wagon dec
Member Number 257
as above lads I really like them I love the subtlety of them and the high spec with leather etc so whats everyones opinion on them ??
here a review from when they were new
While the attributes of the Impreza STI are well known, the gold wheels and rear wing that look just right on a world rally car are hardly the image the more mature professional wants to project down at the golf club. Hence the spec.D, a new, limited edition model for those who want to be more 'Discreet'. The starting point is the STI, with those wheels and the wing thrown out, along with the garish blue interior. In their place you get some tasteful silver-coloured ten-spoke alloys, the lower wing from the (cheaper) WRX version, the upper small wing over the rear window deleted, a full leather interior which along with the carpets is in discrete black. Front projector headlights, a 'Prodrive' lower front grille and satnav round it off. You can have any colour as long it's Crystal Grey metallic.
Where does it fit?
The spec.D is the most expensive factory authorised Impreza, its £28,450 price tag is £1,500 higher than an STI. There is only one real rival and that's the Mitsubishi EVO, but the Evo isn't available in a posh version like this. Other saloons at the slightly sub-£30k price level are likely to be much smarter than any Impreza but also unlikely to get anywhere near the level of thrills the Japanese car has to offer.
Is it for you?
That rather depends on how much you crave the performance. 2006 sees a enlarged engines in Imprezas, with all turbos models increased by 500c to 2.5 litres. In the STI that equates to a power increase of 16bhp to 281bhp, at slightly lower engine speeds, and an equivalent increase in torque. There's a distinctive new corporate Subaru nose too, something of an acquired taste but stand-out, nonetheless. The spec.D may be a toned down model but there's still a massive air scoop on the bonnet and the rear wing is only smaller on a relative basis it's still far from discreet. In fact, the 230bhp Impreza WRX looks almost the same, and it's £7,500 less.
What does it do well?
There's still nothing to equal a turbocharged Japanese performance saloon. The performance of the Subaru's flat four 'boxer' engine is simply staggering, for here we are talking about a four-seater that has the power of a Porsche 911, in a lighter chassis, which puts the power through all four wheels. And it's just so easy and forgiving to drive it quickly, with few vices and massive performance on hand just by breathing on the throttle. You can even do crazy things like blast cold water onto the intercooler to retain power during high temperature driving. Even more tantalising is the Driver's Control Centre Differential. By adjusting the switch next to the handbrake, the driver can alter the torque distribution to the front and rear so that the Impreza has better straight line stability or turns in better to the corners.
What doesn't it do well?
The suspension takes no prisoners. Even firmer for 2006, you might think it's acceptable on smooth roads. But occupants can get a real battering when the road surface is less than ideal, and it's bad enough to unsettle the Impreza's poise and force you to slow in circumstances where cars with more compliant suspension would be unaffected. Subaru has fitted a lot more sound deadening to the spec.D and the engine is noticeably quietened from the interior. Tyre noise, on the other hand, can get extremely intrusive on certain road surfaces.
What's it like to live with?
With comfortable leather seats the Impreza spec.D creates an good initial impression as you get in, but there is no overlooking the fact that the rest of the interior is more in line with cars half the price. Subaru builds quality cars, of that there's no doubt, but this isn't nearly as classy as a buyer of a Alfa, Audi, BMW, Lexus or any of half a dozen other cars at this price will demand. Then there's the high-powered Pioneer stereo that needs a magnifying glass, tweezers and a bible-sized handbook to operate. The standard satnav is an admittedly easy-to-use SmartNav system, but it looks an afterthought stuck partly over a fresh air vent. Space in the rear seats is tight, but boot space is enormous.
How green is it?
It's not. Subaru doesn't do 'Green', not so you'd notice. The signature boxer engines have never had economy as a virtue, and you'd need some steady driving to achieve the 26mpg combined cycle average 20mpg would please most STI drivers. CO2 emissions are 257 g/km, so top band for company car tax. But it does reach 60mph in 5 seconds dead, and max out at 158mph.
here a review from when they were new
While the attributes of the Impreza STI are well known, the gold wheels and rear wing that look just right on a world rally car are hardly the image the more mature professional wants to project down at the golf club. Hence the spec.D, a new, limited edition model for those who want to be more 'Discreet'. The starting point is the STI, with those wheels and the wing thrown out, along with the garish blue interior. In their place you get some tasteful silver-coloured ten-spoke alloys, the lower wing from the (cheaper) WRX version, the upper small wing over the rear window deleted, a full leather interior which along with the carpets is in discrete black. Front projector headlights, a 'Prodrive' lower front grille and satnav round it off. You can have any colour as long it's Crystal Grey metallic.
Where does it fit?
The spec.D is the most expensive factory authorised Impreza, its £28,450 price tag is £1,500 higher than an STI. There is only one real rival and that's the Mitsubishi EVO, but the Evo isn't available in a posh version like this. Other saloons at the slightly sub-£30k price level are likely to be much smarter than any Impreza but also unlikely to get anywhere near the level of thrills the Japanese car has to offer.
Is it for you?
That rather depends on how much you crave the performance. 2006 sees a enlarged engines in Imprezas, with all turbos models increased by 500c to 2.5 litres. In the STI that equates to a power increase of 16bhp to 281bhp, at slightly lower engine speeds, and an equivalent increase in torque. There's a distinctive new corporate Subaru nose too, something of an acquired taste but stand-out, nonetheless. The spec.D may be a toned down model but there's still a massive air scoop on the bonnet and the rear wing is only smaller on a relative basis it's still far from discreet. In fact, the 230bhp Impreza WRX looks almost the same, and it's £7,500 less.
What does it do well?
There's still nothing to equal a turbocharged Japanese performance saloon. The performance of the Subaru's flat four 'boxer' engine is simply staggering, for here we are talking about a four-seater that has the power of a Porsche 911, in a lighter chassis, which puts the power through all four wheels. And it's just so easy and forgiving to drive it quickly, with few vices and massive performance on hand just by breathing on the throttle. You can even do crazy things like blast cold water onto the intercooler to retain power during high temperature driving. Even more tantalising is the Driver's Control Centre Differential. By adjusting the switch next to the handbrake, the driver can alter the torque distribution to the front and rear so that the Impreza has better straight line stability or turns in better to the corners.
What doesn't it do well?
The suspension takes no prisoners. Even firmer for 2006, you might think it's acceptable on smooth roads. But occupants can get a real battering when the road surface is less than ideal, and it's bad enough to unsettle the Impreza's poise and force you to slow in circumstances where cars with more compliant suspension would be unaffected. Subaru has fitted a lot more sound deadening to the spec.D and the engine is noticeably quietened from the interior. Tyre noise, on the other hand, can get extremely intrusive on certain road surfaces.
What's it like to live with?
With comfortable leather seats the Impreza spec.D creates an good initial impression as you get in, but there is no overlooking the fact that the rest of the interior is more in line with cars half the price. Subaru builds quality cars, of that there's no doubt, but this isn't nearly as classy as a buyer of a Alfa, Audi, BMW, Lexus or any of half a dozen other cars at this price will demand. Then there's the high-powered Pioneer stereo that needs a magnifying glass, tweezers and a bible-sized handbook to operate. The standard satnav is an admittedly easy-to-use SmartNav system, but it looks an afterthought stuck partly over a fresh air vent. Space in the rear seats is tight, but boot space is enormous.
How green is it?
It's not. Subaru doesn't do 'Green', not so you'd notice. The signature boxer engines have never had economy as a virtue, and you'd need some steady driving to achieve the 26mpg combined cycle average 20mpg would please most STI drivers. CO2 emissions are 257 g/km, so top band for company car tax. But it does reach 60mph in 5 seconds dead, and max out at 158mph.