<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Huzer21 @ Dec 3 2007, 01:19 PM) [url=index.php?act=findpost&pid=12847]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/url]</div>
I completely agree with that statement. It's not quite the bargain it used to be anymore.[/b]
Yeah, the original '04 STI's started around the $32k mark, so about $3k less than the current '08's, not quite as much bang for your buck anymore. Although, the '04's didn't even come standard with a stereo lol, that was optional.
Now, mind you, me and my GF drove the '08 WRX (which she absolutely fell in love with, and has been talking about buying ever since) not too long ago.... it's not the same WRX as it was back in '02 when they were first launched.... the 2.5L motor makes power MUCH lower in the RPM range than the old 2.0L, making it easier to have as a daily driver.... the ride is MUCH more compliant... much nice materials inside.... they actually have a frame around the door windows lol.... no more fender flares (which I'm very sad about)... generally, they're not as aggressive looking anymore, and even though on paper, they perform about the same as the outgoing WRX's, they don't feel as "raw" anymore. They're more refined. The styling has changed dramatically, from being "ugly, but in a quirky, kind of cool way" to what I would consider a little bit bland.
Before, the Impreza's entire existence was due to the hardcore, cult like followers of Subaru.... which was fine. Although, believe it or not, on Subaru's line, the Legacy outsells the Impreza/WRX/STI line by a significant margin... which is kind of backwards, as on Mazda's line, the entry level 3 outsells the 6 by leaps and bounds... I think what Subaru is trying to do is offer cars (i.e. Impreza) to ordinary people, not just performance nuts, as us performance junkies are FAR outnumbered by your average ordinary buyer, who just want a car to get them from point A to point B. IIRC, the first month the new Impreza/WRX was released, it actually broke record sales numbers for Subaru's Impreza line, or at least so I saw on Nasioc. Toyota makes boring cars.... Toyota does not appeal to people like me in the least.... but, Toyota is now the largest auto manufacturer in the world, because they make boring cars, for well... most of the world, which consists of a lot of boring people.
The only thing I'm a little bitter about, is that I've been a long time Subaru fan, dating back the the late 90's Impreza 2.5RS, and when I was older, and could afford one, I bought a WRX... I'm one of "those guys" that supported a company because I liked their products, and the sad thing is, people like me are the ones who "revitalized" Subaru's brand image, before the WRX, the only people in America that cared about Subaru's were gay farmers (lol, I joke). What sucks is that now, the very people who supported and revitalized Subaru's brand image, and brought them up as a company, we're the very people that Subaru is now somewhat turning their backs on... kind of sad. Although, I can understand why they've changed the Impreza, it's simple... money. Attracting a larger consumer base will bring in more revenue. Most of us die-hard performance junkies are fairly young (I'm only 24), and not all of us can afford a $30k+ car, so I think they're just trying to target a slightly older audience, an audience that has a little more cash laying around.
Either way... I think when they start showing up on dealer lots, I'll have to take a new '08 out for a spin and see how it compares. Hopefully, it at least hasn't lost it's edge, I guess we'll see.
