2006 'Pig Nose' Impreza WRX
Discussion
G'Day guys.
Finally got myself something worthy of posting in the readers cars forum!
Its a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 with 33,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) on the clock. Its my daily driver but will also be given some choice mods for weekend warrior track work.
I chose white because the price was right and I have made the mistake of having a black car in the past...NEVER again!! To hot in the summer and a real pain in the arse to keep even slightly clean.
I reckon the Impreza has to be one of the best daily / weekend cars for the money. It has the right blend of power, handling, build quality and comfort and it seems to do them all well....mind you I only picked the car up on Friday afternoon so I have not had chance to do any real distance in it
I also have not washed it for the photo's or spent more than 2 minutes taking them :P
Imprezas have never been all THAT good looking..
Boot is a good size but the rear seats dont split / fold which does compromise the useability of the car a bit
Front brakes are 4 pots (rears are 2) and dont lack in any stopping power
225BHP and 320NM torque in here. Grip off the line is huge and the mid range punch makes the car very very easy to drive. The rate of acceleration feels so much quicker than its power output suggests. I have read that these last of the 'real' WRX's are quicker than previous model STI's in a straight line...no idea if there is any truth in it.
The delivery of the power feels very old school to me...a bit of lag and some cool rushing noises and then a kick in the arse as it takes off down the road. The complete opposite of the latest turbo hot hatches that make maximum torque and boost at 1500-2000RPM and never deliver that thump in the back.
The gearbox is a pleasure to use. Short snappy gearshift and the gates are very close together and make you realise how rubbery and crap the shift is in other cars. It should feel good though because it so old school the gear stick ACTUALLY goes in to the gearbox and not via a series of rods and nylon bushes
The seats are quite comfy though you have to play around a fair bit to get the position just right. Not as supportive as they look either. I found the comfiest position to be in is with it very upright and with me bum shoved as far back as possible...no slouching in these seats!
Interior is typical of Japanese cars...functional and quite bland but thats no bad thing because there are no awkward colours or shapes. Its all where you expect it to be and operates like you expect it to. I dont think it feels as polished as the latest euro stuff but then the car was never priced that way and it certainly does not feel like you have to be gentle with it or that anything is going to drop off.
Standard equipment includes climate control, single disc CD player (crap sound quality!!), cruise control, Xenon & HID headlights, alloy pedals (placed well for heel and toe!) and tinted windows.
The mat on the dash and steering wheel cover are to try and protect the interior from the harsh sun and heat.
Finally got myself something worthy of posting in the readers cars forum!
Its a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 with 33,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) on the clock. Its my daily driver but will also be given some choice mods for weekend warrior track work.
I chose white because the price was right and I have made the mistake of having a black car in the past...NEVER again!! To hot in the summer and a real pain in the arse to keep even slightly clean.
I reckon the Impreza has to be one of the best daily / weekend cars for the money. It has the right blend of power, handling, build quality and comfort and it seems to do them all well....mind you I only picked the car up on Friday afternoon so I have not had chance to do any real distance in it
I also have not washed it for the photo's or spent more than 2 minutes taking them :P
Imprezas have never been all THAT good looking..
Boot is a good size but the rear seats dont split / fold which does compromise the useability of the car a bit
Front brakes are 4 pots (rears are 2) and dont lack in any stopping power
225BHP and 320NM torque in here. Grip off the line is huge and the mid range punch makes the car very very easy to drive. The rate of acceleration feels so much quicker than its power output suggests. I have read that these last of the 'real' WRX's are quicker than previous model STI's in a straight line...no idea if there is any truth in it.
The delivery of the power feels very old school to me...a bit of lag and some cool rushing noises and then a kick in the arse as it takes off down the road. The complete opposite of the latest turbo hot hatches that make maximum torque and boost at 1500-2000RPM and never deliver that thump in the back.
The gearbox is a pleasure to use. Short snappy gearshift and the gates are very close together and make you realise how rubbery and crap the shift is in other cars. It should feel good though because it so old school the gear stick ACTUALLY goes in to the gearbox and not via a series of rods and nylon bushes
The seats are quite comfy though you have to play around a fair bit to get the position just right. Not as supportive as they look either. I found the comfiest position to be in is with it very upright and with me bum shoved as far back as possible...no slouching in these seats!
Interior is typical of Japanese cars...functional and quite bland but thats no bad thing because there are no awkward colours or shapes. Its all where you expect it to be and operates like you expect it to. I dont think it feels as polished as the latest euro stuff but then the car was never priced that way and it certainly does not feel like you have to be gentle with it or that anything is going to drop off.
Standard equipment includes climate control, single disc CD player (crap sound quality!!), cruise control, Xenon & HID headlights, alloy pedals (placed well for heel and toe!) and tinted windows.
The mat on the dash and steering wheel cover are to try and protect the interior from the harsh sun and heat.
I'm thinking the first thing it will probably need is some more suitable brake pads and then I will leave it alone until I have really got a handle on driving it...improve myself before the car.
Its always going to be a daily so I'm not going to go TOO mad with the mods...I think anti-roll bars, anti lift kit and a sensible spring and shock set will do for the handling.
An exhaust would be cool but the stock system looks to be 2.5 inch start to end and sounds pretty meaty so I am undecided on that. It seems a tweak of the ECU can make a wad more torque with no other mods.
A 2nd set of rims with track tyres should go on the list to.
To be honest I have to be very thorough with researching the mods because there are a heap of strongly enforced laws on modified cars here that can be a pain to sort out if you get caught out. They dont come cheap either so I have got plenty of time to think them through while I save up!!
NO STI badges or bodykits going on this non-STI car
Its always going to be a daily so I'm not going to go TOO mad with the mods...I think anti-roll bars, anti lift kit and a sensible spring and shock set will do for the handling.
An exhaust would be cool but the stock system looks to be 2.5 inch start to end and sounds pretty meaty so I am undecided on that. It seems a tweak of the ECU can make a wad more torque with no other mods.
A 2nd set of rims with track tyres should go on the list to.
To be honest I have to be very thorough with researching the mods because there are a heap of strongly enforced laws on modified cars here that can be a pain to sort out if you get caught out. They dont come cheap either so I have got plenty of time to think them through while I save up!!
NO STI badges or bodykits going on this non-STI car
Silent1 said:
Good luck with your licence.
I nearly lost my licence and Tim's car in a week in Perth.
Yep just as you begin to feel that swell of torque in 3rd as it comes on boost its already getting in to dodgy territory!! I'm yet to encounter any drag racing fools in their V8 Comodes but I'm sure it will happen I nearly lost my licence and Tim's car in a week in Perth.
ShadownINja said:
What is "sun"?
PS does it feel odd with a steering wheel cover? Does it slip when you drive hard?
The 'sun' is hot so you shouldnt touch it. It's also very bright so I hear you are not supposed to stare at it for to long.PS does it feel odd with a steering wheel cover? Does it slip when you drive hard?
The cover is a pain to get on. It fits very tight and is rubbery on the inside so it does'nt slip at all.
The downside to them is they make the wheel feel very chunky and you lose things like the dimples on the wheel your fingers sit on but that pales in to comparison when you experience the pain of grabbing a leather or plasic steering wheel that has sat under a 40 degree sun all day and the inconvenience of having to sit with the air con on full blast trying to get it cool enough to touch...or driving off using just your thumb on the bottom of the wheel
Sim89 said:
Might sound the chav here but I much prefer it with the STI spoiler 
Agreed I loath the standard spoiler the STI rear wing gives the whole car so much more presence and appears to fit the look of the car much better!40 degree heat
that can't do much for intake temperatures, it must impede performance somewhatdeviant said:
ShadownINja said:
What is "sun"?
PS does it feel odd with a steering wheel cover? Does it slip when you drive hard?
The 'sun' is hot so you shouldnt touch it. It's also very bright so I hear you are not supposed to stare at it for to long.PS does it feel odd with a steering wheel cover? Does it slip when you drive hard?
The cover is a pain to get on. It fits very tight and is rubbery on the inside so it does'nt slip at all.
The downside to them is they make the wheel feel very chunky and you lose things like the dimples on the wheel your fingers sit on but that pales in to comparison when you experience the pain of grabbing a leather or plasic steering wheel that has sat under a 40 degree sun all day and the inconvenience of having to sit with the air con on full blast trying to get it cool enough to touch...or driving off using just your thumb on the bottom of the wheel
Remember leaving my old Chimaera out in the sun for a while with the roof down, jumping into the leather seat with shorts on and regretting it very quickly.
minimatt1967 said:
Sim89 said:
Might sound the chav here but I much prefer it with the STI spoiler
Agreed I loath the standard spoiler the STI rear wing gives the whole car so much more presence and appears to fit the look of the car much better!40 degree heat
that can't do much for intake temperatures, it must impede performance somewhatShadownINja said:
Remember leaving my old Chimaera out in the sun for a while with the roof down, jumping into the leather seat with shorts on and regretting it very quickly.
There is no way I would have a car without A/C, I have done it in the past and its just plain miserable in the summer.
Nice mate, great car. Don't see many in that colour.
Suspension and brakes are the first port of call imo (I'm now running Eibach springs, bilstein shocks and brembo brakes) and the rest can wait
And I hear you on the steering wheel. I park my silver car in the sun all day. Even thgouh it has massive tint on all the windows it is still sometimes a couple of minutes before I can face sitting down in it. Black leather and 40 degree heat are not a good combo
And the heat on turbo cars is not good. Mine feels much more sluggish.
Suspension and brakes are the first port of call imo (I'm now running Eibach springs, bilstein shocks and brembo brakes) and the rest can wait
And I hear you on the steering wheel. I park my silver car in the sun all day. Even thgouh it has massive tint on all the windows it is still sometimes a couple of minutes before I can face sitting down in it. Black leather and 40 degree heat are not a good combo
And the heat on turbo cars is not good. Mine feels much more sluggish.
Edited by Colonial on Monday 2nd February 05:08
They are a great car mate, I love mine.
You're lucky having the cruise control on it I've not got that, it looks like you've got an intercooler spray too, but with temps in the 40's I'm not surprised.
I've not heard them called pig nose's before but I know what you mean, the more common name is Hawk eye. The previous model was the blob eye and the one before that was the bug eye.
You're lucky having the cruise control on it I've not got that, it looks like you've got an intercooler spray too, but with temps in the 40's I'm not surprised.
I've not heard them called pig nose's before but I know what you mean, the more common name is Hawk eye. The previous model was the blob eye and the one before that was the bug eye.
No intercooler spray but I believe its an easy thing to fit.
I have noticed that here in Aus we tend to get one or two variations on a model with most of the options as standard where the UK equivalent will be multiple models and most starting with no options at all.
As an example I was looking at the Focus XR5 (ST). I believe in the UK you get ST 1, 2 ,3 with varying trim levels and options. Well here there is just the one model with the only options being leather, sunroof and orange paint and everything else as standard.
To be honest I am not that fussed on cruise control. On most of the freeways its hard to settle in to a constant cruise and to be honest I just never feel that comfortable with it on.
I have noticed that here in Aus we tend to get one or two variations on a model with most of the options as standard where the UK equivalent will be multiple models and most starting with no options at all.
As an example I was looking at the Focus XR5 (ST). I believe in the UK you get ST 1, 2 ,3 with varying trim levels and options. Well here there is just the one model with the only options being leather, sunroof and orange paint and everything else as standard.
To be honest I am not that fussed on cruise control. On most of the freeways its hard to settle in to a constant cruise and to be honest I just never feel that comfortable with it on.
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