Currently drive a Mk4 Golf gttdi which i've had for 2 years and fancy a change. The golf is a nice car, fastish (150bhp), and good on fuel but a bit boring to drive. I don't have a big budget (about £5000) but as i do less than 10k miles a year i don't see the point in buying another diesel. I've looked at civic type r's but at 31 i would prefer something a little more "grown up" that i can put bikes in the back. Looked at 3 series but not keen on rear wheel drive for the winter as well as audi which just seem like expensive vw's and not so different to what i have now.
Recently thought of going for an impreza wrx wagon which seems ideal other than the running costs 
Cheaper to buy than german cars, room for bikes(?), fast and not too "chavvy" in the looks department (IMO anyway). Looking for peoples experiences with these. Repairs, fuel costs etc as well as general opinion on the car. Having no kids at the moment i feel like i should go for it and take a hit on the fuel costs but worried about moving away from cheaper motoring.
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Should i buy an impreza turbo?
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Posted 5 months ago #
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Lad at work has a type R (current shape - with the seats down there's loads of bloody room, its like a van!
also pretty good on fuel when not thrashing it due to the Vtech, does need a good thrashing though which gets tiresome.
impreza running costs are pretty high.... Leon Cupra?
Posted 5 months ago # -
Everyone I know who has had them has got rid for one reason. Fuel consuption. When they buy them they dont really care about that but after a year they have all sold them.
Actually one lad has just replaced it with a CTR.
Posted 5 months ago # -
The Golf is a nice car, fastish (150bhp), and good on fuel but a bit boring to drive
The key is that it's a nice car.
The Impreza's a not-very-nice car that goes like stink. If you value the driving experience over anything else (and can live with 20mpg), go for it. Personally I can't stand the Fisher-Price interior, but each to their own.
Posted 5 months ago # -
My mate had one and lost a lot when he traded it in.
Obviously aim for a nice one at a good price.Get a test drive also.
I had a hot hatch for 6 months - but it was not relaxing to drive, especially on motorways and drove me mad.
Big Diesels now all the way, qhich are quick if you get a good one.Posted 5 months ago # -
I've known a few people with Impreza's and Evo's and they never kept them very long.
Their attraction seem's to wear off pretty quick.
I think once the fuel and servicing cost's start to hit home, their performance may become a bit less important.
Posted 5 months ago # -
for a practical cross country express theres not much to touch it. Used to get 2 bikes in the boot of the saloon and you could tell they were in there. Well built, solid and reliable 220,000 miles on mine, left it on the drive for 2 years, charged the battery and it was driven away. Had a fuel habit though, you easily be getting 12-14 mpg in the welsh mountains but a steady foot on the motorway could get you 35.
Posted 5 months ago # -
in answer to OP... Yes.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Yes.
You always regret the things you didn't do more than the things that you do. Test drive one and if you like it get it. If you don't like it after a while, change it again. I believe they are a bit thirsty with a crap interior, but are robust, quick and fun. You golf is a very nice, sensible car with a nice interior and frugal engine, but not very fun. (last year I replaced my Corrado VR6 with a Golf TDI 140 which lasted for 5 months. It was nice & sensible, but the automotive equivalent of beige, so it had to go.) So have some fun.After all, tomorrow you may be dead!
Posted 5 months ago # -
i don't think an impreza would be any better for getting bikes in than a civic. in either case it'd be front wheel off.
IMO its no more grown up either, but each to their own
they did a wheeler dealers on an impreza in this price range - they changed the clutch which they suggested saved £500 in labour - if you saw what was involved you'd believe that.
they're very fast but very thirsty. they sound fun, but a big bore exhaust would be *very* tiring on the motorways.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Thanks for your replies so far. So build quality is a mile apart from my vw and fuel costs will be pretty high. Those 2 points are putting me off and i don't want a car that i will want to change when the novelty wears off. On the other hand, they seem to be reliable (if i can find a good one) and will be much better for bikes than the golf.
M6TTF: Isn't the leon cupra just like a fast golf? Any chance of getting a bike in the back? Well i could always fit a tow bar
Posted 5 months ago # -
What about a Subaru Forester??
Posted 5 months ago # -
The Golf is a nice car, fastish (150bhp), and good on fuel but a bit boring to drive
I remember test driving one of these - wife rejected it before we had even started driving - so she thinks an Alfa 156 has a nicer interior.
The driving wasn't good either so you have an awful lot of options to go for if you want a better drive.
The bills on the subara's can be very large because it is a sophisticated car.
I would look for something that is more normally aspirated and fun to drive at more normal speeds.
My mate has the lancer equivalent, only fun if you are going multiple times the speed limit.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I think the leon was a better car than the mk4 golf as chassis was stiffer. But probably most cars are stiffer...
Posted 5 months ago # -
Markrtw: What did you replace your golf with? I'm in need of some inspiration.
I suppose i want something more exciting than the golf tdi but maybe not as thirsty as an impreza.
Posted 5 months ago # -
"not keen on rear wheel drive for the winter"
Thats a shame really as you are missing out on a good car. RWD in snow is ok, you just have to be prepared to use skill and lots of opposite lock. The default BM driver appear more to buy the car for the status than its driver appeal, so they have no concept that pushing the accelerator whilst on snow does not make it go forward quicker when the wheels are already spinning
Imprezas are rapid, but not really my cup of tea. They have oodles of grip so your never really going to have much fun in one, until the point comes one day when you accidently exceed that level of grip and then have a big crash.
"Well i could always fit a tow bar "
Well just be done with it and get an MX5 then and put a boot rack on.
Posted 5 months ago # -
they seem to be reliable (if i can find a good one)
They're reliable if you get an unmodded one. Very important to avoid anything that's been Barried.
will be much better for bikes than the golf.
You'd be surprised - they're not really all that much bigger than a Golf. Far less room than, say, a Passat(or even Golf) estate.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I owned an Impreza STI for 2 years. It was fun to begin with but you soon realise the handling isn't great and the fuel economy is terrible. It would average between 7 and 18mpg and only ever got above 20mpg by driving off boost everywhere.
They're quite robust and servicing is actually very cheap compared to anything with similar performance though.
Try and get a long test drive in one before deciding. You might be impressed for the first 20 mins but once this wears off you may find you can't put up with the cheap interior and other short-comings. They're a bit of a one trick pony.
Posted 5 months ago # -
if you like the golf but also the idea of 4wd and some power, why not a golf r32?
Posted 5 months ago # -
I've had a Focus ST with the Volvo 5 pot engine and it was a really nice car. Pretty quick, well built and it had a nice interior and big boot for it's size.
The prices on them have dropped massively and I reckon you could get one for £5500 to £6000 with 60 to 80k on it.
Lovely engine that doesn't need to be rev'd hard and is just as happy driving around at low revs as it is being driven hard.
We have them in work and considering the use they get, they've been problem free.
Posted 5 months ago # -
So build quality is a mile apart from my vw
i thought the interior build quality on mine was excellent, after 220,000 hard miles no squeaks rattles or buzzes and everything still worked and no wear on the seats. The interior was on the basic side and a little bland but it had all the mod cons you really needed.
Posted 5 months ago # -
FunkyDunc: Maybe i am ruling out too many cars, after all it doesn't snow that often here. Maybe a 325i or something would be a good option and a compromise between performance, running costs and build quality. With my budget, i would be looking at about 2003 with a fair few miles though.
As you can see, i'm pretty indecisive so keep the suggestions and ideas coming.
Posted 5 months ago # -
From the Impreza's I've been in and after having friends that have had them, I would say that the build quailty is much better than the numerous VW's we've had.
The only difference is that the interior on a VW is a bit more plush which IMO gives the impression of increased quality.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I had 2 five door imprezzas, wonderful cars, but never got more than 22mpg and 15 was the norm. Work your likely mileage out then how much more thats going to cost and is it worth paying for the 5% of the time that you can really enjoy the performance. Factor in the extra miles for going out for a pint of milk and coming home an hour later.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Andy, I bought a BWM 328i Sport after the Impreza and i preferred everything about it. It was great fun in the winter! My brother has just bought a 2002 E46 330i Sport for £4200 and it's a great car, well worth a look.
Posted 5 months ago # -
5lab: As i've not owned many cars, i would prefer to try something other than a golf this time i think.
Amplbrew: Focus st in black or silver (anything but that orange) could be a good shout. If i could get one for a good price, might be worth considering.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Every time i look into cars, i always seem to come back to BMW as the best option. As much as i'd like to say **** it and just buy a subaru, i'm definitely the type to be watching the fuel guage and wish i'd been a bit more sensible. I think a 325i and focus st are the favourites so far with the leon cupra and civic type r something to look into a bit more.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I've had two Imprezas, the most recent a WRX PPP, and once other things in my life sort themselves out I shall be having another - I'm absolutely addicted.
Servicing isn't cheap but I'm not sure of a car that is these days and petrol is comedically expensive. If I left Cambridge on a evening to drive to Scotland, a full tank of super unleaded would just get me to Carlise's Tesco. Another tank full and then you can go enjoy the lawlessness north of the border...
Compared to a Golf, I might even say the interior was better - certainly from a practical point of view.
oh - and really soft tyres wear out quickly...
Rachel
Posted 5 months ago # -
if you could stretch your budget a little, what about a v70r
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3398348.htm
very fast, easily get a bike in, lovely place to sit.
alternitively, passat w8
Posted 5 months ago # -
Hated the mk4 gt tdi's I test drove.
Bought an a3 Quattro tdi for much the same money. R32/S3 chassis and drivetrain and decent economy.
Posted 5 months ago # -
According to Parkers the boot on a Focus ST is 396 litres, compared to 350 litres in a Golf GTI.
Parkers reckons that an Impreza sports wagon is 365 litres.
Posted 5 months ago # -
i have not got much to add other than my workmates - always brought a smile to my face when he took me out to lunch in it BUT he has just sold it after 8 months due to fuel costs in it ! replaced it with an S3 !
Posted 5 months ago # -
I replaced the Golf TDI with an old Golf GTI 16v for £1200 (my 12th GTI!) as an exercise in cheap motoring while I save for either a late E46 (2005) M3 or a Boxter S (or similar - can't totally decide). I'm just set on not taking out any kind of a loan for it.
Posted 5 months ago # -
The Impreza is built well, just a cheap interior.
Make sure it's standard(ish) and well maintained.
Clutch also needs to be on & off, don't try to slip it as it'll kill it quickly.When compared side by side, so to speak, with a Lancer Evo of comparable age, the Impreza feels wooden. Noticable turbo lag compared to a Lancer, but compared to a Golf it'll make you smile for quite a while.
Just make sure it has proper tyres on. Not ditch finders.
Otherwise it's pointless as you'll have naff all grip.Posted 5 months ago # -
I've seen the boot in a focus and it is quite impressive. Surprised how small the impreza one is though for an estate.
Think i've written off the impreza idea now on fuel economy alone however addictive the speed may be.
Focus st and BMW 3 series are the favourites at the mo.
Posted 5 months ago #
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