Hi,
My views
1. Better than most Jap cars, I had an Impreza (2001 bug eye), before and it's miles better, particularly interior. Pretty well engineered but it isn't a Beamer. Had one of those too, (1999 325i).
2. 9,000 miles / 1 Year and cheaper than most cars in this performance / price bracket. Dealers are crap though.
3. Looks OK. Compare it with Autotrader etc. Don't forget the 06 model is just about shipping so this may push prices a bit further.
4. I would say so. I had my Impreza for 18months. Had the Zed for a year nearly and no plans to sell at the moment.
I come from Nottingham and live in Derbyshire now. I think you wil find they are rare all over the UK.
Enjoy your test drive. You will probably then be hooked.
Cheers
K