drummog

In this weeks Auto Retail Agenda

SUBARU PLANS RETURN OF STi

Subaru is cautiously predicting a return to UK showrooms for its Impreza STi performance model. Imports of the previous car ceased after the £-to-Yen exchange rate made it too expensive, leaving the company to sell off surplus stock at a loss.
Now UK managing director Paul Tunnicliffe has said he is very close to bringing the car into the UK once more from early next year. The exchange rate has stabilised, making it realistic to re-introduce the vehicle, he said. Price was key, and a sub-£30,000 figure was essential.
At the mid-1990s peak, Subaru sold up to 5000 STI's a year in the UK. Volumes for 2014 are expected to reach far less ambitious levels.

imprezaworks

iTrader: (9)

Good.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

There was no real issue with the exchange rate, thats all BS, the issue faced now is the option of zero parts available (like 2 month back order to japan) for basic parts like oil filters, air filters, brake pads etc, you cant get these parts and they wonder why they dont sell cars
IM has killed Subaru in the UK

blackvenom

I have no desire for the newer cars, they have no features that intrests me. If I had 30,000 to spend I wouldn't even think about going to look at the subaru dealers.

53

iTrader: (41)

You have to import Bugeye fog covers now, there are none left in the UK.

rob84

iTrader: (5)

Already knew about this weeks ago Positive step bringing the sti back to the showroom's in the uk

dj219957

agree, i think the bigger issue was the 2.5 pos and 400+ rfl

chrisWRX_27

Couldn't of summed it up better myself mate.

Even if the newage were sub 30k their sales would still fail in this current cr@p eco friendly climate we live in.

type-ra

Auto Retail Agenda may need to redo their research.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Definately think they mean the mid 2000's but still, Subaru UK now sell an amazing 500ish cars per year, not just STI's, just cars bit of a drop eh?!

LDNSTi

Wouldn't hold ya breath mate. Subaru in the uk, will never be what it was. People don't want them anymore. They are on an economy drive with cheap to run little cars. Face it, it'll never be the brand it was. IMHO anyways .

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Correct!

Even when I bought mine, at a VERY high exchange rate, they were £22,000, against a better equipped, hotter model in Japan selling at £17,000
At the time we were told it was the cost of getting them to the UK, taxes etc.

Yet going in the other direction, the Honda Civic somehow got CHEAPER.

No wonder the Japs refer to the UK as "Treasure Island"...they have been ripping us off for years.

And not just cars: CDs, electronics, cameras etc etc, all costing the same in ££ as they do in $$$.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Really?

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?fr...o=GBP&view=10Y

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Nothing to do with exchange rates. The cars became unreliable, they look like **** and other marques had caught up and surpassed them value for money wise!

cster

I've got an STI as a daily runner and track car. Done 125 K in it.
It is a money pit with very poor (read non existent) resale potential.
I think their time has passed.
They were great bangs per buck in the day, but every thing in the above post is basically correct.
If you can afford to run one, there are plenty of other options out there.
IMO, they have made a better choice going down the BRZ route.

drummog

I have run Subaru's since 1998 and to be honest have had no problems getting parts recently but only bought a few bits lets see if they can supply the self leveling front suspension sensor next week.

It will be time in say two years to buy another Impreza size car and I tend to keep cars for say 5 years or so.

My worry at the moment is that due to the smaller numbers of Subaru's sold around 1,000 a year in the UK compared to 40k Mercs in the UK.

There is less and less reason for Subaru UK to keep bringing in cars therefore spares. They still sell well in the US and Australia

urban

iTrader: (1)

But its only a matter of time before that bubble bursts.
There are a lot of very unhappy STI owners in the US, after Subaru of America done a number on them with regards to engine warranty claim rejections

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Just as they did here.

And the comments from f1fan are also potent: they lost their way with design, dropped to near bottom, from top of the reliability stakes, put their prices even higher, and absolutely reamed you on spares.

Add to that when I bought mine, at 218 bhp standard, there was NOTHING in it's league. The nearest cars had around 140bhp.

All the Scoob has going for it now is 4-wheel drive, which, thanks to Lying Labour, attracts a huge premium in VED

Add to that:

Boy racer image,
Chav image,
Poor fuel consumption,
Almost every one has been modded, most not kindly,
High insurance,
Zero resale value.

Oh, and of course, the chocolate engine problem, the fuel leak problem.......

You ain't got an attractive car any more, guys.

Dan W

I am trying to be more optimistic about things and think that IF Subaru re-introduce the STI to Britain they try and regain the reputation the had acheived then squandered when they introduced the Hatchback.
Hopefully they will make a return to a model that is saloon based and less boxy looking than the last saloon.

I am also mindful that like many present classic cars Imprezas will pass through the bottom of their value curve and begin to climb in prices again - if only to keep them out of the reach of certain types of people.

They may not enjoy the cult following they had in the McRae/Burns days but there is a definite and positive future for Imprezas as future classic cars.

it doesnt matter if there is now many other marques that can match or even surpass the Impreza in performace, value reliability etc.

One thing those other marques will never be is... an Impreza. As the numbers dwindle and the remaining cars age they will achieve cult status again and may even become the stuff of legends.

I am not wearing rose tinted lenses but can see that give it 10-15-20 years and Imprezas will become ever more sought after machines.

Or maybe not.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I doubt they can regain any reputation.
Any owners that tried the new machines, in either hatchback or saloon form, probably will have been burnt by Subaru UK when they turned their back on the customer with warranty issues.
Any customers that didn't get burned with warranty issues, will probably have moved onto a different marque (like me) before they do get burnt.

I see no reason to go back to Subaru.
I enjoyed all the new Impreza's I've had during a 15 year long spell, but I see no reason to go back to:-

1. A company that seemingly turns its back on its customers with engine warranty claims.
2. Over inflated retail price of the new Impreza.
3. Unnecessarily high vehicle tax.
4. High insurance.
5. The annoyance of having to have high octane fuel available all the time.

Dan W

I can't argue with any of those perfectly reasonable and correct points but I just can't let go. I am a bit like an addict who just can't say no.

Trust me - I often wish I could. But for all the negatives associated with Impreza ownership I just love them. I am on my third now.

I do look at what else is out there but nothing else floats my boat.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

First off, they have shown themselves to be greedy in the extreme, both IM and FHI, so thinking they might start again with the vfm thing is just wishful thinking.

Secondly, they don't seem able to design anything that looks anything. Modern car design is so limited by rules and regulations for crash-worthiness, pedestrain safety etc, that most cars now look alike: a boxy jelly mould.

Unfortunately, Subaru seem tied to the Blunkett design agency, as they seem unable to come up with any little ideas to make it look better.

Don't hold your breath for either a return of the car, or of it's previous position.

Dan W

You're right. They have completely lost the plot. I guess I am just holding on to a glimmer of hope that they will pull a rabbit out of the hat but I admit that the chances are slim.

Despite my optimism i agree that Subaru appears to have had its day in Britain.

But I remain more optimistic about the future of Imprezas as classic cars in the years ahead.

I might be wrong. But time will time.

Tidgy

i cant see it happening myself, to make the STI what it was needs to go like stink, that means high emisions so silly tax bracket, so no one bar enthusiasts will buy it. Also rallying is about as popular as herpies now so can;t even get the attention form that

hate to say it but subaru is a dying breed in the uk unless they somehow get it back to the cult status it used to be.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

In my mind they'd be better off focusng on the BRZ which must have been designed by Toyota as it looks the part!

urban

iTrader: (1)

Both may look the part, but they're dead from a performance point of view.

urban

iTrader: (1)

And a silly price tag to go with it

Dan W

Sorry to have to ask fella, who looks the part?

Tidgy

yeah, although cutting corners to make it cheaper wont work,, o hang on they tried that already once and ended up with loads of engine failures lol

urban

iTrader: (1)

The GT86 & BRZ cars

But, if you were going to buy one, then I'd go with the GT86 as Toyota look after their customers.

This is only one case granted, but.........

An independent car sales place I know recently has a 2.5 Legacy in with a blown motor (porous block apparently and water got in)
It was outside warranty, they contact I.M who basically said sorry, we can't help you.

This garage also had in a Toyota (can't remember the model), which also was outside of warranty with a similar engine failure and had done just over 100K.

They contacted Toyota over the issue, Toyota shipped him a replacement engine and the customer had to pay the labour element.