Scoobyspanners

If I were given the choice of any of the cars on last nights Fifth Gear then it would have been the Cosse...........sad but true. Sorry but I just think the new Impreza looks pants. The wife came in half way through the bit with the Impreza in and asked if they were testing the new Focus! She has confused older EVO's as impreza's (they do look similar) when we see them but never as a ford. Bit confused as to why Tiff was trying to crash the car on the skid pan though, bit of a strange thing to do..........I would have liked to see it go around the test track to set a time.

Alan MaC

Just watched it on You Tube.

Is it me or was the Camera Set at a funny angle?

It looked like a Fun Fair Mirror.

Tall & Blobby.

Surely it can't look like that in real life???


Regards

Alan MaC

NACRO

YouTube - Fifth Gear - the new 2008 Subaru WRX STI Review

In case anyone missed the 'biased' item. Seems to me like the new STi just doesn't 'flow'. 25K buys you some awfully nice cars other than the lackluster Impreza.

pslewis

A link for those who wish to watch it again, or who missed it first time - like me

YouTube - Fifth Gear - the new 2008 Subaru WRX STI Review

Ooooops, sorry - repeat post - I had it ready to post but caught myself watching it through first

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Not that I would EVER buy the new Impreza ( if I was spending £25K on a car, then theres plenty of nicer looking stuff to choose from which will drive as well or better ), but Tiff's review did mainly seem to focus on 'if you mess about with all the electrical settings, then drive sideways like a loon on a track, it isnt perfect' - fair enough, but what is it like as a road car as thats where it will be 99% of the time ?

At least when TG did the Impreza vs Evo test a while ago, they took them both up onto some real country roads and compared them.

DazW

iTrader: (1)

I take it Tiff didn't rate it then? ...so that's EVO, Top Gear magazine & now Fifth Gear all with pretty much the same opinion ...lets hope that the Performance Car review of it is better than their review of the WRX!

martwrxsl

I stand by my previous posting on the subject. Why not put the new sti against the old one, or an evo in the same test. There's no comparision with any other car in the 25k bracket. Watching it again it seems like he was going pretty fast to me at the start!

Watch the new focus rs 300bhp on the new series of fifth gear and it will get a 10min slot on a bone dry track.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Nothing sad about that! I aggree. Just wish it was the Cossie they were offering as the competition prize!

JohnD

pslewis

Out of interest what new car will do 0-62mph in less than 5 seconds and offer the peerless reliability of a Subaru? Costing £25k?

I don't know of one - but, there may be one?

What 1 year old car would cost £25,000 and be better? Then a 2 year old car?

I'm sure there are quality cars out there for £25,000 used - what would you have? A Jag XKR maybe?

dpb

They actuallly dont need to make it perform better than the last one now do they - what proportion of sales did the sti make up in previous times

They DO need to make the whole range more accessible .!
THe price tag is less ( well its a lesser car) - and your toffy nosed know nothing bmw 1 convert will probably start to become intertested

lucky_strike

Just watched it again via youtube and his final comments about the diff's are that none of the settings transform the car into a focused track car... well no, it's based on a rally car not a circuit racer, stick to the 2wd lighter weight machines (like the Clio) if a track day warrior is required surely? Or stick on some Prodrive suspension or similar and for still less than the outgoing model you'll have firmed up the ride to make it more track focused? I reckon he was miffed that he couldn't master it in the wet, more finess required me thinks. I remember watching him film at one of our autograss meetings many years ago, he had about an hours practice the day before filming/racing and was spinning out all over the place much to the amusement of the spectators, come race day he was so flustered in the races he never said a word to camera so think it's safe to say his off-road driving abilities are not great and drifting is ok if it's power sliding a 2wd big hp car.

Still happy with my decision, I never even looked at other makes. I wanted a new STI in WR Blue with Gold wheels full stop, it would have had to drive like a noddy car to stop me ordering it, it didn't in fact it rode very well and looked even better in the flesh than the pics I'd seen.

Mal K

Negative....Gadget show returns with Suzi Perry flashing her legs!!!!!!

lucky_strike

lol, I remember her covering the speedway on Sky Sports many years ago, ah they were the days.

lovinmescoob

"Still happy with my decision, I never even looked at other makes. I wanted a new STI in WR Blue with Gold wheels full stop, it would have had to drive like a noddy car to stop me ordering it, it didn't in fact it rode very well and looked even better in the flesh than the pics I'd seen"

lucky strike - Good for you mate, nobody, or at least not many ever bought one for the looks!! Hope you enjoy it mate, looking at the grey one and trying hard to convince the wife!!!!!

dpb

Suzy was advertised to be on the latest moto gp instead we got some short arsed bloke , imagine the dissapointment



I Think its true - tiff is no rally driver ( intrested/able)..!

But then more owners track their scoobys than ever rally them i suspect
- i think he got the point across.! That the shiny buttons/display for the diff change is meant to impress your mates , mainly

automodellistagt

i liked the one i drove on saturday, hooned around like a lunatic and was very impressed, impressed enough to consider getting one. Although id like a 3-door

stilover

I was just hoping they were going to give the Cossie away as this weeks price. Had me phone poised and everything

As for the STI? Doesn't look good does it?

For an everyday drive I suspect it'll be better than the Evo X. Just not as quick.

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

I think part of the problem is that it now looks to the general masses like just another hot hatch ... one that happens to cost 25k.

That may well still be a bargain but the evo is up there with the higher classed saloons.

I will say I was very disappointed to find less space in the front that in the hawks... another backward step I think.

At what point though are all of us scooby owners going to give in to the fact that this particular STI is a bit of a crapper ?!?!? 5 reviews .... 10 reviews etc etc If you want one - like it - then buy one fair play to you but I can't see my money going this route.

Jimpreza

Have we got a name for the new impreza yet such as 'bong eye'.

DB07P1

its having a bit of a hard time of things this new impreza,and when the new rs comes out i can see it getting harder!are those guys at subaru on drugs!can they not see that they have made an iconic car into a mazda lookalike!!what were they thinking,however i dont suppose i can judge to much until i have actually driven 1.until then i guess driftaholic tiff's review will have to do until a proper show (top gear) does a real review!

dpb

Slitty eye ?

or slant eye

lucky_strike

I think a lot of the critism could be subdued if Subaru did a couple of different STI models and perhaps not only differentiated on the engine power output (like the Evo's) but also the suspension (maybe like they dow ith FQ and MR models) so it was a little more hardcore, I guess we'll see what special editions come later in the next wave of cars towards the summer?

It seems that the new offering's softly softly approach is not hitting home with reviews but then the last few years of STI sales haven't exactly set the world on fire either so Subaru currently are in a lose/lose situation it seems. In time and with some of their usual yearly updates I think they will tweak the handling and interior plastics upto the levels of the euro competition.

Do Subaru have access to the development funds of the likes of Ford and perhaps even Mitsubishi, I know UK sales are very low but how well do they sell cars in AsiaPac? I guess they've spent a small fortune developing the diesel motor which is getting good press. Maybe the UK links with Prodrive need reinvigorating, being a little behind the launch with the upgrades perhaps isn't helping?

pslewis

Before 1992 Subaru was unknown to the masses - then the Impreza started blitzing the Rallys and looking good - now, Subaru are getting stuffed in the Rallies, they are making good cars but boring cars ....... they will disappear into the niche market they once held with the Farming fraternity.

Sad, very sad ....

lucky_strike

Not sure about the rallying, this is their best start to a season in x number of years, or so the chappie on Dave's WRC programme said on Sunday, podiums in the first three rallies? And actually their niche is part of the appeal to me, don't want a car for the masses, can't think of anything more boring than driving round in a Ford Focus or VW Golf (no offense to anyone with those, they are just not for me).

But it is an interesting transition time for Subaru, they are in danger of being outpaced by the Korean's never mind trying to catch up to Europe although I think their new diesel engine will open up the marque to lots of new punters, far more important to the bean counters than the number of STI's they will sell worldwide.

scoobydazzler

i remember when you could buy a new subaru along side a tractor

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Read the EVO Mag article about the Impreza STi and the Lambo. Makes some interesting reading.

I suggest a shootout with an 08 STi WRX UK, 08 STi JDM, JDM Forester STi, JDM Legacy Spec B GT(because I have one), Blob, Bug and Hawkeye STi's with PPP. No mods, out of the box

The New Rally WRC Car will debut in Finland according to Chris Atkinson on DAVE ..................hope it does well. Atkinson for President (at the moment).

thesyn

I suspect that in real world driving conditions, where I spend 99% of my driving time in the traffic stuffed up with kids and dogs etc, the STI will be very good. You lose something in no longer knowing that it could perform if it had to. Doesn't look that bad IMHO. For 25K I would have smething different though.

Borat_Drives_A_Scooby

If i wanted a minger i can get one for half a lager and a packet of pork scratchings down our local club, i certainly don`t need to spend 25k for one.

gallois

so what NEW car would you buy for 25k

Borat_Drives_A_Scooby

I wouldn`t, if i had a spare 25k i would buy either a Type25 or a 22b.