Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

damish003

I can't say if what I've heard is the same, but there is a brief start-up noise when set to a/c on or defrost. Sounds like the compressor, I'd say. I generally don't start a car with those settings anyway. When I'm ready to shut off the car, I turn the fan off, the radio off, and set to vent. Basically, I try to minimize the load on start-up, if you follow me. In any event, the noise I've heard is short-lived and causes no problems, so no big deal. It certainly doesn't seem to need a service appointment, but that's your call. Since you're selling Subies, I hope you end up liking this car. Based on your post on one of the other boards, it almost sounds like you might have been happier with a Forester. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the OBS.

-Dan-

cbmorton

I'm curious about this as well. After reading the off-roading (!) section of the '04 manual where it gives instruction on fording streams, among other things, for OBS owners but warns TS/WRX owners not to attempt them, my guess would be that the OBS suspension probably has increased travel and is tuned somewhat softer to improve the ride off-road.

lotboy

Thanks for making this a "TS" thread as well.I have been using this a lot and am quite educated now thanks to the guys who have listened and replied!
Cheers...

DD

PS-Will buy 2005 Impreza TS now,unless my car falls apart this winter.I am always open to advice and info,I check this board every night.

damish003

Are you still thinking about spring? If so, you might get a better deal on a leftover 2004. I've not heard of any major change coming up. I think the TS gets the same upgrade the OBS did from 2003 to 2004, such as new front fascia, 4wheel disc brakes, that kind of thing.

-Dan-

ateixeira

I bet it's 99% tires. There may be a tiny difference in the spring rates, but Subaru does that from one bodystyle to the next (wagon to sedan), for instance.

-juice

hunter001

Yeah, the car was totalled and the cops and the fire dept folks were amazed that we had absolutely no problems at all. It is all in the design of the car...the structural strength and also the way the crush zones are implemented.

It is the other party's fault since they slammed us in the rear. Actually, the 4-runner who was directly behind us and hit us, was at a stop but the Dodge Ram behind it did not stop and smashed the 4-runner into us. So I guess it would be deemed as the Dodge Ram's fault. All 3 vehicles were towed away after the incident.

Later...AH

ateixeira

You had the best brakes! ;-)

-juice

hunter001

Sorry to hear about your WRX getting stolen and then recovered. After such an incident, I might really prefer getting a new vehicle, even if the vehicle can be restored to its earlier state.

How much was the repair estimate ? Insist on putting in genuine Subaru parts, since a lot of companies try to save money by sneaking in other supposedly "same quality" parts.

Later...AH

lotboy

We'll see next May or June what is happening with any small changes for the 2005 model.If I see better value in the 2004 model I will buy a year end unit.Good idea!
Thanks for your input Dan.
Goodnight...

DD

subarusaleshou

I filled up tonite at about 2/3 gone level. I put in 10.04 gallons for 249.7 miles travelled. My driving is about 75% highway at probably 70 mph usual driving speed. I know I am still in the break in period however I was hoping for more like 25.95 minimum rather than the 24.95 I got. I am driving with a very light foot and most shifts are happening no higher than 3k rpm. I'm sure it will go up some as time goes on and it isn't truly bad as is but I was hoping for higher.

rbleland

It is way too early to worry about mpg when still in break-in period. Most vehicles mpg improves after break-in, some take a lot of miles before truly representative. No worries!!

cbmorton

You did better than I did the first time calculating mpg. The dealer didn't fill my OBS right up so I started figuring mpg on the second tank, and it came out to 23.8 mpg. That's all city/suburban driving, no highway, short trips, shifting 3000-3500 rpm, and I'm still in break-in as well. Not too shabby, all those things considered.

subearu

Wait 5k or even 10k in mileage before really figuring the MPG. The engine is still 'green' and MPG figures most always get better with some break-in. Unless ofcourse you just have a lead foot that won't quit! ;-)

-Brian

damish003

When I first got my OBS, I drove it very easily, never exceeding 4k rpm, no jackrabbit starts, all that. For the first month or so, with mostly highway driving, I was getting an amazing 31-34 mpg. Couldn't believe it...started thinking my math was messed up. Nope, it was fine. So what do I get now? Around 25-28. Sometimes, down around 23-24. The cars computer learns now the owner wants to drive, and adjusts itself all the time. Considering my last vehicle got 16-18, I'm thrilled with the mileage. So will LD's mileage improve or get worse? I'm guessing it will stay the same. Mid 20's are great for an all-wheel drive car, IMO. LD, is there anything you DO like about the car?

-Dan-

cbmorton

My last car didn't start getting its best fuel economy until almost 10,000 miles, and since I don't drive much that was well over a year after I got it. I'd be happy with mid-20 mpg this winter seeing as we get winter gas here, which affects fuel economy, and that the car will still be new.

ateixeira

25mpg on the first tank is actually great, I bet you'll be getting 27-28mpg in similar driving once it's broken in.

-juice

bluesubie

I took it to the bodyshop that my dealer recommended. The bodyshop has been the easiest part of this process since they are the most cooperative and friendliest.

Total repairs were about $7,500+ and they have already been reimbursed (except deductible) by my insurance company.

I'm planning to get something a little less attractive to thieves. Considering a different Subaru turbo wagon. :-) Then again, there are times when I miss my trusty OBS.
http://www.isuzu-suvs.com/events/pb02-17-02/pics/pages/DSCN1219.h- - tm

-Dennis

subarusaleshou

I've had far too many vehicles so far so I have a major personal reference system to go by. While there are numerous things I listed in the suggestions to Subaru section and am slightly disappointed in the mpg based on such easy driving I am very happy with the car overall.

The all wheel drive system is excellent and gives definite control and safety advantages. I can feel an underlying security and confidence when driving this car.

Coming most recently out of a Civic coupe, the ride in the OBS is quieter and smoother. The quality of the OBS is at least equal to the Civic and any other vehicle I've owned for that matter. So yes, there is a lot that I do like about it.

I wouldn't be selling them if I didn't believe in them and like them.

damish003

Glad to hear it, LD. I'm with you on the ride...it's almost a bit surprising how smooth it is. I think the 16" wheels have a good bit to do with it. Real nice ride, and a fun vehicle overall. I do agree with you on some of your critiques, especially the center sun visor. If I had my way, I'd have a upper tint, like I had on my Jeep GC. Instant solution. You selling just Subaru, or is it a multi-line dealer? Hope you do well.

-Dan-

pun14

I would like to change my shift knob and boot from its ugly rubber form to leather. I own a 99 OBS and am not finding any leather knobs that offered for this model (OEM). does anyone know if a 2002 will fit? Did they ever make leather knobs on pre 2002 imprezas? wasn't there one on the RS 99'?

Follow up, am I going to have a hard time fitting an aftermarket name on there instead if I have to?

Thanks to all you guys who help us uneducated out.

sp

subarusaleshou

I'm the internet manager at our Subaru store. We have a very large facility here and have Mitsu and Honda on the same overall property. Each is in it's own facility so we have our own service etc. In our umbrella we have several other lines as well and I can assist with anything although I am almost exclusively working with Subaru.

Besides, when yours is the best the rest are just that, the rest.

brekke

I've recently replaced my air assist injector solenoid valve for the third time on my '02. It fails every year. Has anyone else had this prob? My dealer claims it's not that common. Other than that my car's given me no trouble.

p.s. I've also heard that gurgling noise, I'm not worried about it, myself.

p.p.s. 1997 install leather boot + knob http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/shifter/shifter.html
You can buy a universal wheelskins leather boot at jcwhitney for $20

subarusaleshou

As I pulled up to work this morning I turned 501 miles on the odometer. I should be past 1000 before next weekend is over. I'm looking forward to not holding back any. I'm also looking forward to seeing what the mpg will do as it gets more miles on it. I'm also thinking about doing a few mods to it to boost the performance some. I wonder what that will do to my mpg - NOT.

flygti1

Hello, my girlfriend just bought an 02 TS wagon with 13k on it. We both love the car but I have a couple questions. First, has anyone noticed a problem with understeer? It seems when I turn sharp in the rain while under accleration the car goes straight. I thought with All-wheel drive this would be kept to a minimum. Second, since this is my girlfriends car I tend to drive it nice, but the first time I brought it to redline and hit second gear fast and hard I heard a loud thunk type of sound? And finally, I want to get the Gauge pack cluster. Is this pre-wired? Thanks in advace for your responce.

ateixeira

sp: I'm pretty sure all Subaru shift knobs for manuals are interchangeable. They are from Legacy to Forester, at least. The RS' had red stitching, that was the only difference I noticed.

fly: I'm guessing it's an auto? Those understeer more because the default power split is biased toward the front. A fatter rear sway bar would work wonders. I got an OE 18mm bar from a 2.5RS for $78 from a wholesaler, though they are no longer in business. But any Subaru dealer should sell the 18 and 20mm bars.

The thunk? Was it just a firm shift? There isn't a lot of slop in the powertrain. Try easing off the gas just before the shift occurs. All 4 wheels accelerate and brake, including when you are engine braking.

Not sure if the gauge cluster is pre-wired. All the audio stuff is, FWIW.

-juice

jbolka

I just recently purchased a 2004 OBS and am very pleased with the car. I do have a couple questions for others that own the same model:

1. After a month with the car, I have noticed an intermittent rattle from the glove compartment that occurs after driving over even small bumps, whether it be city driving or on the freeway. The rattle is very annoying, and I was wondering if anyone else with the same model has experienced anything similar.

2. Is it just my car, or have others found the coating over the bumpers and body molding to be pretty cheap/easily scratched? The other day I was removing one of the assembly stickers from the end of the molding on the drivers side door, and some of the coating rubbed right off revealing black underneath. I also noticed two other areas where the coating has been worn away where the front license plate has been mounted to the bumper. Is this normal wear and tear after 1 month of driving the car? Should I discuss this with Subaru, or am I being too anal?

I would love any feedback on these issues. Thanks.

josephtai

I ALSO PURCHASED A 2004 OBS A MONTH AGO.
1. I DAVE NOT HAVE RATTLE FROM MY GLOVE COMPART-MENT. YOU MAY TAKE THIS CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO
CHECK IT.
2. I THINK THE PAINT OF OBS IS VERY EASY TO GET
SCRATCHED. IN FACT, WHEN I GOT MY CAR, I NOTICED
THERE WERE LIGHT SCRATCHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
REAR PASSENGER DOORS. I TOLD THE SALESMAN AND HE
SAID IT WAS EASY TO HAVE THE DEALER TO BUFF THEM
OFF. WHEN HE DELIVERED THE CAR, THE SCRATCHES
WERE GONE. ANYWAY, WAX THE CAR MORE OFTEN TO
PROTECT THE PAINT. THAT IS WHAT I PLAN TO DO.

BY THE WAY, HERE IS MY OWN STORY. I LIVE IN TEXAS.
THE DEALER TOOK THE LICENCE FRAMES OFF, JUST
LEAVING THE BARE METAL LICENCE PLATES ON THE CAR.
IN THAT AFTERNOON, I WASHED MY CAR. WHEN I WAS
WASHING WITH A SPONGE NEAR THE LOWER FRONT BUMPER,
MY UPPER SIDE OF MY HAND JUST ABOVE MY THUMB SLID
AGAINST THE ROUGH OF THE METAL LICENCE PLATE AND
THERE IT WAS CUT ABOUT AN INCH IN LENGTH. I HAD TO
GO TO ER ROOM TO HAVE 5 STITCHES OVER THE CUT.
I COULD NOT WORK FOR THAT WEEK, CAUSING ME TO
LOOSE 3 DAYS OF VACATION TIME.
THE DEALER SAID THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
IN TEXAS DOES NOT ALLOW DEALER LICENCE FRAME TO
BLOCK THE NAME OF TEXAS ON THE LICENCE PLATE.
SO TEXANS BE CAREFUL.

JOE TAI

rbleland

Blocking the info on the licence plate is illegal in most U.S. states and Cdn. provinces that I know of; but you can still use a plate frame as along as it is thin enough not to block out the info. I have done that for years. Also, the edges of licence plates can be very sharp and you do have to be careful if you don't have frames around them. Sounds like a nasty cut!!
Also, using all block letters in your message means you are shouting; please use lower case only. Capitals are also hard to read.

josephtai

Hello, rbleland,
Thank you for your advice. I am going to use
aluminum tape to tape off all edges of the plate
and then,as you suggest, use a thin frame.
I use capital letters because solely I am lazy.
I do not mean to shout at any body. Please accept
my apologies.
Joe Tai

cbmorton

I had a rattle in my '04 OBS's glove box door as well. After taking the door apart I found that there are metal parts inside the door and two of them were probably coming into contact as the door jiggled when going over bumps, since it doesn't latch tight. I stuffed some cloth into the inside of the glove box door on the side where the noise was coming from. Took a couple of tries to get the cloth in the right place to keep things tight but after screwing things back together I found the rattle was gone.

The paint seems thin and easily scratched. I've also had the car for just a month and have noticed this as well. This is the #1 complaint existing owners had when I was researching the Impreza, so it goes with the territory.

damish003

No problem with rattling in my 04 OBS, at least not in the glove box. The cupholder above the stereo sometimes rattles a little if not fully extended, but that's it.

I agree on the paint. I mostly notice it at the very front of the hood. I knew about the paint going in, so it's something to live with. You can get an accessory to cover it, if you like.

-Dan-

hypov

Joe-
I believe in the U.S., at least for the State of NY, even framing the license plate is illegal. However there is an out; the law prohibits any coverage by glass or plastic but no mentioning of metal. So, find youself a thin metal frame so as not to cover/block any license details and you're good to go.

-Dave

billyjolam

I already put 3000km on my 2004 OBS but still getting 14L/100km about 17mpg for about 80% city drive. Not much improvements from break-in period. No other complain other than this. Any suggestions ? Should I changes engine oil, will that be help?

rbleland

billyjolam - mine is a TS so maybe a bit lighter but I get about 10L/100km for same 80% city. This is about 28mpg Cdn. You should be getting better but 3000km not that much yet - wait until up to 10000km before worrying. Some cars take that long to "settle-in".

ateixeira

That's still not fully broken in, mileage tends to improve (by about + 2mpg) after a while.

-juice

hunter001

I think the TS is lighter than the OBS by around 5 lbs or so ! So there is not too much weight savings there.

Later...AH

hunter001

I am still in my break-in but during the first fillup, I got around 22.55mpg and the 2nd fillup, I got 23.58mpg (298.9 miles with 12.677Gals) with around 60hwy/40city. That is well within the stated EPA figures.

Later...AH

rbleland

..the curb weights for the TS and the OBS show the TS being 3kg (6.6 lbs)lighter. This from the 2002 Impreza brochure, both for MTs. So, should not affect fuel mileage (I mis-spoke above).

subarusaleshou

Well, I've only had one stop so far but will be stopping again either tonite or tomorrow. On my first fill I got about 24.9 with about 65/35 highway/city driving. I'm using a light foot and trying to keep it as even as possible. Not bad but not great. I'll post more as miles add up.

hunter001

But you might have a point....The TS has narrower tires (195mm) than the OBS (205mm) which could mean that the rolling resistance is less in case of the TS, thus resulting in fractionally better mileage ! The downside being slightly worser grip and handling due to the narrower footprint.

Later...AH

outback_97

flygti: You can probably buy an OEM WRX bar from a wagon owner who has changed theirs. You could also get a set of WRX rims for her TS as well. We got a nearly new set for $250 (with tires).

Our 4EAT '03 TS got about 22mpg in town during breakin, now it's slightly higher (23-24 mpg, 100% in town, at 7000 miles). We've gotten over 30 mpg on highway trips, but more commonly high 20's.

utahsteve

ateixeira

I bet the alloy rims are lighter than the steel wheels with covers on the TS, despite being 16" vs. 15". That offsets the weight of the extra options, mostly.

-juice

hunter001

I think if you replace the TS tires/rims with WRX rims/tires, you would also have to re-calibrate the speedometer and the odometer due to the differences in the diameter of the two. The closest you can get to the TS's diameter is if you were to put in 205/50R16 tires on the WRX rims. The 205/55R16 tires that the WRX/OBS comes with, are taller than what the odometer/speedometer of the TS is calibrated for - thus your mileage etc would be suspect. Just a thought.

Later...AH

outback_97

This link has some useful info, but unfortunately doesn't list the OBS rims so it's hard to say. I would assume they weigh no less than the WRX rim.

http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/wheels.html

TS rim = 19.5 lbs. and WRX rim = 16.5 lbs.
*but*
TS tire = 18 lbs. WRX tire = 21 lbs. per Bridgestone's site, so it's a wash, assuming all these numbers are right.

As for size, yes, AH, you're absolutely right. I mentioned the size difference in 2393 above in regards to the ground clearance, but of course it affects speedo, odo, and final gear ratio (by around 2%, not enough to worry me). But, FWIW, we've compared the speedo to that in my OB and it's actually closer now that we have the WRX rims/tires on the TS. It's also spot on when passing those radar display signs (if those are to be taken as accurate). Go figure.

utahsteve

hypov

Here's another site on wheel weights. It's the general wheel population, including Subaru.

http://www.wheelweights.net/

-Dave

ateixeira

Good catch, Steve. I doubt the OBS' rims are lighter then the WRX ones.

Usually they say +/- 3% is OK, and that's conservative. So those would be fine on a TS.

Besides, the speedo is already conservative, so it might actually be more accurate. The odometer would rack up fewer miles, which I'm sure you won't mind...

-juice

lotboy

Hey guys!Was contemplating buying a 2004 Impreza TS compared to 1998-2000 Impreza(2Door)2.5RS.Just wondering about any re-occuring problems with the RS,bearings,rear drive shaft etc..?Do you think the 2.5RS is a good car as a used model?I noticed the reliabilty is very good.Or maybe I would be better off new.Just trying to watch my money for this instance.
Thanks guys...

DD

PS-When does the timing belt need to be changed on a RS?Is it true the back seats don't fold down on a RS?

ateixeira

Not sure about the folding seat.

The '98 model had the same engine in my Forester, the DOHC Phase I. The timing belt change is at 105k miles, with an "inspection" at 90k. Given the labor will be paid for, I'll just change mine at 90k.

The wheel bearings are the #1 issue I'd be concerned with. Subaru does cover them under the 60k warranty, but still, they can run several hundred each if they fail after 60k.

The 2003 design is more robust and will likely not have that problem.

The RS is a fun vehicle, and I think the '99 model even got a rear limited-slip diffy. It's sportier, with 16" rims too.

But...resale is strong, so you won't save much. I'd buy new, definitely. Get the better bearings, the revised clutch, and a full warranty for not a whole lot more cash.

-juice

npaladin2000

Anyone know if the Imprezas (and I guess the WRX) will get the sportshifter like in the Legacy GT?

You'd think an Outback "Sport" would have a "sport"shifter, wouldn't you? Or the WRX auto. Or even maybe the RS...they're supposed to be sporty-type cars, right?

I'm leaning so far toward getting an OBS that I want and got one of those Subaru credit cards so I can rack up dollars to put towards it. But the zigzag shifter still annoys me, and I'd LOVE one with a sportshifter.

ateixeira

The new Legacy H6 will get one. It'll trickle down, but it might not reach the OBS' price level for a couple more years.

-juice