Subaru did one version in 2000 - 2001, with the prodrive bugeye lights and angular rear wing, they also did a version in 2005 with STI spec seats and some other bits and bobs on it.

[stevieb]

paulmoonraker said:

wilbo83 said:

stevieb said:

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

Budget would ideally be £8k max

You wont get a GB270 for that money. Besides, thats a different car - its the 2.5ltr and is a different drive (very good, but different)... 7K will get you a good MY05 WRX PPP... then with the 1K spare get some boost gauges and a decent exhaust I have an afterburner vortex and its mental (if you like that kind of thing)... Or as somebody has said, an SL with the nice leather seats...

Edited by paulmoonraker on Tuesday 21st December 20:31

You should be able to get a 2004 wrx ppp for around 6k but if age is a concern go for the newest one you can. I will go against the grain a little, the cars are not that expensive to run if you exclude fuel.

Tyres can be had for 65 quid a corner (bridgestones) servicing is no more than a Eurobox, but the fuel is the only killer if you floor it everywhere.

I have a more sensible family scoob but I can only average 14mpg, but the extra cash in fuel is ofset by lower service and repairables

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 21st December 22:05

[wilbo83]

stevieb said:

paulmoonraker said:

wilbo83 said:

stevieb said:

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

Budget would ideally be £8k max

You wont get a GB270 for that money. Besides, thats a different car - its the 2.5ltr and is a different drive (very good, but different)... 7K will get you a good MY05 WRX PPP... then with the 1K spare get some boost gauges and a decent exhaust I have an afterburner vortex and its mental (if you like that kind of thing)... Or as somebody has said, an SL with the nice leather seats...

Edited by paulmoonraker on Tuesday 21st December 20:31

You should be able to get a 2004 wrx ppp for around 6k but if age is a concern go for the newest one you can. I will go against the grain a little, the cars are not that expensive to run if you exclude fuel.

Tyres can be had for 65 quid a corner (bridgestones) servicing is no more than a Eurobox, but the fuel is the only killer if you floor it everywhere.

I have a more sensible family scoob but I can only average 14mpg, but the extra cash in fuel is ofset by lower service and repairables

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 21st December 22:05

Some wildly different mpg figures coming out already. SCR said 27-30 and stevieb says 14! I have no problem with the mpg being in the mid 20s for normal day to day driving, but 14 is pretty low.

[stevieb]

wilbo83 said:

stevieb said:

paulmoonraker said:

wilbo83 said:

stevieb said:

I do not know what your budget is but if you are looking for a special edition then have a look at the GB270

Budget would ideally be £8k max

You wont get a GB270 for that money. Besides, thats a different car - its the 2.5ltr and is a different drive (very good, but different)... 7K will get you a good MY05 WRX PPP... then with the 1K spare get some boost gauges and a decent exhaust I have an afterburner vortex and its mental (if you like that kind of thing)... Or as somebody has said, an SL with the nice leather seats...

Edited by paulmoonraker on Tuesday 21st December 20:31

You should be able to get a 2004 wrx ppp for around 6k but if age is a concern go for the newest one you can. I will go against the grain a little, the cars are not that expensive to run if you exclude fuel.


No i have a 3.0 Trubeca and i am more than willing to take the bad fuel consumption due to lower total running costs.

I had an impreza before and was averaging 22-24 around town and upto 30mpg on a long run
Tyres can be had for 65 quid a corner (bridgestones) servicing is no more than a Eurobox, but the fuel is the only killer if you floor it everywhere.

I have a more sensible family scoob but I can only average 14mpg, but the extra cash in fuel is ofset by lower service and repairables

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 21st December 22:05

Some wildly different mpg figures coming out already. SCR said 27-30 and stevieb says 14! I have no problem with the mpg being in the mid 20s for normal day to day driving, but 14 is pretty low.

[JFReturns]

Fuel economy is heavily dependant on driving style, more so than other cars. If I drive 'normally', I get 13mpg. To achieve 23mpg requires a lot of concentration, and no engagement of the turbo...

You say you don't mind the fuel economy, but are you truly prepared for it? I thought I was, planning on cycling to work to offset the fuel costs, but things don't always work out (weather!) and now my wallet is much lighter than planned....

I would say a Blobeye WRX PPP would be the best car in your situation. SL would be more desirable than special editions IMO.