Buying an STi PPP impreza 04 UK

[davea]

Thinking of buying a 2004 or younger STI PPP impreza in the UK, got an
integra type R just now. Any STI owners in the group who can give me an
idea of running costs, servicing costs etc etc? How reliable are they
say compared to a "regular" WRX turbo and are they worth the extra £?
I've heard that the mpg is shocking but figures on various web sites
don't look that bad to me!

I know maintence and fuel costs aren't that important with this car coz
lets face it who buys one of these with that in mind but still.....I've
got a budget and want to see if I can get away with it. Any info
appreciated.

Thanks guys

 

[Mark T.B. Carroll]

Thinking of buying a 2004 or younger STI PPP impreza in the UK, got an
integra type R just now. Any STI owners in the group who can give me an
idea of running costs, servicing costs etc etc? How reliable are they
say compared to a "regular" WRX turbo and are they worth the extra £?
I've heard that the mpg is shocking but figures on various web sites
don't look that bad to me!

I've been pleasantly surprised by my 2004 STi, and it hasn't been
coddled. It seems pretty reliable - indeed, very little needed done at
the 30,000 mile service. The Subaru dealer I'm using has kept everything
very cheap - e.g. a regular 3,000-mile service is USD20 with the coupons
they send me. It's the first car I've owned that I've positively enjoyed
driving. (Mine's the US-spec STi, so without prodrive stuff, but with
good HP from the 2.5l engine, so probably similar in the end.) It's
worth it to me to know I can significantly outperform most of the other
cars around me, because then I can easily evade idiots.

I can't compare to other WRX, though, because I've never tried a non-STi
one.

Of course, many parts are more expensive for the STi - e.g., the brake
pads. They're not /very/ much worse, though, and I was kind of used to
that with my last car anyway so maybe I don't notice so much.

I know maintence and fuel costs aren't that important with this car coz
lets face it who buys one of these with that in mind but still.....I've
got a budget and want to see if I can get away with it. Any info
appreciated.

Yes, you can get away with it. mpg isn't terrible unless you drive it
hard all the time - drive more gently, using the turbo less, and mpg
won't be outstandingly bad. So you can pick times when you feel rich
to have fun. (-:

Biggest cost for me so far was that I wanted tyre traction to match the
rest of the car's performance, so I have separate wheels+tyres for
summer and for winter, so as well as the OEM ones I use in summer I
bought a separate set of 17" x 7" wheels with Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2s.

One question you have to ask yourself: will you regret not having an STI
if you get the WRX turbo instead? Maybe try test-driving them both.

-- Mark

 

[Loren Brookes]

IMO if you're considering an STi, you will not be happy with a WRX.

If you work out that you can't afford the STi yet, don't get a WRX,
wait until you can get the STi, or get an older STi even.

Loren