Faults:

Both rear wheel bearings had to be replaced at only 45000 miles. This is a known problem with the Impreza and Forester which are assembled on the same chassis. Unfortunately the repair was not covered by warranty, dealer cost quoted at $300 per side, but managed to get a former Subaru mechanic turned garage owner to do it for only $300 in total. This common fault with these vehicles and may be due to a defective wheel bearing design. The replacement bearings are of a newer "needle/roller" design.

General Comments:

Handling is great, performance in winter conditions also good.

Faults:

Mechanically:

No problems to date (I realize I am jinxing myself as we speak).

Comfort:

Road trips longer than a few hour are a literal pain in my ass.

Accessories:

Dounut-sized spare... full sized tire won't even fit in the tire well (this pisses me off).

Wheel covers seem to come off easily...I've replaced 2 so far at a cost of $55-75US each!

General Comments:

Engine/Transmission:

You won't win any races against true sports cars, but 3rd gear on M/T is surprisingly wide. Pehaps slightly underpowered... newer ones have 165HP.

AWD:

This car is actually well suited to dirt roads, snow, and wet pavement.

AWD is pure driving nervana!

Fuel Usage:

Very decent... upper 20's miles/gallon.

15 gal tank will take you 350 miles.

Suspension:

One of the best handling cars in its price range.

General:

If you take a measurement of enjoyment that your car gives you and divide that by its price, you get an ejoyment/cost ratio. In my opinion Suby's OBS is number 1. And, when you throw reliability in the mix, it's even more obvious.

Don't get me wrong, If I could afford a BMW 3-series (Specifically the 330XI with 260 HP, 6-speed manual, and AWD), I would buy one, but I would keep my Suby also!

Price paid: $16,999US + TTL... A STEAL!

This car is just like my old 1986 Hyundai Exel GL, except better in every way!

Faults:

• Small oil seal leak (fixed under warranty)

• Brake pads needed replacing, they were upgraded to brembo (fixed under warranty)

• Cam belt (fixed under warranty)

General Comments:

The Subaru Impreza has to be by far the best car I have ever owned. The performance through to reliability has been first rate.

I was looking for a car that had the performance of a two seater sports car with the size and practicality of a family car, I FOUND IT.

Within the first 2 minutes of the test drive this car had to be mine. The attention this car creates is great, the looks, sounds and the performance combined have produced a car that is fantastic value for money.

The running costs are not that bad, though the Impreza does like a good drink. Insurance prices are a bit of a myth @ 24 I have insured the car for about £800 after having a tracker fitted. One of the first things people ask is how much was your insurance so hopefully this should help.

My Impreza has had some upgrades.

• Prodrive - Gearbox and Spoiler

• Brembo Pads and Discs

• Motor sport wheels

• Full Motor sport Exhaust system.

I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a car that provides performance, looks and practicality.

GREAT CAR!!! :-)

Faults:

No faults as yet apart from one of the key remotes failing.

Security system (2 of) can catch you out if not attended to in the right steps.

General Comments:

This is the second fantastic WRX I have owned, the first being a 1997 wagon. Not planning to purchase another, a chance opportunity arose for me to acquire this limited edition model based on the 2 door rally chassis. Only 399 were imported into Australia (1 apparently falling off the loading dock in Yokohama Japan). This is the most powerful STi delivered to Australia (apart from the 22B which can't be road registered here). On paper, 206kw with 350nm of torque @ 4.9 sec - 0-100km. I can say this car really gets up and goes. Compared to the standard WRX there is an immediate feel of more torque. Acceleration wise, the smaller turbo on the 1997 model spun up quicker, but ran out of steam in the high end of each gear. This is where the STi just keeps on going! It's like an avalanche of power after 3000 rpm!!! Suspension and breaking are vastly improved as well over my previous car, it also seems to appear that the build quality is considerably higher on this STi. Only downside with the car is that you tend to get hassled more (compared to the 97 wagon) from other speed racers.

Hope to take it off the road shortly and drive on occasion, but in the mean time it's a daily drive I really look forward to!!!