MowbrayWRX

Hi.

Having watched Top Gear tonight, especially the Subaru bit, I think Subaru may have got it slightly wrong. The face lift (MY03)will not sell that many more cars in the UK. Reasons behind the fall in sales I think are as follows:

The Impreza as a model has been around along time, so the concept of owning a world rally car on the road is not that new an idea, although I think they are still a bloody good car.

Insurance companies hate the things, they classify them so high that it stop a lot of new potential customers from buying them. Most insurance companies infact will not touch them with a barge pole, they make you spend thousands of pounds on them to try and frighten you off.

Running cost have been another issue, although with the 10,000 miles service intervals that they brought in for the 01/02 model, this has helped bring down the running costs.

There are also a lot of new competion comming on the market which may give the Impreza a bit of hard time, and the competion keep moving forward at a reasonable pace and price.

Another thing people, there is no doubt about it there will be a "complete new" model out in 2005, so all the new 03 buyers beware, it will be you next moaning about the new model comming on the market and buggering up your residuals. In fact wait a minute, a complete new model will do the same to all of us won't it.

I still love mine to death, and I don't care about any changes they make to the car. I love them.

OK I have my flameproof jacket on , do your best.


Tony

dnb

I think you're right about insurance companies hating them.

However the same insurance companies seem to hate me more! ( male, under 25...)

shunty

there have been quite a few of us stating this for the past 12 months, that the looks were sh1te, but apparantly we were all wrong

now it's been admitted on tv that subaru have got it wrong (again) with the classic-fugly & new-fugly. You can't argue with the sales figures.

barryk - your comments on the above, as in another thread you reckon that most people in the UK loved the looks of the new shapes??

shunty

[Edited by shunty - 10/21/2002 8:34:11 AM]

Neil Smalley

In the US, the WRX has far outsold Subaru's expectations. Although Subaru would like to increase UK sales, its the JDM and US markets that it really wants to concentrate on. The Bug eye has sold very well over there, so I don't think you'd convince Subaru it was a failure.

The MY03 Blobye makeover was done as part of the natural development of the car. The design of it would have to have started last year(or earlier) which does'nt really point to a panic makeover.

What the car really needs is to increase the power and/or reduce the weight.

ProperCharlie

I find it a bit surprising that people are already making arrangements for the funeral of the Impreza. Look at it from my POV: I have always been into cars but until fairly recently couldn't afford to drive anything special. Two years ago, when I could afford to spend about 7k on a second car, i did a fair bit of research into what sort of a motor I could get for that. I wanted 150+ bhp, 2 seats and RWD, ended up with a TVR S3. A year later I didn't want to run 3 cars anymore so wanted a daily driver that would still be fun. It had to be at least as quick as the TVR, have 4 doors, RWD or 4WD, hard roof and under 28k new. After considering just about everything on the market, it basically came down to a BM 325 or STi7. I ruled out the BM as I had already fallen out with the local dealer about something else. (And it was too slow anyway )

What is the moral of the story? The Impreza is still the best value performance car on the market. So there.

Charlie.

shunty

yeah, fair comment. I suppose we always come last in the UK.

so hopefully by 2009, with another 6-7 makeovers under it's belt, it might be asthetically pleasing to look at then, without having to squint your eyes

edited, as this reply was to Neil

shunty

[Edited by shunty - 10/21/2002 9:06:14 AM]

shunty

proper-c:

so you think that 0-100 in 17 secs plus is classed as a performace car then cos that's what the MY01 & 02 do in standard form....that's sh1te unless your 17 years old.

also edited to add, I didn't see your bit about the STI 7.....that's still not mega quick either

shunty

[Edited by shunty - 10/21/2002 9:09:09 AM]

Tiggs

shunty, when he drives his sti7 to work he is likley to find his car performs better than 95% of the other cars he meets on the road. why is he not able to call it a perforance car? what are the crteria for that?

T

ProperCharlie

Shunty - I take your point about the WRX (that's why i didn't buy one :P). IMO the STi is reasonably quick, especially for the purpose of driving on UK public roads, which is what I use mine for. With my criteria, what could you buy instead? (and don't say an Evo - there aren't enough petrol stations on my route to work).

ProperCharlie

you beat me to it Tiggs - and shouldn't that say 99%

shunty

Tiggs - you following me round like a bad smell

what are the 0-60 & 0-100 figures for a standard STI 7 then ?
and is there a difference in power figures between a UK STI 7 & Jap spec one ??

shunty

shunty

found some details:

"Not only does power leap from 265 PS (261.5 bhp) to 305 PS (300 bhp) at the same 6,000 rpm but torque rises from the standard STi's 253 lb ft to 299 lb ft, also at the same 4,000 rpm.

The result is not only startling high-rev performance but also more low and mid-speed flexibility. In other words, the car becomes swifter at any speed and in any gear.

Side-by-side tests revealed a 0-60 mph time down from 5.2 seconds to 4.6 seconds and a 0-100 mph figure of 12.2 seconds instead of 13.7 seconds. Quarter mile figures are now 104.7 mph/13.4 seconds instead of 101.4 mph/14 seconds."

there are 2 lots of figures here, normal & PPP....
what do you both think ??

err - & Tiggs, I didn't say he couldn't call his STI 7 a performance car did I....did you actually read what I had written??

shunty



[Edited by shunty - 10/21/2002 10:10:54 AM]

ProperCharlie

I think that I will be investing in PPP as soon as I can get a few pennies together. I still say that a well run in standard STi7 is a decent car, and i still don't know what I would choose as an alternative for similar money. (Quite like the look of the new Audi S4, but it will be about 10k more...)

shunty

properc - yes the new STI 7 isn't that bad, us classic owners are just jealous
seriously though, definetly get the PPP. I appreciate it's not just the power figures it's the gearing, suspension, brakes etc.
They obviously are a performance car package, I just think that they have been over hyped, 267bhp with 200 kg's heavier was a bad move in my opinion, that's why the evo boys are always having a pop.

enjoy your motor though

Tiggs - do you know how to add smilies ??

shunty

TAZMAN

I keep falling off my chair laughing when people start talking about 'is the scoob' a performance car or not....it is this simple..

it is not the fastest car in the world but does shift pretty fast..its not the prettiest car in the world but when was the last time you considered the asthetics of a car as you powerslid through a bend at 80mph (private roards of course)...the one thing everyone should agree on is that it is fun to drive not the best but fun...

sits down and puts soap box away

Vanish

I have spent the last 6 months looking for a reasonable mileage small turbo Escort Cosworth.
Most cars I looked at had either been painted or had the clocks disconected for insurance purposes or were well in excess of 15k.
That is lot of money for a 6 year old car that could potentially cause you problems.
I am a member of the RS owners club and have just purchased a second hand MY01 which I fell in love with.
Most Escort Cosworth owners expect far too much for there cars in which a Ford dealer would offer you 9.5k for tops in PX.
I purchased the Impreza from a main Ford dealer (offer I couldn't refuse) and I asked the sales manager that very question about values of Cossies.
I will be continuing to go to the local RS meets in my new motor because I am sick of seeing cossies and I wanted something new and different that Ford havn't got at the moment and havn't had for some time.
I will be modifying it sooner rather than later so the performance is up there and I am sure it will change a few peoples opinions of the car.
There was a stand in Milton Keynes Shopping centre recently with the new Impreza on it and there wasn't many people that didn't stop to take a look.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

What does the 0-60 or 0-100 times mater on a UK road anyway? there is to much traffic around to floor it everywhere, the Impreza whatever model you have may not be the fasted thing on the road, but it is still one of the cheapest fast cars on the market

Shunty do you cane yours everywhere or what??

navigator

mowbray wrx agree with you and would add that usa not uk is the subaru target market. Hence there sponsorship of usa rally championship (also big input in canada as well.)I think they sell 3000 bug eyes a month in the states and increasing.
As for top gear what was that all about.
clarkson in a hanger sat in old morris minor seats.
who were all the audience? its was more like top of the pops.Not arf mate next in at no1 ! its pagini(?) with "whose got 350 grand then?"
no expenses spared on the lap time board...white sticky tape and a pen!!
Only photos and a clipboard for their news items.
and ....at no 5 its harry enfield with "whoa its a suzuki"

shunty

wurzel - your quote "What does the 0-60 or 0-100 times mater on a UK road anyway"

you bought yours for the economy & practicality then
yeah, like you have never raced, I don't beleive there is a single person on this board with any car that hasn't redlined their motor in every gear at least ONCE since they owned it, if you havn't, then let me guess, youv'e also never had a w4nk either

so what did you buy yours for then ??

shunty

ProperCharlie

No-one knows if their rev limiter works...

No-one drops the clutch at more than tick over... and no-one ever reached for the kleenex

shunty

shunty

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Shunty FYI I don't need to **** my girlfriend sees to all my needs and if you bother to read where I live you will realise why I said on a UK road.

And yes I do race mine all the time against porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, Audis etc. I don't bother with the Novas and XR2s that you lot seem to get a hardon from beating.