hi folks, new to this forum so bear with me. i'm currently looking for a winter car (i ride a ducati all summer) and i'm considering a 2002 non turbo impreza awd.

i'm not really looking at the turbo'd versions mainly due to running costs.

the car i'm considering is a one owner car in silver with 52,000 miles and fsh

i think the car is referred to as a bugeye, but please correct me if i'm wrong. what are your views on such a car and am i going to get any realistic enjoyment out of driving it?

thanks

D2C

 

How much?

Im a Sport owner and get a lot of enjoyment out of it, its obviously down on power to the turbos but its a joy to drive and is pretty much equal to the WRXs in all other regards, but mines a hawkeye (56 plate) and I think their BHP sits roughly in between all other sport models and the WRXs so may be not the most accurate account but Im sure there is someone here who as one that can give you their impression.

 

its up for £4k which seems an average price for mileage/year and it appears very clean. the info i've found shows it pushing out 125 bhp which is ok if its still fun to drive. i have heard that subaru's are THE most expensive cars to repair (gulp)

 

Being 24 and only having 2 years NCB behind me, I can't justify the cost involved to drive a turbo'd Impreza at the moment and when I was looking for a car my intial thought was a Impreza Sport. My honest opinion is not to bother, AWD plus being underpowered is boring. I wouldn't mind dealing with bodywork made out of KitKat wrappers and an interior that is so boring and cheap, if it was a bargain pocket rocket but this isn't what a sport is.

I bought an Alfa 147 instead(its slow but fun and a nice place to be). Still want an Impreza but won't until I can comfortablely run a JDM STi.

 

173 and 227 bhp.. How can u even compare them....

+1

 

I owned up until a year ago a 1998 Sport too. My misses mainly drove it and I used it when she didn't need it.

Ok I added a few bits and bobs to it to sharpen up the handling etc but to be honest I loved it.

My other half only said to me recently that she missed the Sport when it rains or like when we had that snow start of this year. OK you WONT have the POWER over a turbo version but they are great for day to day use and running.
I have to admit they are not the cheapest of cars to run when you can get others cars out there in the same market for NA models but the AWD comes into it's own when required.

Steve

 

where do you get 173 from? Impreza sport is about 120 AFAIK.

 

As said "in all other regards". I've read a few report that state that the drive is slightly better with the 16 inch wheels. Mines got the 17"s on and to be honest I can feel very little difference.

Not all sports are 120bhp, the hawks are somewhere in between the old sports and the WRXs...Im sure I've said that.

 

Daddy2Coull, Ive never driven a 120bhp sport but mine is probably as low as I would want to go. It is more than rapid enough 90% of the time but I would be nervous that 120 would be too low especially considering the fuel costs.

 

Try the sport and see is my advice, if you haven't driven a Turbo scoob then it may well seem fine and dandy, the same awd system and similar handling. It is not a quick car with the power sapping full time awd system, nor that economical either due to this.

There may well be better to drive and more pokey cars for the money you have although i think it will suit you fine as a winter driver

 

Good advice above. For 4k you will find better cars but they wont have 4wd. If this is important the n/a scoobs are the only contenders that I know of, although Im sure someone will find an alternative.

From my experience of driving in the snow going up hill is better than other cars around me, going down hill worse. 4wd wont make a difference down hill and the 215 tyres made things very hairy.

Probably a better idea would be to have a set of spare winter tyres and open up options to other cars.

 

I owned a 2000 sport and loved it... until I drove a turbo, then it had to go.

 

Lol, one of the reasons why I dont want to test drive a WRX or STI at the moment. My wife wont let me upgrade yet so why spoil my enjoyment of driving the R sport. Although next year or when the Hawk starts show its age Im seriously considering the S-GT hatch.

 

right guys, i've bitten the bullet. it wasn't the car i originally looked at, but a 2003 sport in blue with 44k and fSsh for an extra £500. it's a lovely clean car and drives very well considering the lack of turbo.
I had also roadtested a skoda octavia 4x4 150bhp and a 2.8 golf 4motion somewhere around 200bhp??? to be honest i found the scooby the better car to drive. as for fuel costs, they are all much the same.

lastly is the power, the last thing i'm worried about is power. as i ride bikes all through the summer i'm more than a little spoilt in that department lol

cheers for all your advice guys. i'm sure i'll find out if i've bought the wrong car after the winter and a february tour of wales

happy days

 

Congratulations. Welcome to Subaru ownership. I would probably have gone for the Scoob as well, at least it should last longer than the Golf.

 

Hawk we talking about......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza

 

Thats different to the UK market. UK Hawkeyes are 2ltrs officially producing 160 bhp although looking through the sport.net it looks like people are getting around 165 - 170bhp.