USED Subaru Impreza Saloon (02 - 07)

My car

Good acceleration, good breaking, very stable in the corners, natural response in danger situations.

My car

An amazing drive - sticks to the road like glue. Its handling is terrific. I'm glad the cabin has been updated in this 05 model, as I thought the previous interior felt cheap inside.

The economy if driven hard is not great but then you don't buy this car to watch the fuel gauge.

The looks of the car are stunning and the sound of the engine head-turning. You must drive this car to fully appreciate what it offers. Driving this is real fun. Even my wife and son argue about who drives it. She is 50 he is 25.

My car

Unbeleivable - the WRX lives upto it's reputation.

Awesome handling, it's like it's on rails - I've never driven anything like it, except maybe my old man's BMW M3. Acceleration is pretty special too, blowing anything under a £25,000 price tag off the road.

However you soon get used to it and want more, which is another good point about this motor - you can upgrade to your heart's content almost up to 400bhp if you've got the money.

In my opinion, you can't buy a better car for under £25,000.

My car

Had one of these for most of last year - superbly quick and capable (within limits - it's not beyond the laws of physics) but potential owners beware three things (which ultimately led to me selling it)

1) it retains very strongly the image of a manhood extension, telling people you have one is almost embarrassing.

2)It's inevitably expensive - 20-23mpg around town 30mpg motorway at best and very high servicing and parts costs, but you expect that when you buy it and that's not why most people do buy one!

3)And the worst of all for me, as one motoring journalist said, it's fabulous car which left me fabulously cold. It's too uninvolving to drive, the excellent 4WD doing all the driving for you and taking away your involvement and enjoyment. No feeling the limits and controlling the back or front end slipping out (unless you get it on a circuit) and generally just being TOO capable and mollycoddling.

Drive one, then drive, say, an M3 or a Nissan 350Z - the driving experience can't match those. You might not want those cars, but it's the difference in driving experience that I mean. So think hard before you buy your dream car (as it was for me before I bought it).