I'm eagerly waiting for the Impreza turbo to (finally!) make it to the U.S. The car will reportedly come in two types, a 4-door and a 5-door. I'd prefer the utility of the latter, but don't want to sacrifice any handling, either in stock or modified form. I've heard that the 5-doors handle at least as well as the 4-doors. Is this true? Will a rear strut-brace compensate for the lack of a "parcel shelf"? Thanks.

 

A debatable issue.

The 5 dr handles at least well as the 4 dr from what I understand from other owners (and many think that it handles better). I have owned both a 4 and 5 dr (MY 95 and MY 98). These models have different suspension so a direct comparison is not worthwhile.

I would say that the 5 dr is extremely versatile but I definitely prefer the more sporty 4 dr shape. Having said that, I think the 5 dr attracts less unwanted attention.

D.

 

I haven't driven the 5 doors, but the model coming to the U.S during 2001 is going to be totally different from the current one,
and according to reports the difference between the 4 doors and 5 doors is going to be greater than now, the 4 door is going to be wider than the 5 door.

 

I have had both and think that the 5 door has a tad more roll on corners (higher centre of gravity?) and is less well behaved in side winds. However, the difference is small and I miss the carrying capacity of my old 5 door.

IMHO, a rear brace would only restrict access when loading large items and not make that much difference to the stiffness of the rear.

Ken