My RX8 is finally up for sale, and I am finalising the budget I will have for an Impreza. I will have around £7000 for the car, give or take abit more for the right one.

Now to me, I have two options;

A) Do I buy a 2.5 hawkeye WRX at around £55000 and then spend some money at a later date on a stage 1 upgrade for example

B) Do I spend the full whack on an STI? The past few months Ive seen some decent Blobeye STI's go for £6k-£7k, even saw a WR1 Impreza go for £7200.

Being 23, I've checked insurance and there is a difference of just £40 between an STI and a WRX with an exhaust modification declared meaning it is £990 for an STI and £950 for a WRX. Looking at that, it would make sense surely to get an STI as the performance is already there from the start inwhich I would be modifying a WRX up to, and probably cost more to insure, right?

Im not HUGELY into modifying cars. A few handling modifications, bit of looks modifications IE a lip, some tinting. Thats about as far as I would go with an STI atleast.

What would you do in my position. £7000 for a car, £1000 for insurance and a few hundred left over for any consumables and so forth. Oh while Im here, do you guys have a buyers guide or a guide that explains the different STI models? Its quite confusing for a newbie trying to do research and theres this model, that model, this number, that type and so forth!

Appreciate all opinions and advice you give me guys and as soon as the RX8 is sold I shall be an Impreza owner!

 

Get a sti mate stronger gearbox brembos etc just be aware with the hawks they have hg problems if I was in your position I would be looking at a blob sti cheaper tax aswell I just taxed mine for 6 months cost me 270 lol

 

Cheaper tax is DEFFO something I want. My RX8 is £475 for a full year. Its just....not worth that. I was leaning towards a blobeye STI. It makes sense to me; buy the ultimate instead of buying the WRX an modifying it to match it because you have the money available from the off.

What are regular prices for a blobeye STI? Ive seen fluctuating prices, some as low as £6k some as high as £9k.

 

Like anythin you get what you pay for keep an eye on the for sale threads on here there are usually well specced blobs coming up for sale and most forum members on here look after the car also you can look through the history of it if that makes sense ie any problems it might of had in they're possession it's a buyers market mate just keep your options open

 

na buy this and save ur self a fortune,,,
check out for sale section just posted it,

 

Thats the plan mate! Buy through owners club or buy through a trader. Got stung with the RX8 foolishly through a private sale. Is there any guides on here or anything regarding what to look for etc.

 

Get the blob STI. Look up engine failures on the 2.5 engine, it's a sticky at the top of the general section. You'd ideally have to be prepared to forge the engine if it did go.

Whereas the Blob is cheaper (6-9k like you said) better power out of the box and the stronger 2.0 engine. Plus a better base for mods (because I don't care what you say, you're going to mod it. You're going to remap it, I guarantee it!)

I'm also 23, with a blob STI and paying the same as you (Although about £50 more as remap declared).

The blobs closer to 9k are more than likely the 2005 models which feature DCCD and a wider wheel base plus slightly upgraded interior. Depends if you think you'll miss that stuff.. some people swear by it all but I'm fine with paying a couple of grand less and not having those features!

 

Whats the DCCD pal? Interior upgrades wouldn't bother me. Because I would be keeping the car for a good 3-5 years, I would reupholster the seating with leather and re-do the carpet., spruce it up abit.

I.... may give it a remap and an exhaust. spare set of winter tyres or something. lol!

 

Dccd is basically a adjustable diff

 

Ah. Well no, I dont need that. I wont be racing, enjoy a few spirited drives but thats about it. Its like my RX8. I like the heated seats, the bose speakers, the xenons and so forth. I loved my speed limiter and cruise control but I can live without them.

 

Best thing to do would be to sell the rx then see where you are regarding your budget etc there are plenty of knowledgable people on here who will be more than happy to help you and give you plenty of advice

 

Sound dude. Deffo have £7000 for a car.

 

Firstly, don't buy a 2.5 for £55000 - that's WAY too much.

Seriously, I wouldn't pay £7K for a UK Hawk.
Without being funny, if you've 'only' £7K to spend then you probably won't have the funds ie a bit (to) put by in the event that it does go bang.

If you were looking to spend, say, £10K then I'd say go ahead, if it doesn't go bang you've a few quid to spend on upgrades.

What do you want out of the car - looks, performance, as young as possible, 'resellability' or whatever?

That'll help us point you in your right direction.

 

I dont truly know. I want reliability, practicality and able to tackle country roads and occasional snow, performance out the box with the option of modifications down the line. Not economy per say but motorway cruising about 25mpg. My rx8 does nothing more than 200 miles a tank no matter how i drive so id like abit more than that but not fussed.

I do around 6000 miles a year, im a HGV Artic driver by trade so im able to afford the car. I love going to car shows and spending 3 or 4 hours giving the car a detail.

 

Sound's to me like you want a Blob WRX Wagon PPP.

It will do all of that and get a washing machine in the back like mine did yesterday.

And cost around £3/4k with £3/4k spare for a few choice mods to take it up to circa 320bhp and still have some some change left, with embarrassingly quick spool, 28 mpg normal driving and 34 mpg on a run, £270 pa tax.

They are the King of new age Subarus, don't let anyone tell you any different.

 

If you're not into modifying do not buy a 2.5. That is one way to have the modifying bug shoved up your backside if/when the chocolate pistons explode.

There is also no sense in buying a WRX and then spending up to £3k modifying it to reach the performance level of an STi. You'll end up paying more than you would for an STi and then not get it back when you come to sell on.

If modifying is not your thing I would look out for a clean Blobeye or Bugeye STi, preferably with the Prodrive performance pack (PPP).

You won't have to modify one of those cars they have all the performance you'll ever want or need, 305bhp and they'll hit 60mph in under 5 seconds. Find a well respected Subaru specialist in your area and enjoy the car.

You will have change from your £7k with an early blob or bug STi. Do bear in mind that these cars can attract high running costs, it is wise to choose a good one and service it sympathetically. As with all performance cars, they do not take well to abuse.

 

In a nutshell if you have plans for below 300bhp go for the WRX (make sure to have around 2-3k for a rebuild and labour). 300bhp and over go for an STi.

Of course you can have a 280bhp STi or 500bhp but it comes down to money and preference. If you do want over 300hp then an STi is a good starting point you have the brembo brakes, 6 speed, better styling (IMO), etc. A WRX is like a blank sheet of paper, the engine will need to be forged, stroked or replaced with an STi one, the gearbox will need to be changed with either an expensive PPG or a 6 speed (STi), for brakes (depending on how much power you want) the Brembo brakes from yeah you guessed it an STi are enough for 300-400. Then you will spend money on wheels, interior bits and bobs not that you wouldnt in an STi but less of it (IMO).

The WRX is more of a drivers car, you can take it to the shops drive it around town quite comfortably. The 5 speed allows you to keep a gear selected for a longer period of time where the 6 speed there is a bit more hassle involved.

Now you need to ask yourself what do I want mostly from a car is it performance, looks, drivability, etc. As if you are only going to drive around town the WRX would be more suitable (IMHO), there's no point having a 450bhp STi without experiencing it. Like a lot of people, some say that they want 500-600hp without being in one because of whatever reason, however a 300-350hp scoob is more than enough, unless you have other things in mind.

Judging on a what you have previously posted a remapped WRX or PPP would be ideal. The TD04 turbo is great for quick spool but you need to get the 400,500hp figures out of your head unless you are willing to spend ££££'s. Some people just want an STi because it's the top of the range base model you can buy from Subaru (excluding Spec-C's, etc).

Oh and just because you have 7k doesn't mean you have to spend all of it, keep some leftover for mods and then you will have a 7k car that's best for YOU

So much for in a nutshell

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Subaru Collector 555.

 

Think you need to sit down, write down everything you want from the car, what BHP etc and what you want it to look like.
Then go from there that's what I did to get to what I wanted for my Impreza

 

Ideally Id like the car to be;

Saloon
Blue
Not too low, but fill the arches abit more
A few visual mods IE the little roof spoiler, front lip
Air Con
Some sort of Double Din touch screen unit
Leather seats (reupholstered probably)
5 Doors
decent boot
300bhp-340bhp
A few handling modifications
Probably some discs/pads to handle abit more power


Thats pretty much exactly what I want which means, STi lol.

 

I'd say certainly look earlier than a hawk then because you'll find something with the performance (and probably the visuals) and have a good bit over for the 'luxuries'.

One thing I always 'strange', and that is when people quote bhp when specifying a car.
Clearly the more bhp the faster the thing will accelerate etc. but does that necessarily make it 'better' for the owner/buyer?

I'm not ashamed to say that I feel capable of utilising perhaps 70-80% of what mine could do in highly experienced hands, let alone those who do the circuits.

Have you been in a Subaru that produces the sort of figures you've quoted?
Obviously you'd 'grow' into the car but you might find that one in the 280-300bhp bracket would give you the initial thrill you're looking for, be less expensive yet still have the ability to be upgraded cost-effectively?

Utilise any test drives to see that ie. don't simply discount a sub-300bhp one.

Good luck with the hunt !

 

To be honest, standard STI with a remap is what I'm thinking. Im happy to leave it standard for a while but ultimately I wouldnt mind having over 300bhp for the ****s and giggles. I probably wont go above 70% of what the car can do until I'm brave enough to do a track day or something like that. Im trying to summarise 3 years of ownership and expectations which may change!

 

Fwiw I think you're now far closer to getting the best Subaru for you following this thread.

When you find one stick up the link etc. and there's lots of people who'll advise you on what to look for - and what to look out for - in any prospective purchase.

And of course there's always the forum's 'For Sale' pages.

(Think I managed this post without typos !)

 

If those are your requirements then you want a WRX Wagon SL.

You won't need a rebuild with a 2.0L wrx if you keep it under 350bhp and exercise some mechanical sympathy with the gear box, rag the **** off it and you'll break the 5 speed box.

I think you and everyone else are missing some major points here, you need to do some research and look at some of the old WRX VS STI threads.

It's all been covered before but one thing I will say AGAIN that still stands, your looking at a 2002/2004 car, for £7k your not going to get a minter in STI form, full stop, it will have tired brakes, suspension and a gearbox that's known for requiring a rebuild.

All the sheep will shout STI as usual, but there is a lot to be said for a lightly modded WRX at this kind of price point, you'll get a tidy low milage one for £4k spend £2k and you will have the performance your after and better fuel economy as well.

But hey it's your money so I don't care.

 

Its always good to have viewpoints from all corners!

I dont truly like the wagon. When I say 'decent boot' I mean really just fitting a wheelchair in. My dads wheelchair fits in my RX8 boot, and I know the Impreza Saloon has a bigger boot than that.

£7k I know wouldn't get me a mint condition STI. When you say tired brakes, I take you mean discs and pads? I price that up at around £650 all in which I could easily afford to do fronts one month, rears the next for example.

What do you mean suspension wise? Bushes, springs, dampers? And the gearbox, how much is a rebuild roughly? Regaring engine failures; what sort of mileage do they usually occur? I was gutted when my RX8 engine failed after just 3 months of ownership at 62k miles on the clock.

Using google to try and find a buyers guide on here.

 

I don't think that 7k will get you a tired one, look at this one:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...model/impreza/
That will leave more than enough for some discs, pads and other bits of your choice. I haven't personally heard of many failing and a rebuilt gearbox is a lot of money, but I don't think that you will need to worry about that unless you buy one with 130,000+miles.

Leather seats can be either reupholstered or taken out off a WRX SL.

Regards,

Subaru Collector 555.

 

how about this if your looking for an sti.

loads of mods, im breaking it due to it being worth more in parts but id rather let it go in one piece for the right price.



it has a list of mods as long as your arm, all purchased new within last two years with receipts, the car has just been taxed and i could chuck a full mot on it too.

no need to worry about tired brakes,tyres or suspension as they are all new with receipts to prove it.

 

Looks gorgeous Tommy but I need to sell my RX8 first! How come your ending up breaking it? Surely you could get a great price for her?

Subaru Collector; Funnily enough, I was looking at that about 15 minuets ago. Cracking car for that price. Been looking at some custom leather upholstering being done. I aim to get one under 100k mileage, my annual mileage is 6000 miles and below. What price are the gearbox rebuilds?

With my RX8, I ended up spending £2250 on an engine rebuild, £400 on coils/leads/sparks and then £150 transportation to the specialist, then another £50 in petrol to come home. If its half that price, id be happy lmao!

 

Pm me a price tommy lovely looking car!

 

im open to offers before i break, id check the spec on the breaking thread first as its not a standard sti by any means so wont be going for anywhere near standard money

 

Come on TT put a price up for the whole car.I think there could be a lot of interest in the car.As you have said it comes with all the right bits.