well it looks like i'll have my 04 for a while. I guess i'll just wait for the 2010 sti. By then hopefully subaru pulls there head out of there asses.
Well, so much for my love of Subaru. Congratulations Subaru on killing off the impreza, you've done an excellent job of it. i simply started with not liking the new design, but when you posted that link and i started going over the specs, now I'm REALLY pissed. Legacy Chassis?!? Killed the 4-Pots?!? No aluminum ANYTHING!?! Fender flares gone!!! EVEN LONGER WHEELBASE!?! This is a horrible thing they've done. i know some are speculating that this is just shock/initial hate/fear... but no. it seems like they've done everything in their power to terminate the sporty appeal of the vehicle. seems like you'll have to spring for the STI just to get a good base vehicle, and god only knows how their gonna **** that up. ****... even mitsubishi is off cluster ****ing themselves on the new evo x. where is a sport sedan lover supposed to go now?!?
well the good news is there are still plenty of subaru choices out there with GC swaps and 02-07 WRXs. looks like the next generation will be dead to me unless the new STi is uber hot. At least the one thing we might still hold out hope for is a lower curb weight sine they say "lightened chassis" but I think its probably BS. The worst thing is those stupid european front pedestrian impact rules, ruining the way cars can set up engine bays now. From what i can see unless there is a different turbo its probably mechanically very similar to a LGT. In the edmunds article it mentions subaru put all their effort into a new chassis and styling and none at all into any of their powertrains, its all just grandfathered in from the earlier generation. like tom, I'm very glad I got my 06, in a way this is a relief because i was worried i'd regret not waiting until the 08's came out if the new car was super awesome, thankfully for my sake its not.
Wow they might finally fit in WRC... Subaru and Mitsubishi are the only manufacturers not currently running hatches. It makes sense from that standpoint. Tiny IC = sad day. Grill = not so nice. Other than that she looks good IMO. Show me the STi!!
No beef with anyone here, but from day one, I always thought the bugeye looked WAY too daewooish. Particularly in sedan form. I definately dig it in wagon form though, and even though I'm not the biggest fan of it, its grown on me. I'm reluctant to say I hate this new version of the '08. The chrome grill certainly looks crap, but I doubt that'll stick around. I also hate the tail lights on this thing. But the interior looks pretty suave, and until we see anything else about performance (or until I test drive one), I'm in wait and see mode.
I'm going to come in here and 3rd this. I might be the only one who has always loved the aggressive styling of the '06 nose, and it looks even better when compared to the '08. Glad some of you old'schoolers are coming around, though! I absolutely love the fender flares of the 'rex, they're one of my favorite things about the body styling, and what makes the car distinctive on the road. They'll be sorely missed.
I've owned every look of impreza except the peanut eye (god how I hate it, so bland and hyundai-like) and I think that initially I loved the way the bugeye looked, the first time I saw it I liked it a lot. The first time I saw the hawk eye (yes I'm spreading the term...) I hated it. I actually started to like it a only a few weeks later and turned out thinking it was the best looking GD. For better or worse it has character, which the bug eye had but the peanut eye didn't, but it also was more aggressive and had attitude, which the impreza hasn't had since the GC8. It looks mean. The bugeye looks like it wants to buy you a thoughtful gift and take you out to a nice lunch. You have to make the bugeye look badass, and its defintely possible, but it needs work. Also I hate bugeye wagons, I think they looks weenie, a lot of the bugeye sedan's good looks came from the bulging fenders and the shape of the lower bumper cover. But I liked the hawk eye wagon better than the sedan since I thought the new sleek front end looked wrong with the blunt and somewhat large rear end of the sedan. Also I have to say i'm probably more prejudiced to like the 06-07 since I am a really big alfa romeo fan. I'd be driving a brera if I could only get one.
pfft, whatevs. I like the low-key styling of the penut. It's subtle yet still has an agressive stance. I like the 06-07 too, but it looks like they did a little over compensating based off of sentiments like yours. Although I really like the hawkeye, it's kind of reminicent of all the samuri style body kits that were really popular in the late 90's/early 2000's (cheese). I like that the '04 looks the most like just a car without too much whizbangyness to it. But still, pending on the performance of the '08, I'll most likely succumb to the 2.5L, sti steering rack, brembo 4-pot, aluminum goodness of the hawkeye wagon when/if I ever upgrade.
When the bugeye came out everyone hated it. Now it has grown on people. Every model since then has generated the same reaction. Let's face it, Subaru doesn't make beautiful cars. If it performs, people will grow to like it.
I'm still not convinced that the grille is chrome. Doesn't it look like the lighting is making it chrome? I just can't imagine they would do chromed plastic. One rumor I heard is that the STI will have its own sheetmetal to better differentiate it from the WRX. The STI could be rediculously hot. I am not getting the gut wrench reaction you guys are. I think they could have done better but I am holding my opinion of it until I see less doctored up photos or I see one in person. This could grow on me.
as i read this it means the cheaped out on teh chassis, making it weaker, possibly giving it more body flex. MY first impression on seeing the pic was OMG shoot that thing! after seeing the chops i dont feel "as" bad about it. The chromish grille is yucky, same goes for the taillights. they are too altezza-y. what happened to the good ole days when tail lights were more red than white. they just have to go. the body looks ok, the new hood will take some getting used to. overall it kinda looks like a sport tribeca. you dont get the awesome fender flare which make the STi so hawt (other GD sedans also) but all the wagons dont have flares. so perhaps the sedan version might. i will hold off TRUE judgement until i see the WRC version of this. every WRC has been amazingly hawt (even teh 06 i guess) if they can pull it off with this car (adding widebody, lowering to the extreme, wrc spoiler????, ALS) it may be saved. the loss of aluminum body parts hurts, that was a really nice feautre on the WRXs. with alumin costs as they are though it was predicatable. it means carbon fiber might actually be worth something now lol. that TMIC looks puny even compared to the GC wrx ones. i see these as $ cutting areas. smaller IC, heavier panels, no 4 pots?, longer wheel base, what kinda sports vehicle is this? as for teh WRC is this a step in the right direction? i figured they would go with a shorter wheel base and a 2 door hatch to save more wieght and have less drivetrain loss. i still vote bring back the GC/GM/GF body style w/ WRX/STi drivetrain. it is the TRUE subaru rally machine (w/ the old legacy sedans close by)
So...a Mazdaspeed ala Subaru... hmm. I can't see it any longer being instantly recognizable as a Subaru though. However, I hope, this new platform allows them to bring the Subaru further than it could go on the previous chassis. If it ends up essentially being an awd Mazdaspeed 3, it's actually a pretty good thing. If they can do it better than Mazda can, they still have a serious car. One big thing I'm liking, aerodynamics. Subarus haven't exactly been the most shapely cars, and even in the WRC scene, I'm sure it was a noticable issue. Interestingly, my brother owns a Protege5, and this new WRX looks quite similar in design.
Put that next to a bugeye wagon and you'll see who copied who with that design. Obviously, these designs take a long time to get from initial design to street and I can only assume Mazda was doing some serious spying. These cars are both too similar to be coincidental.
For the record... I would never own a bugeye. I don't care if it was given to me, I would gut it and do a transplant. I always wanted to like the bugeye, but to this day I think it is the worst Subaru design evar! I even like this better visually (except the trim 'crap'). Anyway, just my overrated opinion...
Kind of like the '06-07 cars. Every new design to date has caused everyone to claim that they will never buy a new Subaru ever again.
Sorry Tom, but those photchopped pics are ugly! And your car does not = hotness. The engine maybe, and your interior and steering rack may be the equal of my car, but the styling leaves something to be desired. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Show me a real picture. All the mags are whores to photchop. Why, just last week AutoWeek ripped on mags for putting test drive blurbs on their covers for prototypes that never went above 25 mph. AutoWeek's cover picture and story? An imaginary photchop that had five paragraphs of speculation and 1.75 pages (and cover) of fake pictures. They can all suck my d*ck!
Grill from '08 Outback thread... couldn't they just have slapped this on...? still boring, but at least not vomit-inducing.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Damn I'm glad I bought my 07. Big brakes, fender flares, WASP EYE headlamps, a TRUNK, and no plastic on my engine = a happy Eli.
Plastic intake is wayyy too reminiscent of Chevy with their "composite" (read, plas-tik) intake on the 3.8l V6. Ask any dealership how many of those they've sold. Ha.
I guess I grew out of worthless speculation in high school, when a new CBR900 was rumored every year, and an NSX with a V8 was always supposed to be around the corner. Photochop pictures in mags = no real content = waste of my $$$.
and a WRX wagon in a euro-clown suit with worse seats is any better? I think the 92-x embarrasses both saab and subaru, although its hard to say who is worse off. Which 4 pot brakes did you end up getting on the 92-x? oh yeah, thats right... IBtheresalevalueisabsolutelyhorribletoo
The front end of the 92-x is pretty similar to the '06 WRX frontend but not as aggressive looking. Anyways, I never bought either of my scoobies based on looks, lol.
looks nice but how they are going to hatchbacks now...i dont like the idea. i hope they have a sedan version still. if they dont then that sucks!
with a new grille, red 2.5i lights I can see it being ok. Stock its kinda lame. I definitely like that radio/nav unit and the new gauges. I'm waiting to see if maybe I can get an ok deal on one of those head units in a few years.
the whole car just looks bad. It looks like it was all jumbled together. i keep thinking kia reno when i see it.
I'm going to have to say that with the exception of the grill off of a Chrysler mini-van....I actually like it. What the fock do I know though....I'm old. Steve
At least the impreza now gets the 2nd generation chassis. Unequal length wishbones FTW. Subaru did very well with the first chassis. Four body iterations with the legacy and two in the impreza. For the record, I've always had cold feet when Subaru comes out with a new look. I was apprehensive about the bugeye, then loved it. Pretty much the same every two years. I'm shure this will be no different.
