I looked at a Spec D on Saturday. The chap at the garage gave us the keys so we could open the car and sit inside and look around, but explained the car needed a valet etc. We were then left alone with the car whilst the various salesmen were occupied with other people/things. My wife was immediately underwhelmed and said it looked boring, it’s not blue and the inside is drab and the black seats will get too hot in summer. Deep down, my heart said that all this is true and for me, WRX Blue is the only colour for an Impreza. It’s a shame they did not do a Spec D with the option of WRX Blue.

The car was superficially very tidy on the outside, with very clean wheels with few scuffs although one of the tyres was noticeably ‘a bit flat’. Anyway, my head said that I may as well open the boot and bonnet, and maybe go for a test drive to at least try it out from a performance perpective. I was appalled by the state under the bonnet. Everything was coated with a layer of oily/dust, far worse than on my bugeye and I am not fastidious about detailing under the bonnet. The grime was such for example you could barely make out the red STI logo on the intercooler. The dipstick showed black oil and below the minimum mark – I had a rag in my pocket specifically to do it properly and the engine was stone cold (it was hemmed in on the forecourt by other vehicles). I looked in the coolant header tank and could not really make out where the coolant level was up to, suffice for a lot of blackish sludgy deposits around the inside of the canister that smelt of petrol/oil. I could not check the pressure of the suspect tyre, but my guess it was about 10 PSI or more under inflated.

By then I was pretty shocked, so I gave the keys back and said we would need to think about it, then we quietly left. It is not good form, nor should it be necessary, to have to suggest that the car will need a top up of oil and the tyres pressures checked before starting the engine and taking the car out for a test run. I get the impression that the previous owner did not care about or look after the car generally between services, and also that something is seriously wrong mechanically. What staggers me is that a dealer will put a car on their forecourt with a price, but obviously in the state as driven in by the previous owner, without even the most cursory oil level and tyre pressure check. I’m so embarrassed on behalf of the company concerned but I’m not going to be divulging who or where - but ‘someone’ may nevertheless read this and act accordingly. In a way though, I’m glad I saw it warts and all - and as the saying goes, caveat emptor.........

 

Shame you had a bad experience, the 'D' is a cracking car, all the go & doesn't shout about it. I expect if you looked a decent example you may have felt differently.

WRC Blue, big spolier & blue seats are what a lot of people like about Impreza's, some of us prefer to fly under the radar in our "drab' WRX look-a-likes

 

You did right to walk away and not be blinded to the cars shortcomings by the fact its an STI.
There are plenty of well looked after ones out there.
I'm sure that if you paid a deposit dealer would service it....
I'd go elsewhere, however.
Best of luck in your search

 

My last 3 cars I have bought from the respective club members and they have all been very well looked after. The majority of car dealers I have ever dealt with, even performance car specialists, seem to know very little about what they are actually selling.

 

That is a really nice looking example and dare I say it looks to be worth every penny - the engine bay looks immaculate and a real credit to you. Plus the enhancements sound just the ticket. If it were in WRX Blue, I'd be very very tempted to look into it. I've been put off going to traders or even looking for a new car full stop - and I get the feeling you would get a more genuine car from a careful enthusiast who has due mechanical sympathy. I'm leaning back to keeping the bugeye and upgrading bits when they start going wrong. On the other hand, an STI is a better all round platform.

 

They were only made in Crystal Grey, 'WRX' blue isn't a colour that Subaru produced, its actually "WR Mica Blue" according to the brochure in front of me. The A-Line (JDM version of the Spec D) was available in the following colours: White, Urban grey and Obsidian Black. - But they are like hens teeth, Iain Litchfield might be able to get one for you, but I wouldn't bank on it & the current Yen exchange rate is making private imports, pointless.

Thanks for the compliments & best of luck with your search, plenty of good cars out there & buying form a forum member here is a good place to start.

 

i have done this in the past.

let my heart rule and not my head and then ended up paying £££££ to get it right ,then got so pissed off that i sold it .

and never looked back .

so when i had my budget off 2.3k i looked at 7 cars before i got my v5 classic and it just so ended up to have rare leather and aircon too.and 17inch subaru upgrade wheels with fairly new toyos alround

and i only paid £1850 .the bloke wanted £2450 as the bloke couldn,t afford to insure or run it he accepted my offer