BUYER’S GUIDE
Subaru Impreza Review
The rallying icon turned road going hero, the original first-generation Subaru Impreza is fast living up to its ‘classic’ description…
Manufactured
1992-2000
Fuel Type
Petrol
Engine Sizes
1,994cc
Engine Type
Four-cylinder
Drive Configuration
FWD
What Is It?
The car that transformed Subaru from a farmer’s favourite into a performance brand, the original ‘classic’ Impreza is a mid-90s icon thanks to its associations with two dearly loved – and much missed – British rallying heroes. While the Impreza had already been on sale for a couple of years by that point it was Colin McRae’s iconic, WRC-clinching win in the 1995 RAC rally and celebratory donuts in his blue and gold Subaru for the fans at Chester race course, Saltire flying out of co-driver Derek Ringer’s open window, that sealed its status as the car of the moment for a generation of British petrolheads. By the time Richard Burns achieved the same in 2001, the Impreza was a fixture of car park cruises, track days, and high streets the land over, the distinctive flat-four warble the automotive soundtrack for the age. While fashions changed and many were modded, abused, and otherwise driven into the ground appreciation for the Impreza is coming full circle, those that survive increasingly prized and valued.
Corrosive Areas
Door edges
Rear arches
Underbody - all areas
Checklist
- Following its launch in its home market in 1992, the Impreza arrived in the UK in 1994 topped with a 211PS (155kW) Turbo 2000 and option of four-door estate or five-door estate bodies; around the same time the first WRX STi launched in Japan
- By the mid-90s the Japanese craze for endless special editions was in full swing, the base spec WRX with 260PS (192kW), the WRX STi with its blueprinted ‘red-top’ motor taking this to the 280PS (206kW) cap and Type RA versions of both stripped back rally-inspired versions
- All Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) versions of the above have particular modifications, ranging from suspension to gearing, different turbos, driver-adjustable centre differentials, various bodykits and more
- JDM-only two-door Type R launched with the STi Version III in 1996
- Back in the UK, various special editions came and went, including the desirable Series McRae, Catalunya and later RB5
- A significant facelift for the 1997 model year brought bigger brakes, a revised interior, different wheel designs and more – look for the switch from the horizontal, slatted grille and to the more prominent ‘snout’ design
- Two-door 22B version originally launched in Japan in 1998 with a wide-arch body evoking the WRC car of the time, 2.2-litre engine and significantly upgraded brakes and suspension – 16 officially imported to the UK with Prodrive modifications, others have since followed and genuine cars are now serious six-figure collectables
- A good number of JDM cars were imported to the UK, this being the only way to score a genuine WRX or STi with this generation of Impreza
- Do your research before committing the extra money for one of these cars, given the endless detail differences between them and fact many were modified before leaving Japan and then again on arrival in the UK – STi badges do not necessarily an STi make!
- Finding an Impreza that’s not been modified in one way or another will be near impossible – a louder exhaust from a quality supplier like Prodrive or Hayward and Scott is fine and a popular upgrade at the time but a ‘bean tin’ silencer with a rough cut-out in the back bumper to accommodate it is a warning sign to look closely at every last component
- Engine upgrades also hugely popular and unlock easy power gains but vary hugely in the quality of parts, work and calibration; there is a huge amount of knowledge and expertise out there but not everyone is willing to pay for it so check history for evidence of work by respected specialists
- An almost apologetic cough on start-up is a Subaru signature but the engine should fire straight away and settle to a smooth idle – beware smoke, steam or nasty knocking, the latter suggestive of the dreaded ‘piston slap’ or failing big-ends known to afflict post-facelift UK cars in particular
- Evidence of regular servicing and adherence to intervals for belt replacements and the like is a must – given the cost of upkeep many owners will have skimped at some point in the car’s life so a good history file is worth its weight in gold
- Rust is a killer, especially on less well-protected JDM imports – obvious spots like arches and door edges will be a likely signifier of worse in more serious structural areas
- Given many have led hard lives check for the usual signs of crash damage
- Underseal will often have been applied to JDM imports to protect against UK salt and is a sensible precaution but when looking under the car be suspicious of thick coatings of crudely applied Waxoyl or similar, given what horrors could be hidden beneath
- Huge interchangeability of parts both OEM and aftermarket is a blessing and a curse, meaning the chances of finding a truly original classic Impreza are near zero
- Flipside of this is a decent supply of second-hand parts and panels can freshen up or repair any project car for reasonable cost
How Does It Drive?
With seemingly infinite varieties and the popularity of modifications, upgrades, and other tweaks, it could seem hard to drill down to the Impreza’s core attributes. Thankfully, there are certain common characteristics, all underscored by one of the most iconic exhaust notes in mainstream motoring culture. Compact and light by modern standards, the boxer engine means a very low scuttle for excellent forward visibility. While mechanically nose-heavy and, in varying degrees, prone to turn-in understeer, once you get an Impreza pointing the way you want it your options are many and varied, the four-wheel drive powertrain giving agility and throttle adjustability in all weathers. The positive, short-throw gearbox and nicely mechanical feel to steering and pedals are all confidence inspiring as well, the engine somewhat laggy in standard form but the rush of boost with the characteristic whistle on top of the boxer burble all adding up to a driving experience as charismatic as it is potent.
What’s Good?
If not conventionally beautiful, the Impreza has a clean, purposeful look that’s utterly unique and looks better with age. Characterful touches like the bonnet-top scoop for the intercooler, the vented front valance and the frameless doors are all typical of Subaru’s single-minded and quirky approach. The compact size also feels perfect for the kind of twisty, narrow B-roads a rally-inspired car like this seems built for, while excellent visibility from the slim pillars adds to your confidence. Four-door practicality in saloon form and the option of the distinctive Sports Wagon estate mean it’s a modern classic you can use, while the all-weather performance that Subaru has always excelled at makes it car built for rainy days and foul weather. Mainly, though, it’s the charisma, the sound and the associations with one of rallying’s most iconic eras that make the Impreza such a worthy hero car.
What’s Bad?
There were two sides to the Impreza’s popularity back in the day, the less appealing one being its adoption by a mod-crazed, boy racer crowd that came to characterise a certain yobbish image of loud exhausts, big mudflaps, and hissing dump valves on the local High Street. Nothing new in that of course, given a previous generation had done just the same with loudly tuned Ford Escorts in celebration of the rallying exploits of Vatanen, Clark et al. But as fashions changed and Imprezas bottomed out into borderline banger status, more and more succumbed to those attracted more for the cheap thrills than rallying provenance, meaning many suffered with owners more interested in dodgy bodykits and easy-win power upgrades than they were proper maintenance. The slightly tinny construction was, meanwhile, characteristic of Japanese cars of the era, and rust inevitably accounts for many that didn’t blow up after one too many dodgy engine tweaks or McRae’d through a hedge.
Which Model To Choose?
There’s only one model and a single engine, neither of which changed much in the decade the 1275 GT was on sale so, on the face of it, the decision should be down to condition, history and price.
As ever when buying a classic, you should go for the best you can afford and the extra money for a car with good history and (preferably) fully documented evidence of a proper restoration will probably be better spent than going for a cheaper one with dreams of restoring it to glory. The only real decision will be between an earlier model on 10-inch Rostyles or a facelifted post-1974 one with the bigger 12-inch steel wheels and larger 8.4-inch discs behind them.
Both aesthetically and in terms of handling the smaller wheels would seem more desirable and closer in spirit to the Cooper bloodline, this and the period Performance Kit (or some manner of sympathetic twin-carb conversion) delivering a welcome extra burst of speed without going against that increasingly valued originality.
Specifications: Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 (UK market, post-1999)
Engine
1,994cc 4-cyl horizontally opposed, turbocharged, petrol
Power
218PS (161kW) @ 5,600rpm
Torque
290Nm (214 lb ft) @ 4,000rpm
Transmission
Five-speed manual, permanent four-wheel drive
Kerb weight
c. 1,235kg (saloon)
0-62mph
c. 6.0 seconds
Top speed
c. 137mph
Production dates
1992-2000 (all models, all markets)