all things aside, in the end why did all you guys end up buying a subie? I mean really...awd aside(unless you really need it), when it came time to put the $$$ down, what clinched your subies for you? And what cars got left behind either as second or third choice?

I really got mine just to be different. Anything that isn't an accord, civic or integra is always good and the subie fell into the price range. Not to say it wasn't on my radar or anything but I was also thinkin about getting a more "sensible" car, ie: Mitsu Galant GTZ. If not that I wouldn't have a new car! Kinda simple really.

What about y'all?!

i had a 80 subaru Brat and sold ithttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/frown.gifhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/frown.gif now i have my dream car the RS well rally carhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif hehe sweet machine. just sucks not having tons of $ to mod it with. besides look at how the car looks. its soo sweet. and comes with parts other cars have to buy to put on.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif
Brian

I had no intentions on buying a new car, when I bought the Impreza. I just saw it in the lot, and really liked the styling. I also bought it partially because it isn't a common car. It took me almost three weeks to decide on buying it. I am very proud to drive it. It attracts much attention, and is fun to drive. The racing heritage that it has, also had something to do with it.

factors in considering my first subie...

*awd
*reliability
*safety
*drivability
*looks.....

i was sold on it after my first drive of the GT...

j.

I just absolutely loved the looks! (even if my L was a bit plain at first http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif) That, and you don't see that many out there...

-Josh

AWD, Torque, Styling, Rarity, and 4 doors

The 3 other choices:
2. Ford Contour SVT
3. Volkswagen Jetta VR6
4. Acura Integra GS-R

[This message has been edited by bryanw (edited April 19, 2001).]

The Impreza RS had my initials! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif then you can add, the way it looks, performance, AWD, heritage, coolness, and the fact that it turns heads when you drive around. It's just one cool car.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/cool.gif

Great Handling (safety & performance)
AWD (safety & performance)
Good reliability scores from all sources I've seen
Focus on performance WITHOUT sacrificing everyday drivability ("realworld" performance)
Performance WITHOUT focusing on luxury.
Price (ALWAYS a factor, isn't it?)
And the people who drive Subarus are generally good people (not just i-club, but even just random subaru drivers)

Basically because the car was an all around performer. Not the best at any one particular category, but well above average in all of them. The result is a safe, strong performing car that can go just about anywhere without too much concern.

AWD was hte killer for me. I test-drove a civic, but without the hatch or Si this year it was too cheap and slow, the performance and feel of the subaru was head-and-shoulders above the civic.
I also considered the prelude and the ITR, both of wich were just about the same price as the subaru (for me.. aunt works for HOA) but I'm a rallyist before a ricer so the AWD was the real selling point. not to mention the "GRR" look of the subaru over the "hi there" look of the hondas

I went from a sport truck to a sport compact.
After I had my truck a year and a half I finally realized what I was looking for was a sports car.I always looked at magazines thats how I researched all my options but I never seen anything about the impreza.I found out about the impreza from the gran turismo psx game.My first choice was the new eclipse model.In jan.2000 I tried to purchase one but the dealership I went to said I would take a big loss if I traded my truck at that time.During the next month I studied my options and went one weekend to suby dealer(Bob Dunn)close by.I didn't really think I would like the RS and even if I did I thought it would be the same deal as the mitsu dealer.I test drove an aspen white RS and really fell in love with it,but I wanted silver.Well when we sat down and talked figures I couldn't believe what they offered me on my truck and I thought I would take a loss,not even close.So they got me my silver RS and we've been together ever since.
I did buy my RS for its rarity and awd,I have always been that way.I have always wanted something that very few people have and I have finally done it,I do hope it stays that way.

I decided on and bought my Subaru for pretty much all the reasons listed above. I wanted a sport compact import car, but something that was *different* and stood out from the endless masses of Hondas and Acuras. And i'd like to think that the car fits my personality as well, maybe not the strongest but has some spunk, a little off the beaten path yet still cool =)

Ed

Three letters:

Dubya - Are - See

I have always liked the basic rally car premise: streetable race cars that look more-or-less nondescript but can drive like a bat out of hell on any road in any condition.

My first car was a 1967 Mini Cooper S. I see the WRX as a much refined successor to the Mini.

--scott

Why Subie? Why not?! I needed the AWD, I hate driving FWD in the winter, or any other time of year for that matter. I liked the way the 2.5 looked, especially in silver! I drove it, and I knew I had to have one, it's got such a wonderful personality. The other contenders were : VW GTI 1.8t, Accord coupe or an Integra. None of them compared with the overall feel of the Subie, I've been very happy with it so far.

Looks, rarity, handling, power, potential, AWD, heritage. The cars I was also considering: Toyota Celica GTS, Mercury Cougar V6, Acura Integra GSR. The biggest things for me where the rarity, torque, and the AWD, which allowed it to out-handle the others, and after my first test drive, I had to have this car! Definite step up from my 100,000 mile MY91 Chevy Camaro RS. Sure, the 305 was nice, but it was only useful when it was dry, and that isn't often here in Oregon http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

I was looking to purchase a new vehicle sometime late this year or early next year. I was looking at the New A4 or a GTI, since my real first pick (a BMW 330ci) was out of my price range. I heard of the WRx coming out and watched the posts flood in as people got theirs so I decided to take one for a test drive just to see what it really drove like.

Needless to say my wife and I were instantly hooked and ended up with a WRX about a month later. We probably would have gotten it sooner but we were trying to avoid making any kind of impulse buy but everyday driving for two weeks after the test drive I kept thinking about how much more fun the drive would be in a WRX http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

-Gerlando.

why a sooby?
since the first time i played GT1 (gran turismo) and i used the WRX i wanted one. that's the first reason i bought one. then i saw one in person and i was like whoa!!!

If it hasn't been said before (and it probably has), the Subaru Impreza 2.5RS is THE MOST noticed car for under $20,000.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif Dead stock, cosmetically, my car turns heads more than any other car I know of in or above it's price range (by about $150,000)http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/rolleyes.gif.

I stumbled upon the Impreza after sitting in a POS Ford Focus, bypassing a Chevy S-10 Extreme, and a $35,000 Fully loaded Dodge Grand Caravan.

I can go to Big Bear and Mammoth Mtn for a fun day on the hill, and just keep driving, and get 25mpg to boot!

Face it, Scoobies kick ass. I DO NOT consider any Honda, Toyota, Acura, etc. to be in the same class as our cars.

Skylab
*MHO, and sticking to it!*

I was looking for a new AWD Civic, Accord, Integra, or Celica. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/rolleyes.gif But no such luck. So Impreza is the only choice left with the best price to performance ratio. Oh. Reliability is comparable to the H and T makes. So I'll be buying Imprezas for the forseeable future.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

My first Sub was an '85 GL10 FWD, bought it used w/80k on the clock. I put 80k more on it and nothing broke. #2 was a '86 GL10 Turbo 4WD 4dr, after 140k I sold that (after replacing all the eletro-pneumatic struts). #3 was a '95 Imp. L 2dr FWD, I just sold it w/139k and it was in perfect cond.#4 is a 2001 Forester S+ (my wifes car)and #5 is my WRX (1 month old).We can beat the S**t out of these Subarus and for the most part they keep going.
The other car I was considering was a VDC Outback.

Here's my story (and I'm stickin to it)-

First a little background: I'm a Firefighter in Boston, with a car that sucks in the winter. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

One night a few years ago while at work, we had the first snow of the season. It only snowed an inch or so, but on top of that fell a little rain, and then the temperature dropped. This produced a surface like wet glass, and we soon received our first run.

We went to many car accidents, that night, 14 if I remember correctly. One in particular relates to the topic.

We were dispatched to a car accident on a highway overpass. The accident turned out to be right at the beginning of the off ramp, so it was slightly down hill. The truck has automatic tire chains that deploy when it is moving. As soon as the truck stopped, the chains retracted and the truck started to slide. It was heading right for the car involved in the accident that we were dispatched too. The truck weighs 65,involved so no person is going to stop it once it gets going. Luckily the guys on the engine(which got there just before us) had started to spread out some salt and the truck stopped sliding.

We got out and slid our way to the scene, spreading out salt before us as we went. The people involved in the accident were fine, it was only a fender bender. Just then, another car impacted the guardrail, then another, and another....This set off a chain reaction of 5 or 6 cars smashing and crashing and sliding their way down the off ramp.

Then we saw headlights in the distance, we thought this guy was going way to fast. As the car got closer it showed no signs of slowing down, we winced, in anticipation of a large impact, but there wasn't one. The car just weaved it's way through the wreckage. You've probably figured out what kind of car it was, that's right, a Subie. An Impreza L wagon to be exact. At that moment I decided, a Subie would be my next car.

I had a '96 Pontiac Firebird Formula WS6 350 LT1 with the 6-speed manual that I traded for a 2000 RS 2-door. The Formula was quick, fun, got great mileage (30 mph at 65) on the highway with the .50 sixth gear overdrive, but you couldn't drive it in the rain or god forbid snow. I needed a pratical (god I hate that word) all weather car.
When Subaru brought the '98 RS out I looked at them and drooled but it wasn't in my budget to trade in a car that wasn't even two years old.
I had to fight with GM on every warranty problem. They do not know how to treat customers. When the Formula had 36,000 on it I dumped it.
The Subaru was my only choice. I had taken enough sh!# from GM and wanted some good customer service as well.

Because this car makes me feel so yooouuuung! And all the above.

A) It's practical
B) AWD is so much fun, even with no snow. AWD is safe too, I can think of nearly a dozen times if I were in a FWD car I would have been in serious trouble.
C) Reliability
D) not-horrible gas mileage (25mpg or so)
E) It is FUN TO DRIVE. The steering is so tight compared to everything else I've driven (cept my dad's MX6). It handles great.
F) Paul Hogan suckered me in

JUST DRIVE IT and all your questions will be answeredhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif
hehehe GT2 helped alot as well!

I was supposed to be going into the service, but couldnt. I guess Uncle Sam doesnt like plates and screws holding someone together, I wonder why?? I got a medical from that, and decided to go buy a new car to make for my loss. Grand Entrance of the 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS!
Cars in consideration:
1995 BMW M3
1998 Audi A6 Avant
1997 E55 AMG Benz
1998 Eclipse Spyder(please withhold comments)

In the end I figure I couldnt slide any of these cars like the Subaru, so I bought it the same day as the test drive..http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Joe

1. AWD.
2. Uniqueness
3. Torque
4. Handling

The things that went into consideration when I neede a new car were, AWD was a must, something cool looking was a must, and the fact that I had two great japanese cars already. So I went to check out Subarus at a local dealer. The one I wanted was the Outback Sedan, such a big tough car, but it doesn`t come in stick! So then I wanted a WRX but they weren`t coming out for another 2 months, and my car died so I neede something right away. So I actually settled for the Impreza. But I got bored with it a little to fast then my wallet can handle, I now need every mod there is out there!

I had bought an 81' Subaru 2wd GL a few years ago as a car to just drive in the woods and thrash. It really took a lot of abuse. And my friend had 79' 4x4 stationwagon that he used for the same thing. I was impressed by this. Then a former friend got a 99 Outback wagon with a 5 speed. He would race people and beat them almost every time. I saw the 2.5 RS and it had killer looks, torque (honda owners look it up), AWD, racing heritage, and a decent price. There are few things I would change about this car. So I sold my Nissan truck and bought an RS.

I grew up in Subarus. My dad's 91 turbo has over 375K on it. 227 AWD horses. 'Nuff said.

I bought mine specifically b/c i knew that I could put a turbo in it and a bunch of other stuff to make it look and perform like the

WRC

such a beautiful car the WRC and road going

22B.


Mmmmmmmm.

Want to rally!!!

<FONT size="5">Because they're so cool!</FONT s>
1.AWD
2.4 Wheel discs
3.that giant sunroof! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/cool.gif
4.Torque and power compared to others in class
5.fishing rod compartment http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif
6.the amazing versatility of this vehicle
7.they last forever.
~ferretboy signing out

WHY....
AWD
4 cyl that has torq. and makes more than 130
Looks...Stock with hoodscoop,vents & big bumper

What else.....
Toyota MR2
BMW M3
Lexus IS3000
Golf 1.8T


Im in Michigan so the AWD sold me and the power but still isnt enough WRX power would be perfect....well almost http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

I was looking at getting my first car in February. I coulda had anything reasonably priced: 20-25k. So the usual suspects were there: Prelude, Integra, MRS, Celica, etc. But once my eyes saw the RS, I had to have it. It's so agressive and mean looking http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif As I did more research, I knew for sure. Like everyone else said: safety, AWD, pretty rare, reliable... But I really bought the car based on looks.

It was Summer of 2000, i was in my little old town in Portugal. Word was out that the Rally was goin on the next day 2 Towns over. Trekked out their with 3 freinds, and watched them zoom by one by one. The 2 that stood out where the WRX and the Lancer. Got back to the good ol' USA did my research, Lancer is not sold in the US. Bought the RS. I must say, i drive around my dream car everyday (minus turbo, etc...)

When I was younger my mom had a 1983 Subaru GL sedan and my dad had a 1984 Subaru DL hatchback. I remember how reliable they were.
When it came time to buying a car I was left with two options, a 1995 Mazda or a 1994 Impreza Brighton. Neither had air conditioning, so I had to figure which I would rather be stuck in the horrible summer heat in. I picked the Impreza!

I just needed a cool grocery getter.

I personally dont have one yet, but my mother got her MY00 GT Limited cause of one thing...

Test drives!

We test drove EVERYTHING out there, and Subaru just has this THING about them when you drive them! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Once you pop, you cant stop http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/tongue.gif

I wanted something with an LSD, so when I had the chance to get two, I jumped! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

The other cars I was considering were:

Contour SVT
1995 M3
2000 328

The RS beats them all for bang for the buck, plus the huge aftermarket is really attractive.

well my 3 dream cars was a skyline, lancer
evo and of course the impreza. i really like
the styling and the fact theres not a lot
of us out there. plus theres this chinese movie convinced me.

When I bought my ex-99 GT wgn, it was the only 4wd station wagon available in Canada for under 35k. And dammit, it looked good.

I wanted something fun to drive. I'd been driving Chevy Cavaliers for quite a while. They were fairly reliable and got great gas mileage. But they were dull rides. Once I got my Career going, I went looking at other cars. I test drove a number of them. I even bought a 1999 Mustang GT. Gave my Cavalier to my parents as a gift. Drove the 'Stang a little over a year. Fun car. Not a winter car, though. Anyway, I hadn't really thought of Subaru, until I saw commercials for the Outback series of vehicles. I looked into it a bit more. Test drove an OBS. Played Gran Turismo 2 and got even more interested. Then we got a heavy snow in December. The 'Stang was nearly useless, or rather I was nearly useless in the 'Stang. Didn't like that helpless feeling. Got fed up. Drove past the Subaru dealer. Changed my mind, and decided to go back home. Got stuck one last time. Went to the dealer and test drove a RS. I wanted something that was fun to drive, sporty. I mean, that's originally why I bought the 'Stang. But I realized I wanted something that I could drive anytime, regardless of the weather. That was one thing I could say about the Cavalier that was a big joy. I could drive that thing in anything, weather-wise, and did. The RS met both criteria. It'll handle even more than the Cavalier can. It's not as fast or powerful as the 'Stang, but the 'Stang was too much of a fair weather car. It needs better weight balance, or something. I can drive my Sube like a madman in snow. I had to drive with great care with the 'Stang.

I did really like my 'Stang. But I needed something that fit my lifestyle and personality better. My Sube feels like almost a perfect fit. I just need to do a few tuner things, as soon as I can free up the cash for it.

Brian

Sometimes I talk too much.

I have lots of reasons for buying it, some logical and some not, but the most compelling was the cost, and the performance. I was looking at some higher-priced cars, including the S4 and older M3's, and even had an S2000 on order, but once the job market went to the gutter, I wanted to get something more practical and cheaper. Then the WRX was released, and I ran out and bought one (against my own wishes ;-).

-tim

After owning a '91 4Runner for several years, I guess you get spoiled by 4-wheel drive.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif Well, once my wife's car died ('89 Buick Regal) and with me driving about 50 miles a day for work; we decided I should get something more fuel efficient, but where do you find fuel-efficient cars with AWD? http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

I had always admired rally cars, I saw my first Celica GT-4 way back when and always though AWD was a great idea for any car. So, after researching; the VWs and Audis were way out of range. I wasn't sure about the Scoobies until I test drove an Outback Sport; well, I was hooked.

Main reasons were:
1)Fuel-efficient (compared to the 4Runner, the Scoob saved me almost $3000/yr on gas)

2)AWD. Wisconsin farms road, Northern Midwest winters, Northwern Midwest rain, and Chicago potholes; need I say more.

3)Cargo space to spare. With the wagon, we can still take trips with full biking, kayaking, backpacking gear and still save on gas AND hit the dirt!!

4)Price and looks. Pretty much what everyone else has stated above.

All in all, I'm hooked bad on Scoobs and I'm targeting that WRX wagon!!! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/tongue.gif

BTW, This has to be one of the most informative US Scooby groups I've ever read. Hope I can help where I can!!

[This message has been edited by Dozza (edited April 20, 2001).]

My wife drove (and still drives) an Impreza TS, and I loved it. So when it came time for me to get a new car, the RS was on the top of my list.

Other consideration included:
Golf GTI 1.8T - loved the hatchback, but couldn't fit my golf bag without folding the seat down.
Integra GS-R - Great car, if I drove it at 6000rpm all the time.

When did I truely fall in love with the car? After the first snow fall.

The opportunity of having a car that is rarely seen and not having to spend a fortune to be somewhat original.