Running costs are fairly high, but if you drive the WRX you'll never be happy with the 2.0 non turbo. They have Porsche Boxster/Cayman performance at a fraction of the cost.

I've got a Forester Turbo and it has torque by the bucketload (300 lbft with the mild PPP tweak). It's basically an Impreza with a more practical body jacked up 3 inches or so.

Expect 24-27mpg, and fairly high insurance for the turbo Impreza/Forester.

Do have a look at the Foresters as they drive very well and in Turbo format are serious Q-cars. They tend to be slightly cheaper than the Imprezas as they have a less marketable image I guess.

If you don't want to go for a turbo, have a look at the Legacy as a more practical but just as economical machine - very understated too.

Thanks very much for the pointers. I like the idea of Cayman performance! I hadn't really considered a Forester - I guess I'd imagined that their relative height would mean poorer handling and fuel consumption. I like the Q-Car effect, though.

I do like Legacies (especially Spec B) but they're a bit too big for my garage and the tourer is a bigger car than I need. I really like the idea of a well engineered compact estate with lots of performance - hence checking out Impreza Sportswagons.

Are there any particular things to look out for when buying (other than the usual)?. Looking around on Scoobynet I got the impression that the Subaru 2.5 engine can be prone to head gasket failure. I've never owned a car with a turbo before - do they last? I'd be expecting to hold on to the car for 7+ years.

Pete