Here's a good one

For example, the Impreza WRX gained inverted front and rear suspension struts – previously only used on the STI.

This sharpens handling feel and enhances roadholding by reducing wheel movement during hard cornering or when covering bumpy surfaces.

Knock Knock Who's there

 

Hi All

After all the talkabout the MY06, who's going to take the plunge
to buy a UK one?????

Glenn

Revolution

 

Apparently dealers are offering upto 25% off a 05 model!

Poor prices on 18 month old '04 cars too ( was £26,000 new, now around £17500 ! )

 

This is why i have stopped buying cars from the dealerships because i change every year.Evo to impreza and bouth cars have poor risiduals.

So after loosing 10k on every one of my cars i decided to import my own and am in the middle of bringing my own MY06 sti over for 23k on the road. which aint bad.

For those who dont want to feel the STING you should try importing a car yourself ,plus you get the better car compared to the uk ones minace the warranty.

We should get a group buy on the MY06.

And befor you lot go on about the model report.........Thats not a problom.

 

Euro or JDM import?

I've considered JDM, but whilst they remain short geared, on 2.0 engines, more expensive to insure and sometimes tricky to sell I'd rather get a UK model. 2.5 engine gives a nice power band, many more bolt on turbo options, a lot less hassle and you can EU import them for about £22-23k with all the work done for you?

 

The EVO FQ400 does not suffer from the mental lag everybody is banging on about. A very good friend of mine owns one and I have been in and driven it on numerous occasions. The car is simply awesome and poors boiling hot **** on anybody that says 400bhp is too much for the road and not useable. It destroys T25s, Spec Cs, WR1s, Porsches, Ferraris and virtually everything else. And it is a million times better than any of the MR 300 320 or 340 concoctions.

Servicing is no worse than a WR1 but to be honest you should change the oil on your car every 3000 miles so it isn't much worse than most performance cars.

Back to the point though the FQ400 is 47k which is a hell of a lot. Subaru have put a 2.5ltr engine in the new car but have done nothing with it - aprt from making it look pig ******* ugly. It as the ability for 350bhp in standard format and 400 with a PPP - all for a price under 36k. Why not throw the gauntlett back at Mitsi. Oh no we'll leave it at 280bhp where pretty much most hot hatches will give it a run for it's money.

Totally and utterly pointless.

 

You are missing the point on the power quoted on the 2.5's. They are low on purpose so that when Prodrive release their PPP it'll look really good and those that pay for it will have stiffed yet again by IM.

 

I somehow doubt a FQ 400 would "destroy" a Type 25 or Spec C. 50bhp can be easily negated on the road or track by suspension set up, road conditions, and driver competence. If someone told you that a Peugot GTi would keep up with a WR1 on a track, you'd have probably laughed at them.....till Bedford.

There is a law of diminishing returns when it coes to the power game on the road. I'll bet when you look at the performance difference on the road, or track, between, say, a spec C and the FQ400 then the FQ400 will start to look rather poor value.

You're also looking at the top end of the market. Subaru most likely don't want to go above 30k as it takes it out of the "affordable" price bracket. Value for money is an important part of the eqation with these cars. 47k buys you some seriously tasty machinery which -if we're being honest would be preferable to a Evo or Scooby!

Ns04

 

Dead on - 30k is getting awful close to year old, <10k mile M3 and S4 territory, both of which make any Subaru look like a tinny econobox.

I'm hoping the STi comes in a 27K and dealers aren't welded to MSRP...we'll see...

 

Lol ... what the Bedford video doesn't show you is the two laps prior where the WR1 came from nowhere to overtake the GTI, whose driver drives the ring virtually every weekend! Secondly the driver of the WR1 has nowhere near the ability of the Pug driver and if you watch the video you will see that from the poor racing lines taken and poor braking. On the straight the WR1 disappears into the horizon! You are trying to tell me that a heavily modified WR1 is going to be kept up with by a Pug GTi!! Lol on normal road conditions it would be killed. The video on northloop takes the **** out of the WR1 quite a lot but on the day the pug driver said otherwise to the driver of the WR1.

Lol the FQ400 completely vaped a 348 ft Ilb of torque Spec C at a recent posers cruise ... despite the spec c having a significant head start. It destroys spec Cs and Type 25s. I take it you have seen these cars race before and are therefore basing your comment on actual information - not what you've read in magasines or various forums ... ever driven an Fq400????

 

I wish the German stuff did make the Subaru look like a tinny econobox as I would love to buy one if they were really that much better. IMHO they make the Subaru look like a very good VFM, very tunable, excellent all weather car with huge practicality. They even make it feel like it has good brakes and steering feel and talkative handling despite the opinions I've heard otherwise. I really didn't want to get another Subaru but I can't think of anything else that is more upmarket that I want.... Merc/Jag fall to bits, Mitsubishi reliability has gone to the wall from the experienced techs I've spoken to who have masses of warranty work on Evos, Audis so far are just boring to drive with too much weight at the front, and the new RS4 is not in limited numbers to protect against depreciation a bit, Porsche is a bit flash and also don't handle our roads like Jap rally reps - a friend who is a suspension expert who has driven them all and says even the Turbo bottoms out where an STI is not troubled at all.

I've been considering a new or used M3 (they look quite good, nice interior, nice engine sound, I like the SMG, I don't like the present depreciation in the run up to the E90 M3, I don't like the dealers I've met who seem stuck up and keen to take silly money off you for miniscule tasks, and they also seem unreliable compared to Subarus - no one I know with a BMW has not had significant problems with HVAC, gearboxes etc). If I got one I would have to keep the Scooby for the Scottish winters and have been advised it is likely to lose £15k in the first year (£11k after discount). I've run a Subaru from new for 5 years, had a lot of fun and I've lost about 11K over 5 years. Used M3s are apparently changing hands through auctions for thousands below book and they are really difficult to value. You can't sell them unless they have unneccessary, heavy and expensive extras like Nav & 19s. And you can't stuff them down a wet bumpy road like a Subaru. It rains a lot here...

Edinburgh's FQ400 demo had a trashed rear diff after 2000 miles and some owners are complaining of tractor sounding engines. And if you look at the 30-120 or whatever times, it isn't that exciting compared to an FQ340.

The 2.5 is a nice step forward - I've been running one for nearly the last two years. You can have 400 BHP with so little lag it is hilarious to drive. And I think you can run one out of warranty without terrible fear.

I just can't see beyond another Scooby, I would like to as the image has taken a hammering and it is nice to have a change.

New STI for me once the Euro import prices have settled I think. The MY05 I drove was as comfortable as an M3 and more spacious. The tyre noise is greater but the grip is phenomenal, plus the F-R balance with DCCD-A is something else.

 

I'm not having a go at you mate. I thought you did very well actually, Gary is a highly experienced and skilled driver in a car set up for track work.. My point was to say a 50bhp advantage isn't that much and can easily be negated by driver skill and how well the car is set up for the conditions.

Put it this way, you've said that the new 06 model willl be given a run for its money by most hot hatches, yet IT has in the order of 50bhp more than them, so if they can keep up with it, how comes the FQ400 can destroy a car -like the type 25- which has about 50bhp less?

I've not yet driven the FQ400, no. What I can tell you is my experience of driving a mate's Evo 6 GSR and a MY99 back to back on a pretty poorly surfaced B road. Now, I think it'd be a foregone conclusion that on a track or a well surfaced the Evo would have won convincingly. On those roads, however, both myself and my mate agreed we were quicker -and much more confident- in my MY99, predominantly beause it kept in touch with bumpy roads better and inspired more confidence than the Evo.

NS04

 

John,

I am sure you have driven them - but the icing on the cake is that the newer Scoobs are miles ahead of the old classic you drive in terms of chassis and refinement.

Gangsta,

as for servicing costs of a Mitsi - just follow the long term test car in evo - their bills are twice what I pay for my 'bottoming out' 911

Mitsi's are great cars - and so are the modern Subarus. If you give me £47k for a Subaru I will give you a car that the FQ400 will never see coming and will never see where it went either. And that is not from magazine bs - that is from my own experience. And for the same money RCMS will sell you a well sorted car that will match it.

You have to remember that the FQ cars are aftermarket tuner builds done in the UK - they are not factory built - unless Uxbridge has become a new Japanese territory.

Rannoch

 

Yes but we are talking about a car with a full factory warranty mate. I could throw 47k at an impreza and have the most mental scoob ever but will it be reliable ... NO ... will I have a warranty ... NO.

The point of the thread is Subaru putting a 2.5litre engine into the new 06 but not doing anything with it. Just leaving it the same. Not to mention making it pig ugly.

I tell you one thing and that is for a brand new car with a three year warranty and 400bhp I would by the EVO FQ400. You find me a brand new car with the same or more bhp and a three year warranty (together with all the advantages of AWD and space).

Subaru could have done it with the new car for a hell of a lot less cash, and then the looks wouldn't have been so much of an issue and I would have kept my order. But no we'll keep it on 280bhp ... dustbin motor now I'm afraid.

 

To be honest, If I wanted to be asurred of a reliable 400bhp, I'd get a car with a high capacity V8, not a highly stressed 2 litre.

Something like an Audi RS 6 would fit the bill nicely

And I'm sorry but I don't see how it can be described as a dustbin motor, a Kia Pride is a Dustbin motor, a Scooby with a 2.5 is not, no matter how restrained the factory may have been with its power outputs!

NS04

 

I think you will find that there will be several PPP options to boost power up to 305 BHP 325BHP & 345BHP, watch this space.

 

But with the audi you are talking about nigh on £65000 and it's an estate! Not very sporty for your average 23-28 year old I'm afraid.

Well then why give the car a 2.5ltr if your not going to increase the output power and try to take on your main rivals? WE can't modify subarus because of the warranty so what are they trying to do ... ***** tease us?? Yes we'll give you a 2.5ltr that is capable of reliable power outputs of over 400bhp but you can't touch it otherwise we'll void your warranty? Oh and just to ***** tease you some more we'll leave it 280bhp and still not put a boost or oil pressure guage in it.

Better cars with 280bhp for less that the subaru now, better looking too, so why buy one??? Dustbin motor!!!!!

 

How about an RS4, they squeezed a V8 in there too....added bonus: no-one wil think you're a chav!

Can't think of many demonstrably better cars than a scooby for less money

NS04

 

Indeed, our American friends get a few levels of PPP kit.

dipster

 

A whole 345bhp! Wow ... what a good use of 2.5ltr! Just three years later than Mitsubishi eh!

A 380bhp variant would be the car that puts subaru back on the map IMO. Keep the price below 35k (obviousely offer models with 320bhp and 340bhp) but deliver a car that despite it's pig awful dustbin looks will pin you back in your seat as well as providing the feel and poise that we all know and love.

 

Having gone the Evo route myself MR 300 with Mods I can understand your Frustration but BHP is not everything. You may well find after Prodrive do there stuff you mint have a Huge wall of Torque from 2300 revs so very user friendly. However you can't do anything about the poxy front end re-style.

John

 

Agree, the power band with PPP should be very nice. The balance will be like a PPP on an old classic UK model (but scaled up of course) - univerally appreciated as a really nice all rounder with the right amount of power. Big power isn't all that IMHO for a daily driver which is really what these cars are aimed at.

Even if the PPP only gets to 320 BHP which is probably sensible on the likely size of turbo, that is still 130 BHP/litre. Should be reliable and very driveable.

 

Try this....


http://www.whatcar.com/popups/pop_news_video.asp?

 

Get a 350Z

 

Full factory warranty? As it is not a factory build I think you will find it is an aftermarket Insurance style warranty.

For example if there is any evidence of use of octane booster (a good idea in a highly stressed 2 litre car) your warranty is void...

...and there are lots of other quirks there as well.

However I can see from the way you are developing the debate - whatever anyone says about Subaru that you will have answer. You enjoy not driving yours, I will enjoy not driving mine

Rannoch

 

How many "inferior" scoobs are sold compared to Evos in the British market?

 

I can understand Gansta'a dissapointment with the output levels of the 2.5L engine. Like you said "only" 280bhp isn't really going to set your hair on fire in comparison to a FQ340.
Prodrive have to have some tuning scope for another £2k.
Looking at the US market they get a 300,300 Sti out of the box with there crap fuel so whats going on? I read some where that they don't drive at a sustained high rev level or speed? Yea right.

I think the torque is going to play a big factor though. It's alright looking at it on paper but driving it may be a differant thing all together.

Looking at the 2.5L block what is the safest highest bhp can you extract from standard internals?

 

About 400/400 to be reliable IMHO, you can probably do about 500/450 for a year of reasonably hard use before pulling the engine is a good idea. Just my impressions after running 2.5s for about 30000 miles in various levels of tune.

 

Whats the big deal about keeping up with Mitsu's? Having a 2.5l is the base for something much bigger later on, for those that choose to progress. PPP have always come up with reasonable value packages, and if they don't, I'm sure TSL, RCMS or WRC Technologies will. The new look will grow on people just as the bug-eye first did, IMO better in the flesh.

For those that go over to Frankfurt to see the cars, check out the wide-bodied WRC car, how mean did that look??!!!

 

Various posters on this thread keep reminding us that Subaru need to catch up with the Evos but I think they’re missing the point. Subaru have pitched the performance of the Sti to be more universally acceptable to a higher number of customers and you have to agree they have been much more successful in this over the years with sales. Drivers looking for a hard core 350 bhp rockets are obviously in the minority or more Evo s would be sold than Stis.
I am in the market for a new car to replace my 02 wrx and the new 2.5 sti is music to my ears. I don’t and won’t do trackdays but with the general drivability and user friendliness of the impreza, its my only option.
I think Subaru would be shooting themselves in the foot if they went much more hardcore than the new base model sti. We still have the option for the PPP if the need arises !
So with the torquier engine, dccd, hid lights, improved looks ( over my bug eye !) the MY06 gets my vote !

Graham