miata guy, looking into subarus....
 

hey guys, its been awhile... since i've worked on cars. except for today i reinstalled some stock suspension and got rid of my miata. now im looking into a subaru of some sorts.....

so i guess my questions would be concerning a post 2001 impreza rs.

what should i know about them ? (besides the fact that i think they are badass) Im kind of on the prowl for one, but it might not be for awhile. im moving back to LA for a job and the jeep isn't going to cut the gas mileage i need to commute in that wonderful city.

i understand that the rs would b the better for the imprezas to pick from that year. (L, wagon etc) but what else should i look for and what would the price range on one be ?

thanks,
Scott

Imprezas are awesome. I'm on my 3rd and 4th ones :D

I really dig the 2 door coupe body . I don't know which years, but a few years had better limited diff rear and maybe front. Mpreziv knows off the top of his head i think !

haha nice, yea i reallllyyy dig the 2 door coupe version too. i just need to find one now... they seem to be rare ? or is it just me?

Fairly rare, but not impossible to find.

Are you a member on RS25.com yet? If not, I suggest signing up and cruising the classifieds.

Have you considered a "lesser" model Impreza, like a Brighton or L? They're easier to find and cheaper, but with good reason.

yea i kind of browsed rs25.com but didn't check out the classifieds yet.

i was thinking about the lesser models, but like you said they are cheaper and easier to find for a reason.

The RS is far more common in 2 door than 4 door, as 4 doors were only made in 2000/20001. Sedans are also more commonly found with automatics unfortunately.

Scott, I would definitely say that the Impreza you'll like best coming from the Miata is an RS. Put good coilovers, wheel and tires on it and it's a great car. Simple bolt-on mods get you in the neighborhood of 180 horsepower, and with a little internal work you can get well over 200 bhp. They're also getting super easy to afford; examples that cost over $10k private party are now as rare as sub-$10k asking prices were a few years ago. If you don't mind a little roughness around the edges, you can find them for $6-7k easily with good solid drivetrains.

Also, if you're looking for a cool car on a budget... it's not too hard to find a '98-'99 L with some wear and tear (just be sure the motor's not a pile). Slap the 2.5RS body parts on it. It'll look nice, and be in the $4000 price range. Then if you get the need for speed later on, dropping in a WRX drivetrain is a pretty well understood task.

But you have to be willing to put in the elbow grease. By the looks of that Miata you had, you've got the experience for such work... but if you're coming off a project car, you may not want to be getting right back into one.

Heck, if you're going to go the Lego car route, get the absolute cheapest Impreza you can find with a straight frame and rear quarterpanels. With my red wagon, the OBS parts car, all my autocross mods, and various replacement parts I didn't already have I'm still under $5k into the project. Paint and body will pretty much finish the project and be under $8k over 2 years.

thanks for the idea. sperry, im meachnically inclined as you noticed from my previous miata, but im not sure if i want to jump right into off the bat. im thinking of just saving more money and keep an eye out for a nice 2000-2001 rs that pops up.

I had a similar situation when I bought my Impreza. I was upgrading from an Acura because I wanted AWD, and I loved the 2-door GC Impreza body, but couldn't find an RS that I could afford. I got lucky and found a '97 Impreza L coupe for under $4,000. It runs and drives great, even if it has that underpowered 2.2 in it, but the 5-speed makes up for that. I have gradually been installing RS suspension parts and hope to swap in an RS or WRX engine soon. It has been a great car even though it's only an L and not an RS. Good luck with your search...