just think about this.. its easier to make a car fast.. than to convert a car to AWD! i mean.. the impreza has a better base.. than the RA... u can make the RA fast with a turbo kit.. but its still FWD.. so theres not point.. i say drive both.. i have a lancer and an impreza.. its night and day.. once u go AWD..u wouldnt wana drive a FWD.. thats my .02

 

wow, this should be a no brainer. impreza all the way...

 

Yeah, the Impreza, even the new front, is growing on me. I plan on going to the dealership and checking out their lot. The WRX TR would be my goal, but I have no problem with a 2.5i. At least it has the same cool two-tone interior as the stronger models.

 

I guess I should give my two cents since I have both cars. First of all the impreza is 165 hp unless they upped it on the 06. Performance wise the ralliart definitely handles better. Tighter on cornering. The impreza feels softer. Gas mileage is similar however if you're doing a lot of highway driving, the impreza does 120kph at 3000 rpm whereas the ralliart is at 3400 therfore it feels like the engine is more "relaxed" for cruising speeds although AWD eats into your mileage likely causing them to break even. Acceleration on the ralliart feels stronger once you're out of first gear. First gear on the impreza will get you further. The gears are definitely longer on the impreza. (aside - mitsu should put a 6th gear on the ralliart - no car in its class would compare if they did). The impreza is VERY good in the snow. The subaru AWD is virtually bullet proof.

Conclusion - If you do a lot of highway commuting and need a good winter car as well - go for the subaru. If you are more looking for performance, and a car that you would like to do a little 'tuning' with. The ralliart is more fun. IMO the ralliart gets the edge in appearance and the seats are MUCH better (trust me).

I hope this helps.

 

well looks like ralliart is the winner, i have found a used 2004 ralliart with only 6k miles on it downside is that it is a automatic and the upside is its only $11,900

 

Even though i like mitsu better....Get the impreza the awd is nice to have

 

Go figure... RA winning in a RA forum.

I've driving a RA once, not the 2.5i. I've driven an Evo, not a STi. I dunno, still seems like a tough choice with both cars kind of averaging out.

 

Automatic? Don't get me wrong, that's a great price, but I'd hold out for a manual.

 

Same, You'll lose a ton of performance by going with the auto. One thing that people haven't mentioned is how good the ralliart is at heel-toing. Becuase its set up like the evo, the pedals are in the perfect position. Once I learned that, the ralliart drives much smoother and is faster as a result. You'd be missing out on that if you get the automatic. Seriously the manual shifter from the EVO is awsome in the ralliart. Its one of the best things that the Ralliart has going for it, dont miss out.

 

at first the impreza was winning by double at one time and then it was tied in the 20's but the ralliart came out on top

 

well its probably gonna be a show car....i would get the suby as a show car but theres too many subies and no ralliarts at import wars

 

get a bugatti veyron. 253 mph, can't go wrong. And its only $1 231 000 more than the ralliart. . I love my RA though.

 

did you made the same question in a subaru forum? If yes what are the results?

 

nooo,no subby forums for me...this was a close one though ralliart only won by 8 votes

 

Unless your a professional driver i doubt that anyone could exploit the true potential of the car's chasis and awd/fwd characteristics of the vehicle.With an impreza you get the subie name and awd to roll with pride. You have tuning shops and a handful of performance products at your disposal but the same can be said of the ralliart. it is pure fun to drive, quick off the line and a blast to wrap around tight turns, & with ripp and RRM behind you there is no need to fret. I would say test drive each car and get the one that feels better suited for you. Pick the one you like because both cars have great handling & enough power to take the backroads home from work to put a smile on your face. In the end ultimately you won't even make the decision , allstate, giecko, and the millions of other car insurance co.'s will decide for you. I originally wanted an ENZO but the insurance was just too pricey. good luck futrure ralliart owner, unless you get the subie then its war when the light turns green!