2001 Subaru Impreza

Imported from Japan five year ago, this Impreza STi shows how well engineered they are; while so many UK-supplied examples are rotten and abused, cars from Japan are generally free of the rot and molestation we’ve become used to accepting – and to keep it so, this one was professionally Waxoyl’d back in 2018 to equip it for the harsh UK winters.

It’s only just ticked over the 100,000-mile mark (151,000 kilometers) and comes with a full service history plus a recent cambelt, clutch, and suspension top mounts.

And, as a station wagon, it’s as practical as it is fast – and it’s very, very fast indeed.

The silver paintwork was fettled in December 2022 so is, as you’d expect, in great shape. This work was only carried out because someone ran a shopping trolley into the boot, but the seller took the opportunity to have another couple of minor issues resolved at the same time.

As the photos show, it looks stunning, doesn’t it? The combination of a somewhat staid station wagon profile allied to that huge bonnet scoop and roof spoiler is a beguiling combination, not least because everyone likes a fast estate, don’t they?

The simple Speedline alloy wheels – still the factory specification and so not as garishly large as many we see – are in good shape. They’re fitted with Yokohama tyres on the rear, and Pirelli on the front.

A towbar has been fitted, not for caravan hauling but for attaching a bike carrier. This, plus that voluminous boot, makes it the ideal wagon for an outdoors enthusiast or even someone with a growing family who isn’t ready to give up and buy an SUV…

Flaws? Well, you might like to change the square rear numberplate for one that fits the aperture and the rear arches show some slight bubbling. The seller says he coated it with Dinitrol a year ago and it hasn’t got any worse.

Ah, that iconic black-and-blue cabin (actually, as a ‘B20’ colour code it’s ‘Off Black’…) never gets dull, does it? Nor do those high-back front seats, which deliver comfort and support in greater measure than just about anything else in its class.

Cloth and Alcantara-covered, they also grip much tighter than the shiny leather-covered jobbies everyone thinks they want. They’re durable too, but then you can see that, can’t you?

The door cards are in a similarly good condition, as are the headlining, carpets, and dashboard. Free of fripperies and unnecessary equipment, what there is is there for a reason.

Like the buttons for the intercooler water spray.

If you want touchscreens and the sort of stuff that’ll impress non-car folk you’d probably be better off going elsewhere but if you grew up to the sound of rally cars screaming through the forest then you’re going to love spending time here.

It helps that the instruments and switches are still bright and clear, and everything operates with the same precision it always has.

The Momo steering wheel adds some tactility to the experience and a double-din Pioneer headunit gives Bluetooth connectivity, without which we’d all be lost.

The speedometer has been converted to read in miles-per-hour, which means you have to ignore the kilometres on the dial and mentally switch them for miles. It’d covered around 111,000 kilometres when it arrived here and was converted.

As you can see, it fires into life immediately – and as you can hear, it does so with the characteristic flat-four grumble we all know and love. As an STi, the (already bulletproof) engine revs to 8,000; allied to the close-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox, it fairly flies.

The seller is an engineer by trade and the owner of an early Lotus Elan and he says the way the two cars drive is eerily similar despite their very different approaches. “It just clicks through the gears”, he said with a smile. “And while you can’t use all 8,000 revs very often, when you can it absolutely flies!”

The engine bay could be detailed if required, and the underside is strong and one lovely touch is the STi exhaust. This might be a small thing but it’s the small things that demonstrate the quality of a car’s curation, isn’t it?

We have been told of one fault, a slight knock from the nearside front suspension on full lock. Despite extensive investigation and the replacement of top links and anti-roll bar bushes, it remains elusive. It only happens on full lock when parking and the best guess is that it may be the diff locking.

It hasn’t got any worse and isn’t a problem but the seller is an unusually conscientious man and wanted potential bidders to be aware of it.

The Impreza’s MoT certificate is valid until February 2024 and, if you can ignore the somewhat snarky comment about the towbar, it was gained, like every one since 2019, with no advisories.

The service history here in the UK checks out (#307 for a summary), and while we don’t speak Japanese, five minutes with your phone and Google Translate should convince you of the veracity of the seller’s claim it’s complete.

The recent Vehicle History Check is also clear bar the imported status.

The Impreza Turbo’s reputation has taken a beating in recent years, which means that it is easy to lose sight of how iconic, groundbreaking, and sizzlingly quick they are; even now, few cars can keep up with a well-drive Scooby thanks to that turbocharged punch and faithful, hugely grippy chassis.

And, if you’re free-thinker and not easily swayed by popular culture, the Bug Eyed Impreza’s reputation might actually work in your favour because prices are still low - and that’s a state of affairs that can’t continue forever.

While you will need to find a six-figure sum to buy a low-mileage and original 22B, the vagaries of the modern classic world mean that something like this is likely to fetch somewhere between £5,000 and £7,000, which strikes us as an absurd situation.

And the owner is happy to offer this on a No Reserve basis, meaning it will sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.