I have a decent working knowledge of Subarus, especially the Impreza Line. The Impreza WRX is a real blast to drive, especially on twisty roads. The 2.2 motor is the better of the 4 cylinders, either in turbo or naturally aspirated form. The 2.5 RS was a stand in untill they imported the WRX, it looks cool but it doesen't have the complete package of power and handling like the WRX has. Also, I have bumped a few horses out of the WRX motor from it's stock form which is easily accomplished. If you are not the do it your self type, Subaru offers a number of high performance, factory or dealer installed upgrades such as complete suspension kits and exhaust systems as well as body parts like rear spoilers. You can't go wrong with factory upgrades that won't void the warranty. As far as reliability, I really haven't seen any major problems yet on the WRX, but they are still relatively new. You can do some research on the net for any factory recalls or service bulletins which are very helpfull in determining if there are any major screw ups on the new car line. I would imagine the oil leaks might still be a problem. On the boxer engined Subarus it was very common for oil leaks to occur mainly from the valve cover gaskets.