RE: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type UK: PH Fleet

RE: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type UK: PH Fleet

Author
Discussion

Ahbefive

11,657 posts

171 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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mike74 said:
Really struggling to understand the ''driver engagement'' comments, my widetrack sti ppp was probably the most un-engaging and un-involving car I've ever driven... competent to the point of being boring.

It was characterful in other ways, but definitely not in terms of actual driver engagement.
What are you comparing it to? An exige then perhaps you have a point. A Golf R and you are talking rubbish.

mike74

3,687 posts

131 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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Ahbefive said:
What are you comparing it to? An exige then perhaps you have a point. A Golf R and you are talking rubbish.
Fair point, if I found my impreza boring then I can't imagine how dull a Golf R would feel!

I'd say my clio 182 was much more ''engaging''... handled well and good levels of grip but still required more driver input than the impreza.

Iceicebsby1980

101 posts

97 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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BlackPrince said:
Iceicebsby1980 said:
I went from a e90 m3 . To a hawkeye wrx sti . Not regretting it one bit . The driver involvement in the Subaru even at low speeds is fun .
Would you mind elaborating a bit?
More feed back in the steering turns in quicker . It's got more grunt low down . My scoobys got 360bhp 420 torque . Compared to the m3s 300 .

Ahbefive

11,657 posts

171 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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mike74 said:
Fair point, if I found my impreza boring then I can't imagine how dull a Golf R would feel!

I'd say my clio 182 was much more ''engaging''... handled well and good levels of grip but still required more driver input than the impreza.
Yes but then a Clio 182 is about as raw as a hatchback car gets. An impreza is about as raw as a 4door saloon car gets.

Edited by Ahbefive on Sunday 23 December 08:51

macky17

2,210 posts

188 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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I don’t get the hate in either direction. I love an old Impreza - there’s something magical about the way they drive and cover ground. I’ve owned 6 of them (and actually I think a wrx ppp is the best of all as a road car). Now my daily is a Golf R and it’s by far the best daily I’ve ever had. Where it loses in some areas it gains in others (remap wakes them up tremendously) Problem? It’s all good.

mcelliott

8,626 posts

180 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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Another sad old fart checking in (46, nearly 47). 17 years into Scooby ownership, bought our JDM STI last year. Wonderful car.



Edited by mcelliott on Sunday 23 December 10:37

MuscleSaloon

1,541 posts

174 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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ericmcn said:
Comment was from a stereotypical German white goods fanboy, Subaru have immense driving heritate and the Subaru cars have real drive engagement and satisfaction, even for old men of 40+ dare i say.!

far too many people are blinded by German cars in England, i said it a few times and its pretty sad if anything - the hordes you see each time you got out on a run (relative to seeing a Subaru) gets depressing if anything

Subaru 1 White goods 0
True, but buying a low mileage 15 year old blob STi garage queen like the one in the article as a daily if you do a fair few miles isn't really going to win over buying a new German with 300bhp, 4 wheel drive, warranty etc. There's new UK STi's available for immediate purchase at dealers well over a year after they were axed. Hardly popular here anymore.

PK0001

347 posts

176 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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MuscleSaloon said:
ericmcn said:
Comment was from a stereotypical German white goods fanboy, Subaru have immense driving heritate and the Subaru cars have real drive engagement and satisfaction, even for old men of 40+ dare i say.!

far too many people are blinded by German cars in England, i said it a few times and its pretty sad if anything - the hordes you see each time you got out on a run (relative to seeing a Subaru) gets depressing if anything

Subaru 1 White goods 0
True, but buying a low mileage 15 year old blob STi garage queen like the one in the article as a daily if you do a fair few miles isn't really going to win over buying a new German with 300bhp, 4 wheel drive, warranty etc. There's new UK STi's available for immediate purchase at dealers well over a year after they were axed. Hardly popular here anymore.
There is one left at Subaru dealer in Ilford and they want over list for it.

The run out special edition sold out in 48 hours.

Demand is very much still there

STi's are a huge success in North America and Australia. Subaru selling loads there.

big_rob_sydney

3,394 posts

193 months

Sunday 23rd December 2018
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MuscleSaloon said:
True, but buying a low mileage 15 year old blob STi garage queen like the one in the article as a daily if you do a fair few miles isn't really going to win over buying a new German with 300bhp, 4 wheel drive, warranty etc. There's new UK STi's available for immediate purchase at dealers well over a year after they were axed. Hardly popular here anymore.
What is your basis for "win"?

If you're comparing a new German, how much will that cost? 30k? How much will a 15 year old blob cost? 8-10k? The blob leaves you with an extra 20k in your pocket. If you're worried about warranty, that 20k buys a lot of repairs, performance mods, engine rebuilds, petrol, etc etc. You would arguably be further in front financially with the older car, primarily due to depreciation.

Depending on how you view "winning", there are some financial measures by which you would be significantly in front by buying the 15 year old car.

Curious to understand your logic here.

Budgies

16 posts

145 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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Ryvita said:
A fine thing to enjoy, and there is no shame in light, tasteful modification. smile

I always ran Eagle F1s on my WRX and Forester STI. Good tyre, though not perhaps as ultimately grippy as some others, an excellent all rounder.

Another mod to consider: Do some research on the snorkel delete. Some people say it messes with the airflow meter, and can lose you a few HP. It definitely increases induction noise, which you may consider worth the hit.
I run Eagle F1's on my Civic FD2 and totally agree with your comments, excellent all rounder. They seem to have done pretty well in EVO's tyre test a few years back and the better performing brands are much more expensive in NZ. Tyre wall was a lot more forgiving than the Bridgestone RE070 that originally came on the car but as a consequence I lost some accuracy on turn in......swings and roundabouts I guess.

ciprypop

8 posts

63 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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You have to make it your daily . Life is to short to drive boring cars. smile

TAHodgson

875 posts

170 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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Tell me gents, is it possible to own an Impreza without sticking a stupid (rather than a nice, performance oriented) exhaust on it and rev it at every junction & traffic light? Everyone near me tends to do that and it's always put me off them!

The car in this post looks pretty spot on to me, I really like it!
Have driven plenty and really like them, just don't like the image.
A nice Spec D might be the way forward...

HannsG

3,031 posts

133 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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Is it special enough as a cheap second motor?

rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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HannsG said:
Is it special enough as a cheap second motor?
Bit of a stty thing to say? Unless I’ve misunderstood you.

Define cheap? With 50k miles, Ben’s is worth about £7k. I’d be interested what else there is for that money that would be ‘special’ and offer that kind of performance?

Not everyone can afford a nice Elise/Exige/911 etc etc as a second car - me included.

Is a Sierra Cosworth ‘special’ enough as a second car? If so, then so is a well looked after Impreza.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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TAHodgson said:
Tell me gents, is it possible to own an Impreza without sticking a stupid (rather than a nice, performance oriented) exhaust on it and rev it at every junction & traffic light? Everyone near me tends to do that and it's always put me off them!

The car in this post looks pretty spot on to me, I really like it!
Have driven plenty and really like them, just don't like the image.
A nice Spec D might be the way forward...
Its my pet hate, noisy exhausts ruin the car imho.

I always have very quiet systems, my current 500bhp MY05 jdm sti is almost stock levels of exhaust noise.

This is my fourth impreza, i've put almost 100k miles on it and drive it every day. Its pretty stealthy in looks too, looks stock in obsideon black perl.

DanielSan

18,745 posts

166 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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There's nothing I regret more than selling my old STI, the E46 M3 I've got at the moment, Nd is up for sale, doesn't get close to it for fun. It's better on the motorway and thats the only positive I've got for it. Biggest let down ever where the Subaru is just a massive highlight everytime you're in it...


rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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It’s a common theme. Every time there’s an Impreza thread on PH, there a number of posters who regret selling their cars. More so than any other car that I’ve noticed.

DanielSan

18,745 posts

166 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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rossub said:
It’s a common theme. Every time there’s an Impreza thread on PH, there a number of posters who regret selling their cars. More so than any other car that I’ve noticed.
That tells you everything you need to know about owning one, you can have days when it annoys day, days when you hate it, and like most cars eventually you fancy a change. Not long after that you wonder why you wanted rid... And regret it forever.

MuscleSaloon

1,541 posts

174 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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rossub said:
With 50k miles, Ben’s is worth about £7k. I’d be interested what else there is for that money that would be ‘special’ and offer that kind of performance?
Good luck finding a nice 50k mile blob STi for £7k ….

rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Monday 24th December 2018
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MuscleSaloon said:
Good luck finding a nice 50k mile blob STi for £7k ….
Fair point. More like £8k.... otherwise you’re into wide track territory.