In all fairness I reckon we've got a bit sidetracked here and stuck on quoting power and performance figures (mostly my fault, lol).

The OP asked for some opinions and opinions are what he got, lol.

In summary,
Some people like the sport and some people don't, and some people don't care.

Hope I haven't caused any offense to anybody but have just been airing my own personal opinion on the model.

 

No offence taken and like wise mate I'm not here to wind people up. I think we gave the guy a lot to think about. Its people like us that give the veriaty of angles needed lmaooo

 

Yep fair enough. Key points are;

• Not a quick car by any means
• Economy isn't great but isn't too bad considering AWD (30mpg combined is easily achieved)
• Has AWD so it's great in the snow
• Relatively cheap insurance

 

It's a shame Subaru never made a watered down version of the WRX like Mitsubishi did with the early Evo.
I had one of these watered down cars about 10 years ago. It's a car called a Lancer GSR, basically an early Evo shell without the fancy bonnet and a 1.8 small turbo engine. Produced from memory about 195bhp and was much cheaper to buy/run and insure than a fully blown Evolution. Still had AWD and was plenty quick enough for me as a young lad. Loved it in all honesty until I bought an EVO 3.

 

surely a wrx is the equivalent of a watered down evo

as the evo equivalent is the sti and the wrx is a watered down version of the sti.

 

No the fq I think are with the STI. But there are so many verients I'm not sure myself.

 

I suppose so Tommy, but the GSR is even more watered down than a WRX with its 1.8 engine and not in your face looks. The GSR had a plain bonnet like the sport.

The WRX is far less watered down from the STI compared to the GSR against the Evo.

 

Through the nineties the Evolution was always compared against the STI model, the FQ range came in later when the Evo 7 was released.

 

just googled it as never heard of such a beast!
i like!

 

I thought it was something like that. Although I did assume the GSR was the entry level evo.

I found out something new today thanks mate

 

Are you forgetting the Turbo 2000 with the mightily powered 220bhp lump?

 

All evolutions were GSR mate except the lightweight RS models.

 

Yep good point, alot less to insure compared to WRX and STI models. I do think the 1.8 GSR was even more watered down than that though.

 

In Greece they sold a 1.6 Turbo Impreza

 

I love how some turbo owners make there cars look sports (no bonnet vent, fmic) stealthy

 

i always thought this was called scooby net not scooby wrx/sti net....i myself have been driving cars for 26 yrs..and had many in that time, always fancied a scooby but never owned one, earlier this year i started to think about buying one, could have bought an wrx/sti etc etc but didnt i bought a nice blobeye sport and yes its now a declared wrx lookalikey...does that make me stupid???....i think not, for what it is im happy its got the looks the sound( sounds no diff to a real wrx)..(full ss system with unequeal headers) and will give me 30 mpg all day long, it out handles every car ive ever owned and everytime i drive it, i have a smile on my face..so why all the negativity towards sports? there a subaru!!!!...so to the original post i say go for it, they aint that slow..handle great and arnt stupidly expensive to run

 

ermmmmm....less than 3 months - not much time to actually be able to review a car is it?

I have owned one for 12 years (from near new) and have never had a mechanical issue...currently sat with 157k on the clock and runs like a swiss watch. I average around 30 ish mpg and thats with the odd bit of abuse (wife drives during the week)

I also own a fozzy 2.5xt (5.8 secs 0- 60 - not bad for a farmers tractor)which yes is alot faster but the sport is just as nice to drive.


Cheaper to insure? I pay just over £200 all in, fully comp.

My son whos 19 has a swift (1.0) and can insure a 2.0 sport for £150.00 more a year. I'd say thats pretty cheap.

Easy to maintain and parts are not expensive, also dont look like the local chavs that drive the Disastra's - there terrible!

And if we are also comparing, lets compare what happens when it comes to winter...guess whos getting home everyday and not becoming a bus window licking idiot as there fwd (real quick init) car won't go anywhere.



If you can afford a turbo though go for it.... but be prepared to try and find one that has not been thrashed all its life.

If not you will not be dissappointed with a sport. They are a brilliant car and very good way to join the subaru family.

 

The only thing a sport has got going for it over and above other cars of similar power is awd - it is out done in every other department by other cars of a similar price.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Would i own a non turbo Impreza???? not on your fooking nelly.
I drive a Fabia VRS - i bet there a loads of people who wouldn't be seen dead in it, but it was bought with my head not my heart.

 

Well said

 

I would never buy a car based on the 3 or 4 days a year where the snow is bad enough to make things difficult - i am however yet to be stranded in my fwd so buying a lardy awd would be for the most part - a waste of time

 

little tools mate. 7 seconds to sixty. 50mpg. first turned me on to performance diesels..

 

I give up on this thread...
Ofcourse the only people defending the sports are people who own them, and I completely understand that. I would defend my car if it was being slated, doesn't make it any good though does it ?

Yes had a sport for 3 months, and I can assure you that was too long. To say I was disappointed was a huge understatement my friend.

Are our winters really that bad to make me drive a underpowered sport all year so for the odd few days when it snows so I know I'll be safe....eeerrrrrrrmmmmm, no thanks, I'll take my chances.

Your son drives a swift but can insure a 2.0 16V Impreza for another £150 ???? Why is he still driving the swift then.

You pay £200 a year fully comp, how old are you though ??

Sorry chaps but I'm not convinced. As Brun says, the only thing they offer over other cars in the same price bracket is AWD, I'm afraid this extra does not compensate for the rest of the car. There are far better cars out there for the same money in my opinion.

 

To be honest after owning the sport I'm never going back to FWD. May be tempted by RWD though.

 

My other car is FWD but that's just a shopping trolley so not too bad, would never have a performance car other than AWD or as you say, maybe RWD. Rear wheel drive Impreza could be fun

 

When i click the 'scoobynet' link on my phone it actually comes up 'owners of Impreza WRX STI ' at the top of the page.




This is a good site for sport owners ..
http://www.imprezasport.net/forums/index.php?act=idx

 

I'm on there too but it's pretty dead these days.

 

I'm still a registered member on there actually!

 

im a member on there too...but we dont slate turbos failing daily do we lol,,,

 

dito

 

I seem to have waded into this about 3 pages too late but heres my two pennies worth anyway. I had a sport, classic saloon a few years back. I enjoyed that car a lot and was dead reliable.

It wasnt the quickest thing out there but I did manage a 17.0@79 at santa pod in it. Went against an fto and although he won he was behind for a least two thirds of the strip while he shredded his tyres.

Managed 30mpg pootling about. If anyone is thinking off buying one don't buy it hoping it will be a poor mans turbo or you are going to be really disapointed.

I suppose it all boils down to would I swap my wrx for one?

Would I hell! And that about sums it up I suppose!