True. I remember seeing a 4-month-old Prodrive Terzo with 6k mileage on the clock in Bell & Colvill's showroom with a price of £32k in the window and a SOLD sign on the bonnet.

Them were the days.

 

I blame the muppets with the cheap European imports...

 

All our Subarus will continue to lose money

It will only make any difference when the original shape eventually starts to attract 'classic/collector status'

I reckon that's still 4 or 5 years off, despite the odd article appearing in Classic Car Mags.

>> The best parallel I can give is comparing the ur Quattro versus the S2 shape. The last 20V 1991 models are worth a lot more than an S2 coupe of similar condition.

Roll on 2006/2007 !!

 

Is anyone actually considering buying an old Turbo or a new WRX before the MY03 is released in February?

 

had my My00 10 month now.

at the time of purchase i had the choice to buy a My01 bug eye which were about 2k more than what i paid for my my00 (16k). i much rathered have a 12month old car then a ugly few month old one, the 2k wasnt an issue.

if i was buying one today, i would still go for a classic shape even if i was paying the same or MORE, for a year older car.

 

at last, people stating the obvious about a car not being an investment!!!
Think about how much fun you've had driving it, modding it etc before moaning about lack of trade in value!

 

Peccy,

I tend to agree. I prefer the old shape and would maybe considder a v low mileage MY00 than an 01 bug-eye at the same price. Each to their own.

I was thinking about Davyboy's white on for a couple of k more as I thought it was nice in white, and had some nice toys on it!

Gary - im not worried, just interested chill winston.

MB

 

here here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I agree with Flat 4x4, ie in a few years the original shape may begin to be seen as classic/collector cars. But even then, that will only apply to low mileage, unmodified cars in above average condition.
I use my RB5 every day. It is very well looked after, always dealer serviced and is driven reasonably sensibly most of the time. But, if I keep it for another 5 years, I will have a car with probably 80k miles on it, loads of stone chips, probably will have acquired various car park dents, etc. The only way to ensure it attains classic status is to tuck it away in a garage. Sod that!!!
As regards the original topic (ie will the MY99/00 overtake the bug-eye in value) I think perhaps they will. So much has been written by the press (a lot of it very unfairly I think) about how Subaru have gone wrong with the bugeye model that a lot of people will start to take it as read that the bugeye is a load of rubbish and you would be mad to buy one. Just to be absolutely clear, I am not for one moment saying that the bugeye is a load of rubbish. Just that there are a lot of articles around that say that the original is better and it is very easy for a car to obtain a totally undeserved reputation. Lets hope this is not the case.

Steve

 

Has Subaru made any comment on whether the 3 grand dicount will also apply in Europe, this could just be a UK thing and a guise to equalise prices between EU Imports and the UK. This very same thing happened to motorbikes over the last 4-5 years. Eventually prices got much closer between UK and Import dealers. It would be best for everyone if the prices equalised(honestly) as then perversly I think this would remove some of the perceived stigma of imports. Mainly as pricing is no longer as big an issue as people rarely believe something is as good as something else if its seen to be cheaper. Even if its in reality identical.

Regards
Cammy

 

I think you have to look at the total cost of ownership compared to other 220hp 4wd cars where you have to take into account the full running costs as well as buy/sell price.

Also, we have to take into account whether Subaru really is the choice for your next car given how IM have been playing with us over the years. I'm sure more than a few manufacturers would like to own the 4wd turbo saloon/estate space. Mitsubishi, perhaps even Skoda may take some of that market and maybe the £3000 discount will apply to MY04's...

What if the MY03 is a runaway success? with 6 month waiting lists and so on - that will have a positive effect on the residuals of the MY01 - just like it did in 1997 with older Impreza's being sold with little depreciation.

The big problem is really for people who would like to renew their subaru every 1 to 3 years - because they are going to suffer the most; the worst case is someone who bought a MY2000 classic, traded in for a wrx MY2002 and then wants to get the NiceEye MY03.

rd

 

well you could buy a MY03 - and then they'd bring out a completely new model in 2006 and you'd lose loads of money on it, then you'd buy that and they'd revamp it two years later, and you'd lose loads of money on it, and then they'd......ZZzzzzz

 

Scoobys losing money etc....

Sorry, just brings it into line with the rest of the 2nd hand car market......

Still less loss than say, a Vectra or Mondeo........

"You pays your money, you takes your choice"

Dan

PS just bought an MY99 (from an MY95)

 

Just because a handful (numbers anyone?) of cars are sold at a knock down price will not necessarily adversely affect the residuals of the thousands (tens) sold at euro or full UK prices. If you are lucky enough to buy at a £3k discount and when you come to sell there are only a few bugeyes on the market you might try to sell for what you paid. You will have got a bargain (depreciation free motoring for a year or two) but no-one else's residuals need be affected.

Conversely if all the bugeye owners try to offload at the same time to get an MY03 then prices will plunge and residuals take a beating. £3k discount might not seem enough.

I will worry about that when the time comes and enjoy the car for what it is now

(Speedking who sold his 205 GTi after 12 years and 156000 miles for £380, what residuals?)

 

My two pennith worth.

I have been trying to sell my Sti Type UK for two weeks, best offer £20K, thats £6K depreciation in 6 months approx £250.00 per week.

I feel my old T reg (whatever MY that is) was a more involving car to drive, more fun and had LOADS more character.

As the back of EVO magazine says "Destined for classic status" I agree the prices will eventually creap above Bug Eye prices but probably only for very low milage cars that are mint.

This time its Subaru who have devalued the Impreza by not designing a suitable replacement in the first place.

 

You lot make me laugh. By highlighting the negative no one wins. If we all sat here singing the praises of *all* Imprezas then the value of *all* Imprezas will rise. Slagging off the 01 when you own a previous version is ****ting on your own doorstep.

 

I agree with Jack-Clarke.

the only place I ever hear shed-loads of moaning about Subaru and bug-eye Imprezas, is here, on this so-called Subaru 'enthusiasts' web site.

I get nothing but praise any where I take my bug-eye, so I dont think the general market concensus is that they are sh*t, only a few hairy chested 'classic' owners.

At the end of the day, the classic shapes are now getting older, and anyone who wants the re-assurance of a manufacturer warranty who travels a fair few miles each year would probably buy an 18month or so old bug-eye, because thats what will be available with less miles than a classic. its the way of the world in my view!

 

Going back to what was said earlier, I don't believe the 3k discount would apply to RHD cars ordered there, as any car ordered now would be the MY03. The price drop will just be to shift the last few remaining in stock.

Out of interest, there is a nice model in Holland called the "WRX Unlimited", which includes Air-Con etc which is normally optional. This car, in LHD form, works out to be £13k inc. UK VAT!!

Chris

 

I've just bought a MY00 5door full dealer service history and only 13k on the clock. I could have bo ught a new wrx for £3500 more,but
prefered the classic shape.

Has any one who is thinking of buying a new wrx,tr y'd insuring one.
¥ou may find that having those 3little letters "WR X" after the word
impreza adds about £3k to the insurance.

 

Subarus are some of the most fantastic cars ever built. If you are worried what the outside looks like, you are the wrong side of the door.

I feel for P1 owners: The initial outlay is very high, and Jap cars (even prodrive ones) are not known for their residuals. At least it doesn't have a ford badge on it! Or worse still a citroen!


If you wanted a good investment you should have bought beemer or a porsche. Or that four bedroom detatched in Surrey. (thinks wistfully -sigh- )

Our cars are just expensive boys toys (no offense meant to any ladies).

I will have a bug-eye as soon as I can afford one: the interior is nicer. Thats the place I spend most of my time.

 

Well I have just traded my 98 Golf GTi Turbo in for a new WRX, VW solid residuals....£7.5k after a lot of haggling, lucky I bought it tax free in Germany but still lost half its value. Got the WRX at the discount price, didnt like the look of the bug eye when they came out (used to have a 97 dark blue turbo) but the look has grown on me and I just cant wait to hear that exhaust note again....even the missus is looking forward to it!!

 

personally i think that secondhand prices will not really be affected!........reasons being that there are only a certain amount of bugs left and when cleared for the 03 to take pride of place prices will be back to normal.....so all that will benefit are the bug eye owners who got the 3k discount cos when they decide to sell, if say for example the bug is worth ave. 17k then peeps who paid 22k will loose 5k and peeps who paid 19k will only loose 2k (lucky for them)! so at worst it will only affect prices untill the new fugly arrives(im a my00 man)...once the 03 becomes second hand fodder they will ave.say 20k (assuming they are priced new at 22-23k)so classic and classic fuglies will remain as they are now all but average depriciation.....so if everyone sticks to what they are worth, perhaps even hold back selling now in fear of greater losses as the 03 release, you strip the market and they will be gold dust and worth more........so collectively we are in control..........i find dealers are milking this cos i asked about trading me my00 fir a 19k wrx and first thing i was primed on by the salesman was.... "oh well your classic will suffer a loss now the price of wrx is down" hence trying to get mine at a better trade in for thier pocket......well if that is the case, what i save on wrx fugly i loose on trade-in on my classic.....robbing peter to pay paul me thinks

 

I reckon the my03 will be nearer £20k, all the competition from imports and cars such as Focus RS, Seat, Honda etc. If they can sell the current one at under £20k then theres no reason they cant do it with the new one.

 

As someone said further back, I spoke to a dealer the other day about the future impact on values due to the price reduction and he reckoned because there was going to be relatively few cars sold at the run out price that it shouldn't affect the rest at all. He did however say that it would depend on what Glasses Guide did (why do Glasses have so much influence on pricing of cars - who are they?)

 

As Andy Pay says

" the only place I ever hear shed-loads of moaning about Subaru and bug-eye Imprezas, is here, on this so-called Subaru 'enthusiasts' web site."

So you think Subaru is changing the shape of the car (at huge costs) after only 2 model years to appease a whinging few on scoobynet, get real, the MY 01 and 02 have been a sales disaster, partly due to the looks, partly due to the drop in performance due to the increase in weight (EVO magazines figures 0-100 classic 14.6 seconds, WRX 18.3!! ), oh, and of course the car is butt ugly
All IMHO of course

Glen ( a very satisfied MY00 Belgian import owner)

 

I couldn't agree with the above poster more, I bought my low mileage (19000) MY99 in march for 15 grand and I could have bought a new Bugeye at trade sales for 17500, I test drove both and the classic was far superior in every department (not just the looks). Bug eye owners always trot out the line that the fugly has a nicer interior than the classic but to be honest I didn't really notice, IMHO nicer plastics and a CD player do not make a car it is how it drives that matters. When I bought the car I asked the dealer what he thought of the fugly and he said it had changed his job from one of the easiest in the world to one of the hardest and that he was gutted cos he had been forced to swap his P1 for an sti (I also test drove the sti and while maybe it was not completely broken in I was not impressed over the classic)

 

Jack and Andy,

I dont see much slagging off on this post Just a lot of truth. Dont let it bother you, the bug eye can look nice, but as above, its heavier and slower Big error by Subaru, people wanted more from the new model. I still could be persuaded though

Glen and anyone who bought a belgian for 6k less, for an identical motor, has got their head screwed right on! I cant believe people who paid over the odds can get annoyed with the fact...

MB

 

It is heavier have you actually thought why though?

Beefed up anti-roll bars, the 01/02 had no reason to fit after market ones. Stronger crash protection and intergral rollcage.

Making the car survive better in a crash is not likely to make it lighter.

It is actually possible to shed the weight from different places.

One of the sales guys went out in my car, he left the dealers and came back again (I guess he missed the noise of the engine too much).

His comment getting out of the car (MY01 - heavy and slow apparently) was "I never thought an 01 would feel like 00 when taking off".

You should try the car before discounting it... it is known that Subaru give approximate figures for the 0-60, 0-100 and top speed figures.

I know this will get me shot down (again), as mentioned above you can't hope to adjust some people's thinking.

Time will tell on the second hand market prices. I intend to keep my car for the next few years by then it will have stupid mileage and no value except to me.

As it has been said in the past, cars unless vacum packed and polished (beforehand) are not really an investment.

Enjoy it for what it is, a fun mode of transport that does turn heads and is desired by quite a few people!

 

bottom line- the world is not SN, SN thinks it is and ppl on SN have no idea that a world exists outside.

they belive that everyone knows what an evo is and everyone knows that a MY01 is heavier than a MY99.

big shock time ppl...they dont.

if you take 100 ppl and ask them to describe a 99 and an 01 most will say one is an odd old looking car and one is an odd new one.

you cant have it both ways....you cant moan that no one waves anymore because all new scoobs are driven by comapny reps but then suggest that those ppl give a toss about some of twaddle on here.

they dont..im a rep and i dont know or care what my 0-100 time is. all i do know is that my car is faster that nearly EVERY OTHER car i pass on the road and thats what sells them.

T

 

I could ALWAYS launch my MY01 faster than my MY00....It was the faster car to 60 definitely, in my experience. I owned both so feel qualified to comment ...Cheers, Rich