Please don't feed the troll LS

 

Thanks for your valuable contribution

 

Yeah, I've put a load of rally stickers on it now, looks just like a rally car and goes really really faster with them on, it's well wicked. Oh and the bright blue neons running under the sills help, furry dice in the front window, oh and the massive sound system so people hear me 10 minutes before they see me - it just finished the car off haha

But more seriously, thanks for the constructive assessment of the design merits of the current generation car, however as I guess you don't own one or drive one regularly I presume you can't really comment why people do in fact notice that it's different, do take notice of it and do often compliment it at the petrol stations. But good input Sunny, I'm bored this afternoon so a bit of banter is welcome

 

Saw loads yesterday, all 57 plate non turbo's parked up on an old airfield near Bedford.

 

Is it a impreza or a kia.......... as it drives past

 

I would suggest that if you were happy with it you wouldn't need to defend it so much.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad car - I have driven a WRX and enjoyed it. Just your statement that it stands out from all the other hatchbacks is, quite simply, poppycock!!

Therefore I assumed that you had done something to make it stand out, hence my reasonable question as to whether you have stickered it up (which looks great if done well!)

 

I have a MY08 STI and its my first scooby. The reason I bought it is cus of its new styling as I thought it wouldnt draw as much attention as older scoobies. I even went for silver so it wouldnt stand out. Problem is I couldnt have been more wrong. I constantly get people coming up to me in car parks and petrol stations asking about it and saying how good it looks compared to pictures they have seen. When driving through the busy towns I see a full range of people pointing and saying "thats the new sti" and "wow that looks nice". I also think that if it had the louder exhaust note of older models it would get even more attention.

 

Edited for accuracy

 

^^^^^^totally agree with that. Even get acknowledged off Evo drivers . its not about defending the hatchback, but honestly some of the comments made are just a load of sh**. Interior is low budget? compared to what? classic, bugeye, blobeye? i dont think so. you can actually get a quality sound from the stereo system now. people are passing judgement on a 10min test drive. Only owning one do you realise what a capable car it is. no, not as fulltime hardcore as previous scoobs, but then then thats not needed for the school run is it? available when needed tho'. people comment on the loss of burble, who has still got the original exhaust on thier impreza? i never kept the original on any of mine. the lexus-looking rear lights? wasn't the same thing said when the hawkeye came out with its clear back light lenses? seems some people dont like change, i do. Wanted to get away from the styling of the saloon and the hatch suited me and my families needs. Wasnt a comprimse tho', defo got the better car for me. When we were waiting for delivery, had thoughts of cancelling,only cos i loved my blobeye, but glad i never. Anyway rant over. And of course all in my opinion.

Lee

 

STI seats are crap, more like a sofa, and the pedals are still the same as from a bugeye.

Fair comment, but why does it still have the Hawkeye Sti wheels as standard?


I thought the idea of bringing a new car out was to improve things, but to then leave things from previous models, and ruin the seats, well

 

It's clear it still divides opinion. I actually bought mine 'cos I didn't want it to stand out so much, it's a daily driver that gets left in car parks etc. so not being the centre of attention is good. I merely point out that even though it is 'just' another hatchback it is clearly different enough for random people to pass comment on it, do they do that with an Astra, Focus, Mazda et al? I personally get a little embarrassed at the attention it gets.

Also, I'm perfectly aware that it is not a design classic however I do actually like the looks (I would prefer different rear lights but its a small detail) and I only defend it sometimes on here in response to some quite harsh comments... I like it so why wouldn't I defend it? But please don't all go rush to buy one, I love that I rarely see them on the road, I hate to follow the crowd for the sake of it, I like it's individuality. 4000 miles into 08 STI ownership and loving it thanks very much

 

Don't like the hatchback? then have the much better looking sedan!
2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan front view

Is this actually in production?

 

I honestly couldn't believe it when I first say the MY08 STi and Subaru couldn't even be ar$ed to change the wheels from the Hawkeye. It's almost like they lost interest in it and thought **** it, it looks like a dog so no point spending any more money on the design.

 

Never looked at the pedals tbh, recaros option wouldve been nice but not for me. As for the wheels, dont know and to be honest dont really care. I didnt read that much into it, i knew the car i wanted, what colour, what wheels i wanted, any add ons were ordered. I purchased the car that works for me and my family, and put my own styling to it, as i do with all my cars. At the end of the day its my car, and thats all that really matters. I just think some of the comments are unjust, and sounds like history repeating itself everytime a new model comes out, but hey, we all have opinions.

Lee

 

Are these the same wheels that were on the last of the blobeye STi's?

Lee

 

I don't like the new hatch at all. I think people might say it looks better in the flesh because it looks so pig ugly in the pictures. That's still not good even with a rose tint to the shades...........

Time will tell regarding the sales figures but I have only seen a couple since they were launched and I always look out for anything thats half "potent".

I can't see any reason why you would buy one of these when you can pick up, low mileage older models for such reasonable money

Still hold fire and they will be doing people carriers next.............

 

Seen a couple or 3 posss 4 - but im not sure theyre not the same ones in fact - i suspect theyre not flying out the showrooms

 

Good lord that saloon version is actually more anonymous than the hatchback

 

In general how many Impreza's do you see normally?

I don't see that many maybe 1 or 2 a day on average, but considering they have been on sale as long as they have.
tbh most of those I do see are Classics, Blobs (not many Bugs or Hawks) but then that could be that there not popular where i live.

 

Dont some of you anti hatch peeps get stressed

My view is the STI hatch is a great car from every angle and value for money wise it is up with the best of them.

My last Scoob was a blob and that too was a good car but not as good in many ways as the hatch.

Before that i had a classic, that was good enough to get me hooked and make me want another Scoob.

The hatch is not a backward step - far from it.

Just chill though guys and enjoy what you have. No one is forcing anyone to like anything, we all have our own tastes and that's all that matters.

 

I saw a white STI the other week and had a good look round it. Must say I rather liked it.

Not too sure about the rear lights but then I don't like the rear lights on 03 STI onwards, they look a bit like rip off lexus jobbies from halfords

 

I must admit I wouldn't have got a UK STI... the premium euro spec was the only choice for my requirments.

17" wheels is a bit of a cop out when todays spec'd up diesels have 18's. The standard STI seats did look a bit soft (prob for the Yank market) so the Recaro's were another must... and the SAT NAV is the same unit from my Leggy Spec B...which was and still is faultless (and pointed out by James May..the best nav system he'd ever used)..

 

Are you honestly saying that you wouldn't buy one because it has the same pedals at a bugeye? AND, what are you doing with your head stuck in the footwell looking at the pedals anyway ?

Reading these posts I get the feeling people don't like it because it's different. When you see (particularly) the new STI on the road it looks great from the back/rear-3/4. Really pumped up. The front is a little bland, but overall this is not a car anyone can hate.

The world has moved on. The amount of traffic and speed limit enforcement we have today compared to the early 90s, when 4wd turbo-nutters really took off, means a different car is required. You need a car that is going to be up for a blast when that ever-elusive B-road opens up in front of you, but is happy pottering around the rest of the time. It seems all the 'anti-08' brigade wanted the reverse and that would have been a really stupid choice had Subaru made it.

The newage car was hated for a long time after it's release and yet now everyone loves it. One day soon all you saloon owners are going to pull up next to a 08 STI at a petrol station and when you see the two cars side by side it's going to hit you that your cars look old. The game has moved on...

 

From the pictures of it I've seen the saloon looks even worse than the hatch! Looks like a 10 year old Hyundai IMO

 

Totally agree with that. The back end of the hatch is the best bit. Saloon looks dreadful

 

Well put

(Especially the last paragraph)
The clasic's are looking very dated now...with only the 22B turning my head.
I was amazed how dated the Blob looked parked next to mine in the showroom... and I loved my Blob....

 

The majority of people on here are just in a huff because..."omg, they've changed the shape". I've had a run in a new Sti and I can honestly say its a step forward in every way: the grip it has and the way it handles is a step up from the previous shape, as you would expect.

So really, what the people are complaining about is the fact that it doesnt make them look like they're driving a 'rally car', and draw loads of attention to them. If you buy a Subaru for that reason you are a bit of a tool in my opinion.

Cars like this with a cult following always have the same problem, because its fans are afraid of change.

 

The reason I don't like the new hatch is for one reason only... I just do not like the look or design of it and it doesn't inspire me to therefore buy it.

I don't mind that it is not a turbo nutter machine or some kind of sophisticated "when you're in the mood" B road machine/trot to the shops.

I'm not talking about the interior/drive. To spend £20k+ on a car means its gotta be something you want to be seen in and thats my problem I don't......

May be it will grow on me.....? when I saw the Ford Focus for the first time I hated it and now I think the mk1 is one great looking car much better than the chunkier mk2.

I'm not here trying to slag off someone's pride and joy, its just when I see the new hatch it doesn't ding my dong at all and I would be genuinely surprised if the sales figures showed the opposite.

I know the newest classic would now be at least 8 years old but I would still genuinely be happy to own and turn up in one on the forecourt. I would also be happy with a blobeye or a hawk eye but not a bug eye (sorry to all you bug eye fans).

May be in 6 months time I'll have come around but at the moment I'm not seeing it.

I can understand why if you do like it and you own one, why you would be irritated by all us lot who are whinging about it............

I have to admit the new Sti is the best of the bunch though..........

 

I wouldn't buy one, because I think it looks shit. It's an abhoration, just like the bug eye.

 

I was one car back from one in a que of traffic and it took me 5 minutes before I realised what it was... a silver STi. Now, as you can tell from my car I am not into OTT styled Imprezas, I like the performance without the bravado... but having said that I am not sure the hatch is stealthy but more bland.

I have sat in one too. Interiour is marginally better than that in my car in terms of quality, which IMHO was one of the best of any Impreza pre-hatch (barring the S204 of course), but I did find it all a bit cramped.

I've tried to like the hatch as it does grow on you from the initial disgust... but I am now just apathetic to it to be honest.