2000 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0 turbo from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Okay for granny

Faults:

Brakes were scary, had to be upgraded.

Driver's window motor ground to a halt at 30,000 miles.

Wear to driver's seat is worst I've ever seen in a car. This is strange as previous owner and I are both under 10 stone!

Clutch doesn't inspire confidence - it's an all-or-nothing affair.

Otherwise, okay, reliability wise.

General Comments:

Buying this car was a big blunder. I thought it would be quicker than my previous Evo 6, but compared to that car this one is a bit timid. Admittedly, it looks better than the Evo, but it is a fair bit slower.

I've driven other people's WRX's and so I know that this docility is not confined to my car. Even after £1500 worth of bolt-on goodies these cars can't touch the Evo 6. These scoobs just don't float my boat. I'm currently looking for another Evo, maybe a 7 this time.

My advice to scoob owners is to never test-drive an Evo. You will realize how poor your scoob really is.

Pity, really. The scoobs really look the part. But they don't go as quick as they look.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd April, 2003

29th Apr 2003, 08:50

Well why didn't you test drive the WRX before you bought it.

The Evo 6 is 276bhp vs WRX which is 215bhp and similar weight. The Evo is nearly £30000, the WRX more like £20000.

Not really a like for like. Try a WRX STi next time.

2nd May 2008, 02:50

Yes it all depends on the Model WRX you have, my 1999 Version 6 Sti 2dr Type R coupe does 12.9 1/4 mile, its stock standard aswell. 0-100 is about 4.5 seconds.

2000 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2.0L turbo petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Have to own one once in your life!

Faults:

Persistent Rattles from Dashboard.

Tire wear very heavy.

Intermittent problem with the clutch, gets very stiff from time to time.

General Comments:

Hard to describe the traction as you pull out of a corner, it is exhilarating and so different from any front wheel drive car I have driven. I have taken a 911 turbo out for a spin and doesn't feel that far behind it for outright pace.

The car is amazingly quick particularly from 3000 rpm to about 5500 rpm, after that it is still quick, but feels like it just creates more noise. What a wonderful sound the turbo gives spinning away!

Only 16,000 miles on it and is spotless. Find that tyre wear is bad and uneven on the rear tires given the nature of the differential on the car.

Very expensive to run here in Ireland. Insurance is through the roof, along with road tax, petrol and tyres. And they have just introduced a penal points system which means I could lose my license after a couple of trips into the country.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th February, 2003

2000 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0 turbo from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A faultless car

Faults:

Nil.

General Comments:

This model is the domestic Japanese version not exported beyond Japan.

It features the high output engine (184 kw vs. the usual 160 kw), and includes high intensity discharge headlights used on the current Sti.

The handling is truly unbelievable, and the combination of lots of power and 4WD make the car a dream to drive on B - grade roads.

The seats are very comfortable, but not too hard like similar performance cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2002

2000 Subaru Impreza RS 2.5 from North America

Summary:

A rickety pile of bolts

Faults:

There have been 5 transmission failures.

First failure began at 9 thousand miles.

At 38,000 miles I had to purchase a new transmission. Subaru refused to warranty the transmission even though there were 4 prior failures, and the car was well within the 60k mile power train warranty.

General Comments:

Subaru has given me different reasons why the would not warranty the vehicle. The first is that the car had mud on it. Secondly, they said that the car was put in reverse while moving forward. As this was not the case I complained to the dealer about the reasoning. The chief mechanic stated that the Impreza has a reverse lock out and cannot be put into reverse while moving forward. Lastly, they said the car would not be warranted as I had an Exedy clutch installed. This is a stock replacement clutch that was made by the original supplier of Subaru clutches. I have contacted Exedy, and they stated that their clutch would not cause a transmission to break. Also, keep in mind that the original failure happened at 9k miles, long before I had a clutch installed.

Now with only 50 miles on the new transmission, I am getting a loud clattering from inside the transmission. A new transmission is down, and I have been without my vehicle for a total of two months, spending close to $4,000. I cannot afford to keep this vehicle, and I should have never bought it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th June, 2002

19th Aug 2002, 18:03

I'm not making fun, but perhaps the problem is the way he is shifting, I own a WRX and never have that problem...I'm assuming they use the same trans.

29th Oct 2002, 10:12

WRX respondent above is a Subaru shill. I drive a WRX as well, and overall, it's a piece of crap. Fortunately it's a compensatory vehicle. It's great fun to drive, but I wouldn't spend money on it. By the way, I'm a mechanical engineer, a certified master mechanic, and a former IMSA GTO/GTU licensee. I know how to shift. The transmission is crap. It'll last forever if you drive like it's made of glass. However, if you drive it like a sports car, which it is marketed as, it will fail. The drivetrain is just wannabe Porsche, but without Porsche reliability. They even copied the Porsche/VW pull clutch. The most prevalent failures are Subaru's build quality and refusal to stand behind their product.

30th Sep 2004, 06:22

Interesting read. I have had a 2000 2.5 since new and not had a bit of trouble with it. Then again, I've kept it stock and drove it the way it was meant to be driven. No complaints here...

16th Aug 2007, 23:51

I have a friend with an early WRX 2.0 and they have poured unreasonable amounts of money into it. Granted, they do drive it to its full capacity, but these cars are sold on the basis that they can be driven this way all the time. Well, it seems that, much like a Honda, these cars are great UNTIL they break and then it is going to be a weird experience. The AWD system is terrific, but it does add quite a bit of complexity to the car and the boxer engine looks somewhat intimidating to work on, what with all of the turbo equipment in the way. My friend has replaced differentials, at least one tranny, and they have had the engine start to smoke, badly. Nice car, but definitely for someone who does not mind working on their car somewhat frequently.