Advice please on owning/running a used two/three year old Impreza 2.0l GX (the latest bodystyle).
What sort of MPG can be obtained if careful with the loud pedal?
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Don't buy an Impreza for fuel economy. As far as I'm concerned in normal driving a turbo uses hardly any more fuel than a naturally aspirated Impreza. You are talking 2/3 mog maximum. Not only that but if you do try and get a decent turn of speed out of the 2.0 GX you will probably end up using more fuel than doing similar speeds in a turbo as you'll be thrashing it to death.
The permanent AWD of these cars and the fact they run very rich as part of the cooling for the boxer engine means economy is poor to say the least.
Even worse on a Forester as it has the aero qualities of a brick.
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Don't buy an Impreza for fuel economy. As far as I'm concerned in normal driving a turbo uses hardly any more fuel than a naturally aspirated Impreza. You are talking 2/3 mog maximum. Not only that but if you do try and get a decent turn of speed out of the 2.0 GX you will probably end up using more fuel than doing similar speeds in a turbo as you'll be thrashing it to death. The permanent AWD of these cars and the fact they run very rich as part of the cooling for the boxer engine means economy is poor to say the least.
What bizarre statements? Running rich?? Do you actually know anything at all about these cars? Like all modern petrol cars the Impreza runs at a stochiometric mixture - it has to for the emission control system to work!
The 'latest body shape' (from late '05 onwards) is the so-called 'Hawkeye' front grille and will be designated 2.0R, 2.0R-Sport or (from '07 plate) 2.0RX. The car is very very similar in nearly all respects to the Turbo model, apart from no limited-slip diff at the back, 16" alloys (17" on the turbo) and non-vented back discs. The engine is a "new" 160bhp 4-cam unit with Subaru AVCS (active valve control system - a very good form of variable valve timing). This engine is totally different to previous 2-litre 2-cam engine which produced 130bhp. The 4-cam is incredibly smooth and free-revving and when I drove one it was almost like a rotary engine - would spin up to 7000rpm very easily. Its probably the best 2.0 engine that Subaru have ever made. It also has an electronic throttle for very 'snappy' response, and is mated to an improved (shorter-throw) gearbox.
I think these latest 2.0 Subarus are great little cars, lovely to drive and although not the fastest in a straight line, once you get up to speed on a twisty road there is little that can keep up with them in the same price range. Certainly something like an Octavia VRS feels ponderous and very nose-heavy by comparison. The good weight distribution, low CoG and all-wheel drive of the Subaru give it a massive advantage.
The latest turbo will use considerably more fuel than the non-turbo (about 30% more), not to mention having much higher insurance costs and the possibility of a big engine blow up (the turbo's are pretty reliable, but when the engines do go wrong its usually on the turbo models and its usually big and expensive!).
Prior to 2005 you have the so-called 'blob eye' model - the 2.0GX. These have an older engine design (2.0 2-cam, no variable valve timing) with 130bhp and cable throttle. Also the gearbox is not as sweet, and there are no side airbags. The power, economy and general driveability of these cars is not as good as the Hawkeye. They are still a nice car to drive and a lot more fun than a Golf, but if at all possible scrape the extra money togther and buy a Hawkeye - you will not be disappointed.
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As a postscript there is a test of the 2.0R here:
uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/suba...l
Economy seems to be a lot better than previous 2.0's so I would say it should be a '30mpg car' in suburban driving. The turbo will sit around 20mpg, and a little more on a long and gentle run.
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Did you mean a 'stoichiometric mixture'?
You will not get 30mpg out of a 2.0R in suburban driving. From what I've seen there's a 5mpg difference in the cars under light loads and if you try and actually get anywhere in the 2.0R the MPG's are broadly comparable.
Perhaps 'running rich' is a poor way to describe the way the Impreza uses fuel. However as I understand it a characterstic of the cars is that unburt fuel actually goes through the system on the overrun thus why you get the pops and bangs when you lift off the throttle.
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As a postscript the urban myth that Impreza engines are fragile is just that- a myth.
A lot of it stems from people driving imported cars from Japan that were designed to run on high octane fuel which you just can't by in the UK. They didn't bother having them remapped and thus the engine failures.
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Just been looking at the 2.0R while SWMBO was in Homebase. £13495 registered March 07 10 miles on the clock.Is this a good price? I was impressed with it thinking of taking a test drive. Although I was not looking for a new car I am tempted if this price is good. SWMBO is not pleased maybe that will teach her not to drag me along to the shops.
What sort of price should I expect for a Passat 54 plate registered NOV 04 130 Highline as a trade in.
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Just been looking at the 2.0R while SWMBO was in Homebase. £13495 registered March 07 10 miles on the clock.Is this a good price? I was impressed with it thinking of taking a test drive. Although I was not looking for a new car I am tempted if this price is good.
This is definitely not a good price! I have a brand new metallic red 2.0RX (the latest spec.) on order with a car supermarket for June delivery. Price is £12200 on the road with 12 months tax.
I have spoken with an owner of a 2006 2.0R Sport (same engine) and he gets over 30mpg in rural driving and around 25mpg in urban driving. This is a little more than I get from the Nissan QX that I am currently selling. The latest quad-cam engine is more fuel efficient than the older twin-cam version. I have test driven both the WRX (turbo 2.5) and the RX (the non-turbo 2.0) and I can confirm everything that Aprilia says. The 2.0RX is smoother and quieter to drive than the WRX and the engine revs a lot more freely. The WRX obvioously has heaps more grunt and neck-snapping acceleration!!!!! For my use (which is 95% commuting on A-roads and B-roads) the non-turbo feels to be quite adequate.
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>>Did you mean a 'stoichiometric mixture'?
I'm sure you know very well he did. Why make cheap remarks?
Pops and bangs? How many standard Imprezas have you heard doing this? I've heard none. Unburnt fuel would soon knacker the cat, you must be thinking of de-catted and modded cars.
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You've probably got a point but what's sauce for the goose.......................
The comments about pops and bangs were relating to turbo imprezas as an example of the way these engines 'squander fuel'.
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I've never heard a standard turbo Impreza do this. I must have lead a sheltered life ;-)
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That should be 'led' of course, before it gets pointed out!
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Did you mean a 'stoichiometric mixture'? You will not get 30mpg out of a 2.0R in suburban driving. From what I've seen there's a 5mpg difference in the cars under light loads and if you try and actually get anywhere in the 2.0R the MPG's are broadly comparable. Perhaps 'running rich' is a poor way to describe the way the Impreza uses fuel. However as I understand it a characterstic of the cars is that unburt fuel actually goes through the system on the overrun thus why you get the pops and bangs when you lift off the throttle.
OldHand
Which model(s) have you owned? I am puzzled about the unburned fuel aspect because I cannot imagine any car being designed llike that in this day and age. I have in the past been told that any unburned fuel entering a cat will either damage it or explode and blow the exhaust apart. I have driven both turbo and non-turbo Imprezas and the exhaust was quiet and without pops or bangs???
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Thinking of tweaked or competition examples surely OH?
I go to a pub in a main West London road about 200 yards from an important traffic light junction, and travelled by Livingstone's revolting and moronic articulated 60-foot-long buses, which have their own lane going towards the lights but not the other way.
Around 7.30 or 8 last night three cars came past at a highly illegal speed in close formation, a Nissan Skyline and a couple of BMWs. One of these had a non-standard exhaust and did pop and bang a bit on the overrun, but the Skyline just went by with a whoosh and a very loud 'TWEET!' from its wastegate. They were doing something like 90 as they passed the pub, and jostling for position at the lights which were red.
I am starting to wonder whether it is safe to sit on the pavement side of the pub. But I do enjoy the passing traffic, sometimes including a gang of black bikers who also go very fast and do wheelies...
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I'm sure OldHand is refering to the muppets (chavs?) who fit 3 metre wide exhausts and popoff valves to turbos which then pop, splutter and belch on the overrun.
The fact that they are NOT standard cars and have been modified by people whose enjoyment of motoring can only be undertaken with the accompanyment of a noise which would disgrace a pig giving birth to 12 piglets has been carefully omitted by him/her.
But hey it's a free country and politicians have been (and are) guilty of far greater exaggerations /untruths..
But whether it means we take any notice of the poster says :-) when it's so obviously not an example of the behaviour of a standard car is another thing altogether
(unless we are all secret members of the "tuneitup and make a pigs ear out of a nice car "brigade ! in which case we should come out of the closet.. but on second thoughts.. I am over 21 so I will not:-))
madf
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qxman
This is definitely not a good price! I have a brand new metallic red 2.0RX (the latest spec.) on order with a car supermarket for June delivery. Price is £12200 on the road with 12 months tax.
What is the name of the supermarket you ordered it from and is it a British speced car. This would be of great help to myself in the haggling process.
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Hi
I have the car on order with MotorDepot in Hull. They also advertise new cars under the name 'newregcars" (www.newregcars.co.uk). Go to the 'car selector' on the right hand side and choose 'Subaru' and 'Impreza' and then you will see the range. You can see the Impreza 2.0RX at £11725. On to this you have to add road tax and £350 if you want metallic paint. Strictly speak the side airbags are an extra £300, but they included them FOC when I haggled a bit. The salesman was a chap called Max Nicholson. They didn't have the colour I specifically wanted (Garnet Red) so it had be a factory order to Japan. This actually suits me because I'd rather have a fresh 'built to order' car than one that's been waiting around at dock. They (so far) seem a pretty professional outfit. £250 deposit and the contract says that if the car is not available for delivery 7 days after the quoted delivery date then I get the deposit refunded and the agreement is void.
The cars are to full UK spec but are ordered via Subaru in Malta. I will be the first registered owner though and the car will not be listed as an import on the V5 (I have checked this out with previous customers of this company). The car is covered by the Subaru pan-European three year warranty (I checked this out with Subaru UK too!). If you look at the Subaru forums then this company has supplied many Imprezas over a number of years and the overall customer satisfaction seems very high.
You can pay them to deliver the car to your house, but I am going to collect it in person and check it over prior to paying.
Motorpoint in Derby (and other locations) also had some of these cars for sale and in stock in February for March registration. They were about the same price. The only snag from my point of view was poor choice of colour (they only had silver or grey, which are out of fashion now) and they were listed as 2.0R Sport models, not 2.0RX which is the very latest '07 spec (although it is essentially the same car).
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