I am going to purchase an impreza soon (in the next few months), i cannot decide weather to go for a Classic shaped 5 door or a 5 door WRX (bugeye). I know that the classic should be a bit quicker as they are lighter but do they handle better or worse than a bugeye.

 

Classic - pointier, more ragged, bugeye - more refined, smoother edged, IMHO, both in terms of design and performance... I like the ragged style more myself - spikier turbo feel, sharper feeling dynamics - a little more hooligan, if you will.

You have to drive both for as long as you can, and make your own decision though - I got an hour test drive no problem. Drive different roads, and don't get fooled and only notice the performance, if you're not used to it.

 

The bugeyes seem to be depreciating faster than the classics.

How much you looking to spend?

 

Classic

 

I found the classic's interior to be very dated compared to the bugeye. Change the bugeye lights, and it's amazing what a difference it makes.

 

MY03 is best

 

thinking of spending 10-12K
then i can spend a bit on tunning it and the insurance+tracker etc....

 

your probably better off with the latest classic that you can afford then, im not sure if a 99/00MY would fit in to your budget, but in terms of depreciation it woul dprobably be your best bet, and at least in that model year they had fairly sorted interiors....not like a pre 97/96 type.

Go for it though son!

 

and before anybody has a go i dont mean that the pre 97's were bad, its just that they were building such a sorted motor that the interiors were more of....how shall we say...an afterthought. still ace cars

(Phew...got out of that one..)

 

the money is not the problem just trying to find out which people prefer to drive

 

if you can stretch your budget I know where there is a'classic' for sale MY00, every Prodrive bit of kit on it(except the seats) which are leather and has done just over 8,000 miles from new FSSH
e mail me if you are interested

Nige

 

Has to be a classic!! dare i say it, therye a classic car lol!!!!

 

Had a classic My97 great! now got a My02 bugeye both wagons and both are velly good and yes must change those lights

 

My personal preference is the bug, but then again the previous owner and I have spent an extra few quid getting the car to perform ,handle and look like we wanted it to in the first place, well 7k to be precise and there's still room for more improvements, I think another 5k on it will make me truly satisfied, well for the time being. Hope my wife doesn't read this or there'll be divorcee papers waiting for me in the morning.

One thing I can say is before the bug was modified it did seem to handle better than my un-modded classic round the twisties, Now I'm not sure if this is to do with my driving skills getting slightly better over the years but it was one thing I noticed more or less straight away. And since the modifications it's even better.

If I had spent as much money in mods on my classic a few years back then it may of been a different storey.


If I only had a budget of lets say 13k I would personally spend it on a classic, There should be some stunning cars out there for that price with plenty of mods and toys, saving you a small fortune, And the kick in the back when the turbo kicks in on a classic is rather nice compared to my bug which is smoooooth throughout but I'm getting to be an old man and me backs not getting any better.

To summarise :

The bug and the classic are both fantasic cars which offer you a 4/5 door family car with 4wd blistering performance, and for value for money not much can come close, The classic is more aggressive in looks and feel, The bug is more of a grown up impreza and is more refined but still feels the urge to have the aggression and looks as it's older model, and it can but at a cost.


Maddy

 

Having owned an MY98 and an MY02, no doubt about it - the bugeye is a much better car.

 

CLASSIC !

 

I know its slightly above your budget,but i had a look at the P1 or STI7.both great but went for the STI7 for a number of reasons,the interior,performance(mines 325BHP),bugeyes are newer(well most are)4 doors(against the P1s 2)and the chassis on the STI7 is 258% stiffer i believe than the classic,but whatever one you choose they are both without doubt great cars and you wont go wrong with either.good luck with your purchase.

 

Classic, the bug eye looks like the front of a Daewoo Lanos

 

I prefer the clssic as far as looks go as i've not driven a bugeye, and for 13k you should be able to get an already sorted minter.
But then at the rate of depreciation on the bugeye you could well find yourself a real bargain.

 

I'd go for the classic.

 

for a little bit more you could have mine

 

Classic.

Not only would I buy one, I did.

 

Ditto to TK.

Oh, saw your number plate today..." J 3D TK" - or at least that's how it was spaced !

 

Bugeye has a MUCH stiffer shell, and doesn't bumpsteer very much, so handles better "out of the box". The brakes are the same as late classics IIRC, but feel much better because of a stiffer bulkhead. Interior is nicer, semi automatic climate control as standard, quieter and generally much nicer to do long journeys in. When tuning, the standard bugeye turbo holds boost better at high revs, and the standard engine has the same official power, but with one more cat to strangle it - so the bugeye will give a little more power once you decat (although that won't overcome the weight disadvantage.

The classic is a lot (~12%) lighter, so noticeable quicker acceleration "out of the box". When tuning, you'd always need a bit more power and brakes out of the bugeye to overcome that weight difference. Classic will invariably feel faster even at the same speed, partly becuase of a bigger kick when the turbo comes in, and partially because of the less refinement. Classics seem to depreciate less, and most people prefer the styling.

Personally, quite happy with my (slightly tweaked) bugeye.

 

IMO, late classic with the right bits looks best...The decent looking new ages are the ones with the STi/Prodrive kit and gold wheels.

As for the classic interior, a nice set of Gauges or the SECS will improve things, but no AC as standard is biggest let down...

 

Who said you needed gold wheels and the Prodrive bodykit?





The topic is always coming up. Having owned both, I can appreciate both cars - both are outstanding performance cars. You won't be disappointed in either. The best advice I can give would be to go and test drive old and new Scoobs and see which one YOU prefer.

Chris

 

v. nice chris, but IMO i think gold wheels would make it look stunning - each to their own

PS - P1 wheels?

 

Gorgeous car Chris!

MM

 

Very true - just wasn't sure about the gold wheels though

The wheels are 18" Prodrive OZ.

Here's my old car:



Chris

 

Niiice lookin motor chris.

I bought a classic version 4.. interior isn't bland i think its fine.
I (like most) didn't like the bug eyes but i think they growing on me. I feel the newer versions are more refined motors...