Big Nige,
I have owned 5 Impreza Turbos all bought brand new over the last ten years.
The current one is a 2.5 WRX STi Type UK which I have owned for 2 years and the one before was a MY02 STi Type UK Prodrive Style with PPP (300bhp) kit and owned that one for 4 years.
The previous 3 were standard UK spec Impreza turbos of the classic style.
Reliability has been 100% but I have had to have sticking/knocking rear struts changed on both STi's.
The anti roll bar bushes and drop links went on the first one at about 3 1/2 years old but was under warranty as I had taken out the extended warranty.
The bleed nipples in the Brembos can corrode and strip the thread in the alloy caliper when you come to bleed them. The calipers are £500 each, (warranty job again).
I removed the nipples and greased the threads wih copper ease grease to try and stop the corrosion on my latest car.
They point vertically so water runs down the threads after you have washed the car and if it isn't run and the brakes heated up a great deal the moisture corrodes the poorly plated nipples.
New front discs were £208 each plus vat and the front pads are £170 a set + vat all plus fitting, so over £700 to swap at the dealers.!!!!!
Front pads last about 13,000 miles for me.
You can use Alfa Romeo 166 or EVo 6,7 front pads which are available far cheaper, and lotus elise front pads fit the rear.
Pattern front discs were about £160 a pair a couple of years back.
Fuel consumption about 20/22 pretty much all the time.
Service every 10,000 miles or every year on the latest cars, every 7,500 or 6 months on the older cars, but I do my oil and filter every three months or 3000 miles.
Tyres last about 11000 miles if you are lucky, but I have gone through two sets of Bridgestone RE070's in 14,000 miles.
They are the ones with a semi slick outer edge and are very soft.
You could destroy them in a couple of thousand miles very easily on the road, and in an afternoon on track.
I wouldn't own any other car, as it fits 5 adults plus luggage, does acceleration on par with very expensive exotica, can top 160 mph and can switch from 4 wheel to two wheel drive (rwd) with the centre diff control on STi's MY05 and onwards IIRC.
So for the money there is nothing that comes close just on performance on public roads in my opinion.
There are cars that are better on circuits, but you will waste them on bumpy pot holed badly cambered public roads, and if it's raining then it becomes a joke watching BMW M3's dissapear in your mirror from a standing start.
Even in the dry a Audi RS4 V8 is no quicker from a standing start if you have no mechanical sympathy, as I demonstrated to one chap recently.
The STi is no faster than M3's or RS4's and on paper should be slower but the differences can become academic under favourable conditions, and both of those other cars are considerably more expensive than I can afford.
Only EVER run on 97 or 98 octane fuel.
Edited to say tyres last about 10/11,000 miles not 15,000 as I first said. Sorry.
Cheers
MTR
Edited: 22/03/2008 at 23:17
