Firstly, many thanks to Walldonway & Subaru for allowing several others and me to drive the new MY01 today.

The day consisted of a very short presentation by Subaru and then paired off (I went along with a fellow Clang n Baller). They gave us a route to take, which consisted off B A, dual carriage and Motor way (approx 40 miles). But didn’t come with you so small deviations were taken.

The only down side is that on one of the drives you tried the new 2.0gl.

Anyway to the WRX. (I should also say that I arrived in a P1 with suitable mods and 5K miles – so not a slow car!)

First Impressions:

1. Too quiet, where is the Scooby roar?
2. Too Slow – oh yes I used to 280PS+
3. Interior nicer that the MY00 and before. Be warned the 1st releases will not come with the bucket seats! So you may want to wait unless your dealer/Subaru offers a free upgrade when they are available.
4. 16” wheels quite attractive.
5. The BEST was, the handling. Very little under-steer even when screeching around 45d bend http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif. Very stable down the B road at 100mph + (naughty me!!!)

Overall a very good car compared to the old UK Car. OH and yes the lights did not look so bad in the flesh….

My views are that this car is also aimed at the mass market. I.e. if you want a car that is quiet, comfortable but also fast then this will do. If you are an existing Scooby onwer(s) that likes purely the performance, handling, etc. I suggest you make a quick visit to the likes of ScoobySport etc for the appropriate addition.

Personally I will consider the ST when in arrives in the UK (Apparently with options of 6pots and 18” wheels + others) in early 2002.

Many Thanks again to Subaru and Waldenway.

…R

I was there this morning. Were you there in the afternoon ?. Have to say the new MY01 was the biggest disapointment ever. No guts, not that quiet and very poor steering feedback.
I'm sorry but getting back into my P1 showed how bad a car it is. No improvement over the MY00 except the interior quality. The vents look naff though. My old MY 00 was a better car and that was not that good. The MY01 is a good base to start from stiffness and track width wise, but its a car crying out for suspension and power BIG time. My wifes Polo GTI felt quicker

D- on its school report. Dont buy one yet.

Jonathan

I was at the same event as you guys, courtesy of Barretts of Canterbury...(Thanks Paul) for the afternoon session. It's interesting to read what your thoughts of the car were, mine differ immensely though.

I think the handling of the car is much better than before, the ride is fantastic, there is absolutely no crashiness to the ride whatsoever and that's with the standard 17" alloys which the WRX wears. There is more outright grip, the brakes are fantastic for road use with much more feedback, the steering wheel is smaller which is an absolute godsend and there is plenty of feedback IMHO. The interior materials are of a much higher quality and the looks aren't bad.

The saloon feels a little larger than the outgoing model but it is still just as maneouverable. The wrx estate which I drove was a left hooker which made judging it more difficult after driving the 2.0gx and the wrx saloon. It feels more nimble than the saloon in many ways, maybe more chuckable but it didn't feel as planted at the rear under heavy braking.

The 2.0GX was a blinding little car and although it was squealing and shimmying around tight bends it always felt composed, great fun I thought. I was also up the arse of a turbo in front at 120mph, so not slow by any means. It's a great car for the money and much better and faster than the outgoing 2.0 sport.

The WRX on the whole is extremely well put together and has had a lot of time spent on refining the suspension and ride. The whole car feels poised and composed at all times. My only major gripe was the power. It seems to pick up better at lower revs but that's about it. Everywhere else it felt a little gutless. Overtaking the car in front (and there was lots of that) doesn't inspire much confidence as the kick in the back isn't there. It's not a slow car by any means and while it's on the boil or you've got momentum behind you it's fine, but to existing scooby owners, the familiar kick in the back isn't there. Having said that Prodrive are working on a PPP at the moment and also have a WR rear silencer available for it. The car lacks the familiar scooby beat to it, the engine is barely audible. So although the car maybe built for mass market as you guys have suggested, it won't take much tweaking to return some of the familiar scooby character.

In the event that Prodrive don't provide the car with sufficient grunt although I imagine they will, there is always the STi with it's six speeder and 280bhp available. The futures certainly bright for the new scoob and I give it a definate thumbs up!

It's also a car that is much easier to live with day in and day out. I don't know about you lot, but there are days when I absolutely love my car and some when I get pretty pissed off with it's poor ride and rough/raw power delivery. For company car drivers the new scoob is fabulous, and for those who want a weekend/everyday/trackday hardcore hack then spend some money on mods and you'll be fine.

Regards
Nito

Johnathan, As I have written in too many posts, you are right about the car possibly having the potential (eg stiffness, and dynamics)for greatness. But the main issue remains,(as you so correctly made your concern noted) can the steering and overall tactility of the old be brought back, or has the DNA been changed irreparably? Let the experiments begin...

[This message has been edited by jeremy (edited 10 November 2000).]

PS

Did take much to get the brakes to start fadding/smoking (hey Martin!!!), so keep your 4/6 pots!

Again a car for the mass market.


I was there in the morning also. I had a MY99 until August and felt this car seemed slower but the suspension (out of the factory) setup under hard driving (and I assure we drove it hard!) was a bit better very little under-steer unlike my out of the factory setup of the old car.

I most resent MY99 I drove (was there also) has a lot of mod's and has done 25K miles and you are right is a hell of a lot quicker.

I still think for 21.5K it is hard to beat but I will never get one after having a P1. And to those who do - the likes of ScoobySport should do good business as a result!

PS Looking forward to the next version of the Impreza from Prodrive in late 2002 or 2003. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Not Fair
You cant compare the MY01 to a P1..
The P1 is leaps and bounds different in every way.
Its quicker than a MY01 in every way and stops better too , so its hard to compare.

I have a MY01 and love it, but if I had owned P1 i would be dissapointed but i dont nor have ever driven one.
Its kinda like if you have never experienced it you are none the wiser.
So i think for ppl who have never owned a sube b4, they will like th MY01..
Doesnt help you guys though

Ive had 5 Impreza's and the last one was a MY00. Went to do an overtake yesterday and was willing the car on. I'm sure a 330Ci will be as quick if not quicker and my old S3 to me is a better car.

IM played on the rally heritage. If they want to attract people that like to feel they are in a rally replica then they have lost it. I wanted some lag and then a push in the back. The MY01 is a halfway house and doesnt succeed in either being a very refined drive or a rally replica. End result for me was no increase in heartrate when driving it.

Now give it 280bhp, Large Rear Wing, 18" alloys and prodrive suspension, SS backbox/system and Bob your uncle. Like a Boxster in std form you know it needs more.

Jonathan

So even NITO, with his more positive report, thinks that the MY01 is underpowered.

I am amazed that, after destroying the looks of the car, Subaru are basically allowing us all to come to the conclusion that the MY01 needs more work before we buy one.

Every journalist who has written about the car has said that it is slower than the outgoing model. Subaru should be tell us NOW about a PPP option if they are going to maintain our enthusiasm.

With car prices falling the gap between the WRX and its competition is narrowing. Subaru are in danger of losing its existing market. If they are aiming at the mass market then they'd better rethink: The average punter doesn't know a lot about handling, he just cares about image and about bells and whistles. And the MY01 doesn't have much of either!

Nito

Maybe the 2.0GX and WRX I drove were poor examples, but feeback and feel were (using the P1 for the moment as comparison) poor. The people in the car with me felt the same.

I was also suprised about the level of road noise in the car. After the write up's I was expecting a quiet cabin. That it is not. Has your car got a totally std exhaust ?. If not thats why it might sound quiet.

I went to the day with avery open view. I'm bored with the P1 and am going to change. I was hoping to like the WRX and ask my dealer for one. Now thats the last thing on my mind.

My dealer is also struggling to sell the new car. Their back order is 6 cars !. As they said nothing like the situation a year ago.

Jonathan

Whats really sad is that we the enthusiasts are the ones that are goin to suffer the most......

Aftermarket people are the winners.....because they will be selling heaps of products for this car and we will be buying it to make it look, sound and perform like a Scooby should have done from the offset......and no doubt costing us a fortune and then getting hammered by the insurance companies and second hand value for having modified it.......

Doom and gloom..........


Bash

[This message has been edited by bash (edited 10 November 2000).]

I drive a MY99 with breathing mods only, and I have been told it's quick compared to other UK cars around.

So I drove the new MY01 with those mentioned above to see how it compares with my car.

Handling, I thought was better. Tighter, crisper and the steering felt much better.

Interior, I thought was OK and is an improvement over MY00.

Brakes, cooked them to bits, and then some, eh Rob http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

Performance, doesn't come close to my car even wothout any mods. Gave me no confidence overtaking, even if there was quite a big gap. I suppose I would get used to it, but it just didn't set my pant's alight.

I will not be getting the new model until the STI comes through UK dealerships, and even then, I will have to have a long test drive first.

Martin

[This message has been edited by Martin Cook (edited 10 November 2000).]

Slightly off topic but as a new owner of an EU MY00, there have been a few hints on the board recently that the last of the old ones are slower than say an MY99. Can anyone clarify this or is it possibly a case of "older looser"? If they are down on power, perhaps Subaru were attempting to mask the inadequacies of the new model by adjusting power to fall more in line with brochure performance. Or I might be paranoid.... comments?

Joni,
I asked the same question a couple of weeks back as min was rolling roaded at just 204.5bhp, torque down on book and both further up the rev range. It has been posted since then that others have actually had healthy 00MY cars, so it might just be variation. I am getting my car thoroughly checked over in next months service to see if something is amiss. If not then a chip may be required.

Robertio,

I too have a MY00 with 6500 miles on the clock and I have to admit that I am still not convinced it is as fast as the one I test drove (MY98 17000 miles)

Now I don't know whether this is my imagination or if it's because I have driven the car like a girl too much and it hasn't loosened up properly yet but some times it just feels slower than others!!

Yesterday for example the car felt so good that on my way back to work I took it for a quick run down a dual carriageway and it felt really good and rapid. Today it feels a little lethargic and not nearly as responsive and quick. Can't really put this down to the weather as both days have been pretty similar.

Maybe just my imagination????