First Car:

[Amphrax]

why do i NEED an STI version though? i know they come with roll bars and all the rally stuff but then i dont plan on blasting my car around a dirt track

The STI dont come with the roll bars and all the rally stuff. Mine is a standard Pro Drive WRX STI with a few modifications I have done and runs 300bhp, see link below:

This is very similar to my car but has tinted windows, new exhaust and new alloys.

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/carndriv/20061122/05/2866938292.jpg

The STI gives much better handling, faster and more gismo's.

Now this is what the Rally version looks like.

Subaru Impreza WRX STI information, specifications, history, and images. High Resolution, Wallpapers, Destop Images.

Imo look on google and you will see.
Just from my experience the STI is far better than the WRX versions.

Ampharx/Arauddry

 

[tris-]

ahh. i always thought the STI was a lite rally version of the standard WRX

 

[Serbitar]

why do i NEED an STI version though?

sexually transmitted infection..?

but tbh, get one of these:

 

[Syri]

Personally i would spend 3 Grand on a Deposit on a new car like a New Corsa and pay the rest of in finance u also get your first year free insurance.

I did this myself, NEVER again. The amount of money a new car looses the moment it has 0.1 miles on the clock is incredible. Just taking ownership of it and driving out the car park will easily halve the value of something like a corsa. My advice would be to go second hand unless you really have money to throw into something like a new car, and are planning to get a lot of use out of it.
Not to say you can't use the £3k as a deposit against a used car, but if you can buy a car outright, it's a lot better, as it's all yours then, and it means that if, for example, something DID happen to the car that you weren't covered for, you wouldn't be left with a loan still but no car to show for it.