Subaru Impreza

marshy09, May 16, 9:29am
My 20 year old son is looking at getting a Subaru Impreza, I have been told they chew through the gas & expensive to fix. Anyone had any issues with these or any ideas what could be better. Budget up to $12,000 needs to be auto. He is a builder but does not really want a SUV for some reason & can't afford a ute yet.

franc123, May 16, 10:03am
Pricing insurance is the very first step before worrying about other possible issues.

gusthe1, May 16, 10:23am
Really depends on the model of impreza

cjohnw, May 16, 3:25pm
My son bought an Impreza as his first car at age 17.
It was the normal non-turbo 1500cc, about 2008, and insurance premium was quite manageable really - with normal under 25yr driver excess.
Maintenance and fuel economy was similar to other marques as well.
Probably totally opposite to a turbo WRX Impreza.
As above, depends on the model.

tgray, May 16, 5:57pm
20 years old and budget is $12,000?
Each to our own, but does he really want to spend that much?
Just saying you can get a perfectly fine Impreza for half that amount, but if he can afford it and is comfortable, then so be it.

apollo11, May 16, 6:34pm
He is a young guy, working hard in a well paying job. I had a mate driving a bloody Lotus Elise at that age, while I was stuck in an old Mazda lol.

marshy09, May 18, 3:23pm
My sons first car was a lemon & has costs him heaps so would like to buy a better car rather than another piece of crap that will waste more money fixing.

bryshaw, May 18, 3:42pm
Honda make some racy looking cars and at least second hand should be trouble free.

cjohnw, May 18, 3:56pm
Whatever you decide to buy I think most people would advise getting a pre purchase inspection to at least find any potential issues before your son parts with his money.
Some posters on here will just say buy a Toyota.
Good luck.

kazbanz, May 19, 2:04pm
There are a few variations on the Imprezza.

meow_mix, Aug 6, 11:51am
I'm assuming he's not looking at the fast WRX turbo model, if he is he will have a hard time insuring it. A lot of Imprezas have All Wheel Drive (AWD) which in my opinion is a great safety feature especially for a young driver, they handle great in the rain and stick to the road like a limpet. I have owned AWD Subarus for years and think they are great cars. $12,000 will get a very nice Impreza with lots of nice options like HID headlamps and alloy wheels etc.