SUBARU is known for the high speed Impreza - a really fast car that is also relatively practical despite its supercar humbling pace.
The latest Impreza is the WRX STI which, thanks to its banzai turbo 2.5-litre engine can crack the 0-60 sprint in a highly impressive 4.9 seconds. That’s faster than a Porsche 911 and a lot more use at Ikea.
It is expensive though, coming in at an eye-watering £32,995 which means that you really pay for the privilege of all that speed.
So we got to wondering whether you could get to 60 in the same time for a lot less money if you take the second-hand route. These cars being fast though, you’ll want a bit of warranty so nothing older than three years.
Here’s three rather naughty choices for the canny speed demon.
Chrysler 300C SRT-8
This car is a real monster. The mighty 6.1-litre ‘hemi’ V8 delivers 425bhp and powers this huge vehicle to 60mph in five seconds dead. True, you’ll get less than 15mpg in town but the Subaru won’t give you much more than that. Thirst aside the 300C is a very practical machine and its mechanical simplicity and Mercedes underpinnings mean it ought to be reliable.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk price guide: A well looked after 6.1 SRT-8 with around 30,000 miles and three years old should be no more than £20,000
Vauxhall VXR8
The VXR8 is Vauxhall’s answer to those who say they don’t make any interesting cars. In comparison to the Chrysler it looks quite subdued but it certainly is not a quiet drive. It’s a very, very fast car – with 60mph coming up in 4.9 seconds and an easy 170mph available thinks to the mighty 6.0-litre Corvette engine. There’s masses of room inside and all the practicality of a big saloon. The VXR8 also has a truly spine-tingling engine note.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk price guide: A well looked after VXR8 with miles – at three years old should be £18,000
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO
The EVO is the Subaru Impreza’s natural enemy. They are very evenly matched, both being Japanese sports cars with heavily turbocharged low capacity engines and four-wheel-drive. Some pretty tidy, late model examples of the Evo are in the marketplace that are more than a match for the Impreza in speed terms and offer equal practicality. Not as much fun as the big V8 beast above though.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk price guide: A three year old Mitsubishi Lancer Evo with around 25,000 miles on the clock should be no more than £20,000. Make 100% sure the service history is comprehensive though.