Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

... by the current and forthcoming crop of hot hatches?

It seems that every front wheel drive sporty hatch that appears is either nearly, as, or more powerful than the best of the Subarus from the last 10 years or so.

I'm apparently running 315 bhp in my Blob, but given the power to weight and transmission losses, I'm becoming acutely aware that anything recent and quick is going to give me a very hard time of it, especially as (I'll admit) I'm not the fastest driver.

I don't want a hot hatch, and I love everything about the Blob, but are we now sadly in yesterday's performance cars?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Enjoy the Scoob for what it is. They are becoming rarer, they are of a certain genre, it's what you like and don't turn into a traffic light grand prix tool.

donthaveascoobie

I don't mind being caught up by the most recent hot hatches. They're new and there would be something wrong if performance and economy hadn't improved in the last 10+ years.

I like mine for the way it drives and the flat four rumble and characteristics. A lot of the new hot hatches just don't have the same feel

bighoose

iTrader: (2)

Front wheel drive !!! Says it all to me ! try turning into a corner with that power , then try in your car ...i know which i would rather drive

Infected by sti

iTrader: (6)

Just don't worry about it

Look at what it cost you to enjoy the car you wanted, and then take a look at the youngster in the ticked up hot hatch, I know which I would rather be in

But yes it is becoming more apparent that the newer stuff has had a leap forward in the progression field, there are some little nippy things out there now that will quite happily sit on the back end of a standard scoob, lucky for me I've not come across anything that's shown me its heels yet but things have certainly come along way over the years, just look at the new 1ltr. Focus, it hands its 1.6 bigger brother its *** granted it has a little blower strapped to it, but that's still good going for a 1ltr

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

As I say, I love the Scoob, so there's no chance of it being replaced with a hot hatch. I've probably just read too many recent road tests and forgotten what makes the 4WDs so special.

EOEUMC

iTrader: (5)

There are some hot hatches out there that are nice and I do actually quite like Astra and Corsa VXR's, but it is nice to know that under your right foot when you nail it you don't loose any traction when all your 4 wheels project you forward but your body feels like it has been left behind as you get firmly planted in to your seat

Rear wheel drive is fun, but gets a bit expensive on the tyre side of things lol

4WD all day long

adamroutley

300+bhp in a fwd car is pointless.

4wd all day long.

Ash170990

iTrader: (1)

Bit of a bold claim... alot of the newer stuff can handle this power without major issues with trick diffs etc....

and in answer to the OP's question, Yes. new hot hatchs are getting quicker and quicker, but as said, isnt that what you expect? I was a bit shocked that my type R couldnt outrun a fiesta ST very easily, but once i thought about it, i wasnt that surprised, its at least 10 years younger, probably weights less, and will have similar bhp per ton...

As for people saying 4wd is the best, that all depends on what you want from a car....FWD can still be brilliant fun, i know my old RS was, nice and easy to get some lift off over steer, that was always good fun

logger

Well no idea what my cars has power wise, but kept up with an astra VXR easly and on the corners i was all over him like a tramp on chips lol its no good having loads of power if the chassie cant do anything with it ? Lol

matt350

Having just come from a Mazda 3 MPS to the STI, the Subaru is already the best car i have ever owned. c260hp was fun in a sleeper car like the MPS but trust me I really don't want to torque steer at the central reservation when i put my foot down anymore!

Besides, power isn't everything - i was always amazed at how hard my 350z had to work to even edge away from a 182 clio!! And down a tight road the 350z would have really struggled, but having owned both i would still have the 350z every day of the week.

Ash170990

iTrader: (1)

lol VXR's do make me laugh, they are a nice looking car, and with a decat remus they sound awesome, but like you say, the chassis lets them down big time! touch the throttle with the wheels turned and it understeers lol

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Hot hatches, endless hours of fun owning them

keljon

iTrader: (10)

tune yours to 400, sorted

Ash170990

iTrader: (1)

as in owning one? Or like kids say when playing call of duty and shoot someone they "owned" them?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Different type of car, usually owned by a different sort of person.

My eldest runs a Clio 197 Sport. It DOES handle well and I struggle to leave him even on a twisty road with over 400 bhp in a classic with sorted suspension.

But part of that is that I don't want to push mine anywhere near it's, or MY limit

Modern cars: more power, but heavier too.

As for front-wheel drive, read some road tests: those who aren't completely in thrall to the hot hatches ALWAYS say that you get problems in anything but the dry.

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

Got myself the new juke Nismo and love it 200Bhp is great fun and handles
Well but
Still love my 13 yr old classic 4WD

LuckyWelshchap

Evolution isn't restricted to organic things, although it's called progress in technology terms.

Just like evolution, cars and motoring will continue to have eras and phases.

Remember the Audi Quattro, and what it did for motoring?
Without its groundbreaking development perhaps we wouldn't be Subaru enthusiasts.
Without Subarus (and Evos) there wouldn't be the demand for cars that go like the brown stuff off a shovel while sticking to any surface like glue.
Perhaps without Scoobies there wouldn't be the new generation of hot hatch because manufacturers and potential customers always aspire to be better than the acknowledged top dogs.

And just like the Quattro will still do today what it did when first launched, so will Subarus, and I'm more than happy.
It took a former N Class driver to show me how much I was under-utilising my Catalunya.
I hate to think how much I'm missing out on my Hawk !

It's definitely AWD for me.

thenewgalaxy

A well regarded hot hatch sporting a blue oval tried picking on me the other day, I turned him into a dot in my rear view mirror as I was in one of those caring moods.

Agreed some of these new cars are quite potent but remember that a well sorted and breathed on Impreza can handle a lot more than these cars pushing the limits of conventional FWD technology at the moment.

In isolation the Impreza Turbo variants will always be quick cars, especially on the public roads.

didly

Lets not forget... The hot hatches will be stuck on their drives while your playing in the snow :-)

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

as mentioned the Impreza is old hat design wise, but is still very capable,
Think about the old super cars we see and actually how slow and cumbersome they are in today's terms, they were the dogs in their day but a modern diesel astra was quicker(top gear reference) around a track.

Donnie Brasco 46

iTrader: (2)

It's all a case of strengths and weaknesses. All FWD cars that are small in size but high in power will be quick in a straight line. Make the road greasy/wet, chuck in a few roundabouts and the FWD car will be nowhere. The same applies to RWD cars, far too skittish in greasy/wet conditions - overdo it and you go hedge cutting backwards.

4WD is all about traction, predictability. There is a series of bends near me that I have been racing round for years. 205 1.9 GTI and Clio 182 could go round them about 75, a BMW 3 coupe series about 70 but the fastest I've been round them? 85mph in a Delta Integrale.

Plus when it snows I know that I'll have no problems whatsoever ; )

G4rfo

iTrader: (1)

give me that flat 4 anyday
and they stick to corners very well

dunx

iTrader: (3)

I'm currently pondering grabbing a Golf TDi 4Motion..... plus a re-map !
( Subaru's diesel WRX's have crank problems. )

The VW guys rave about how good they are, so I pointed out that 4WD was all it took to make the WRX an icon to the knowledgeable.

As for the new hot hatch brigade..... don't make me laugh, only on bone dry tarmac do they have a hope.

I out-braked and passed a Megane "training shoe" in mine and the guy was astonished he'd been passed by a 2002 Sti

As stated, a different product, for a different generation.

dunx

Hawkeye D

I drove a standard Focus ST 09 plate today with 18k on the clock.
It came into work as a p/x a few weeks ago, and as I was at one of our compounds, I took it out.

Whilst it was probably as quick in a straight line as my standard 07 plate STi Spec D, it lacked feel / feedback.

It had quite a nice induction noise, but spooled at about 1.0 bar max according to the dash mounted dial.

The interior was full of rubbish looking carbon fibre effect. I just didn't feel I was driving anything "that special"

Did I like the Focus ST? Not really.

Would I buy one? No.

Moseley

I currently drive an Astra VXR which I'm hoping to sell shortly to get into Impreza ownership. For me, it makes a great, quick daily drive that can easily overtake in 6th due to the quick spool and overboost 'function.' It is comfy on long runs and has a very practical sized boot / interior. The engine is very easy to work on.

However, it is not a fun drive by any stretch of the imagination, and really doesn't put a grin on my face like my old Rover Coupe Turbo or 200SX did. It spins very easily in 1st and 2nd, and I've had the TC light flickering away whilst cornering in 3rd. To be fair, most of this isn't helped by only having an open diff as standard.

Sure, there are modern cars out there that are rapid, but for me, it's how the car makes me feel when I'm behind the wheel that's more important.

topshot

iTrader: (4)

I dont think so, most hot hatches today are still in the 6-7sec to 60mph and FWD. whilst they dont match the performance they are much more economical than imprezas/evos etc. End of the day you pay your money and make your choice.

Even when I look at new cars such as the 208 GTI i would rather have my old 306 GTI-6, the newer 208 gti isnt any quicker and I doubt its as fun to drive.

topshot

iTrader: (4)

Sell yours and buy an old classic sti, Im sure that will answer your question

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

Sorry, I'm confused. Do you mean because it will make the Blob seem more modern, or because the old STi will be better?

The Blob is a Type 20 if that has any bearing on it.

topshot

iTrader: (4)

Just meant try one of the older imprezas, you will see just how much better its performance is than new hot hatches. Much more fun too.