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I've driven the last gen base Impreza with the 2.5L and the current gen STI. But not the WRX
Even with the STI's suspension upgrades over the WRX, I still think the FR-S is still more fun in terms of handling and agility, although the STI is good too. The STI and WRX obviously have more power but if you are ok with the engine on the base Impreza, the BRZ will have more than enough power for you. It is way faster than the base automatic Impreza. But you do need to drive it like a Honda (ie. high RPMs) to really enjoy the power of the FA20 engine.
My FR-S has been very reliable so far. Once the engine is warmed it I pretty much rev the shit out of it all day every day. And I haven't had any issues yet *knocks wood*. I think the long term reliability will likely be better than the WRX because it has no turbo and therefore less parts that can break down. You do need more expensive fuel though. The BRZ and STI engines are designed for 93 octane, the WRX only needs 91. But the car is light and doesn't use much gas so I wouldn't worry about this.
The only thing you are really going to sacrifice from your base Impreza is the AWD and the space, especially if you have the Impreza hatchback.
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