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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

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Comments

  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I posted a comment yesterday but the computer froze up and I don't think it got on. Anyway, as far as room, We can fit two FULL-SIZE ice chests in the back of my OB sport, which really amazed us! It's quite roomy. And I think you asked the question would I buy one again. I've only had it a week, but it is such an outright pleasure I wouldn't trade for any other car, but it luxury, etc.!
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    you're welcome. It is a truly unique car indeed. I had my silver 99 OBS for almost a year now. No problems what so ever. Reliability is top rate considering I realy push the car to it's limits. Manual is the way to go in order to utilise the full potential of the boxer 2.2l. It's a driver's car for sure. Too bad you won;t be able to take the OBS on some snowy runs. U'll love it even more! If you have more questions feel free to ask here or at the yahoo outback sport board. There are a few women owners there too. BTW, I think jenny too have bought an OBS. l8r
  • albatross99albatross99 Member Posts: 1
    We're thinking of buying the obs 2000 -- has anyone ever used it with a child safety seat?
    Any problems? And any brand of seat you might recommend?
  • jkporter228jkporter228 Member Posts: 2
    albatross99- hiya. as a proud new owner of a 2000 silver OBS, i've taken to joining the yahoo club site of other owners, and it is great. heather, one of the main posters/members, recently posted information, questions, and answeres about child safety seats in the OBS. you should check out the list archive there, and keep scrolling back to previous messages. go to yahoo.com and then to clubs, then join yahoo if you haven't already, then search for subaru outback sport, then wala --you've joined a great group who is so helpful in answering questions! jenny
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    I thot I posted the website here before? Just go check ladies.
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Just bought a 2000 OBS automatic, and with only
    400 miles on it, it gave me 20 mpg with a mix of
    hwy and city. I'm hopping the mileage will increase a bit. I know that its still in its breakin period, but how long will it take before the mileage increases?? Any comments ??
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    about 500miles. but don't hold your breath. u might get 22mpg instead. u know it depends how u drive too eh?
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Georgede! How ya be? When did you get your car and what color did you get?

    We didn't check mileage on our first tank of gas, but we did on our second (probably around 400 miles or so) and were disappointed to only get about 21.5. Well, I remembered what a read online about someone saying you have to force the tank a little to get it all the way full, it doesn't seem to be very full at the first click off. So the third tank we forced a little and were pleased it was full. That tank of gas gave us 24.2 mpg! I don't know if it was because we were over 500 miles but filling the tank all the way sure helped! Try that. Anyone else have the same experience? I love the looks my car gets from all the younger people, it's such an ego booster.

    Are you happy with the A/C? I think you had asked about that.
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Hi Celeste... Sorry I'm late responding, but I lost my Placemark on this post. Anyway, I got this car about 2 weeks ago for my wife, (I'm waiting for the H-6 Outback!!) and its the Acadia Green color. Its very sharp looking!! I'll try your method, it just may be the answer. The car only has 400 miles so far, so its still breaking in. As for the A/C, its doing fine. We tinted the windows and always park far away from others and on shady spots, it really makes a difference.. We also added the Viper alarm, and now I'm looking for a bike rack (either the Thule or the Yakima) . I'm glad that you getting the mileage you're expecting and I hope to get it also. I'll be checking my soon again.
    George
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Hm...about the extra clicks with the gas nozzle you might want to becareful with that as I tried that a while back and it overfilled my tank thsu causing a spillage. hehehe....was kinda funny. Well not really.
    On a more serious note, don't top off too much if you're doing this on your way home. Reason being that the extra gas will flow to your engine and to your catalytic converters. Bad bad bad for the poor cats. You can take it for what's it's worth. NE how enjoy your OBS. tinting is an excellent idea to keep the heat out. Too bad the US OBS comes with steel rims. =(
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Thank you Ramon... I've been forwarned!!! I'll keep checking the mileage for awhile before doing
    anything else. I just priced the Thule bike rack,
    and they were asking $350 to $400. It seems a little costly. I'll price Subaru's own rack, I think is cheaper.
    George
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    This topic seemed to die, but I'll try to revive it. I have a 2000 OBS which is my wife's car and each time I drive it, I have a problem with
    the seats. It seems the drivers seat is to inclined (I feel like I'm driving in a recliner) and is very umcomfortable. Has anybody tried adjusting with spacers or anything else? Has it helped. My wife is not complaining, so won't do much, but I wont't be driving too much.
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Eneebuddy see the new OBS ad? Just saw it today and caught the tail end, but all of us about wet our pants when it came on. It's awesome! Something about Crocodile Dundee's newphew trying to show off in his OBS. Wait till you see it!
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    By the way, I saw this ad on The Learning Channel, about 3:00 to 3:30. If anybody sees it on another channel, please let us know!
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    yeah saw it before. I know 2 yrs back before I bought my OBS, I saw Dundee's nephew driving around on his OBS meeting up with Dundee at some outback hair salon. I think the latest one has is like some sort of party thingy was it not?
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Yeah, I guess it was some kind of wild outback party and there was mud and well, you know, he was showing off how he could jump around in the puddles and all that. I was really ticked off that I missed the beginning of the commercial, and was so excited to see the car that I blew it and didn't pay too much attention to what was going on. We're trying to catch it again but haven't had any luck. We need our fix!
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I'm pretty short and find my seats to be comfortable. However, I guess compared to our Volvo, the headrests don't make you feel as though you're sitting up as straight or something. You have a green OBS, right? If you have a digital camera, post a photo. I've never actually see a green one and would really like to!
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Why don;t you all join the OBS yahoo board. it's quite fun there. lots of pictures of owner's car.
    Not too long ago, Speedvision had a 30minutes infomercial of Subaru. Showed tons of Scoobies running around. Including a whiel OBS blasting thru a mud puddle. It wa going so fast that hardly any splashes got caught onto the car. pretty kewl.
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    I'll try posting the picture, although I'll have
    to learn how. My wife loves the car!!!
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    We taped an infomercial last night on speedvision but I didn't get a chance to watch it yet.

    How do you do the yahoo thing? I've heard of it but how do you get on?

    Yeah, sounds great--

    Georgede--the thing that really is cool about the OBS is that for the size it drive like a heavy car. My volvo was a real brick--solid as a rock, and I like he heavy solid feel of the OBS. I never thought you could have that in a smaller car!

    I've got pics I could post here of my silver OBS with DARK tint (it looks baaaaad), but I'm not sure how to either. Anyone know if we can put photos here?
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Celest2
    Go to Yahoo,click on clubs and then Subaru. You'll
    get all clubs bout Subaru. Go to the OBS club, Its
    great!! You can also post lots of pictures there.
    Say hello to Heather, she names her cars!!
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Yes the OBS is SOLID! I just need a pillow for my
    butt so I can drive straight (not reclined).
  • ringo5ringo5 Member Posts: 2
    Hi! I will soon, within a week I hope, buy a new car. Its Nissan Sentra or Subaru OBS. I drive about 350 miles a week, about 75% non-rush hour highway and rest city. Is it possible, or probable, to get 25 to 30 in the OBS? I drive 50 - 60 highway and 25 - 40 city.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    ringo5 - As much as I would really like to say yes, the OBS is not a civic or a corolla and it would not give you that mpg. I would say about 25-27mpg on highway alone. If you don't need AWD, don't get it. Otherwise this car rox! Actually on the dry, this car kicks major booty. The Sentra SE is a niec car too. With the new 150hp car, it would be my choice over say the likes of civics and corollas...
    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/subaruimprezaoutbacksport
    OBS is not a heavey car celeste. In fact it is lighter than many sedans. It's even lighter than a VR6 golf! So it's quite tossable. It should've come witha 2.5l engine. But I've done some mods on it and it's churning out 160hp by my conservative estimate. yes go to the OBS club at yahoo.
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Just saw a Subaru SVX. Is this a current line? First time I've seen one..
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Ramon:
    What kind of mods have you done on this engine. I
    have an auto, is there any chips that can add a
    little more Umph!!
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    There are some chips you can add. I know JC Sports makes a torque chip for it. But npt alot of ppl uses them. And that's this one from ICON. But I would lay off chips for now. If you want chips stick with Ruffles or something. =)
    Mods:

    Engine
    - K&N filter w/ removed 2nd filter and snorkus
    - Unorthodox Racing Pulley
    - 2.25" Borla Catback exhaust
    - NGK Copper plugs
    - Full synthetic fluids for Engine, Tranny and rear differential.
    Suspension
    - 18mm anti roll bar (replacing the dinky stock 13mm)
    - KYB AGX Adjustable gas Shocks
    - Eibach Pro Kit Springs
    - Custom alignment settings for increased turn in reponse
    Misc
    - Graham Goode Short shifter
    - Clarion ProAudio DXR something CD player
    Cosmetic
    - Tinting?! It's darn hot in the summer! So that's functional

    On the way :
    - wheels (not sure which yet....)
    - Summer Tires (Yoko AVS S1, Dunlop SP8000 or Bridgestone RE71)
    - Cusco Rear tower brace.

    I'm sure I missed some stuff.
  • yellowbikedonyellowbikedon Member Posts: 228
    George,

    No, the SVX isn't a new model. Production for the states began in 1991 (MY'92) and ended with MY '97, I believe. The car sold for $27,000 plus when first introduced and was a wonderful highway cruiser powered by an H6 which developed 230 bhp and 230 lbs of torque.

    Sales were disappointing even though the car received good reviews from the motoring press. Some thought is preposterous that a Subaru dealer had a car costing so much when compared to the other models offered at that time. While somewhat heavy at 3,600 lbs, fuel consumption ranged between 19-27. The model was filled with technical features and conveniences. The one major drawback which probably hindered sales to the "sporting" group was the car was equipped with an automatic ONLY!

    I bought one of the first models in this area (9/91), drove it for 50,000 plus miles and other than a window switch which failed at about 36,000 miles (replaced under warranty), the car was absolutely trouble free. I traded my black SVX for a '96 Outback (9/95) as I wanted a vehicle that could have a bicycle rack on the roof!

    Hope this data helps.

    Don
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I've had my 2000 OBS for two months and get up to 21 mpg in the city (that's stop & go, stop & go, errands, the AC running full blast, etc.). I can't remember what it is on the highway because I don't do much of that, but I didn't buy it primarily for the gas mileage because I didn't want to be a slave to some little clone (or clown) car that everyone else drives.
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Anything wrong with Michelin Pilots? Anybody get those?
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Thanks for the details! The car I saw was in good shape but the paint was peeling off. It was a real
    nice looking car!!. Not many Subarus around here
    in the Palm Beach area.

    Celeste2
    Thats also why I bought my OBS, I'll never walk into the wrong car again!!!
  • georgedegeorgede Member Posts: 40
    Thanks for the info. I may look into adding a chip. Hope it doesn't VOID the warranty.
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    You said you put all synthetic fluids in your car. Why, and would this be feasible for a hot pink flamingo climate like Florida?

    GOT my K&N filter put in yesterday. The engine seems to labor less at higher RPM's. Seems a little better but can't quite put my finger on it.

    How different would an OBS handle on something like Michelin Pilots rather than off-road tires like the ones that come on it?
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Finally caught the new (I think) OBS commercial. Dundee's nephew is taking him to what looks like a punk rock festival so they have to drive on dirt roads and thru puddles to get there (Woodstock-like). Then the last scene shows ol' croc crowd-surfing and really looking camp with all the young wild folks. It's pretty neat, don't know if it's new but they're showing it alot on Fox in particular.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    R u a girl? Sorry if I am so blunt. NE how, on street driving the pilots would be a good improvements over thsoe doppy BFG T/As. However there are a few kinds of Pilots choices to choose from. How much r u willing to spend on new tires? I am planning to get summer race tires next year.
    in regards to the syntehtic stuff, it depends on your driving habits. it won't hurt the engine. Depending how may miles you have on your OBS. I don't recommend putting synthetic engine oil on your OBS if you have more than 40,000miles!
    As for the tranny and rear diff synthetics, I use them cus it give s a smoother shifts and on Canada's winter months, it really works miracles!
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I M a girl, could ya tell? An old girl, but yeah.
    Tires: I guess we could go around 90 bucks apiece. Do they have Pilots for that? Or do you know of a better tire for that amount? All I know are Michelins becaus for 20 years that all we put on our Volvo's.
  • folkmusefolkmuse Member Posts: 11
    I have a MY99 OBS that I've driven for 18K miles
    now. Traction, performance, all that stuff is
    top notch. I think the seats, however, are
    awful! I'm 5'10" and find it impossible to be
    comfortable during long trips.

    If anyone has replaced the stock seats in their
    OBS with something else - maybe Recaro - I'd
    be very interested to hear about it.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    here's a kicker folkmuse. Imprezas are equiped with OE seats from Recaros! hahahaha.... but nothing like the stuff they sell. I too can't stand long journeys on my OBS. The lumbar support if it has one sux!
    celeste : i dunno. these days there's so many fake ppl around. Anyhow back to tires, r u going for all seasons? I dunno. I like to drive hard and I autoX. So in my case I am getting a set of racing slicks for my car and then switch them around at race events.
    THere are some good summer tires (cannot use for winter) that u might like for a relatively low price. These are Bridgestones Potenzas RE71s, Dunlop SP8000 and Yokohama AVS S1. They are ultra high performance which is going for about 80-90 bux each at tirerack.com. It really depend on your drivign habit and tastes. I can almost guarantee you these tires I mentioned can last about 2 years or 3.....
  • tcsytotcsyto Member Posts: 2
    hello. i'm new here
    i'm thinking about purchasing a used 97 obs. it has 31K miles but i've noticed a noise that is unfamiliar to me. it happens when you come down from 3-5K RPM. sounds like a stuffed exhaust. is this normal. or should i look to another car to buy?

    tc
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    As with any used car purchase, take it to a mechanic first, before making a decision. If the seller won't let you do so, that's a good sign to move on.

    Bob
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Scoobies are generally very reliable. It wuld be hard press to fine bad ones however lemons do exist even among the best of the car mfgs.
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Yesterday followed a new blue outback sport into the local Subaru lot where we bought my car. We figured it was on of the employees delivering an OBS to the lot. It was, in fact, a service tech (he was from England and really up on Imprezas, putting on turbos, etc., racing, etc.), and my son was telling him how much he loved SVX's and would like to get one for his first car someday. The tech said be careful about that, as some of the parts are getting rather difficult to find.

    A recent customer brought in a SVX whose water pump was bad and the pulleys and belts were shot. They had to wait 4 weeks for the parts to do the work and just for the parts it was $700. So, he cautioned that it would be nice for a car you didn't have to use as your only vehicle.

    Thanks, ramon, for the tire info. My hotshot son (he's 15 and reads everything around on cars, especially Subaru's), said those were some good tire suggestions. I'll probably try to get some miles off the tires that came on the car, since they are new, but want to get tires and wheels at the same time.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Well you can always get your son an older 97 Impreza LX with AWD. Those are good cars and a very good platform if you want to modify it as it can use anything our current Impreza uses. He can pick up used RS suspension and it will transform the LX to very high levels of performance since it is a lighter car to begin with. Who knows.... you might be able to do a WRX swap!
    SVX are kewl. But it's only available in auto trim. It'sa great car IMHO.
  • vermonter1vermonter1 Member Posts: 1
    Hello. I am the happy owner of a green 99 OBS. I am wondering if others have had problems with the wheel covers. Obviously, I didn't splurge for the alloys. I am from New England and in the winter, I put 4 Nokian Haakapellitas on my OBS and it's unstoppable. The problem is the cheap plastic wheel covers always fall off. Last winter winter, I lost 2 coming home from my garage after getting my snows installed (my mechanic replaced them for free). This spring I lost another when my snows were removed. My mechanic tried to order them and was told by SoA that it was on backorder nationwide! This was confirmed when I was in NY and stopped by another Soob dealer who told me the same thing. In any event, for a car that is great at going down less than smooth roads, the chintzy wheel covers are like matching an Armani suit with a bowling shirt. Anyone else have the same problem?
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Didja get your new wheels yet? On one of your past posts you said you hadn't decided. Got mine yesterday. They're enkai's (enkei's-spelling?) I can't remember the number but they have a 5 double spoke pattern and look awsome!
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Hi,
    Yes I picked up a very new set of RS 16" wheels. Unlike US, teh Canadian OBS came with a very nice set of 15" alloys. You can sample the pictures at the yahoo OBS club under the dassr17 photo album.
    double spoke huh? u mean split spoke? nice. very nice. how much did you pay? what tires?
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    oops....sent to fast.
    reason i picked up another set i because i need one set for racing in Solo II. I am not sure which one. prolly use my 15" since they are smaller therefore lighter. Dunno.
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I got the Enkei RSF-2, $135.00 apiece, look at a Discount Tire ad in a car magazine, they picture them there, especially Sport Compact Car magazine. No tires yet, using the tread on the Goodrich T/A tires that came on the car. As soon as we can figure out how, we'll post photos on the Outback Sport Club at Yahoo. They really are shiny, a little two tone with gold tone center. We'll try to have the photos on in a few days. We'll name it something original like, "Celeste" -- lol :~)
  • roller96roller96 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I am looking to purchase a vehicle that will get me through mild winter/snow in MD. Can't decide on OBS or Legacy L sedan. Will the 2.2 auto OBS handle the same as te Legacy L 2.5 sedan?
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    I don't see why not.... altho i wouldn't get an auto. But a 2.2l OBS would be alot more nimble than a bigger 2.5l legacy. The extra weight in the Legacy pretty much negates the extra 20+hp. The Impreza Outback is smaller at the rear than the Legacy. Just want to let you know. heh!

    celeste: wow.... new wheels. do post pix. As I've psoted it earlier, I've mounted my new 16" RS rims and tires. I am not crazy about the tires. But since it's thrown in.... I have decided to use my stock 15" alloys for autoX. So instead of buying ultra high performance street tires, I am going all the way with DOT approved racing slicks! I am now looking at either the Kumho V700 victoracer or the Toyo Proxes RA1. Next summer, there will be a crazy Imperza wagon terrorizing at some autoX circuits! hahaha.... later.
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