THE car most people would love to own from the Subaru Impreza range is the turbocharged WRX.
But there are a number of others to choose from and they all come with four wheel drive as standard.
If you decide on the barnstorming turbo, check you can insure it first - and remember that it may well have been pushed very hard by previous owners, with consequent effect on engine and everything else.
Between 2005 and 2007, the Impreza was also available with 1.5 and 2.0-litre non turbo engines which had 103 and 157bhp.
And don’t forget as well as the saloon there is a much more practical small estate.
The 2.5 turbo has anything between 226 and 276bhp, giving awesome performance but the ride gets pretty wearing on lumpy surfaces.
Four wheel drive gives brilliant grip and road holding, but they are also more thirsty than most of the opposition and there is no diesel.
Interior
Few others match Subaru’s customer satisfaction and excellent reliability is normal as long as servicing is carried out.
Rear legroom is not great and the estate’s boot is quite small, but quality is excellent, the seats are good, and the driving position just right.
FAST FACTS
Subaru Impreza WRX
Price: Pay £8,200 for an ‘05 55-reg saloon, or £10,100 for an ‘07 07-reg estate
Mechanical: 226bhp, 2,457cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving four wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 143mph
0-62mph: 5.7 seconds
Combined mpg: 27
Insurance group: 19
CO2 emissions: 244g/km
BIK rating: 35%
Marks: 8/10
Main rival: Mitsubishi Evo