1994 Subaru Impreza WRX Sports wagon from UK and Ireland - Comments

Power steering reservoir gasket needed replacing. Cheap to fix.

Louder than usual whistle from the turbo, possibly a cracked/dog eared blade though the car still boosts OK.

Metallic scraping noise from somewhere in the drive system, possibly driveshaft, gearbox or diff. Only noticeable at low speed and no other symptoms.

This is the most over rated car I've made the mistake of buying.

The interior is vile. I thought I could live with it due to the cars performance, but it's going to need serious work to even make it look semi-respectable. Loads of cheap plastic trim and nasty "80's fiesta looking dials". This car should definitely have a boost gauge as standard, but doesn't. Only upside to the interior is comfy, hardwearing and supportive seats.

Handling wise the car will go in whichever direction you point it. Undoubtedly the grippiest car I've ever been in. Unfortunately your spine will hate you for buying this car. The ride quality is terrible. My last car was a very stiff, lowered 200sx and it covered rough road surfaces better.

The feel of the steering is non-existant and the car feels bigger than it really is. Gearchange is very rough and the change from first to second seems to be in the wrong place though 3rd and 4th are good for keeping the car in the torque range for "enthusiastic" driving.

Acceleration is quite acceptable, but too smooth for my liking (no kick when the turbo spins up). The car just does not feel as though it has that much grunt, but a quick look at the speedo will tell you otherwise. Still not as fast as it's reputation would have you believe.

Exterior wise the car is ugly. No denying it, this is not a nice looking car. Paintwork is reasonably good and seems to have lasted well. Only big upside is that it's instantly noticeable as a "Scooby" due to the round WRC style fog lamps.

Don't kid yourself. The Impreza is not a sports car. More a 4 door saloon with very stiff and effective suspension, loads of grip and a torquey powerplant. It lacks the feel and quality required for an enjoyable drive.

My final word (admittedly more based on my opinion rather than fact).

Don't buy one. Buy a proper rear wheel drive sports car and use the change to buy yourself a cheap, spacious 4 door saloon. You'll have a lot more fun and still save yourself a fortune in insurance and fuel costs.

Totally agree. A good high performance car whose reputation has got way out of hand. An Escort Cosworth will still kick its arse.

Hi, I agree with your review of the impreza turbo wagon. The inside is not the most appealing, but it is designed to be lightweight sports version in the Subaru range. If you want comfort etc get a legacy. Have you driven a impreza turbo sedan? These come with a much larger turbo and have a lot more grunt! The sedan is the model you should have probably bought. The wagon is a compromise between power, drive-ability and luggage space.

Well you must have bought badly. If you had these complaints, don't blame the car, blame the owner/s who didn't maintain it or worse modified it, in mint standard form with all of the service parts taken care of, my MY94 in stock form, handles & drives perfectly, & is smoother over bumps than many brand new cars I drive daily, including Mercs. I just can't feel the bumps at all really. The gearbox is easy & engine is so rewarding.

Next time buy a decent example.

I agree with the last comment, I've had 2 imprezas now and both of them have been totaly awesome, the uk WRXs the same on paper as a escort cossie, and the japanese WRXs UK STIs and UK WRX PPPs will comfortably outpace it. Both WRXs I've had have felt better than your average sports car, second gear acceleration will rip your head off, and the other gears are whats expected from a 20,16v turbo. I have owned other turbo cars, some even lighter than the scoob, but they didn't compare. I have a 54 WRX PPP at the moment, but the 06 2.5 WRX looks very tasty. But the best so far is the WR1 with will get to 100 mph in 10.6 seconds.

I agree with the reviewer's comments about it being a seriously over-rated car. I had one as a company car for 6 months a few years back and yes, it was quick, it handled well, but was otherwise dull dull dull! The Honda Prelude 2.2 V-tec I had after it was a revelation in terms of driving enjoyment.

I have never owned one. I do own a 1992 civic SIR from japan with koni suspension and 180 TW tires. At my local track, a gent drives a 1993 turbo WRX with similar mods. I make good times considering what I drive and the Subaru is 3 seconds faster. It has won its class at the last 2 events. Car is very fast in the straights and corners. They are also excellent bargains.

Power too smooth? Ride too stiff? These are sports car qualities. I agree, not the most appealing to the eye, but if you want to go fast for cheap, this is probably the answer. Stock for stock, a Prelude will not keep up in any way. However, this doesn't mean that the Prelude isn't more enjoyable.