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Hi

I've recently sold my Subaru Legacy B4 and am looking for a more economical car. Previously I had owned a '94 Impreza and found it to be quite powerless and would struggle going up hills and even struggle with extra people in the car.

My question is, will the newer Impreza's ('01-'03) perform the same or should I expect more power from the later models? Going from a 2l twin turbo to a 1.5l will be adjustment as it is but I don't want to regret my decision and be struggling up hills again.

Also, I have been looking at VW Golfs ('00-'03) and wondering what the verdict are on those? Are repairs and maintenance quite expensive? What are the common faults among those cars? Thanks for your help.

Going from a 2.0 litre twin turbo to a 1.5 non turbo, you will notice a huge difference in power, and it will take some getting used to. I suggest you try one before making the decision as although it may be a little better than the older model you had, it's definitely not performance orientated.
Mk 4 Golfs are known to have some issues with automatic transmissions and throttle bodies etc, but perhaps a manual one would be OK, as they drive well and performance is adequate, although not in the same league as the twin turbo Legacy (unless you go for a GTI, but that could be defeating the purpose of your reason to change).
Other models to perhaps consider from this era could be Nissan Pulsar or Mazda Familia, both of which drive well, are relatively fuel efficient and reliable.