iwantanoo

FIRST POST! i AM LOOKING TO BUY MY FIRST IMPREZA, PREFERABLY ATURBO. CAN ANYONE TELL ME A BIT RE RUNNING COSTS ETC. IT SEEMS FOR SOMEONE DOING 20000PA A NEW SET OF TYRES AND A CLUTCH ANNUALLY SHOULD BE BUDGETED FOR?ALSO SEEN AN AD FOR 'R' REG FOR £7999- CLOCK SAYS 35K BUT NO SERVICE HISTORY AT ALL!! SHOULD I EVEN HAVE ALOOK??

Richard Askew

hmmmm check the HPi and if possible get an RAC type check...oh and turn caps lock off!!!
<cue chrisB and his amazingly grubby keyboard piccie >

DJB

With no service history at all, I wouldn't even have look. These cars are generally very reliable but need to have regular oil changes (every 7500 miles).

Clutch should last around 30-50000 miles depending on level of abuse. Tyre wear again very dependent on driving style but I get about 15000 miles out of a set.
Servicing - needs service every 7500 miles (or 6 months). £80 for 7500 (and any others in between), £200 for 15000 and £400 for 30000 mile services.
Fuel - expect 20-25 mpg for a turbo.

D.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Pick up a copy of Top Marques - there were loads of Imprezas in there last time I looked. There's no reason why you should have to buy one with no history, especially when there are so many people trying to shift them. Unfortunately for those of us that already have an Impreza and drool over the new STI, it's a buyers' market (You might also do a search on the Auto Trader web site).

My first set of tyres lasted 25000 miles - many people drive harder and faster than I do and will chew through a set more quickly. The OEM Bridgestones are quite hard and last longer than the sticky rubber that best suits the car.

I agree with DJB about servicing costs, although given that the car will be out of warranty anyway, you might save a bit by going to one of the independent specialists. My impression is that they often know more about the car than the main dealers!

Another potential expense that you should look at sooner rather than later is insurance. A basic, unmodified Impreza Turbo is in group 17, and any mods will push the premium up further. I'm 27 with full NCB, and still pay over £1k...

It's worth brushing up on your background knowledge of the car too - check out the SIDC FAQ on http://www.sidc.co.uk.

A car with 35K on the clock will be coming up for its 45K service soon. That's a biggie (cambelt change), so bear that cost in mind. Remember, the Impreza engine is awkward to work on and has four camshafts, so it's not a small job

Frankly I'd be suspicious of a car with that age/mileage combination - it seems like very low mileage for the age, and I'd like to know why there's no history to back it up. Missed services are bad news, although the engines are pretty tough and can take a lot of abuse if properly maintained. If the car has been clocked, I'd be more worried about the potential lack of servicing rather than the extra miles.

Good luck!

Andy.

Dizzy

there is a MINT N plate in the for sale section atm for an unbelivable £6500 that is definatly worth a look.

I'd make sure it had a history too although its no garentee

The Zohan

As Stated above SIDC FAQ is worth a look - Tyres should last around 15-20K.

No service history?? - Why??? Most owners will get their car serviced, if not by a Scooby dealer then by someone so any reciepts???? -- Personnally i would not buy it for that money without service history. 35K without history, it could have missed 4 services. Performance cars need their regular service, especially the oil changing regular as clockwork. service should be every 7.5K.

Few things
Is the car a UK suplied car or an import - may effect your insurance costs
Does it look like it has done 35K - any signs of wear and tear. @35k it should feel like new.

Elvis Presley

Mines done 60k and is still on the original clutch.

If the 20k per annum is on motorways, then the tyres last pretty well, depending upon how hard you drive on other roads.

Servicing is expensive and every 7500 mls.

Petrol is probably the biggest cost at 22mpg.

I am 27 and pay approx £900 a year insurance with SP50. All depends where you live.

Nikko2

If you are in the warrington area you can take advantage of reduced price servicing from Danny the ex intermoto mechanic.

yoza

Any more info an Danny the ex-intermoto mech,Is he home based or in workshop can he stamp book after service?

Nikko2

Dont know any details I only have his number. I will find out soon as I intend to use him for my next service.

tntsystems

Personally matey, i change my oil every 3000m (mainly motorway), run EBC red pads, which seem to last longer than subaru ones, and compatible brake discs (brembo/apec) at around 50 quid a pair!. This makes for cheap motoring as i do a few miles. Beware of weak gearboxes, as mine failed around 90k miles. The car now has 112k miles, has been serviced (full synthetic oil and belts when needed) on time and ramped quite well all its life, the engine sounds sweet as a nut and puts most WRX imports to shame. These things will last a long time if looked after, you MUST have the money to change oil regular, and fix any potential probs before they happen, beware of noises, wierd things etc. I rarely seem more than 20mpg on average, but i enjoy every minute in the car. cost me 18k, now worth 5k, but what fun nuff sed i think