Always wanted the sti but it's impossible as a student so i settled for this. My parents won't let my buy an old car but when i showed them this video they let me buy one. Big thanks from me
Been driving it hard from time to time and has been tracked a few times.The engine is not the best in terms of performance but love how it sounds with the muffler off. I feel like it lacks torque compared to a V6 sedan that I have. I have driven it 15000 miles and had zero major problems. Would recommend this car to a new driver, It is not too fast and it's AWD feels so good when attacking corners
@@bill_poth If this is the first ever car purchase be mindful of panel gaps and wheel gaps when buying a car. Try knocking all of the body panels and make sure they are metal. If you here plasticky sound similar to how the bumper sounds that means that car has been into an accident. Make sure it idles nice and it doesn't make a knocking noise. Always check for leaks after test drive. If you hear noises from the suspension or steering rack that means it's bad. Lastly go to a shop for service right after purchase
Planning to buy the same Impreza and you just made me want it much more :D beautiful scenes, great commentary, explaining all the features. Thank you. Absolutely great review. :)
@@josephmwangi207 Dont buy it, Oil leaks asf. You would end up throwing ur money away for all the service. + parts in Europe are super expensive in contrast to other car brands. But the power for a first car is totally fine.
@@uhavescaredme9407damn that sucks, how many miles were on it? I have the 2.5L so I dont know much about the 1.5L crazy how different prices are in other places, where I from subaru specialist and parts are a dime a dozen
Great video mate, I'm planning on buying a used 1.5 r and I rarely find anything for that car on UA-cam so I'd really appreciate if you'd post more content of it
Excellent. Rare video of a rare model. It picks up speed well enough im sure, its not supposed to be an STI. Its a good reliable workhorse that beats all the so called fancy German brands for being an honest car that isnt pretentious with a silly so called trendy badge on the bloody front. I drove BMW 30 years ago when it had a more upmarket image. Now they are driven by anyone, young lads and lasses living with mum and dad, all showing off in their PCP lease car, thinking they are something special in a fucking 1 series. Pathetic. Subaru is like nothing else on the road. People get them because they are just that bit different to everything else. We arent attention seeking social media obsessed twats. They have all weather capability, a fantastic ride with handling to match and they sound brilliant. Not forgetting to mention they last a very long time. Ive had a Legacy, an Outback and just getting myself the equally rare Impreza 1.6i RC soon as its cheaper to run than the Outback with much lower miles on the clock. It should last me a long time. No need for PCP deals with a Subaru. Just buy one and OWN it. Leasing is a pointless waste of money.
You have to admit there are some Subaru lads who make a joke out of themselves when the first snow hits 😁 that being said it's not the car, it's the driver- I myself am an owner of a German car for the past few years but I can't but admire Subaru as a brand
@@Adam_G tbh it lacks abit up hill. And seems alright. But they are a nice car to drive. Especially if you got it done up and stuff alot of people been saying if you get those versions it's best to get the wrx sti. But it is costly on gas.
@@Adam_G yeah 107 hp, but mine is AWD is some kind slow start but for a car with his age not bad at all, is fun to drive specially in curves and cold weather.
@@Adam_G wow that'd be great.. here in austria you can't get your hands on one at all, and if you find one it's heavily modded and 25k minimum.. (talking about the sti variant of course) wrx or impreza are just as rate though..
Mostly the bodywork- check it's not rusted, especially sills and underside. The engine is mostly reliable but check for obvious signs like leaks and water/coolant mixing under the oil cap
Hi mate, what can you say about clutch adjusment? I have same car as yours but in my case, my clutch kicks in too high, clutch gap too short. It would be nice if you made a short video about it in your spare time!
Thanks. For. The. Review. It. Was. Very. Informative. Not. Many. Videos. Of. This. 1.5R Also, all of the pauses between words as above really helped me work out what accent you were speaking in. Northern Irish ?
About dual range transmission, you are wrong. It is just regular synchronised two gear gearbox. It could be used at any condition similar to main gear. Mine is similar, but with 2.0 engine. I use mine regularly in city conditions if I must crawl very slowly, or I need a lot of acceleration. I usually start at first low gear, go to second low, and after that I switch to second high. For me it is smootest way to accelerate fast. Although for others, different combinations could be better.
@@Adam_G It can be switched between high and low range at any speed, as all other gears. Not only when car is stationary as someone obviously mislead you. Only limitation is there is not specific neutral position for dabble clutching. Although there is a position where neither high or low range is on, it is not recommended (n manual)to leave it in this position.
Is it true to always switch between low and high without problems? I drive an 1.5 awd and think i read somewhere to switch only with clutch in and standstill
@@mrn.1533 Yes I didn't have single problem with routinely usage of low/high gear during regular city driving on two different subaru`s roughly around 80 000 kilometres. The relevant paragraph in the manual is not perfectly clear and leave place for double meaning. But in reality high/low is just another regular gear as ones from 1 to 5. Nothing different there just second two stage gear box.
Hey there I've been geting curious bout that gear lever near the handbrake. So what range is the normal position sir? And what range did you used when you were in the terrain/off road?
Lowered position=normal gear, raised position=low range. When going on terrain, as a demonstration I used low range (so lever raised up) for extra torque.
My officemate offered me the same car in the video (except that it is an automatic one) for 7,900 us dollars. Do you think the price is reasonable? What is the current price range for this car? Thanks.
Hi, in the UK the car retails for about £1500-3000 (guess roughly $2000-3500), for $7900 you could buy a higher performance WRX version here, however different counties have very different prices.
@@stevemorse2076 just looked at Cayman islands used car market and appears you could actually buy a higher end Subaru for the same price. Seems a little on the expensive side, however if the condition is worth it, go for it!
What would your opinion be on the Sport R or GX models ?. I have seen the 1.5 but I'm more into the 1999-06 imprezas. I've seen a good few 2.0 2002 GX imprezas and a few 2.5 hawkeye Sport Rs. (More info- this is For a brand new driver, none of these are turbos, they're standard engines but look the part and the MPG is above 30 far as I know for the sport R)
The 1.6/2.0 is effectively the same engine, they’re fairly reliable, just the usual non-turbo problems like oil leaks. Mind you the older engines were made only until 2004 and in 2005 with Hawkeye Subaru introduced the newer different engines. You can get a fairly sweet exhaust note out of the older 99-04 Imprezas as you can buy unequal length headers on eBay that allow to unlock that iconic Subaru burble
We drove it from Northern England to Wales and then across to Dublin and upwards to Northern Ireland. Engine is quiet and well balanced and the cruise control definitely helps, the mpg averaged at around 35-38
Very reliable actually, no major issues over 1+ years... If you're buying one, just check that there's no knock or misfire, which shouldn't be a problem with non turbos
These used to go for anywhere between £1000 and £2000 here in the UK (depending on the condition and mileage) however the car prices went up in the past year a bit.
@@Adam_G thank you. I am surprised you mentioned UK. Considering the car you used in the video is a left-hand drive. I am interested in getting one that is a left hand drive
@@eliasbrel5179 Steering wheel on the right, therefore it's a RHD (UK number plates are also a hint 😉). I would say prices elsewhere in Europe are similar.
Not as far as I know, the word is out there that the 1.5 is a weaker engine in terms of turbocharging- you’d be lucky to squeeze +20hp without compromising reliability
Always wanted the sti but it's impossible as a student so i settled for this. My parents won't let my buy an old car but when i showed them this video they let me buy one. Big thanks from me
How has your Impreza been as a first car? I’m quite interested myself :)
Been driving it hard from time to time and has been tracked a few times.The engine is not the best in terms of performance but love how it sounds with the muffler off. I feel like it lacks torque compared to a V6 sedan that I have. I have driven it 15000 miles and had zero major problems. Would recommend this car to a new driver, It is not too fast and it's AWD feels so good when attacking corners
@@bill_poth If this is the first ever car purchase be mindful of panel gaps and wheel gaps when buying a car. Try knocking all of the body panels and make sure they are metal. If you here plasticky sound similar to how the bumper sounds that means that car has been into an accident. Make sure it idles nice and it doesn't make a knocking noise. Always check for leaks after test drive. If you hear noises from the suspension or steering rack that means it's bad. Lastly go to a shop for service right after purchase
@@garybiscuit2451 Excellent, thank you so much! What MPG figures have you been averaging?
@@bill_poth Around 23-25, I Drove Aggressively So You Might Get Better MPG
Planning to buy the same Impreza and you just made me want it much more :D beautiful scenes, great commentary, explaining all the features. Thank you. Absolutely great review. :)
Very glad to be of help! Thank you!
Did u buy it?
Did you buy it how is the engine performance?
@@josephmwangi207 Dont buy it, Oil leaks asf. You would end up throwing ur money away for all the service. + parts in Europe are super expensive in contrast to other car brands. But the power for a first car is totally fine.
@@uhavescaredme9407damn that sucks, how many miles were on it? I have the 2.5L so I dont know much about the 1.5L crazy how different prices are in other places, where I from subaru specialist and parts are a dime a dozen
In addition, this car is very safety I think. The body designed for rally will protect you in case of an accident. That's why I love subaru!
Best review I've seen so far. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, you're most welcome!
Great video mate, I'm planning on buying a used 1.5 r and I rarely find anything for that car on UA-cam so I'd really appreciate if you'd post more content of it
What really pushed me to film a vid is the lack of any videos with a 1.5R on UA-cam...
@@Adam_G true that, was shocked once I stumbled up on that vid hahaha, keep up the great work bro
@@yassinmedhat2699 appreciate that, thanks!
really nice review. especially the different engine breakdowns. helpful AF man
Excellent. Rare video of a rare model. It picks up speed well enough im sure, its not supposed to be an STI. Its a good reliable workhorse that beats all the so called fancy German brands for being an honest car that isnt pretentious with a silly so called trendy badge on the bloody front. I drove BMW 30 years ago when it had a more upmarket image. Now they are driven by anyone, young lads and lasses living with mum and dad, all showing off in their PCP lease car, thinking they are something special in a fucking 1 series. Pathetic. Subaru is like nothing else on the road. People get them because they are just that bit different to everything else. We arent attention seeking social media obsessed twats. They have all weather capability, a fantastic ride with handling to match and they sound brilliant. Not forgetting to mention they last a very long time. Ive had a Legacy, an Outback and just getting myself the equally rare Impreza 1.6i RC soon as its cheaper to run than the Outback with much lower miles on the clock. It should last me a long time. No need for PCP deals with a Subaru. Just buy one and OWN it. Leasing is a pointless waste of money.
You have to admit there are some Subaru lads who make a joke out of themselves when the first snow hits 😁 that being said it's not the car, it's the driver- I myself am an owner of a German car for the past few years but I can't but admire Subaru as a brand
Never knew there was a 1.5l engine option on the impreza’s. I had a 2.0l 09 hatch as my first car
I have 2.5 and its very slow ahah
@@kingofvtt6341same, but its still fun as hell
Yooo you're finally back
Thanks 😁
Really enjoyed this review told me everything I need to know I'm going to see one soon so nice to know what to expect A*
Glad it was helpful!
my dad's forester diesel has been pretty reliable. 300k so far, very few issues
I stand corrected!
Great review ¡ Mine is the AT version and nothing to say ... is a special car
What is the power like with 1.5/automatic combination?
@@Adam_G it's only 107hp but it's also fwd
@@PRAYIMAKET that's interesting, didn't know a fwd version existed... I'd say it's a little faster due to less drivetrain loss
@@Adam_G tbh it lacks abit up hill. And seems alright. But they are a nice car to drive. Especially if you got it done up and stuff alot of people been saying if you get those versions it's best to get the wrx sti. But it is costly on gas.
@@Adam_G yeah 107 hp, but mine is AWD is some kind slow start but for a car with his age not bad at all, is fun to drive specially in curves and cold weather.
I am lucky that this car is one of my dream cars.. Because it's a VERY affordable dream car :D
The next step would be the blobeye sti tho...
Blobeye is the best looking one in my opinion!
@@Adam_G YES definetly.. But just a little bit more expenive too😂
@@nathanricetalks and only going up in price 🙄 remember a few years ago you could get one for £5000 here in UK
@@Adam_G wow that'd be great..
here in austria you can't get your hands on one at all, and if you find one it's heavily modded and 25k minimum.. (talking about the sti variant of course)
wrx or impreza are just as rate though..
Great video bro
Hi, i'm from brazil, and here is available this version 1.5 petrol engine, and also 2.0
suggestion: things to look at when buying these imprezas
Mostly the bodywork- check it's not rusted, especially sills and underside. The engine is mostly reliable but check for obvious signs like leaks and water/coolant mixing under the oil cap
Hi mate, what can you say about clutch adjusment? I have same car as yours but in my case, my clutch kicks in too high, clutch gap too short. It would be nice if you made a short video about it in your spare time!
I bought this car and i'm very happy
What's the radiator cap pressure for the Subaru Impreza 2008 with 1.5cc?
i have a 3.0R Legacy its rly fun
Thanks. For. The. Review.
It. Was. Very. Informative.
Not. Many. Videos. Of. This. 1.5R
Also, all of the pauses between words as above really helped me work out what accent you were speaking in. Northern Irish ?
About dual range transmission, you are wrong. It is just regular synchronised two gear gearbox. It could be used at any condition similar to main gear. Mine is similar, but with 2.0 engine. I use mine regularly in city conditions if I must crawl very slowly, or I need a lot of acceleration. I usually start at first low gear, go to second low, and after that I switch to second high. For me it is smootest way to accelerate fast. Although for others, different combinations could be better.
How was it wrong though? This is how I explained it, a high/low selector which reduces final drive- a two-speed gearbox at its simplest.
@@Adam_G It can be switched between high and low range at any speed, as all other gears. Not only when car is stationary as someone obviously mislead you. Only limitation is there is not specific neutral position for dabble clutching. Although there is a position where neither high or low range is on, it is not recommended (n manual)to leave it in this position.
Is it true to always switch between low and high without problems? I drive an 1.5 awd and think i read somewhere to switch only with clutch in and standstill
@@mrn.1533 Yes I didn't have single problem with routinely usage of low/high gear during regular city driving on two different subaru`s roughly around 80 000 kilometres.
The relevant paragraph in the manual is not perfectly clear and leave place for double meaning. But in reality high/low is just another regular gear as ones from 1 to 5. Nothing different there just second two stage gear box.
my only con is finding parts for the car as I’m from Northern Ireland and the 1.5 Impreza is not really popular around here
Hi how many airbags do these cars have? Looking at one in NZ, but auto not manual. and do they have abs brakes?
Hi these have standard four as far as I know, and ABS is standard in all newer Subarus as their cars are very much traction-oriented!
Are u stupid? WHO TF BUYS AUTOMATIC SUBARU?
Some review! 👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you!
Mine does an average of 12km/l on eco mode. When not it does aroun 8-10 km/l
Hi I’ve got this same car, do you know if a Subaru Impreza STI model hatch 2009-2012 bonnet with genuine scoop fit onto my car?
I think yes, I've seen a lot of people do this
Hey there I've been geting curious bout that gear lever near the handbrake. So what range is the normal position sir? And what range did you used when you were in the terrain/off road?
Lowered position=normal gear, raised position=low range. When going on terrain, as a demonstration I used low range (so lever raised up) for extra torque.
@@Adam_G ohhw got it thanks alot man!
@@JohnO_28 no worries 👍🏼
My officemate offered me the same car in the video (except that it is an automatic one) for 7,900 us dollars. Do you think the price is reasonable? What is the current price range for this car? Thanks.
Hi, in the UK the car retails for about £1500-3000 (guess roughly $2000-3500), for $7900 you could buy a higher performance WRX version here, however different counties have very different prices.
Hello. I’m from cayman islands, that’s 6,500 cayman dollar.
@@stevemorse2076 just looked at Cayman islands used car market and appears you could actually buy a higher end Subaru for the same price. Seems a little on the expensive side, however if the condition is worth it, go for it!
@@Adam_G where did you find those used cars market? Can you send me a link?
@@stevemorse2076 ecaytrade.com, correct me if I am wrong though, found it on Google
What would your opinion be on the Sport R or GX models ?. I have seen the 1.5 but I'm more into the 1999-06 imprezas. I've seen a good few 2.0 2002 GX imprezas and a few 2.5 hawkeye Sport Rs.
(More info- this is For a brand new driver, none of these are turbos, they're standard engines but look the part and the MPG is above 30 far as I know for the sport R)
The 1.6/2.0 is effectively the same engine, they’re fairly reliable, just the usual non-turbo problems like oil leaks. Mind you the older engines were made only until 2004 and in 2005 with Hawkeye Subaru introduced the newer different engines. You can get a fairly sweet exhaust note out of the older 99-04 Imprezas as you can buy unequal length headers on eBay that allow to unlock that iconic Subaru burble
What exhust you use??? I want one :D
how good would it be for a longer trip?
We drove it from Northern England to Wales and then across to Dublin and upwards to Northern Ireland. Engine is quiet and well balanced and the cruise control definitely helps, the mpg averaged at around 35-38
Would this be good for a first car ?
Depends on where you live. UK and Ireland insurance tends to group their cars according to engine size, so this would indeed make a great first car!
Does it have much aftermarket parts available?
Body parts or engine performance ones? 1.5 is not the strongest engine so there's no point turbocharging it
Are these reliable? For a daily?
Very reliable actually, no major issues over 1+ years... If you're buying one, just check that there's no knock or misfire, which shouldn't be a problem with non turbos
What’s a subby?
@@Adam_G just got one
No way! What are your thoughts so far?
@@Adam_G cars sold, confident to drive. Very basic in side. Sounds very nice with no muffler😂, very slow though. Insurance is meh. I love it tho
good day, what year is this?
2008, regards
@@Adam_G thanks for your response.
How much does it cost?
These used to go for anywhere between £1000 and £2000 here in the UK (depending on the condition and mileage) however the car prices went up in the past year a bit.
@@Adam_G thank you. I am surprised you mentioned UK.
Considering the car you used in the video is a left-hand drive.
I am interested in getting one that is a left hand drive
@@eliasbrel5179 Steering wheel on the right, therefore it's a RHD (UK number plates are also a hint 😉). I would say prices elsewhere in Europe are similar.
are these efficient on fuel?
Averaging 8-9l/100km or 32 UK MPG
Basically, no, 33mpg, if you drive carefully, I get 26-27 on average
Not amazing the awd eats
has anyone ever successfully turbo charged this car? looking for a guide
Not as far as I know, the word is out there that the 1.5 is a weaker engine in terms of turbocharging- you’d be lucky to squeeze +20hp without compromising reliability
These are so cheap. Even in the motor trade !!!! Unloved in the UK.
Truly a very affordable entry into the Subaru world
@@Adam_G very much so !!!!
R u single? Askin 4 a friend
👀👀
@@Adam_G visiting Ireland soon, wanna meet up irl? 👀👀