Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Guys, I am consdering going to look at a 2009 impreza sti 330s model car on Friday after work, have any of you got any experience on how the new hatchback imprezas are? Or more specifically this model? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouthwash Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I'm not an expert on them but I've heard they have some engine issues so I'd research hard before parting with money for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leosille Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Go on to scoobynet, they have notorious engine failures thread on it. I'm looking at blobeye sti that's where I'm heading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 We test drove a 330 when they first came out as a possible car for the other half. Horrid styling, horrid interior, but by god was the drive thrilling. Loads of power, excellent grip, and the adjustable power/throttle response control worked far better than I thought it would. Seats were dead comfy, and all in I'd say it was definitely a car that I'd be happy to own from a driving POV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Are the engine failures common in the new hatchback range? Do you know if this is caused by heavily modified cars or is this on the standard car also? Thanks for the help. Ekona, i have test drove one before and was immensly impressed with the performance of the car, as for the styling im a fan of the exterior looks of the car, especially the white ones (like i am looking at). I prefer the styling of the new hatchback subarus slightly as they are more understated than the previous models and certainly less common, however i am a big fan of both Would any of you recommend previous models of the subaru? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouthwash Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 If you read about the internet it seems there are a lot of cars with pistons causing problems, Subaru were remapping cars to fix this but people have had the remap and still had failures. This is specifically aimed at the 2.5ltr engines. I'd imagine now that a lot of them are out of warranty it would be a bit of a minefield to get one that isn't going to break and a costly excercise if it does. That said I'm no expert but I'd personally never buy a car with a poor reputation for reliability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
370Ad Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah even the 330S with a different map still is prone to failures unfortunately. I did think of looking at one but this does put me off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Anybody else recommend any alternatives? I have been looking at porsche boxster s, e46 m3's as a guideline, and also have around £10-£12k to spend. I sold the Z about 2 months ago and have had a 2002 celica as a daily for wokr and back. I would be wanting something that is faster than the Z and is a nice looking motor, any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Ekona, i have test drove one before and was immensly impressed with the performance of the car, as for the styling im a fan of the exterior looks of the car, especially the white ones (like i am looking at). I prefer the styling of the new hatchback subarus slightly as they are more understated than the previous models and certainly less common, however i am a big fan of both Would any of you recommend previous models of the subaru? I totally agree the looks are down to the individual, each to their own and all that. The 2.5L blocks are not particularly strong, which is why the JDM cars kept the 2.0L engine. For that reason (as well as cost, tbh) we ended up with an '05 late blobeye STi PPP. The 2.0L is a more frenetic engine to work with, which we liked, and the engine and 'box are rock solid. Interior is of course sheddy at best, but again like the hatch the seats and driving position are immense. The later blobeye cars had the wider track and improved suspension of the 2.5L hawkeyes, which makes a hell of a lot of difference. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat, the only reason we got rid of ours was simply the running costs were excessive in fuel & insurance for what was essentially just a runabout for the missus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Anybody else recommend any alternatives? I have been looking at porsche boxster s, e46 m3's as a guideline, and also have around £10-£12k to spend. I sold the Z about 2 months ago and have had a 2002 celica as a daily for wokr and back. I would be wanting something that is faster than the Z and is a nice looking motor, any recommendations? If you're worried about reliability and possible costs don't look at Boxsters or M3s, as IMS and Vanos costs respectively will make your eyes water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah I have seen and heard a ot of people that prefer the old 2.0L engines to the newer 2.5L. Can i ask what mpg was you getting with yours? Not really an issue for me, as i know with performance comes higher running costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 What costs will they be do you think? Is that common across all the models of boxster s or in some specific ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah I have seen and heard a ot of people that prefer the old 2.0L engines to the newer 2.5L. Can i ask what mpg was you getting with yours? Not really an issue for me, as i know with performance comes higher running costs She was seeing 23mpg out of it, and that's on long motorway commutes. I managed to eke 27mpg out of it on the way back from Spa last year, but that was a struggle! What costs will they be do you think? Is that common across all the models of boxster s or in some specific ones? IMS failure is possible on every Boxster in your price range. Any 986 and 987.1 car has this estimated 5% risk of IMS and engine failure. If you have a slush fund of about £7K then they're a bargain, but if not it's a big risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 23mpg on a run! What was the figure around town? 350AD, i know where your coming from, hearing horror stories about a car does put you off! Would you recommend considering any other cars? I do like the audi s3's 2008 model.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 or do i just save a little more, go all out and buy an e60 m5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 S3's are very solid, and very quick. A little uninvolving though, but a great place to eat up the miles. Around town in the Scoob she'd see sub-20mpg. I was well into single figures on track! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 or do i just save a little more, go all out and buy an e60 m5! now thats more like it, but stick with a coupe... i'm hoping my next car will be an E63 M6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2013 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Big fan of the M6! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) I was under the impression that the ringland failure was more the 2008 models.... What sort of miles are on the car? Failure rates are higher than you would expect, but its by no means common. I love the look of the hatchbacks and will considering the scoobies I have had in the past I will get another one and it will be a hatchback. I wouldnt let it put me off, in fact, you could probably use it to your advantage........ worst case it means that you have to pay EngineTuner a visit and that would be well worth it I have had 2 classics and bugeye.... bugeye got modded to 390bhp, rear half cage, brake and suspension work and its was fantastic to drive on the smaller twisty roads. Gave the GTR a good run.......... until the straight came Missus enjoyed driving it and in the winter, scooby continued whilst most other cars struggled to get on/off their drives (GTR included). Edited January 8, 2014 by grahamc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 you might read loads on the net about failures but i doubt every other owner is going around making threads that there car is fine, only bad news goes global, be cautious but note not every car is failing my old supervisor got the first WRX hatch in east anglia (according to welchs subaru) and still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I was under the impression that the ringland failure was more the 2008 models.... What sort of miles are on the car? Failure rates are higher than you would expect, but its by no means common. I love the look of the hatchbacks and will considering the scoobies I have had in the past I will get another one and it will be a hatchback. I wouldnt let it put me off, in fact, you could probably use it to your advantage........ worst case it means that you have to pay API Engines a visit and that would be well worth it I have had 2 classics and bugeye.... bugeye got modded to 390bhp, rear half cage, brake and suspension work and its was fantastic to drive on the smaller twisty roads. Gave the GTR a good run.......... until the straight came Missus enjoyed driving it and in the winter, scooby continued whilst most other cars struggled to get on/off their drives (GTR included). Shocked to read you recommend API but not surprised. David is a great bu**sh*tter. Had my JDM WRX EJ20T engine rebuilt by them and it only lasted 12K miles before throwing a conrod through the side of the block. ...and yes I followed all the correct running in procedures, checked the oil regularly, replaced the oil every 3K etc etc. I'm not alone either ~ because at first my engine was so great that I recommended them to my close friend. He spent even more than I did at API having his STI engine rebuilt/upgraded with Cosworth pistons/rods & other parts. His blew up quicker than mine! He was going to sue API but came to some agreement with them (got cash back) after he had his engine inspected by an ex F1 mechanic who found the problem was down to API using non-Cosworth circlips on his pistons & conrods. He had his engine rebuilt with a new block (2.1ltr stroker) & Cosworth bits etc by the ex F1 mechanic and it's still running great today almost 5+years later with over 450bhp. Would not recommend API at all for anything imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah I have seen and heard a ot of people that prefer the old 2.0L engines to the newer 2.5L. Can i ask what mpg was you getting with yours? Not really an issue for me, as i know with performance comes higher running costs She was seeing 23mpg out of it, and that's on long motorway commutes. I managed to eke 27mpg out of it on the way back from Spa last year, but that was a struggle! What costs will they be do you think? Is that common across all the models of boxster s or in some specific ones? IMS failure is possible on every Boxster in your price range. Any 986 and 987.1 car has this estimated 5% risk of IMS and engine failure. If you have a slush fund of about £7K then they're a bargain, but if not it's a big risk. True but IMS can be fixed for Under £1500. Which isn't cheap but once done you have a pretty solid car and it will be easier to sell than other boxsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Shocked to read you recommend API but not surprised. David is a great bu**sh*tter. Had my JDM WRX EJ20T engine rebuilt by them and it only lasted 12K miles before throwing a conrod through the side of the block. ...and yes I followed all the correct running in procedures, checked the oil regularly, replaced the oil every 3K etc etc. I'm not alone either ~ because at first my engine was so great that I recommended them to my close friend. He spent even more than I did at API having his STI engine rebuilt/upgraded with Cosworth pistons/rods & other parts. His blew up quicker than mine! He was going to sue API but came to some agreement with them (got cash back) after he had his engine inspected by an ex F1 mechanic who found the problem was down to API using non-Cosworth circlips on his pistons & conrods. He had his engine rebuilt with a new block (2.1ltr stroker) & Cosworth bits etc by the ex F1 mechanic and it's still running great today almost 5+years later with over 450bhp. Would not recommend API at all for anything imo. You are spot on..... I actually meant Engine Tuner, NOT API! Have edited my original post Edited January 8, 2014 by grahamc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 True but IMS can be fixed for Under £1500. Which isn't cheap but once done you have a pretty solid car and it will be easier to sell than other boxsters. I'm getting really bored of repeating myself about this, but for god's sake stop peddling that crap. You CANNOT fix the IMS issue unless you buy a car with either the Mezger engine, the DFi engine, or an earlier air-cooled engine in. End of. If the IMS fails, your bill will be around £5K AT LEAST. The engine essentially self-destructs. You may get away with a £5K bill, £7K is average, could be £10K easy. You can upgrade the IMS to a later Porsche design, but this does NOT guarantee that it won't fail. The same weakness IS STILL THERE. You can change the IMS to a third-party one, like the LNE IMS Retrofit, BUT EVEN THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT FAIL. The parts alone are $649, plus you need the install kit which is $250, so that's $900. Make that £900 if you include shipping, VAT and import duty and you won't be far off. If you can do that yourself in your garage then you're a better mechanic than I. LNE suggest that it will take between 10-14 hours to replace the IMS bearing, so at £50p/h (I'm being generous with the labour cost), then that's another £500-£700 on top. Call that £1400 to £1600 then, and you STILL have the risk of IMS failure.* In short, there is absolutely no way to 100% ensure you do not get IMS failure with an M96/M97 engine, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DO. It irks me that I'm having to write so many capitals, but how often do I need to repeat this mate? You're a knowledgeable chap and have more than a passing idea on this subject, but handing out wrong advice could end up with someone getting burnt. LNE LMS 101 *You can of course do this during a clutch change and save some labour costs. Most people do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Alright calm down. Ok but its much much much reduced though? It only affected 5-8% of cars and yes spending £1500 might stop it happening might not but most likely will. It's like buying a 350z that has had 2 owners one had it for 7 years and ran it on 95ron and the other for 1 year and ran it on 98ron. You don't know that the damage has been done. It's a risk either way. I'll change my post since you got all rag on me True but IMS failure can POTENTIALLY BE REDUCED for Under £1500. Which isn't cheap but once done you have a pretty solid car and it will be easier to sell than other boxsters. AS THE UPGRADE IS DESIRABLE. That better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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