2001 Subaru Impreza WRX review from Australia and New Zealand
"High performance, at a low price"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My first WRX had spot welding in the boot that would 'pop' out each time a corner was being taken. This gave out an annoying 'pop' sound each time.
The 'Power' light indicator would flick on and off intermittently, indicating low voltage.
The paintwork, although it had been 'Minged' suffered from serious hard-water spots after the first week, and had to buffed out.
The brakes started screeching only after a few weeks of driving.
All these problems occurred on my first WRX - my current WRX suffers only from the brake screeching condition.
The service from Westpoint Subaru is appalling - I had brought the car in for each of these problems - but when I took the car back home I would find that NONE of them had been resolved. This has spoilt my experience in a way. Just be sure to buy your Subaru from a reputable dealer.
General comments?
The performance is second-to-none on this vehicle. No other car for under $50K will give that 'pin-you-to-your-seat' acceleration. Does suffer from turbo lag from time to time.
The handling is brilliant due to the AWD - this is truly a driver's car which gives a driving experience like no other car can.
The interior is very basic - luxury is certainly not the point with this car (try the Liberty/Legacy B4 if you want luxury...)
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 4 cylinder turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 15 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 2300 kilometres |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
| Date of Entry | 15th December, 2001 |