Phil

Not sure if ordering one yet,I wsa impressed though. BTW I don't normally buy a car till April (my birthday)

also waiting to see the UK's "offering" but feel I'll probably be underwhelmed or VERY disappionted by the UK's performance. 6 months to wait for PPP and then it will be toooo little and toooooo late.

At least the JDM really Flies

IMHO

Tony

 

 

I saw both the Litchfield and Subaru UK STi's at the Autosport Show.

One of the things I tried was to set the drivers seat for my driving position then climb in the back for rear seat space, and compared to my JDM STi there was nothing in it. Certainly the extra wheelbase hasn't been converted to extra interior length. Interior width, again nothing in it.
I do agree the seating position was lower, so it gives a "feeling" of more space.
The boot is a complete joke; smaller in width, length and height under the parcel shelf. The seats will fold down for more space, but not much good with 2 kids. So the boot space is hopeless if you have a family, your photo shows how small it actually is.

I still think the 2.5 UK model is the better choice (remember this is from the owner of a JDM model). Seeing what hawkeye STi's owners on here are getting with basic tuning, especially when it comes to low down torque. Litchfields 350bhp (what was the torque?) isn't spectacular nowadays.

I also noticed the JDM STi has a plain steering wheel, but the UK model had switches on both sides, but I can't remember what they were for now. Cruise Control? Anyone remember?

I will be giving one a good test drive soon, the wider track and longer wheelbase should be good for the handling, slightly disappointed that a far smaller car still weighs the same as the 2007 model.

I'll also be closely looking at the EVO X. It looks far better than the STi and the saloon would suit my needs better than a small hot hatch.

It's a sad time, but after 11 years of Subaru Impreza's and 5 cars it looks to be coming to an end.

Well not quite, I'll be keeping my classic ra track car.

 

sooooo very yesterday LOL


LOL probable completely out of "Focus" or "Seat" thought I'd get that in first Just taken from a Potential owners veiw piont,

OK haven't got a video of me Powersliding it clarkson style but i think it certainly ticks most boxes i'm not certain that it will be the same feeling when it comes down to a STD UK STi though we will wait and see

Tony

 

[QUOTE=T5NYW;7606568] sooooo very yesterday LOL



I'm sorry for you that MY opinion is not the same as yours or what you wanted to hear.

 

Defo looks better in black than the blue, rear lights are a vast improvement.


but I can't see me buying one ......

but maybe in 3 or 4 years when it's had a few facelifts

 

DCR59

I do appologise, I had quoted jjones but removed the picture(seat), as no text in quote, it never included it in my post.(included @@@ so peeps can see it) so was NEVER aimed at you


I haven't read your post yet

Tony

 

I have 3 "children" 27, 25 and 18 and my saloon is cramped, OK we are none of us are large but it would be more comfortable in the hatch than my saloon IMHO but as you say could be more a "feeling" than an actual dimension

I tried mine(MY06 STi) then the MY08 and then mine again and the MY08 in the space of 3 minutes as stood within 10 yards of each other

The newage boot ain't that great either comapred to a Classic most of the space is taken the hinges, I struggle to get 2 suitcases and 2 holdalls in mine


You can only buy what suits your needs to be fair, this car won't suit everyone to be sure

[quote=DCR59;7606559]

I also noticed the JDM STi has a plain steering wheel, but the UK model had switches on both sides, but I can't remember what they were for now. Cruise Control? Anyone remember?
/quote]

Stereo controls are available as an Option on the JDM as I said JDM isn't 2 Spec'd cars Top spec and Standard Spec It is ALL options

Hopefully on the MY08 you won't need any spare Valves under warranty once you've tweaked it LOL


Tony

 

Tony you dont (or didnt) look old enough to have 'children' that old, unless you are including yourself in those numbers

I have to say it looks pretty good, but to me it isn't an Impreza, they really should have given it a new name

 

Its still korean mutton dressed as lamb, it doesn`t matter what you do to that car as you can`t change the base shape of it and it will always look like a high powered shopping trolley or a car thats quick for getting to school and dropping the kids off.

It doesn`t resemble one ounce of rally pedigree in its looks to me.

 

But thats cause you've havent saw the SWRT version hurtling through a stage yet!

On the whole I like it.
Yeah, some areas need attention like the wheels, but thats pretty minor.

I too am awaiting to see what the UK offering delivers.

Shaun

 

Tony, thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Whilst I totally understand why Subaru went down this route with the new car, I don't understand why they executed it so badly.

That said the photos you attached do show this car in a different light and I do like this version. I always think you should look at the basic version to judge whether a car is well designed, and on that score I think they've dropped the ball.

Did Iain say anything about the new T25

Cheers

Martin

 

Black and pimp tints combined with those lights do well to mask the awful rear quarter / C pillar design.

Fair play to Litchco, car looked good at the Autosport show

 

i like the surrounds and the rear lights are a big improvement, however I would smoke the white area a bit


like so

 

My thoughts from your pics:

Wheels; Do nothing for the car at all. The UK spec ones lOOk better.

Lights; Never had a major issue with them, but do prefer the ones pictured. The smoke film on the Harmon STi would be where my money went though.

Tailpipe surround; bordering on halfords add-on, but i like them. I think it matches the lights. Not sure they would make it onto mine from just lOOking at the pics.

Boot; lOOks decent.

Dials; Would HAVE to change the speedo, as over half the dial would never get used if just switched to read in MPH.

Seats & interior; OK, nothing special. Are they as "huggy" as the newage STi seats?

C-O-L-O-U-R!!!! What happened to something, even black. It is very grey and very drab.



I'm sure my opinion will change on seeing/driving one, but i'm definitely not in the "I hate the new impreza" crowd. Never have been. Change is good! (...sometimes )

 

I don't think it looks bad ... not at all in fact, but it just doesn't look special. Can't imagine kids stopping in the street as you go past in this where as the classics to the hawks have that. Example I took mine round my mates house (to show it off) and my little 7yr old god son was playing with his remote control scooby on the floor. I told him to go outside and look at my new car ....at which point I thought he was going to have a seizure he got that excited .... sooooooooobbbaaaaaaawuuuuuuuu he was shouting ..... innnnn blueeeeeeeee same as mine. followed by ... Daddy can we get one ....ermm not yet his dad said maybe one day.

Can't see this having that effect .... even once it competes / wins the wrc (see citroen/focus etc etc).

As I said looks ok to me but nothing "special"... sure it goes some though !!!

 

Just watched the latest Best Motoring DVD, the new STi, bog standard did the 1/4 in 12.9!! That vs the old STi's 13.1 and the new EVO X's 13.4. Damn quick!

 

Don't think many are questioning the performance, it's just the lOOks/shape/styling.

Anything that dogs an Evo gets a from me. Finally!

 

But remember the Citroen & Focus don't come 4 wheel drive turbo charged

OK the Impreza is nothing like the WRC really, but the basic's are there in the road car.

I'd bet good money that if Ford or Citroen decided to make a road going 4WD Turbo C4 or Focus that they'd sell.

Shaun

 

I'm not saying the Focus RS resembles their WRC but it's not much further off than the scooby is it ?? My old boss had one and it was **** fast ... but the only people who really new what it was were car nuts .... so us basically.

Now the old escort cossie .... different story !!

 

Actually, I have to say that with the exception of the rear, which is till a mess. it's not looking at all bad.

Wouldn't go for the JDM though, I know people will groan, but a scooby without the burble just isn't a scooby.

Ns04

 

Wot ee said ^^^^

Looks better than any mag pics I've seen - will wait till I see one in the flesh, although I have a feeling the Hawkeye will become the new "classic" !

 

Wait until people offer the rear WRC wing.

 

That's progress for you. The engine still has a distinct sound, beleive me it sounds a lot better than the EVO!

 

I agree, the Hawkeye is the last of the great Imprezas!!!

G

 

I agree, Ford et al change model names when they have a major shape change, like Escort/Focus, but it must of been tempting for Subaru to try and retain the kudos of the brand name for the new model. As they seem to be after the Yank market, maybe they should call it the Imprezza Lite or the Subaru Moccachino de-caf.

I'll reserve judgement until I see an STI in the flesh, seen a WRX at the dealer, not fussed really. I think my Classic was the "classic" Scooby if you'll forgive the pun. I like my Hawkeye as it's a lot more comfotable, quiter, and the headlights actually work better than a dodgy candle. Just waiting to save up for the PPP

 

Bodywork Ugly as only a Korean built Rover 25 could be, camouflaged by a naff silver stripe low down to hide the shopping-trolley-esque looks.

Lights Rear: Halfords, Front: everyone else.

Rear View Sooooooooo Fiesta, Focus. Those exhaust trims and the daft quad exhaust just scream "chav"..........and people mock classics

Wheels Almost identical to those on my youngest's Corsa '05 plate SRi. Designed to hide the looks of the car. Chav.

Interior Nowt special, no Recaro's again, OK , the seats are lower, big deal, they were low on the classics, and it was a complaint against the newage cars, so what's been gained?

All in all, I wouldn't have one given unless I could sell it on

Alcazar

BTW: Tony: do you work for Subaru, a dealer, or Litcho? If not, where do you get your rose-tinted specs? I want some

 

You say that mate, but I'm not sure it is so much a step fowards as a step sideways to accomodate the preferences of different markets. I think a larger capacity coupled with a well designed non-twin scroll turbo is just as -if not more effective- for road use than a twin scroll set up on a smaller engine (providing you don't want a rev-o-matic screamer.) I think that's more what the JDM market likes, but I'd prefer the torque and the burble of the larger engine any day of the week.

Few people I know with big bhp have gone the equal length header and twin scroll route.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the twin scroll set up is not effective; it certainly improves the 2.0ltr boost threshold and lag, but I reckon for the UK market this is better acheived by upping the capacity of the engine.

Of course, the difference between the UK and JDm models probably has more to do with emission legislation than customer pref!

That said, I did speak to one source in Subaru customer relations who said there were no plans to go twin scroll with UK models and they know that we like the car's distinctive sound more than the japs, who prize efficency over character.

Ns04

 

T25 uses equal length headers.

 

Really, I could have swore i heard a burble coming from the one that past me the other day.

Ah well, I'll amend my post: cheers for the correction.

ns04