I was reading Autocar today, and in the article about the £3k price reduction it called the Impreza 'one-time cult car' and I thought yeah - they're not any more. A couple or so years ago Imprezas were regarded as 'hero' cars with a bit of class, alongside Evos etc and seeing an Impreza was an 'event' especially if they were tooling past you, and you'd think 'jeez I'd love to have one, they can't half shift'....

But now we seem to be regarded as one up from Saxo and Nova owners and 'boy-racing' show offs, while our cars are worth next to nothing, cost a fortune to run, and are getting lumped in with Cupras and Civics. What's the point? Maybe I'm getting old...





[Edited by Jon1T - 10/16/2002 5:00:33 PM]

People are always staring at my car as it drives past. There time is not over just yet! :D

No such thing as a 'cult' car now. Common platforms(such as Audi,VW Skoda) are ruining the individuality of cars.

I'm struggling to think of a single car below 30K that I would regard in the same way as the Impreza was in the 90's

The Evo, although very very capable is now, seen by many as 'just another rally repilica' although its running costs,rarity and recent arrival to the UK(in Evo 5-7 form) seem to make it more immune to max muppets than the Impreza.

Yep, they're just too common now.:rolleyes: Time to buy an Aston Martin i think! :D ;)

If people are so worried about exclusiveness their is an easy answer. Buy a Type R or an Sti7. The 2 door Type R will easily ensure that your Scoob is different from the others on the road. I see several 4 and 5 door Scoobs a day but am lucky if I see another Type R more than once a month and boy do people stare at my car.

Or alternatively get an Sti 7. So few people bought them they are bound to be rare. :D Only kidding the relatively high price of the Sti 7 should ensure that it is safe from the hands of the Max Power set for at least a few years.

If an older shape 4 door is what your budget stretches to then buy one and enjoy the performance bargain you have got yourself and stuff what other people think. Alternativley if you are that bothered by the new Max Power image go and buy a BMW.

I think partly it's getting difficult to justify the running costs of a car that's losing money hand over fist (MY02) and is now getting caught up in the performance stakes by cars costing thousands less.

I don't think the facelift solves the problem - the standard WRX (which is what I'm mainly talking about) is too expensive to run and too slow to compete with the cars that are coming out now and will be coming out over the next few years... esp when you have to fork out loads of cash to get the car going how you want (full decat etc)

Errr! what mystique? Always been a bargin performance car to me, bit more of a bargain at the moment! :)

I didnt buy a the car for image, but how it went! so I suppose my STI7 makes me a boy racer too.

Enjoy your car for what it is, so what if the odd Nova/Corsa boy gets one, good on them I started with these types of cars myself, most of these lads are car nuts that look after their pride and joy far more than you or I.

Its the t-leaves jackers and vandals you should be knocking IMHO.

Hate to break it to you, but the average girl/boy on the street does not distinguish between a 4-door UK and a 2-door STi.

common sense at last, joe bloggs couldnt tell a type r from a type o, i couldnt either!

some folk have exagerated illusions of how their car is percievd.

Once and for all: The measure of a car is not how many of them there are on the road!!!!

I used to take the example of classic shape Impreza over EVO 6 and for the money the EVO cost you could buy a scooby, mod it all round to be better and have some left over for fun. Given that both the cars were designed for the same kind of driving this made the scooby better value IMO and that is why I loved them when I was younger and still love them now :)

I love my Impreza and thats all that counts in my book.

i think the focus RS is having an effect here...

all good I think
its all relative :)

I know what you guys mean. I always thought that people were staring at my car when I drive around. It turns out that the girls were actually staring at me. :D

On my 2nd Scooby in a year. Couldn't care less what anyone else thinks - it's what I think that counts (and I get lots of admiring glances at my car - although unlike Katana, it's definitely down to the car and not me! :D:D)

DP.

If you think that I'm going to rush out and buy a Focus then you've got to be kidding.

I love my scooby. I don't care if anyone gives it a second look.

I've driven Fiestas, Escorts, Sierras, Novas, Calibras, Rover 220s, Rover MGs.

I know what I like. What else matters?

Korky

who cares about what other people think just have fun lifes to short not too. I couldn't careless how people percieve me in my H reg taxi with ridiculously powerful engine all I know is I'm having a right laugh while MR X or Miss Y may look down on me in there mediocre german cars but I am the one having a laugh and there not and at least my cars not as dull as dishwater . In reality they are probably jealous when everyone gorks at our sorts of motors and not theres at traffic lights etc. And anyway I couldn't give a to55 I bought my car for me.
Stick A 22b or RS500 in a car park next to a BMW M5 and who is even going to glance at the beemer. Nobody.
Why do people seem to think they are all different from the Max crowd ? Dont you all stick big pipes and rims on your cars I know I do and think its great fun. Who on earth and why on earth would any of you want to grow up you have a very long time to be old and boring.

[Edited by co55ie - 10/16/2002 10:47:59 PM]

I was driving along a few weeks ago when I drove past a little boy, about 6-7ish with his grandad. I had the windows open, and I heard him say 'look Grandad, a proper racing car!'. It made my day, the look on this litlle boys face. Since I have had the Scoob, I have never regretted buying it, and would definately get another one when the time comes to change.

right on co55ie, you hit the nail on the head there ;)

Yep, totally agree with co55ie, who cares what others think?? And i don't think a scooby ever had "mystique", the wrong word. And a car cannot be a cult car forever, it would just defeat the meaning of the word. The impreza has set itself into the market, and they are my fav car, so that is all that matters to me.....

It looks like I agree with most guys here, who cares what others think !! If you want to be seen as someone who has a car that no one else has...why ????
I bought my sport scoob :
a) I couldnt quite afford a turbo
b) Its performance write-up. not that it has 200+ horses
but excellent handling, stability blah, blah
some guys like all the trims with clear indicators etc
I can take it or leave if but others want them, so what.
Their cars will look the dogs tadgers & mine wont.
But hey thats life.
(anyone got a spare set of clears)