Stock Number: 4870

The GC8 Impreza is really the car that put Subaru on the map between its 4 door practicality paired with its rally-inspired driver's feel. The lightweight chassis makes for an exceptional driving experience. Known for its symmetrical all-wheel drive, communicative platform, and torquey two-liter boxer four the Impreza is an absolute blast to motor around in. The Light Silver Metallic (406) exterior shows rather well but isn't what we'd call a show car. Ideal for a daily driver since the clear coat does have some scratches and etching. The hood scoop and roof seem to show the worst of it, while the lip does have some impact chips/spiderwebbing. All in all for a 28-year-old car it's not bad, but we did want to make note of it since it's not something that really shows in the photos. Luckily there's no peeling or flaking of the clear which would be a bigger issue. The bodywork on the other hand is in great shape with only your typical door ding or two that you're bound to accrue over the years. The exterior does have a few deviations from stock to give it that OEM+ look. The trademark STi wing was added out back along with the fog light covers. The lights ate still hooked up behind there if you decided you'd rather rock to the OEM look. The gold-painted stock wheels feel right at home on a Subaru and give off that proper rally vibe.

The understated and purposeful interior of the early Imprezas is refreshing compared to the busy, technology-filled cockpits of today. The simple, factory gauge cluster only gives you the important functions and vitals to monitor. Sure there isn't an eight-inch touch screen tablet and backup camera combo sitting in the center of the dash, but who really needs all that anyway? The red and black two-tone seats are quintessential '90s and we wouldn't want it any other way. While not a full-on race seat these offer a ton of bolstering to keep you in place. So seeing this one with both driver and passenger seats in great shape is awesome news. There is a little bit of seam separation starting on the driver's side seat base Typically those bolsters are the first to break down over the years. The back seats look just as good per usual, though unlike most of our sports coupes these are actually large enough for people to use. dash and headliner are in above average condition, and the rest of the interior shows signs that it was well taken care of. From the factory, these came sporting a Nardi wheel and matching shift knob hinting again at its rally roots. The only thing that didn't come from the factory is the newer double din. While these still don't have a ton of use stateside it does work well enough to make sure the speakers and good and make swapping it out for something more current a good deal easier. The power windows and power-folding mirrors work as they should, adding a bit of modern convenience. Today is the first warm day we've had this year which finally gives us a chance to check out the air conditioning which is also working as it should. These do have an auto feature as well which is nice, that way you can simply set it and forget it.

The cockpit isn't the reason why the WRX was and still is, a sales success. The mechanical design is ingenious, pairing a rumbling boxer four-cylinder with a 5-speed manual transmission and AWD. With 102K verified miles the EJ20G fires up with immediacy and settles into a constant, even idle. A keen ear might notice a tinge more throatiness and volume from the EJ thanks to the higher flowing STi catback. It still gives off that trademark burble without being over the top like many aftermarket exhausts have a tendency to do. To make sure cooling isn't an issue the radiator was upgraded to a SARD aluminum one. The only other addition is a factory STi strut tower brace front and rear to help tidy up the handling. The combination of weight and power delivery makes these cars an absolute blast, even if it is just cruising to and from work. The 2.0L makes great midrange torque and pulls hard up to that 7K redline. The 5 speed is crisp and has no issues getting the power to all four wheels. Since it retains the factory suspension it's more than comfortable on your morning commute, while being built to handle those twisty back roads when you want to have a little fun. Having been so well maintained over the years it needed little in the mechanical department, simply a new battery and fresh serpentine belts. The previous owner replaces the timing belt right around 15K miles ago so that's one less concern for quite some time to come. The WRX has been an icon for Subaru since its inception, and while the more modern models may be more technically advanced, the original version brings back that raw feeling of what made these so great, to begin with.

*California Residents: In order to register a Grey Market vehicle in the state of California then it will have to be made CARB complaint first. CARB certifications will have to be performed within the state. Depending on the vehicle and any existing modifications will affect the pricing. Typically CARB compliance will range between 5-10K. Additional information can be found on the California Air Resources Board website.