Evo or Impreza?
Discussion
Had ugly bug eye WRX PPP for 4yrs/55k, comfy ride, totally reliable. Get in and go anywhere, great grip but understeer. Didn't do rear droplink upgrade to improve understeer. About 23mpg mixed, not hooning about.
Now have Evo IX fq300 + stage 1, 15months/8k, better seats but worse ride, improved with Eagle F1's but at cost of less sharp turn in - worth it for a daily driver IMO. Similar good high speed stability but a much sharper drive on the twisties, with higher grip. Evo throttle response/spool up much better. A more tiring car to drive but rewarding. About 20mpg mixed.
Servicing of both at indies not too bad - cambelt 45k service £500 for Evo, bit cheaper for Scooby. Parts similar.
Neither has good image but hard to beat the performance for the money, £3.5-4.5k Scooby, £10-11.5k Evo.
If I could just rid myself of that M3 itch...
Now have Evo IX fq300 + stage 1, 15months/8k, better seats but worse ride, improved with Eagle F1's but at cost of less sharp turn in - worth it for a daily driver IMO. Similar good high speed stability but a much sharper drive on the twisties, with higher grip. Evo throttle response/spool up much better. A more tiring car to drive but rewarding. About 20mpg mixed.
Servicing of both at indies not too bad - cambelt 45k service £500 for Evo, bit cheaper for Scooby. Parts similar.
Neither has good image but hard to beat the performance for the money, £3.5-4.5k Scooby, £10-11.5k Evo.
If I could just rid myself of that M3 itch...
Having owned an Evo IV, VI and a VII in my opinion they are superb cars and I just prefer the looks and 'B' road ability that the car gives. In saying that I have driven a few of my mates Scooby's a P1, a WRX Blobeye, and two STI Hawkeyes, must say the later STI's drove superb and went really well and if i'm honest I think they could be an easier car to live with everyday, Have been tempted on more than one occasion to switch over to the 'Darkside'...
Lloydie33 said:
Had ugly bug eye WRX PPP for 4yrs/55k, comfy ride, totally reliable. Get in and go anywhere, great grip but understeer. Didn't do rear droplink upgrade to improve understeer. About 23mpg mixed, not hooning about.
Now have Evo IX fq300 + stage 1, 15months/8k, better seats but worse ride, improved with Eagle F1's but at cost of less sharp turn in - worth it for a daily driver IMO. Similar good high speed stability but a much sharper drive on the twisties, with higher grip. Evo throttle response/spool up much better. A more tiring car to drive but rewarding. About 20mpg mixed.
Servicing of both at indies not too bad - cambelt 45k service £500 for Evo, bit cheaper for Scooby. Parts similar.
Neither has good image but hard to beat the performance for the money, £3.5-4.5k Scooby, £10-11.5k Evo.
If I could just rid myself of that M3 itch...
I'd wait til the e90/1 become more affordable. Other than the quality of the ride your Evo would destroy an E46 M3 - I chose my Evo over the 46. Now have Evo IX fq300 + stage 1, 15months/8k, better seats but worse ride, improved with Eagle F1's but at cost of less sharp turn in - worth it for a daily driver IMO. Similar good high speed stability but a much sharper drive on the twisties, with higher grip. Evo throttle response/spool up much better. A more tiring car to drive but rewarding. About 20mpg mixed.
Servicing of both at indies not too bad - cambelt 45k service £500 for Evo, bit cheaper for Scooby. Parts similar.
Neither has good image but hard to beat the performance for the money, £3.5-4.5k Scooby, £10-11.5k Evo.
If I could just rid myself of that M3 itch...
You'd be really disappointed otherwise.
falkster said:
I'd wait til the e90/1 become more affordable. Other than the quality of the ride your Evo would destroy an E46 M3 - I chose my Evo over the 46.
You'd be really disappointed otherwise.
That's kind of missing the point though? Sure, Subarus and evos are Mental nutter bYou'd be really disappointed otherwise.
d quick, but M3's have always been about driver involvement. When no-ones timing, its more about the feel. I have yet to get used to and keyed into my impreza, but my initial impressions are that it's a car that makes you think "I can't believe the car did that" at the end of a stretch of good road. The M3 makes you think "I can't believe I did that". Subtle but important difference, IMO.Oops, forgot to A the Q:
Weekend car/track toy? Evo.
Every day? Impreza. Real world useable performance in a variety of packages to suit every need.
Edited by WeirdNeville on Sunday 19th February 19:50
WeirdNeville said:
That's kind of missing the point though? Sure, Subarus and evos are Mental nutter bd quick, but M3's have always been about driver involvement. When no-ones timing, its more about the feel. I have yet to get used to and keyed into my impreza, but my initial impressions are that it's a car that makes you think "I can't believe the car did that" at the end of a stretch of good road. The M3 makes you think "I can't believe I did that". Subtle but important difference, IMO.
I might have missed your point but not mine. My Evo or the E46 would have been my daily and the 'how does this perform on the rods' never comes into the decision making - that's what my E30 and 968 are for. d quick, but M3's have always been about driver involvement. When no-ones timing, its more about the feel. I have yet to get used to and keyed into my impreza, but my initial impressions are that it's a car that makes you think "I can't believe the car did that" at the end of a stretch of good road. The M3 makes you think "I can't believe I did that". Subtle but important difference, IMO.WeirdNeville said:
That's kind of missing the point though? Sure, Subarus and evos are Mental nutter bd quick, but M3's have always been about driver involvement. When no-ones timing, its more about the feel. I have yet to get used to and keyed into my impreza, but my initial impressions are that it's a car that makes you think "I can't believe the car did that" at the end of a stretch of good road. The M3 makes you think "I can't believe I did that". Subtle but important difference, IMO.
For having fun I'd much rather have an Evo or Impreza. For one thing, you'll be able to use their power more of the time, rather than spending time looking for the right road to get the best out of an M3. I have also never thought 'I can't believe the car did that' when I've been driving Evos and Imprezas, rather they give you sublime control over what you actually want the car to do.d quick, but M3's have always been about driver involvement. When no-ones timing, its more about the feel. I have yet to get used to and keyed into my impreza, but my initial impressions are that it's a car that makes you think "I can't believe the car did that" at the end of a stretch of good road. The M3 makes you think "I can't believe I did that". Subtle but important difference, IMO.I prefer the Evo - it looks more aggressive, and I love the styling. The engine is not as characterful as the Imprezas, but I do love the noise it makes with a good exhaust on it, and the performance is certainly impressive. I would not say "I will own an Evo, not an Impreza", I'd lump them in the same category and buy whichever I felt offered better value for money at the time. Certainly, a good Impreza STi is easier to find.
If I ever wanted that much power and performance though, I think I'd take a Skyline over either of them - but that could be another step up in costs altogether. I'm quite happy with my Civic Type R for now!
If I ever wanted that much power and performance though, I think I'd take a Skyline over either of them - but that could be another step up in costs altogether. I'm quite happy with my Civic Type R for now!
Had one of the early sti version 1's and. It was like nothing else on the road, so fast, this was coming from a golf gtr mk2. A few years later I had a new evo6 and it was mental, more focused than the scooby, after selling that I tried a couple of scoobies, sti-v's and P1's but they were soft compared to the evo.
Fast forward a few yeas and I bought a evo9gt running 400/400 but found it very sterile and rather boring, quick yes but not very evolving and lacked soul. Sold for a Subaru spec-c which was as quick but felta bit more mobile at the rear, a bit softer but for the better and I much preferred it to the evo...
Fast forward a few yeas and I bought a evo9gt running 400/400 but found it very sterile and rather boring, quick yes but not very evolving and lacked soul. Sold for a Subaru spec-c which was as quick but felta bit more mobile at the rear, a bit softer but for the better and I much preferred it to the evo...
I used to own a black debadged STI PPP. Not bad pace but the steering could have been far more involving. The interior was appalling - even by 30 year old mini cab standards.
The Evo is undoubtedly WAY cooler and a more serious machine. So if money was no object I'd be looking at an Evo or Skyline over any Subaru.
The Evo is undoubtedly WAY cooler and a more serious machine. So if money was no object I'd be looking at an Evo or Skyline over any Subaru.
falkster said:
I might have missed your point but not mine. My Evo or the E46 would have been my daily and the 'how does this perform on the rods' never comes into the decision making - that's what my E30 and 968 are for.
All right, put it away, no one's impressed 
If you have an itch for a car - any car - then sometimes nothing else will do. You seemed to be implying that the subaru option was better because it's faster point to point. That's not the reason people buy cars!
Baryonyx said:
For having fun I'd much rather have an Evo or Impreza. For one thing, you'll be able to use their power more of the time, rather than spending time looking for the right road to get the best out of an M3. I have also never thought 'I can't believe the car did that' when I've been driving Evos and Imprezas, rather they give you sublime control over what you actually want the car to do.
I hope so. Like I say, I've only owned mine a few weeks, and a failed rear damper means that I've not had a chance to "press on" yet, or explore the outer reaches of the handling envelope. I'm not sure about using their power more of their time though! It's indecently rapid as it is!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff