Subaru Impreza

Subaru Impreza STi

"It's the only bit of the car that ever goes wrong," shrugged my dealer. "It's the only bit that's British." A damning statement, but true. Having covered 7,385 miles, our £27,495 Impreza STi's sophisticated alarm and immobiliser system had broken while the car was being used as holiday transport in France - threatening to leave us stranded.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Dan Strong

October 2002

Fortunately, with the expert help of Subaru UK (on a Sunday afternoon) I was able to get going again. Unfortunately, it meant triggering the alarm every time I opened the door. The sight of two people climbing into, then driving off in a shrieking Impreza STi should have aroused far more interest than it did, but no one called the police. The fix got us back to the UK, and then to our local dealer, which sorted the problem quickly and efficiently.
The warranty covered the repair, which took less than an hour and has turned out to be the only fault I've suffered with our Impreza in 15,235 miles of sensational motoring. It's fair to say that after six months of flat-out driving in the 265bhp machine, I am bidding it a fond farewell. Not only is the Impreza reliable, it's also extremely quick.
The four-cylinder Boxer engine has loosened up nicely over the miles. Although turbo lag is a problem at low revs, once above 3,500rpm the car is incredibly fast. Around town it's more difficult to get the best out of the engine, and pulling away from traffic lights needs careful use of the throttle. Too little and the car will go nowhere... too much and you'll look a bit of a fool.
I've warmed to the controversial looks, too. Despite my reservations about the appearance when the car was unveiled, our restyled STi has received plenty of admiring glances and prompted a number of conversations at petrol pumps. The revamped model which we revealed in issue 723 certainly looks more conventional, and is less likely to divide opinion, but there is still a lot to be said for the radical appeal of our bewinged machine.
Fuel consumption is perhaps the biggest issue, as over the total mileage I have averaged around 23.3mpg (which is down slightly from the running-in economy of 24.1mpg). This means that petrol costs have certainly been a problem, particularly when you consider the fact that the Subaru drinks only the more expensive 97 octane fuel.
The car's range has also proved frustratingly short. The fuel tank can hold just enough petrol to push you through 250 miles of mixed driving - but the figure drops towards 200 if you start to push. It was a problem we noted in our first-ever Impreza long-term report in issue 707, and it was not something that was about to go away.
However, despite the costs of the performance, the car has been cheap to service. My first dealer stop came at 1,000 miles and was only ΂£37, while the second at 10,000 miles was ΂£127. The services were speedily carried out, and I never felt I was being charged for attention that wasn't provided. So what would I change? Well, it'd be nice not to attract quite so much attention at times. Plus I'd like a larger fuel tank and longer range. A few dissenting voices in the Auto Express office have mentioned cabin rattles, while others have targeted the boot, which is spacious but poorly trimmed.
Overall, however, the Subaru has proved a capable performance flagship for our fleet. Few cars blend muscle and practicality so well - as was quickly identified when the Impreza made its debut in a sports saloon group test back in issue 704. Make no mistake, it will be sorely missed.