Chins

Been thinking about rejoining the ranks of Impreza ownership for yet another go. If I do make the jump Ive been very undecided as to which way to go. My last Scooby was a P1 with a few mods. As a drivers car its the best car ive owned and beats all my previous Scoobies. I have been struggling to sort out if I want another P1 (as Mr lewis tells me I should find one for 22k), or go for the UK300 PPP or a MY01 with PPP.

Today I drove a well run in MY01 with some exhaust mods and 18" wheels. Took it round a mixture of roads for a burn. I'll never win an award as a good driver, and usually do everything wrong as I set the car up for a corner. I'm driving a std S3 as a comparision. The MY01 felt a lot more together, and would squirt nicely from corner to corner. I'm sure that a MY01 with PPP will be pretty quick - maybe not P1 so, but with all that torque and minimum lag it will match it on day to day driving. Cant wait to have a go. The MY01 felt incredibly composed.

As I parked the car a P1 WR was sat on the forecourt. My mind was saying dont drive it you'll only go and buy another one. But I had to have a go just to remind me. Thought this was going to be fatal. Sure the P1 felt quicker than the MY01 - all that lag giving a good push in the back. But down the same mix of roads I found myself backing of due to the handling/ride not being to the same level - this was on slightly rough B roads. Have to say I was a little shocked. I found that the MY01 was probably quicker in real terms than the P1 on the B roads.

Still suffering from shock. My dealer had a UK300 parked next to a P1. Whilst I'm still not sure on the rear wing, and the price is too high, the car certainly made the P1 look a little dated. I'd also thought the P1 was the same colour as the UK300, but the P1 is a lighter blue.

Ive not decided on any of the cars yet, but after today if I do rejoin the Scooby ranks I'm sure it will be the MY01 route.

Jonathan

[This message has been edited by Chins (edited 30 May 2001).]

Tiggs

good to hear- who would have thought people would compare MY01 with P1 3/4 months ago!

still cant see why anyone would go for uk300 though, buy bits yourself and make it look better/more personalised


tiggs

spudgun

chins
me again look mate, whatever u do, u know youre gonna get another motor 6 months from now anyway
heres my opinion for what its worth mate...
P1...youve been there, done that, dont bother now.
uk300...overpriced and damn ugly, its a bad price for a bad looking car.
my01...well, if it were me, id rather take one of these, get scoobysport to tweek it, sod ppp, i'd go motec or link, and mod the life out of it. get the wrx import from europe/ supermarket, save a bundle etc.
as far as the uk300 is concerened , do u really need to pay over the odds for a gruesome spoiler and some alcantara? knowing subaru, its probably cheap rubbish anyway.
how many scoobys will this be now chins? still cant make yer mind up whether u like 'em eh?
as i say, i have the bug nearly as bad as you, but i dont think the uk300 is worth it, its just the newest sweetie in the candy store, but it wont taste nice. save a bundle and get my01....or wait for sti

Deep Blue Mica

You really can't be serious whem you say that a MY01 would out-perform a P1 on B-roads.....I've hammered both on such roads and there is only one winner....P1 by a mile!
The MY01 is more of a woman's Impreza, lacking the ooomf of my MY99 Turbo.
The P1 remains a fab-looking car and draws loads of attention from geezers around it......and EVO magazine rates it ahead of the EVOVI and the new Japanese WRX STi.....I've driven them all and I agree!
Cheers

Chins

Spudgun

I tend to agree with you that the UK300 is overpriced, and the best way to go would be to spec up a MY01. The main thing the UK300 has got going for it, is you can get your PPP quickly. Not sure if the S3 will be departing yet. Cant decide.

Deep Blue Mica

I'm not saying the MY01 is faster everywhere, but only on less than smooth B roads. Ive owned 5 Scoobies before inc a std MY00 and would imagine you would have a very hard job keeping up with a well run in MY01 with a few mods. My post is not from an ownership biased stance, but as I see it. The new WRX just seems to need loads of miles to loosen up. It will be interesting to read EVO mags thoughts on the MY01 with PPP vs a P1.

Jonathan

Mark.S

Chins,
What dealer to you road test the cars at?
I've got to make the same choice very soon MY01 PPP or P1!
Why did you sell your previous P1?
Cheers,
Mark.

MrData

If the P1 didn't seem so clever, you weren't going fast enough

russell hayward

I find that hard to believe.

I found the stock my01 to feel very unsettled compared to my P1, and painfully slow.

I have found my P1 a lot better with the 18" wheels.

Perhaps the P1 you drove had geometry probs. My P1 has had the bumpsteer done etc.

Where I live there are B roads/country lanes galore. Come and try mine and I'm sure you would change your mind.

Is it possible you were backing off because you were actually going that much faster ??


Russ




[This message has been edited by russell hayward (edited 30 May 2001).]

Chins

The P1 seemed fine. Just like my old one. The only difference being this had 18". My feeling was that the MY01 smoothed out the bumps where the P1 left you feeling them. My speed in the MY01 was as far as I could see slightly higher on the rough section. This P1 didnt have bumpsteer, but then how much better would the MY01 be with the same mods ? I think you notice the stiffer chassis and less understeer in the new car.
Without a doubt the P1 is a quicker accelerating car, but you can just see that when the MY01 get 270bhp and the six speed box it will be the ultimate Impreza. The P1 is still a raw car and for some that will make the first choice over the MY01. I'm looking forward to having a go in a MY01 with PPP and other exhaust mods. Think it could be a bit of a beast (although still an ugly one).

What was most interesting was getting back into my S3. Both cars showed up all the bad points of the S3. Back to loads of roll and the loss of the point and squirt. Plus crap brakes.

I'm not saying in my post that the MY01 is a better car than the P1. They seem to have different strengths and weaknesses. But the MY01 has a better chassis IMHO. My old P1 is still the best car Ive owned, but I can see the potential to easily exceed it in bugzilla.

Mark

Drop me an email if you want to know why I sold the P1. Dont want to bore everyone.

Jonathan

I also hear that the club driving instructor has upgraded to a MY01.



[This message has been edited by Chins (edited 30 May 2001).]

Dave Mackey

I don't know why I am replying to this but get a life man. P1 or MY01 what is the comparison NONE. Different breed of car the MY01 is not in the same league it is an old mans car the P1 is the last of the real Impreza's as far as I am concerned.

Dave

PS. If I have missed the point so what I got a P1 and nowt else will do.

Pete Croney

I think this is a very good comparison.

What it comes down to is power or handling?

I had some great fun at Bedford with the P1's and with SDB in his STi. My heavy little UK car was giving away 40+bhp/tonne to these cars, but I could keep with the P1's and only gave between 30m and 50m a lap to Simon (great fun following you M8 ). I did have a passenger (Paul Wilson) which would have further increased my power/weight disadvantage.

That was on the track, where you have perfect visibility and a smooth surface. Down an unknown country lane, I think the reduced turbo lag and improved turn in/balance of the 01 would give it the advantage.

Tim Huxley (Lister's) reckoned my 01 was quicker down 15 miles of his favorite road than his P1 (full exhaust, Alcons and 18's) just because of the extra speed you could carry.

I am still a BIG P1 fan

Neil Micklethwaite

Agree with Pete BUT would just say

1. The driver comes into the equation
2. What does Tim drive now Pete ?

I drove one of Tim's stock MY01 and found it very easy to drive quite fast and it felt quite similar to my RB5 WR on handling and road poise( the RB5 edged it on power ).

MY P1 is quicker and IMHO I could maintain a better rate of knots in it as opposed to me in a MY01.

wilf

For me I think some of you have missed the point. Sure the MY01 is very quick down the road but driving a scoob for me is about the sense of occasion - sinking into the rally seats listening to the warble of the exhaust feeling the punch in the back and what the car is actually doing on the road.

Unfortunately the MY01 in standard spec doesnt do as much to address any of the above as the P1/old shape. Sure its very quick and confident but its a little bit fly by wire and the steering overlight and lacking feel.

I want a fast car but I also want a bit of drama as well and the P1 has it in spades.

robin lowry

well said wilf!!!

Jza

Just my 10p worth

I own a MY01 WRX and have test drove a P1

Theres absolutely no way the in-line perfomance can be compared - the P1 is amazing! The P1 was the closest thing ive driven to a motorbike.

I didnt notice the harsh handling as much as my girlfriend. She hated the P1 as it "rattled her fillings"!!!

Personally, different league - cant believe i could (in wrx) keep up with myself against me in a P1 - but then Driver has a lot to do with it!!!

I love both cars!

PPP & then Petes downpipe to come !!!!

Jza

Chins

I think Wilf has a very valid point as well. My post was not saying the MY01 is a
better car. There is different appeal at present in the car. I would also agree that a stock MY01 performance wise is quite a distance behind the P1. Also agree that in std form the MY01 lacks character.

However saying all that my thoughts are that the MY01 with certain mods is getting there.
Add Prodrive or Morette headlights, PPP, SS downpipe hopefully, SS rear wing and 18" alloys and you have a totally different car with WRC looks, lots of get up and go, the noise etc. Talking to Pete it seems other are starting to switch from this BBS. For me with the listed mods I would go for the MY01.

JZA drop me an email.


Jonathan

MarkWRX

Im facing the same decision as well whether to go for a P1 or MY01 with PPP.
I have driven both (MY01 without PPP)and from a pure driving point of view the MY01 doesnt come close to the P1. I was definately going (much) faster on the same roads in the P1. Having driven the MY01 with sports seats, Id think Id definately order the buckets and tart it up a bit with some subaru extras instead of the Uk300.

Totally agree with Wilf about the sense of occasion with the P1. I think I would feel that every time I look at it let alone drive it.
The review in Autocar this week says the UK300 with PPP doesnt come close to the P1.
Then again, part of me thinks as the new shape becomes more accepted the P1 will look dated and Ill wish id bought the MY01 in a year or 2. After which time I would be able to maybe change for an STi.
Im gonna take the whole of June to decide.

spudgun

chins
why have you owned so many different imprezas? exactly how many P1's have you owned
it sounds to me like you want a P1 , BUT, you aint owned a bug eye, so you want to try the new toy
why dont you hang on for the sti? is it still being released here in 6 months? if it is, cant you hang on? coz as sure eggs is eggs, you KNOW you'll be buying one in 6 months, whether youve spent a bomb on modding a my01 or not
alternatively, do what im gonna do. got 330 which is an absolute pleasure, and very soon, i will probably be getting an early type ra to keep 330 company, but its the complete opposite to a 330ci. i'll probably only use it an hour a week, have fun modding it, it wont cost a bomb to buy or run etc, and if i get bored, i'll change it and not loose TOO much
or, have you considered an evo7?