Faults:

Generally the car was OK considering the age, but I had to replace just about everything on it between 100-150 K. The majority of EJ20 engines seem to get big trouble with the bearings at 150K, requiring an engine rebuild. I rebuilt my engine fairly majorly, costing NZ$5000 at 150K, and it was like brand new thereafter.

Having watched the Subaru inport scene closely, I can only recommend to buy a fully rebuilt engines if they have six figure kilometres on them, as otherwise it will be you paying for the rebuild. Generally an STi full rebuild will cost up to $8000 from Subaru dealership - so you were warned. But hey, if you can find a rebuilt one, look forward to another 100,000 K of fantastic driving - the acceleration and grip of an WRX in standard or STi version is amazingly good.

General Comments:

The killer app if you are a real driver. I can't wait for it to rain or to get off tarmac.

Faults:

My clutch went ($1300), and a major exhaust leak ($700).

General Comments:

What a great car.

Handles very well and goes like ****, but be careful as it requires a lot of maintenance, and parts are very expensive.

Faults:

The Air Mass Sensor slowly deteriorated over 3 years. Sometimes there was no problem and the car would run well. At other times, the car would run for a while and then the engine would die for anywhere between a fraction of a second and two or three seconds. It might repeat this every few minutes or not at all. It was a right bugger to detect, as the error codes kept telling the mechanic that it was the turbo pressure meter (I think that's what it's called). Since it's been replaced ($600+), there has been no problem.

The thermostat failed to open causing the car to overheat and the radiator to crack. This happened on the f3 freeway, and resulted in me having to walk to go and get water to refill the radiator every two to three kilometres, causing unwelcome exercise.

Generally speaking, however, the car has been very reliable.

General Comments:

I really like this car. It still makes me smile after nearly five years. Part of the appeal is the fact that it can surprise you in terms of acceleration, as the ambient weather conditions really make a difference to the way it goes. On cold wet days, the thing gets to 100 quicker than Paris Hilton can get out of prison! On a sticky, hot Sydney summers day, it feels more like the lead up to a federal election; deadly dull and by the time you get there, you wonder what all of the fuss was about anyway.

The handling is a stand out. Using the throttle to control the car through corners is great fun and very predictable. It grips well and the feedback through the steering wheel is quite good. REX's were used in rallies for good reason. The AWD is reassuring in the wet and gives the car an "on the rails" sort of feeling.

My car was given a makeover by a previous owner, who decided that it needed a later models wheels, seats and CD player. He was right.

The only thing that really lets the car down is the brakes. I thought they were OK until I drove a mate's Porsche. They don't really fade that badly, but they just aren't really that good in the first place.

I've really enjoyed owning this car, and I couldn't bring myself to sell it to get a bigger car for the family. They'll just have to stay thin.