Subaru Impreza

Impreza STI Type Uk

2007 (57)

I bought this car with 10,000 miles on the clock. It is my third Impreza I have owned over 12 years of motoring.

In standard form the car comes with the usual STi refinements and over the standard WRX with less power you immediately realise when you start it up that you have stepped into a rally car for the road. The dials swoop back and forth to show you the sequence and point out that it has the ability to rev around to 8500. There is also an adjustable shift light which at the rev setting you choose flashes and provides a beep to warn you that it is getting close to the limit and you really should change up a cog. The dials illuminate red in daylight and are bright at night. The look is pleasing on the eye at all times of day and is also adjustable dependent on how bright you want it. The standard stereo is equipped with a CD player however do not expect the quality to be that of say the Bose units provided by Audi. The sound is tinny and does not provide enough to drown out the familiar noise produced by the 2.5 litre turbocharged boxer engine.

Even with the standard exhaust system this car makes a distinctive noise when you depress the loud pedal. You will see other Impreza owners often driving with their rear windows down to enjoy the burble it makes as you let the car overrun having changed down approaching a hazard. With a small investment the sound of the exhaust on this model is dramatically changed for the better by purchasing an after market stainless steel exhaust system. However this can put you into that bracket of 'boy racer' and attract the wrong attention.

Expect your neighbours to shake their head as they walk past on a Sunday while washing your car. It is not an understated model and dressed with pink STi badges on the boot, the grill and the fog light covers (this model does not have front fog lights underneath the covers only the Spec-D has them) Then of course there is the large ironing board style rear wing which is placed on the boot to aid with downforce. Those who are schooled in performance cars with rear wings will know that they are indeed that size for a reason in the way an F1 car has an enormous rear wing. The rear wing creates lift and shifts downforce to the front end aiding grip. The underneath of the rear also sports a solid plastic rear diffuser covering the rear differential housing. Its fins further adding to the downforce of the 277 BHP Japanese flying machine.. You will also find a second rear wing just above the rear windscreen with a distinctive black centre and body coloured ends. This adds that extra racing look for an otherwise ordinary looking car. Inside the interior is the familiar suede blue with large pink STi badges on the centre of the seats. While not recaros they are very comfortable and offer an excellent seating position for general driving. When making progress and using the grip provided by the 4WD system and DCCD (Drivers Control Central Differential) you do not find yourself moving around too much when exiting that bend with the throttle still buried into the STi labelled mats. One thing you do not buy this car for however is the looks. It is not pretty but with some simple refinements (for example replacing the gold wheels with a darker looking model and investing in some good quality suspension to lower its stance) it can look the part and catch the eye. There was a time you saw lots of Imprezas on the road yet I have found this model to be rare and only seen a handful being driven about. This could be owing to the cost of fuel at present and the poor economy returned mixed in with the high tax bracket costing £250 for six months road fund licence.

The peformance of the car in standard form is staggering considering how much you can get one of these models for now. I paid £12,500 including a personalised number plate. The car achieves a 5 second 0-60 time which is the same time as the Aston Martin DB9,quicker than a 911 C4S, Honda NSX, BMW M Coupe and only .1 of a second slower than the outgoing BMW M3 CSL. With a basic remap of the engine able to achieve performance of 330-350bhp (on standard internal components and a change to the exhaust system) this car is able to achieve low 4 second 0-60 times and put it into the super car bracket mixing with Lamborghinis, Ferraris and the Audi RS range. Lots of people know Imprezas are quick cars but many underestimate just how fast they are in standard out of the factory guise. You will struggle to find a used performance car with low milage for such low money which provides instant enjoyment and really is easy to drive. Take the car onto a track and have owners of vehicles costing in excess of £100,000 asking you in the pits 'what have you done to that engine?' and 'Have you been going to track days for very long'.

YouTube provides some excellent videos of this year STi being driven including one from 5th gear where Vikki Butler Henderson pushes it to its test against the STi Forrester.

Without a doubt the best high performance family carrying rocketship I have owned. Super reliable, uses very little oil and reasonably cheap to service considering how quick it gets you from A-B. But be warned it drinks fuel, and you need to use Optimax or Tesco 99 as per manufacturers guidelines. Poor octane rated unleaded can damage the engine leaving bills for thousands of pounds. Expect 19-21mpg generally and maybe 23mpg on a motorway run. I have seen the tank (of 60 litres size) last 230 miles but also on a run with some friends enjoying the best roads in the area have also seen it manage only 100 miles! Be prepared to need a second diesel car in the family for the usual journeys, unless you have deep pockets of course. Then this makes a magnificent daily driver. Boot space is ample and you get ISOfix on both rear seats. Airbags for the driver and passenger, 6 pot Brembo brakes with huge stopping power and zenon headlights as standard.

I'd buy another and shrink wrap it up for the future if I could. It will be another cult classic.

(+ POINTS) Performance. Handling. Kudos from other performance car owners. Enjoyable experience every time you depress the throttle. Great sound. Excellent brakes. Reliable. able to obtain an extended warranty direct from Subaru despite being a 'used' car owing to low mileage (call them to discuss, you will be pleasantly surprised) Excellent MetaStat tracker as standard allowing live tracking online, SMS alarm alerts and the ability to 'text' the car to obtain location information and direction of travel. Will shock most people as you take off. 160mph car for £12,5000.

(- POINTS) Hideous economy. Popular with thieves and ram raiders, needs garaging at night. Tyres will be lucky to see 10,000 miles on a set, all four need replacing at once owing to problems being caused with the diff on differing levels of tread. Noisy when you come home late. Brake pads and disks are very expensive for the standard Brembo variants compared to that of a WRX.

Mr J Harris