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This is the "bargain basement" Subaru, recently introduced. Has anyone had any experience of this car? Consumption? Reliability? Subaru claim an overall figure of 35mpg but that doesn't sound too impressive in 2007. Is it a bargain, longterm?
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It got reasonable reviews. Long term, yes, most likely a good prospect aslong as you dont expect it to be fast. Subarus are rarely good on fuel consumption, but aslong as you dont do 20k a year, the long term reliability will make it cheaper if its kept for many years as you save on repair bills.
I think you will find very few anti-Subaru comments in here - we may all disagree quite often, but Subaru's are well thought of by the majority.
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Before it got a reputation for selling high-performance All-Wheel-Drive saloons, Subaru was mostly a purveyor of smallish AWD estates and pickups, mostly in inhospitable places like Australia, NZ, parts of the US, Austria and Switzerland etc. They have massive experience in this market. The Impreza Wagon has extremely well-proven mechanicals and is likely to prove as tough, reliable and durable as any car you could buy. Basic servicing on Subarus is very straightforward, and the car is designed with ease of servicing in mind (there is nice little access hatch in the undertray to get at the filter and most sensors etc are mounted on the top of the engine - easy to get at). Most parts are fairly cheap from aftermarket suppliers - the dealers ARE expensive though...
My only reservation with the 1.5R would be lack of performance. You have to take account of the power 'lost' due to the AWD mechanicals. I think the 1.5R lists at around £12.5k, with ex-demos at around £10k. Bear in mind that some car supermarkets (motordepot, allbrandsnew) have been knocking out the 2.0R/2.0RX models new at just £12k. These have far more power (around 60% more), better equipment and offer pretty rapid performance for a non-turbo car. I would be a lot more inclined to go for one of them - they will also depreciate a lot less I would have thought...
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We have three Subaru's in the family, currently a 2.0 Turbop Forester XT and an Outback 3.0Rn. Obviously not the same as the Sport Wagon, but similar basic technology. Since owning our first in 2004, the only faults that have occured have been : -
1. Lost or air-con gas in the first car (through lack of use)
2. Engine management light came on for 24hrs in the second car (my fault - I started the car from cold and stopped it within five seconds - not a good idea)
3. ABS and traction control warning lights on third car (coincidental with some body repair).
So - what lesson is there. Subaru's don't go wrong unless you make them go wrong! I can't think of many other cars I would want at present.
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when originally introduced they sold out the entire shipment straight away, none left in the dealer network at all
lots of demand from farmers etc for a cheaper 4x4 subaru
think they can still sell as many as come in straight away
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A few Main dealers have 07 plate with delivery mileage for £9500. Been keeping an eye on prices as I maybe after a 4x4 soon that I would run for a long time.
Baz
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I have seen the 1.5R's for just under £10k - but I think they are officially 'ex-demo' and so will be pre-regged to the dealer (I could be wrong though....).
I really do recommend the 2.0R for the extra £2k (from a supermarket), expecially if its a long-term purchase. There is a much better engine in there (4-cam) and its a lot smoother and free reving (I have never driven a 1.5, but its very similar to the 1.6 which I HAVE driven and that's not a patch on the new 2.0 engines - which are totally different to the pre-2006 2.0's by the way!).
Economy will be similar I reckon and all other costs should be about the same.
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Motorpoint have 50 X 2.5ltr WRX for £13,600 brand new imports..........
this is just above the UK list price for a 1.5ltr
Mind you you have to be prepared to spend copious amounts evry week to keep the WRX fed & watered.
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On those WRX imports you'll have to pay to fit a Cat 1 alarm and your insurance company may want you to fit a Tracker (not cheap!). Factor in your high insurance premium and relatively high fuel consumption and they will be an expensive car to run.....1.5R is a far more practical proposition at £10k, or 2.0R is you can find one somewhere between £10-12k - decent performance without the very high costs of the WRX....
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>>.....1.5R is a far more practical proposition at £10k or 2.0R is you canfind one somewhere between £10-12k - decent performance without the very high costs of the WRX
Brand new import @ £9,600 seems a good buy for the look/reliability without the running costs of the Turbo
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Brand new import @ £9 600 seems a good buy
That's for the 1.5R, which is the old-school SOHC engine - reliable but slow. Pay another £2k and go for the 2.0R - well worth it and you'll be delighted with the performance and smoothness of the car, but with decent economy. The 2.0R engine reminds me a bit of the Civic Type-R engine - smooth right up to about 8000rpm when the rev limiter cuts in! It has a VVT system (Subaru AVCS) which comes in around 3000rpm and feels like a little turbo effect.
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www.motorpoint.co.uk/(S(r4wrhn4521fv1ly1zorqrj55))/Default.aspx
Well you can get a 2.5 WRX for 14k at Motorpoint.
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Well you can get a 2.5 WRX for 14k at Motorpoint.
Yes, but you have to run it once you've bought it. The turbos cost about twice as much to insure as the non-turbos and do low 20's rather than high 20's to the gallon. They are also Band G road tax (£400 from next year - ouch!). Not to mention that they are one of the most stolen cars. They're great if you do a low mileage and treat ownership as a hobby. But for day to day driving the non-turbos are very nearly as much fun (same body, trim and suspension etc) but with much lower running costs. Pay your money and take your choice!
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