Subaru Impreza STi (08 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 05 November 2009
Thanks to a high profile in rallying, Subaru is well-renowned for its performance cars - in particular the Impreza. You could spot the previous model a mile off with its huge spoiler and booming exhaust, but the firm has taken a different tack and the 2008 Impreza WRX STi is a very different car compared to what went before. For starters it is a rounded hatchback (rather than a four-door boxy saloon) and the extreme styling has been toned down. As a result it appears more grown up and less like it's been fitted with aftermarket extras. Unfortunately the interior looks and feels cheap while the unforgiving ride merely highlights the lack of refinement. It is quick of course and the 300bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged engine propels it to 60mph in a mere 4.8 seconds, but ultimately the Impreza STi feels dated and lacks sophistication.
3 out of 5

Other Subaru reviews

2 out of 5

Running costs

With supercar performance it is little surprise that the Impreza is expensive to run. Insurance is group 19 (the highest is 20), you'll be lucky to see more than 25mpg in everyday driving while road tax is also expensive. You also need to take into account the price of replacing tyres (they aren't cheap) while service intervals are only 10,000 miles.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£460.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

1 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    243
  • M
    281

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

With CO2 emission of 243g/km the Impreza WRX STi isn't an eco-friendly choice. Economy is poor too and the Subaru will only average 27mpg according to the manufacturers' figures - although it's difficult to achieve this in real world driving. The 330S is even less efficient - it averages just 24mpg and emits 281g/km of CO2.

Find the exact engine and CO2