Impreza Advice

Fakel1ty

Fakel1ty

Fakel1ty

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Joined
2 Jan 2006
Posts
72
Location
Tamworth, Staffordshire
I have the chance of a new car, and i'm seriously considering an Impreza WRX (220bhp).

I'm looking around a 2002/3 model (new shape), but was wondering how much it costs to maintain throughout the year on servicing, brakes, tyres etc.

Assuming the car is unabused and in superb condition, what are the expected costs that will crop up from general wear and tear based on 7000 miles a year?

I know driving habits are key factor in these, 75% of the time I will be a sensible driver (honest) and 25% I may not :)
 
1) Group 19 insurance IIRC, so make sure you can afford it.

2) It will do about 240 miles on 55 litres of fuel (60 litre tank (thanks to the smug goit who pointed out my little mistake there.. :D ), but obviously you don't empty it), and it really runs best on Optimax. Tesco 99RON is OK, but 95RON is a definite no-no.

3) Good tyres will last 20k miles, and odds are all four will need replacing at the same time.

4) Servicing a main dealer will vary from about £140 to £500, depending on which one. The 30k is the biggie.

5) Pads are about £200 for a full set - fronts last about the same as the tyres, rears rather more.

6) All parts are expensive - the official mudflaps are £350 a full set.


It is an expensive car to run, but not supercar expensive. Fuel will be the main bill unless you are unlucky.


M
 
Last edited:
Meridian said:
1) Group 19 insurance IIRC, so make sure you can afford it.

2) It will do about 240 miles on 55 litres of fuel (60 gallon tank, but obviously you don't empty it), and it really runs best on Optimax. Tesco 99RON is OK, but 95RON is a definite no-no.

3) Good tyres will last 20k miles, and odds are all four will need replacing at the same time.

4) Servicing a main dealer will vary from about £140 to £500, depending on which one. The 30k is the biggie.

5) Pads are about £200 for a full set - fronts last about the same as the tyres, rears rather more.

6) All parts are expensive - the official mudflaps are £350 a full set.


It is an expensive car to run, but not supercar expensive. Fuel will be the main bill unless you are unlucky.


M
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wow a 60 gallon tank! :o

Tom.
 
My step dad had a 53 plate wrx.

He had it just until the 30k service, got rid of before (lease ran out).

He bought 2 new tyres (the other two were borderline when he gave it back), had one service, and that was it. Cost him nothing really, even the fuel wasn't too bad!
 
Meridian said:
1) Group 19 insurance IIRC, so make sure you can afford it.

2) It will do about 240 miles on 55 litres of fuel (60 gallon tank, but obviously you don't empty it), and it really runs best on Optimax. Tesco 99RON is OK, but 95RON is a definite no-no.

3) Good tyres will last 20k miles, and odds are all four will need replacing at the same time.

4) Servicing a main dealer will vary from about £140 to £500, depending on which one. The 30k is the biggie.

5) Pads are about £200 for a full set - fronts last about the same as the tyres, rears rather more.

6) All parts are expensive - the official mudflaps are £350 a full set.


It is an expensive car to run, but not supercar expensive. Fuel will be the main bill unless you are unlucky.


M
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good reply.

Getting offers of insurance of around £580 which I'm more than happy with. Parts etc, is probably the top end I could afford to pay, keeping the car in good part-ex condition.

Is it a reliable motor, in terms of always starting first time etc?
 
A has a WRX before the STi

not much went wrong , 4 tyres every 15k miles , pads/disks at 30k , clutch ( expensive ) at 55k

other then that nothing

service costs approx

10k £140
20k £190
30k £380
40k not sure
50k £500 ( cambelts )

expect around 22mpg from a bugeye (2002) and 24mpg from a blobeye (2003)

don't pay over the odds for one they are not fetching much £7.5k will get a good bugeye and £9k a blobeye , these are for UK cars

95RON petrol is ok in a EU/UK car , the manual says so and I ran mine for 3 years on it ( company car and they wouldn't pay for super ) , you will suffer a slight power loss though
 
vanpeebles said:
oh not sure, would optimax be ok?
Click to expand...

if it's been remapped otherwise it's optimax and octane booster

TBH I wouldn't touch an early Jap WRX unless it was something extremely special , most have been abused and thrashed within an inch of their lives

having said that the wagons seem to ghave suffered less
 
vanpeebles said:
oh not sure, would optimax be ok?
Click to expand...

Japan run on 100+ RON, compared to our max 99 Tescos (if you're lucky) if not, best is Optimax at only 98. Which still isn't a match. As Rotty said, early jap imports would have been thrashed. Most don't realise that their imports need remapping for UK fuel, so by the time its been done, the damage has occured.

Best to look out for a nice UK model, if not then a nice Jap sti remapped for UK fuel ;)
 
ScoobyDoo69 said:
Best to look out for a nice UK model, if not then a nice Jap sti remapped for UK fuel ;)
Click to expand...


yep , the STi's tend to have been owned by enthusiasts but as you say a UK would be the best bet ( one with service history ) , it wouldn't take much to get the power up to the level of the Jap cars
 
Rotty said:
yep , the STi's tend to have been owned by enthusiasts but as you say a UK would be the best bet ( one with service history ) , it wouldn't take much to get the power up to the level of the Jap cars
Click to expand...

true, but then you wouldnt get the glorious DCCD. I would love to have a STi 5/6 Type RA. tweak it a bit, nice adjustable coilovers, exhaust and remap... and bam! you have one heck of a machine...

/fantasy mode off
 
The biggest cost will be fuel. I bought my scoob absolutely standard 2 years ago and I modified it from day one. It has never once let me down. The only costs have been routine service items.
 
Yeah, they are very reliable when looked after. Despite running 346bhp on standard, 100k+ mile internals, and being driven very hard daily, mine never missed a beat. The only thing that actually went wrong in the whole time I owned it was a hairline crack in one of the rad-tanks. New rad, not too expensive and very, very simple to replace.
 
To OP - an 02/03 will be on the change from ugly to slightly les ugly Impreza.

Decent all round car but it won't be mega fast - unless all your other cars have been 1L ;)

As mentioned dealer servicing is alarming but specialist are more sensible. Don't buy discs and pads from dealers and unless feeling very heavy footed I wouldn't be too bothered with aftermarket discs/pads. You can get replacement discs and pads for £120 all in (what I paid on my MY00 Classic but they are the same up front).

Interior is OK but you can tell its not German. And unless buying an STI or Ltd Edition model don't bother with JDM Import WRXs - its not worth it. If you hunt round for EU cars which are classed as UK and serviced as such you can find Ltd Edition colours like the WR1 colour which is available overseas but only in UK on the WR1 (much like Sonic Blue on Classics)

Vanpeebles - As said for all versions of Impreza, unless its an STI or special don't bother with Imports. Import WRXs aren't really faster and the difference in UK and JDM insurance will cover the money needed to make a UK faster. A UK car with a few modest mods can easily keep pace with a newage non-PPP STI (Well I assume the other car was non-PPP or they really are slow ;) )

Fueling on an Import WRX will be OK with Optimax - SUL will also be acceptable. Its really only STIs which are highly strung which demand Optimax and booster.
 
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