2001 Subaru Impreza RX review from Australia and New Zealand

Front light bulb failed. Fog light bulb failed. Interior bulb for front and rear fog light switches blew. Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs, basically.

Great car. I used to own a '77 Toyota Corolla which was thrashed within an inch of its life. Years later, the '01 Impreza has taken its crown. It's very average in terms of acceleration (driving four wheels requires more power than a regular rear/front wheel drive), but the boxer engine layout and four wheel steering makes it unflappable when handling. I had rear sway bars installed and uprated brakes - the car now handles like a Scaletrix toy. It just corners like nothing else. In the rain, it's unstoppable - you never feel unsafe, no matter how much oil there is on the road. When pushed hard, instead of oversteering or understeering, it just floats sideways with barely a grumble - so predictable and an absolute joy to drive.

Fuel consumption is okay - I usually get around 10K a litre, which includes driving at 140km/h every day on a freeway. So, not too bad.

Effectively, it's a gem. I've kept it serviced since I've had it - it has a WRX clutch installed - but my God, I've thrashed it. It's response appears to be: bring it on. There's nothing it hasn't got or won't do. It even has low range AWD for those times when the car park is full ;)

All round, a brilliant car and throughly recommended. Get one and you'll smile every day.