Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

bluesubie

Within the last year or so (I can't remember exactly when), JD Power named the OBS the 3rd best used compact car. Right behind the Tercel and the Corolla. I have 61,000 miles on my '97 and any issues I've had were covered under warranty. I think it will definitely hold up for 8 years with proper preventative maintenance. I think maint. costs are about average.

When I trim hedges, etc. around my house, I carry them away in my OBS. Also use it to carry bags of mulch and drive to SC with a family of four for 7-8 days(with a cargo carrier). I'm always amazed at how much the car can hold. I would recommend really comparing the OBS and Forester's cargo area at the dealer.

Dennis

ateixeira

Long-term costs ought to be average or lower, just stick with us and we'll point out some wholesalers where you can get parts for maintenance and such.

The spark plugs last 60k miles, the timing belt lasts 105k miles, oil change intervals can be as long as 7500 miles. AWD is sealed and maintenance-free, so just stick to a regular schedule.

-juice

mudd4

I truly appreciate it. Has anyone tested the OBS in snow? How much snow can it get around in with out any trouble? I'm just wondering in case we get a 1 or 2 footer storm. Would I be able to still get around?

ateixeira

My AWD system is identical to the 5 speed OBS, though I do have about an inch extra ground clearance. I've been around in 10-12" and the Forester was great. It really only slid around when I was playing and wanted it to.

2 feet is a lot of snow, but odds are if it's packed down or plowed at all you'll be fine.

-juice

mudd4

thanks for the reply. I have another question.

Can anyone tell me approximately how deep is the cargo area with the rear seats folded down? I'm trying to determine if it's deep enough to transport long items such as lumber, disassembled furniture like bookshelves, tables,etc. found at stores like Ikea.

Thanks for the feedback, this is really helping make my decision.

On another note, does anyone regret buying an OBS? My wife and I are planning on starting a family soon and want to make sure this car will be adequate until my wife replaces her civic in about four years with hopefully a bigger car.

brekke

cargo area: 61.6 cu. ft. seats down
27.9 cu feet seats up

I like my OBS, and I'll probably keep her at least 5 years, but I don't know if I'd buy another one. If I had to replace her immediately I'd test drive a WRX. When I bought my OBS I wanted an AWD hatch for $20K so that was the only choice.

My three main complaints in order of annoyance:
1)rear drums really bug me in a $19K car.
2)cheap interior materials
3)I'd like a little more power

I like it a lot, I enjoy driving it, but I don't "love" it. Maybe I'm not capable of "loving" a car.

I still recommend the OBS, with the above caveats.

paisan

How much power do you want in a $19K AWD Wagon? No offense but you get a lot of car for the $ and more HP than anything else in the class.

-mike

bluesubie

We got an 18" snow storm in central NJ last winter and my OBS was great. I headed out to Home Depot in it with no problems. Just don't let the AWD give you a false sense of security. The best thing to do is find an empty parking lot with snow and learn how the AWD works. Example: If you're in a slide, giving it a little gas will help get the grip back.

Any chance you're near a dealer? Just take a tape measure. You can also use the roof racks to haul stuff.

Caroline - More power?!? When I got my OBS, it was the most powerful stock Impreza offered in the U.S., 137 h.p. hee hee.

Dennis

brekke

I meant next time I was willing to pay more for those things.

Even the lowliest VW comes equipped with 4 discs, and I know the OBS used to have them. I've heard other posters say on other forums that they wouldn't buy an Impreza wagon because of the rear drums.

You can upgrade from a Forester L to an S and get better brakes and an LSD (and whatever else) for a lot less than $4500. If I had that upgrade option with an Impreza I certainly would have done that, but $5K or so for a WRX was too much for me.

bluesubie

OBS never had rear discs. IMHO, they're fine. When I drive my wife's OB Ltd., I don't notice that the brakes are better. Maybe it's because the car is heavier.

My next Sube will likely have rear discs though. :-D

Dennis

paisan

OBS never had LSD nor discs IIRC.



-mike

rsholland

Our '96 Impreza Outback has rear disk brakes. In '97, when they changed the name to Outback Sport, they deleted the rear disk brakes.

Bob

brekke

bluesubie

I stand corrected! How's this?
No hood scooped OBS' pre '02 had rear discs. :-D

Dennis

twrx

I have a WRX wagon. The rear disks and LSD were a selling point over the OBS. Well there were some other reasons I wanted the WRX (HEH HEH) Don't let the lack of rear disks turn you off though. I had a '98 Forester L with the rear drums. That thing could brake as fast and straight with the rear drums and ABS as I ever needed it to. I also don't buy into the Subaru brakes feel "soft" that seems to be such a common complaint on these forums. I had a '94 Delsol at the same time as the '98 Forester and I did not find much difference in the pedal action. In fact I liked the Forester better because it was too easy putting the Delsol into a slide on any wet surface braking. (No ABS)

TWRX

hypov

Sounds like there's a drum disk flip flop going on here.
Last time I looked, my Mom's OBS has disk brakes.

-Dave

ramon

yup...the first OBS 96 I think had rear discs. Boy that's a long time ago. OK, i know rear drums make the car look odd especially a 19k car. But think about it. Are u not stopping properly? In all practicality, do u even use all of the rear drum's potential when stopping? Do u drive so fast that u melt the brakes? I doubt. Most braking (up to 90%) is done thru the front dics. Unless u reverse real fast then the rear drums would be a problem. Other than that... i don't see why spend the extra to get them replaced. If u want brake performance, upgrade the fronts first! U get much better performance gains than getting rear to discs!

celeste2

I fit an ironing board in the back, laying down in the back section. Just put the 40% split part down. Was pretty surprised that it fit so well. Also have hauled a 2 drawer filling cabinet in the back. The cargo net is really good for hauling plants without sliding around or tipping over. You could probably fit some unruly little kids into that net, too--mine are way too large to fit anymore, though.

Another funny little story: dropping my kid off at auto tech school last week some of his classmates were ogling my car. I leave the lot and when I get out on the street I notice them all looking still and talking. Long straight road, so I floor it because I know the Ganzflow makes the motor sound so nice.

Later after school, I found out they asked my kid, "Dang, whose car is that?" He told em' it was his mom's, and also mentioned the cold air intake. They're all like, "Man, I didn't know any moms that would want one of those on their cars!"

Well, they just didn't know me yet!

bill_1

While I think we all like 4 wheel disk brakes, in reality most of the breaking in a car (Not sure of the percentage, but maybe as much as 90%) is done by the front wheels, so rear disks are not really necessary.

brekke

I wouldn't bother swapping out my rear drums, I remembered you said 90% of the braking is done by the front. It's just a peace of mind/perceived quality thing for me that I think Subaru should provide 4 discs across the board like VW. My brakes don't feel soft or mushy, but a couple of times my car didn't stop as fast as I'd like. I also don't like the nosediving, but I don't know if that's the fault of the brakes or the aerodynamics of the car.

celeste: that's why you are the Subymamma!!

paisan

Is not a result of the brakes or the aerodynamics. It's a result of the front shocks/struts/springs.

-mike

brekke

can the nosediving be reduced if the front struts are upgraded, or would you have to upgrade other things as well? I don't want to lower my car.

And just curious, does the WRX wagon nosedive?

paisan

You can get better struts w/o upgrading other stuff or changing the ride height or anything. I had this problem on my Trooper and upgraded to gas-charged higher quality shocks to compensate for the nose dive.

-mike

brekke

I have an 02 OBS, struts f+r. That would be great if I could get rid of some of that nosediving! However, I am pretty stingy about replacing things that have little wear.

paisan

You can get replacement struts for it of the upgraded kind, just make sure they are for the OBS and not the TS or WRX or else it will wind up being lowered slightly.

-mike

brekke

Mike, do you know where I could get these struts, or recommend a good brand? Thanks.

paisan

You can probably go with Monroe Sensatrac, or other "premium" gas charged ones from Monroe. I'd also look into "sport" versions of the KYBs or Tokico and my personal favorite shocks are Bilstiens.

-mike

ateixeira

I think rear discs ought to be made standard on all Subies, like ABS is now. How much could it really cost? They fade less, look better, are easier to service, stop shorter (just compare Forester L vs. S), and with economies of scale would not really cost much more.

I agree with Caroline about some interior materials, too, like the headliner, sun visor, and carpeting. The rest is fine.

Power is fine, though. Protoge5 has much less power, and Matrix/Vibe will have only 120hp with the AWD models. 165hp actually leads the class, I believe.

-juice

ramon

get better pads and u have a much better braking car than alot of 4 disk equipped cars.

ateixeira

Tires, too. Still, give us discs, because tires last a short while, pads last longer.

-juice

rsholland

http://www.detnews.com/autosweekly/0112/05/drove/drove.htm

Bob

brekke

I don't mean to sound like a whiner. I have nothing to complain about, my car is working flawlessly.

Ooh, I want to give that Anita Lienert such a pinch!

bluesubie

Caroline - you're not a whiner, you're just giving your opinion. That's a good thing because our comments count at SoA and our input influences future offerings. ;-)

Dennis

ateixeira

True, there is always room for improvement.

I'd like to see a little more room in the next Forester, and a turbo, but keep the weight down and prices flat, Subaru.

-juice

mudd4

Hi, I'm getting ready to buy a 2002 obs. Can someone please recommend a set of speakers to replace the factory ones with? Ones that are easy to install and sound good. I hear the factory ones aren't very good.

Is the upgraded speaker option through the dealer worth it or am I better off going to a place like circuit city, Best Buy or Crutchfield?

Thanks for any feedback.

Thanks

lark6

Anita and Paul Lienert: the Cindy and Joey Adams of the automotive industry.

Ed

rsholland

is the brother of Jean Lindamood(?) the big chesse at Automobile magazine.

Bob

lark6

Well, then, it's apparent who got the talent in that family.

I love her articles, but Jamie Kitman is the star of Automobile. His pieces for the UK's CAR are even better. Further, he's the manager of They Might Be Giants. A true Renaissance man.

Ed

celeste2

Brekke: You sound like you are so much fun! You get on one side and I'll get on the other and we'll just pinch away!!

I like when she said she hated the bulgy rear end and he said, "You know what they say--well, if the shoe fits..." LMAO!!!!

What my son said he'd actually like to do with her is drag her out of her BMW X5, and beat the livin' crap out of her.

Should we let him?

Mudd4: Go listen to the system first. I'm very happy with mine and think it sounds better than the 2000 OBS.

twrx

with the X5 and the Durango....

Lincoln Nav or Caddy Enchilda.

Same argument as Durango, I'm big American and wasteful plus like X5 they are bought as luxury status vehicles. But wait there is more... Lincoln Blackwood (no AWD available to start off with!) and Caddy Enchilada clone of (almost as ugly an Aztek) Avalanche. Don't you figure GM and Ford invest a couple of thousand dollars worth of luxury content to an F 150 or a Silverado and then jack the price by $30,000. These fools will buy anything. Thank you Subaru for Imprezas.

TWRX

celeste2

speaking of F150's it seems there are a number of people who drive like real jerks in these things. I have had several people like this try to "assert" themselves while coming up entrance ramps to our interstate here, and they want their size to intimidate smaller cars. What jerks!

There was a guy in an F-150 just the other day who
was merging onto the interstate from a ramp that enters on the left, into the left lane. I'm driving merrily along in the left lane. He speeds up to try to butt in between me and the driver in front of me when the way behind me was all clear. Well, I pinch up and don't let him in and he's mad. About 5 minutes later after weaving furiously around in traffic to no avail, he finally gets in front of me just as I'm exiting the interstate (again on the left!), and I'm thinking, well, darn, he's getting off where I am--then he suddenly swerves back onto the interstate at the last minute because he wasn't exiting, he was just getting in front of me!! And he swerves in front of a car who locks em up and lays on the horn, almost broad siding him. Guess he showed me!

Brekke--we're going to St. Pete probably Dec. 15. Is that where you said you're headed? I love that area.

twrx: yeah, those dumb looking Caddies are pretty pathetic. Haven't seen too many of the Blackwoods, THANKfully.

paisan

Please go to "I hate SUVs why do you like them" topic in the SUV section to bash on SUVs and Trucks. I left that group cause it was a bunch of left wing commies who were jealous of SUVs. If you'd like I can open up my argumenents here about how you are stereotyping a type of car instead of blaming the drivers themselves...

-mike

revka

Yes, not a bad idea to continue any more suv/truck bashing in I don't like SUVs or other appropriate discussions. In addition, let's also avoid making any off topic arguments, and/or negative remarks about other Town Hall groups..., to avoid any flames in this discussion. Don't want to have to use that delete button. Thanks. ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

ateixeira

Note that by paying top-dollar for the Escalade you move way, way up to a full-time viscous coupling setup.

Like the Outback Sport.

-juice

celeste2

Not meaning to flame anyone in particular, I've just had a few too many bad experiences with those types...

By the way my husband drives an F-150. Company vehicle, but it's the cause of a good joke or two around here.

paisan

The VC is great for on-road, just the Escalade is horrible off-road...I'd love to rent one and take it off-roading though!

-mike

piya

Hi all,

I have a 5-speed 2002 Outback Sport. For the most part I am very happy with it - love the cornering and the convenience. Just disappointed that my part of Michigan has had no snow at all this year - I can hardly wait to put the AWD to work!

However, I do have the following trouble with my manual transmission:
(1) Sometimes the shift lever can't seem to 'find' the reverse position and I have trouble putting the car in reverse. I need to put it into 1st gear before putting it into reverse. Sometimes I just put into neutral, depress the clutch, and try again. This seems to work. But it's getting to be an annoying inconvenience. When I called the dealer, I was told that it was one of the idiosyncrasies of the Subaru gearbox and that it would get better with time. I have about 5000 miles on my car now, so that should be plenty of time.

(2) If I hit the brakes when I am in 3rd gear (like when I'm driving around the mall looking for a parking spot and need to stop suddenly), it's hard to put the car into a lower gear or into neutral (yes, I did press the clutch and the engine is still running ). I have to start moving in 3rd before I can shift down to a lower gear.

(3) On days when the temperature is around freezing, the stick gets really tough and it takes some effort to put the car from 1st into 2nd.

Have any of you seen similar problems with your OBS cars (2002 or other years)? This is my first Subaru and I am still familiarizing myself with it. So I would really appreciate any help from some of the more knowledgeable folks out there. Please help me out with advice or suggestions.

Thanks a lot!

rsholland

#1) That's normal with most manual transmissions. It's a bit of a hassel, but it goes with the territory.

#2) Not sure??

#3) This sometimes happens when it's cold. The oil is thick, and needs to warm up to thin down a bit.

Bob

brekke

I have the same prob with reverse, not so much the other two. Although sometimes I have trouble finding 3rd + 4th.

Do you ever hear an occasional "snap" sound when upshifting, sounds like it's coming from the rear? That's also something I didn't have with my previous car.

bluesubie

Yes, Subaru gearboxes are very notchy. It will get a little better with mileage. The best thing I ever did was to put in Amsoil Synthetic gear oil. http://www.amsoil.com/products/agr.html

You can really tell a difference when it's cold.

Doesn't help with the reverse issue though. I've gotten used to putting it in 3rd before reverse.

-Dennis