Impreza?

Hi guys, you might remember that I was asking you guys about stuff on what my first car would be and I ended up landing on the Acura TL. Well anyways, my moms selling her van (for 26000ish) because she says the mpg is a pain in the ass and she said that she'd take my TL (which im paying off monthly right now... and i really don't want to do that shit anymore) and I could buy whatever as long as its reasonable. So I've landed on the decision to buy an Subaru Impreza, although I have a few questions.

Should I really dish out the extra cash for a STI?
How is an Impreza on terms of reliability? The car is going to be my daily drive so I don't want it fucking up on me and stuff. I really like the AWD since the weather down at Vancouver is shitty as hell with lots of rain and sleet.
Is the insurance really that bad on Subarus? I always hear about how rape the insurance is, is it really that bad?

My price range is hopefully below 15000 but I'm not locked to it, I would just like it to be 15000ish. If the STI model is really worth more money I'd take it up.

I've already looked into it myself and I've seen some 2002-2003 models for the pricerange which I might get into.

thanks a bunch guys

Imho sti's are completely unnecessary unless you truly care for performance and plan on actually using it.
But it's also a matter of preference. If you want one then get one.
If you're going to buy a car (especially an expensive one) make sure it's what you want.

Are they reliable? It's not a lexus but they can hold their own. Above avg is what I would say.
Of course since you're buying used it would come down to how well the car was maintained.
Unfortunately, most wrx/sti's are driven by younger adults who love to drive fast and end up beating on their cars.
Most of these cars have also been modded in some way or another. Which could be good but also bad. Depends.
Sti's are technically more unreliable but that's just because they have more technology in them that can go wrong.

Insurance wise, get a quote. Idk about canada but companies here offer them for free.
Depends what kinda coverage you get, a buddy of mine had full coverage on a 07 wrx for $400-500 a month (with no speeding record).
An sti would obviously be more.
Of course you can just get liability (if car is paid off) and lower it to about $1/2/300.
Technically even that is still a lot for minimum coverage but a little bit more manageable.
But have fun when you get hit by someone who's uninsured (which isn't as uncommon as most people think) and totals you're car and left with no compensation.

You can get around that though if you don't mind putting it in one of your parents name.
Assuming they have a decent driving record, that may save you a pretty penny.
I don't trust my parents enough to do that but it's your car not mine.

Bottom line: they're great cars and would love to own one myself but the insurance premiums are what made me turn away.
I just feel it's just too much for insurance, even if I made 100k a year I still wouldn't pay that but thats just me.
Again, if you truly want one then get one. I don't think you'll be satisfied settling with something unless if you don't.

why not a WRX, its in the middle of impreza and STI

If you do end up with a WRX, stay away from the earlier model years (first/2 years I think) as they apparently have weaker trannies. With that said, I haven't heard of any problems with these cars that aren't assosciated with wear/tear.

Put shit in, get shit out.

Don't buy one that's modified, and don't buy an STi. 99% chance the STi has had the shit beaten out of it by whatever v-neck wearing cocksucker had it before you. If you do buy a WRX, you'll do yourself a favor (assuming you're buying from a private party) to check the driving habits of the person you're buying it from, and I wouldn't buy one from anyone under 30.

Not saying people under 30 can't abuse their cars, but it sounds like you're looking for reliability, and a WRX can go south pretty quickly based on how the previous owner treated it. I'd put money on WRXs and Civics/Hondas being the #1/2 cars for backyard mod hackjobs, so at all costs avoid any mods.

thanks a bunch guys, you've been a huge help as always.
i'm looking into 2004+ wrx models and just looking around, looking to pick one up by the end of summer. hopefully i choose the right seller.

R1 wagon. Do it.