Hi Guys,

not sure where i should post this kind of thread, so here will do!

Anyway, I'm 21 in March, and looking to upgrade my car as my insurance looks as if it is finally going to drop enough for me to warrant paying to insure a turbo'd ca.

I've always wanted a subaru since I can remember, so I've been looking at bugeye/blob eye WRX's as these fall into my budget, STI's are a bit too pricey & im not sure insurance will even allow me to have an STI anyway!

I just wanted some info about them really, it will be used for work most days, luckily I work at the same company as my mum so I can get a lift most days, but when I do drive its a 50 mile round trip down the M1.

I know the whole 'if you're worried about running it then you shouldn't buy a scoob' so don't say it but I just wondered if anyone used their Subaru similarly and whether you'd recommend it or whether it would be silly to have for more than a weekend car? Obviously I'd be running it out of turbo for most of my journey doing 50-60 in rush hour motorway speeds. Is the WRX a 6 speed gearbox like the STI?

Also general yearly costs like services and maintenance, and if something does go wrong, just how bad does it go wrong?

I have the price my ST will sell for and will save a little extra, but seen a few with just under 100k miles selling around £3k-£5k. What is your opinion on ones with 100k+ miles on them?

I currently drive a fiesta ST which does around 30mpg and uses about £50-£60 a week doing the 250 mile trip to work and back a week.

Any info you could give me would be great!

 

3-5k will easily get you one with under 100k milage, insurance is gonna be the real issue. make sure you get quotes before you buy, dont get stung at last minute, you may find a big surprise in price for it.

beyond that then theres planty of choice for that sort of budget, hawkeye and older

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

 

thanks for the info yeah, well I've done a few online quotes where i've said i just turned 21 like i will start of March and it drops massively, same with any other car I try, I also have 3 years no claims which considering im 20 isn't too shabby!

Also, is a 55 plate the last of the cheap tax band models? or are there some 06 plates which sneak through?

 

some 56's did (06 is september reg, or is it 06 march 56 sept? lol) , mines one old plates are in the boot and can't rememeber what the origional reg was. mine missed it by about 12 days

 

06 is march 56 is sept haha

 

hahaha, i dont get why they had to have two myself lol

 

In terms of MPG I think you'll find a standard WRX OK, running along the motorway at 50-60 should return acceptable MPG, you'll just have to think about your driving a bit more than perhaps you would in the ST to get the most MPG out of it.

In response to your question about mileage, don't worry about this too much, buy on condition and history. eg. I'd much rather have a car with a 100k on the clock which has clearly been looked after with history to back it up than I would a 70k car in need of a few bits that's lacked care and attention. The type of owner really should be a big consideration when picking up one of these cars, a Subaru enthusiast who's owned the car a number of years is the perfect scenario, someone who can tell you what diff oil they use rather than 'what's a diff'

If you get yourself a good one you'll find it a very reliable car providing you keep it serviced.

If you can get one that's had a cambelt recently then would be a bonus also.

Also, tyres :-) pay attention to what tyres the cars your looking at are fitted with, it might sound silly, but I've always found tyres to be a great indicator as to the quality of a car, these are of course an important component and if a car has the cheapest of cheap tyres fitted then its highly possible other corners have been cut elsewhere as well, which you don't want on this type of car.

 

Like others have said £3k-£5K will get you a very nice blob WRX, just hold out for the right car with full service history and prefarably enthusiast owned. You may get a few nice mods too.

Subarus are not particualrly cheap to run, but a lot depends on how much you use them, they aren't bank breakers either.

You sound like you have your head screwed on re. insurance etc. so good luck with yur hunt.

There are loads of knowledgeable people on here so stick around, read, ask and learn

 

thanks for the advice! Really helpful

I've grown up around subaru's as my uncle has had 5 or 6 so I can always get him to come with me to view them as he'll know what to look for.

Also good point about the tyres, will make sure theres no unknown chinese tyres knocking around.

Are there any faults that I should keep a look out for at all? Any rust spots etc..

 

No specific rust issues on blobs. There have been some subframe issues but these seem to be with the bugs more than the blobs. As with all Scoobs look at the rear arches although these are not as big an issue as on the classic shapes. Saw an 02 bugeye the other day with rusty arches, but think it had had some rear damage too looking the the bumper alignment!

If you can get the car in the air and make sure the underside looks tidy, you probably know that anyway!

 

I know my rust, I've had three fiestas haha! Good old ford corrosion