i love my SEL...but i really like the 99-00 subaru imprexa 2.5 rs. i almost bought one back in january '00.
lemme back up a lil' bit: i'm pretty much done w/ doing mods to the sr20. i've been researching and have decided to go turbo. i won't be able to do that until i re-enlist next december.
flash back to the present: i have found a 99 impreza rs coupe, 5 speed, with just as many miles as my SEL. if i could get this car @ roughly the same monthly payments i'm making now, would i be disappointed? i know that the awd is a nice thing to have and subarus have bulletproof engines (they're the same designs as airplane engines), so is there an overwhelming reason i shouldn't get the car i have been eyeing for 2 years?

Hey, if you like it and can afford it, get it. Be happy.

Personally those cars aren't my thing (I don't like the way they drive or ride).... I'm perfectly fine with my SR20.

I like the look of the 99RS, unlike the current model's which have neon-like headlights...

i remember scc having a project 2.5RS w/turbo.... cant remember what happened, should find out about it, and see if the 2.5 takes well to a turbo..

If you are looking for a turbo why are you looking at the RS? Unless I'm mistaken and they yanked the turbo when they introduced the WRX?

One tid bit of info., I've heard that these cars are not all they are cracked up to be and have a serious loss of power at higher RPMs (the turbo is fully spooled at 3800 rpms yet quickly drops off afterwards). Additionally, a stock WRX is putting out 227 hp by the engine (impressive) but a lousy 167 at the wheels. That's a loss of 64 hp :( From a rolling start, I bet any slightly modified sr20de platform could take a WRX (it's a different story from a stop....damn the AWD!!)

http://www.vishnutuning.com/images/dyno/stock-1.jpg

zeno, stiletto is not looking for a wrx. he wants the previous body style 2.5RS. i've seen/heard of turboed 2.5s. in fact, there are guys who turbo the current model 2.5s. supposedly turboing the 2.5 gives you more low end torque than what the wrx engine puts out (naturally, since the displacement is .5 liters higher).
if you want someone to convince you to buy a 2.5RS, then PM Pinochle on the i-club forum. he's a friend of mine and has a fairly decked out 2.5RS. it's a nice car, but modifications are not going to come as cheap as they do with our sr20s. awd is a bonus.

I saw one running at the strip a month or two ago. It had intake and exhaust as far as I could tell, and was rolling on 17's. It was running High 16's and low 17's. I was not impressed, I thought they were high 15 second cars stock.:confused:

167 hp to the wheels... don't forget, that it's driving all 4 wheels, not just the 2 like our cars. The reason the RS isn't that quick to 60 is the weight and the gear ratio(have to shift into 3rd before you hit 60).

I thought of buying one before I got my classic. I remember when they first came out:) But, after I read all the articles about the shifter and the weight, I decided not to. Still, if I hadn't found the Classic, I probably would have bought an RS anyway.

Besides, I bought my classic because they're fun to drive, not because of some 1/4 mile or 0-60 times... I also like the sleeper look.
If it's still bugging you after a couple of years, you need to scratch that itch.... go for it.

Later,
Mark