Spideruk

hi all looking at purchasing my first Subaru and know nothing about them just yet , its a 2007 2.5 WRX model with 73 k .fsh at £6500 .it says 225bhp , is this standard and I know it might sound silly to you all but does this model have a turbo? Also can you get much more out of it without changing parts with say just a remap?


Regards


Alan

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Does it have a turbo? Really? That has to be the dumbest question on here that I have seen for some time!

Be more worried about the weak 2.5 engines and £500 per year tax bill!

clyne 08

I wouldn't worry about the 2.5 engine unless you are planning on modifying it above 300bhp. And also don't just bolt things on without a remap. The standard WRX seems to be pretty reliable running 200-300bhp and the torque is very nice compared with a 2.0.
And yes the Tax is high but it has never bothered me.

jayallen

iTrader: (31)

6.5k puts you in the seat of a Bug/Blob STI......A far superior car in every way and also a lower tax bracket.

Spideruk

I apologise for being dumb as I said I don't know much about them. . I know the 2.0 I has a turbo , but dint know about the
2.5 lump as I have never driven one. I appreciate the knowledge though in what ever way you want to share it

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

It takes 5 minutes to Google and read up on it fella. Yes, all wrx and sti models have a turbo. Yes, you can remap them and get extra power/torque but an exhaust upgrade at the same time would make it more worth while.

What has made you want an impreza?

Spideruk

Funny you say that I did Google it and all I seem to get was specs I. E power torque etc...maybe I just missed it . I have 3.2v6 crossfire with 215 brake atm...I've always wanted an impreza, love the shape the sound and potential in power/acceleration. When I mention to my dad that I've been thinking of getting one in the past, all i get is ...you will have problems they only for one thing ragging ... that's why people buy them.. So then I ponder over finding a good one...its not affected me wanting to own one but just just risking the cash on one.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Well if you go for a 2.5, factor in £3-4k for an engine rebuild. It is not if but when they fail.

Personally if I were in your shoes, I'd buy I late 05 WRX with the 2l engine, cheaper tax, for around £4-5k. Then use the money left over to tidy it up (as they will all need a little work at this age) and get the servicing up to date.

Don't use all your budget on buying one.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Only morons buy WRX's over STI'x

Cpt Jack Sparrow

iTrader: (14)

EFA

My 2.5 Hawk currently has 140,000 miles on original internals and does at least 100 miles a day.

clyne 08

Typical Scoobynet negativity the lad has come on asking some questions which in my opinion are better answered on a Subaru forum over a google search, and straight away he has encountered all that is wrong with the Subaru scene (miserable impreza snobs). Nobody has even asked him what what he plans to do with the car?

Spideruk you are probably better off joining a Subaru group closer to your area then asking for help, as you will struggle to separate the knowledge from the BS on this site.

Jonnys3

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that's a bit of a generalisation to say the least, considering it's the Sti Hawkeye which suffers from engine failure, not the standard WRX Hawkeye. Only morons buy without making informed decisions!

For the benefit of the OP, who is looking to make an informed decision, higher tax band, secondary air pump failure, rear shock absorber knocking and lower MPG are a few things to keep in mind when thinking of buying a Hawkeye. Sti Hawkeyes are prone to head gasket failure, so you'd really need to be looking at one with a forged rebuild (but your budget won't cover that) if you wanted an Sti.

The WRX Hawkeye with a few mods makes for a brilliant road car.

Have a read here for info about remapping paths:

http://www.racedynamix.co.uk/remap/s...wkeye-2-5-wrx/

Uncle Creepy

Hello, and welcome to Scoobynet. If you're ever unsure about the specs of a car, eg. whether it's a turbo model, there are various websites you can browse. Parkers.co.uk is good. That states whether a car is naturally aspirated, turbo, dimensions, number of cylinders, boot capacity, turning circle, etc.


I would personally recommend a late blobeye model; I believe the last plate for a blob is an 06 reg. You could buy an STi blob for £6,500, but it would most likely have mileage of 85,000 or greater, or not be in the best condition.


As Gear Head advised, you could buy an 05 WRX with circa 60,000 miles for £4,500-£5,000. Look for a comprehensive service history - approx. 10 stamps. Also, an 05 plate will be due a second cambelt change around now, so if you can find one that's just had this done, that would save you £400. Other obvious things are pads, discs, tyres, etc. If you could find one with an STi spoiler (if this interests you) and some nice wheels and an exhaust, that would be a bonus. You could spend the remaining £1,500 on a decat, air filter, fuel pump, and remap, which would increase power to 280+ and make for a fast, practical, reliable road car. As others have already said, the Blob falls into a cheaper tax band than the Hawkeye, and the 2.0L engines are much more reliable than the 2.5L.


Finally, regarding what your dad said, obviously some Imprezas will have been abused - this could be said about any performance car - but there are many that have been owned by enthusiasts who will have taken good care of them.

scoobydreamer11

What a lovely reply, I must say just reading this thread I was really disappointed with the negative responses, yes everyone has their own opinion but it doesn't have to be directed in such a rude way!

The response above is the kind I am used to as an avid browser of scoobynet so please don't be put off by a few opinionated people (I am right king of guys)!!

Happy browsing and please ask as many questions as you wish young sir!

Tom.

south_scoob

Dont wory too much about milage as its more irrelevent in a impreza then nearly every other car. It could be supper low millage and never warmed up and minneral oil used..

And as far as ive lernt these motors are fussy!good luck

Uncle Creepy

I know what you mean, Tom. When I first joined, I - perhaps naively - thought everybody would be really friendly and welcoming, especially to a new member; we do all share the same niche interest of Subarus, afterall. Obviously it's funny to take the p!ss, and the forum would be boring without it, but the unnecessary negativity is a shame. And the frequent STi snobbery just gets boring.


I would still maintain that most members are friendly and helpful, but there does seem to be proportionally more idiots on here than on the other car forums I read. It's inevitable that some threads on all forums will degenerate into bickering. In fact, a month or two ago, I abused a fellow snet member for the first time... but he's the biggest bellend around and had it coming, ha! But too many threads on here just turn into an argument between a few members - usually the same ones. The thread starts off with a technical question; the first few replies are helpful and interesting to read; then I skip a few posts or click on to Page 2 and the thread has become: "your wheels are ****", "you're a racist", "my car ran the 1/4 mile faster than your car"... and which point I, probably like most people, stop reading the thread.


Sometimes an argument can make funny or interesting reading, but it annoys me when it overshadows the topic of the thread.

StueyBII

Hi,

Welcome aboard I recently purchased a 2.5 WRX. My initial thoughts:

6.5K is a lot. I paid £6K for mine with less mileage. Then again, it depends on many many things.

The 2.5 engine on the WRX. Indicative evidence on this forum would suggest that it is MOSTLY modded WRXs and STI's that suffer from the engine failure. I suggest you read about it and make your mind up.

Be warned, and this is perhaps my most important item.. They are extremely thirsty. To put it into perspective, a tank lasts me 200 - 210 miles around and about. Push it hard and it goes down to single figures. Budget a good wedge for the petrol

The downside is the tax. I knew what I was getting into before I bought it mind you. Just the tax man and I have a love/hate type affair.

What to look for:

Apart from the obvious, I would also suggest (from bitter experience) the self leveling headlights. If they no workie, it gets expensive, fast.

Also check for rust around the rear screen, as they do have a tendency to rust there. Also, some say third gear can be problematic, but I have not found that.

Overall, coming from whatever car, you will love it. Just be careful and check everything with a fine tooth comb.

Lastly, and this is only my experience. Find a good local garage that can do the "normal servicing" for you, ie brakes, tyres, normal service. If they are good (mine are awesome.) They are cheap and good, but not so quick. There is a two week waiting list for most of it. The specialist stuff I take to the guys who know Subarus.

Edited to add, yes, you can go and buy an STI but try finding one in good condition with less than 100K on the clock. That and the STI engines do defo have more issues with engines. Not saying they are worse, but just you are potentially going to find more problems as they are more "used " shall we say.

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

Reporting in!









Granted its running 50% more power over standard

stiMIGHTYsti

iTrader: (1)

Weird price you paid, I bought a 2007 WRX with 52k in 2012 had for three month before piston number 3 gave in.
I'd mapped to 291/374 I'd changed exhaust 3" from turbo back also fuel pump n uprated plugs.
Ended up forging Pistons. But moved on to 2.0STI now so no weak Pistons. But presuming the 05s come with some sort of problem.

Jonnys3

And don't forget to factor in fuel type, namely 99 RON, as this is more expensive than standard unleaded. Advise you to stick with Shell vPower or Tesco Momentum.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

lol, its a choice to be on here, just remember that

Steve Scooby

second that .

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Oh God, we didn't offend someone else did we?

To be honest, I was offended that someone joined a Subaru impreza forum and asked if a wrx had a sodding turbo!

So much so that I might have to call the fuzz.



Get a sense of humour for **** sake.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

or buy a WRX in the first place

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Oh no you di-n't!

rb5 stu

Moron here too, and proud of it!

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Now wheres the bolt on STI ebay spoiler...

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Stop trying to offend me. You know it's illegal now, right?

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Why, are you brown?

or do you own a WRX with a bolted on STI spoiler?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Besides, how long have you had an sti? Only the classic sti 4 can be considered a true sti.

All the others are just soft **** bling chariots.