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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

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Comments

  • piyapiya Member Posts: 5
    A Happy New Year to you all!

    bcohen - I have been very happy with my OBS so far. I drove the Subie up to the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan's U.P. and I had absolutely no problems even in snow that was several inches deep. I look forward to not doing too much shovelling this year :)! This is my first winter with an AWD vehicle. I feel a lot more confident driving around in the snow, especially when turning corners. By the way, it handles great through rain and standing water as well.

    Thanks to bob (rsholland) and juice for your suggestions with my manual tranny. I have been putting it in first before engaging reverse and it has been working.

    Cheers!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Welcome. :-)

    My Forester broke 30mpg on one trip. One guy got more than 33mpg in his Forester.

    How 'bout you OBS owners? Anyone break 30? It's the same engine, and more aerodynamic.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ed (lark6) also had some rubbing with aftermarket rims, and also swapped them out.

    -juice
  • aajoslinaajoslin Member Posts: 15
    Looks like us southerners are gonna need our AWD for the first time this winter... But if they cancel work... I'm still not going in, even if I could make it! If you need me, I'll be doing donuts in the Harris Teeter parking lot.

    Any pointers for the first time AWD snow driver, Besides a healthy respect of the snow? How deep is too deep?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I'm going to have to move south...

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    One of the best things that I've done is to go to an empty parking lot and just push the car. Of course, don't pretend to run a rally. Just get a feel for how the ABS and AWD works. You'll find out things like getting on the throttle a little in a slide makes you recover quicker.

    I was out last winter in an 18+ inch storm with no problems.

    Have fun and don't run over any Harris Teeter stock boys.

    -Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Go practice in a nice, wide open parking lot. Get a feel for how it behaves in the snow.

    Drive carefully, with plenty of room for error - not yours, but other drivers who haven't practiced in the lot like you just did. ;-)

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Why push the car when you can drive it? ;)

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Not yet. Maybe if it was only me in the car travelling light, keeping the car on cruise...
    I thought someone said keeping it under 2500 rpm' on the road gives better gas mileage.

    Heck, though, I really don't worry too much because I know the AWD will never have this car competing with Echo's and the like!
  • aajoslinaajoslin Member Posts: 15
    About 10" ... mostly plowed now :(

    I LOVE my car even more now! Never thought it was possible to handle that good on snow. I spent most of my playtime tooling around with no problems. Taught my wife how to drive in the snow. Looks like all that time invested in Gran Turismo 3 has finally payed off;) Wouldn't my Mom be proud.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We may finally get snow tomorrow. First time this season.

    -juice
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Yeah, apparently that GranTurismo 3 is just like driving the different cars. My son and his friend play that game and his friend was complaining about a particular car on the game that my son knows is a great performance car. My son just told him he's not an experienced enough driver to be able to fully handle the car like it is meant to be driven and it's much better than the junky cars he's always choosing. I had to laugh because it sounds like they really are driving these things!
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    My older son calls home at dinner time to tell me there's something wrong with his 2000 Legacy GT. Somewhat surprised, I asked him what and he said he had been vacuuming the car and when he got done there were some lights that wouldn't go out. I'm thinking, "Huh?" and said, well, bring it over and let your brother look at it. He might find something. Said brother is 16. So he brings the car over and we go outside. While I'm talking to him the younger brother sticks his head in the car, looks around, the lights go out.

    He'd bumped the switch for the parking lights! Never had used them before and didn't even notice the switch was there!! Har-de-haaar!!! The little brother is taking classes at vo-tech for auto tech. I joked with him that his first class must have been on how to turn off parking lights!!
    Then told older son he needed those classes too!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That fools a lot of people. Me once, too.

    -juice
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    you were right about the sheepskin seat covers, darn you! The sides are different than the seat, not as lush. I did see some in Aid Auto that were $50 and not as nice as the one from Costco (IMO)

    if anyone wants to see a pic of a stock silver '02 OBS, or my doggie, I finally have access to a digital camera...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I shouldn't have pointed it out, you may have never known. ;-)

    How about the doggie in the cargo area of the Sport?

    -juice
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    We wanna see the doggie in the car!!
  • fjordhorselynnfjordhorselynn Member Posts: 3
    Hi,
    I have an outback sport that has a problem w/ the A/T oil light flashing when driving on the highway. This has happened to me about five times in the past two years. Last night, it happened twice, and the check engine light also came on. Took it to the dealership and apparently there are two TSBs for this problem, involving parts that cost about $500 each. One TSB is covered under 80,000 mile warranty, the other one is not.
    To me this really doesn't seem fair as the two issues are tied together. I was also told I shouldn't drive the car as the computer problem could cause trouble with shifting.
    Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone have any success fighting to get the second TSB part paid for?
    Much thanks...
    Lynn

    P.S., of course, I was just yesterday telling my sister that I've had very few problems with this car!
  • artdechoartdecho Member Posts: 337
    brekke.....really want to see some pix, especially of the car (no offense to your dog!)
    think the silver would minimize the look of the two-tone effect but would like to see some pix. saw one on the road the other day...it looked quite sharp. price in canada is within a few hundred of CR-V AWD LX, so don't know if I could convince my wife to go for it over the much roomier cr-v
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I saw a silver OBS today on my commute, it definitely looks nice. The colors match well. I bet the color hides dirt very well, too.

    The CR-V is much improved, but let's see. The OBS has 4 channel ABS, while the CR-V LX (at least in the US) does not have ABS at all, only the EX does, and even then it's a 3-channel system. Subaru's warranty is longer in the US, but I'm not sure about Canada. The OBS also handles much better.

    The Forester competes more head-to-head, so let's see what the 2003 model looks like.

    -juice
  • newobslvrnewobslvr Member Posts: 8
    Hello, all--

    I recently took my 2002 obs in for its 7500 mile service. All went well, though they brought up a tire issue.

    At about 1500 miles, I managed to pick up a long screw right on the outside curve of a tire. I managed to get it to a local Goodyear shop. They did not have the exact tire, but had one that matched tread and was the proper size. Seeing as I was a bit "up the crik" at that point, I went ahead with it. (Yes, I've been appropriately noodle-whipped by various friends since then...)

    I've had absolutely no noticable problem with this different tire... no wheel shimmy, no drifting to one side... has felt just as rock steady as always.

    The Subie dealer where I had my 7500 mile service done said they noticed that this odd tire was bigger than the others, and it could cause the awd system to overwork and I could burn out whatever in the system, and the sky could fall and yadda-yadda.

    I measured it after getting home. Tire height is exactly the same, the space between the rim and the road (I know there's a name for that...) is exactly the same. The width -- area of the tire that actually is on the road -- is maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch wider. It's hard to be exact. It is a little wider but not much.

    So, my question... can such a small difference in my situation here really cause a big problem? It has been 6,000 miles ago that I had this tire put on, and I never noticed the slightest change in how it felt driving. Any thoughts on this?

    Many thanks,
    Kim
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    The dealer is right. If there is more than 1/4 inch difference in circumference (or is that diameter?), you can indeed burn up your differential.

    paisan (from this forum) developed problems with his Trooper's differential because of tires not being the exact diameter.

    Although I've never shopped for Bridestone RE92's, I believe they would be fairly easy to find. Your Goodyear shop should know that and not try to sell you a different tire. Unless they measured the diameter/circumference of the Goodyear.

    -Dennis
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    I'm not sure what to tell you about this problem as I've only owned Subaru's less than 2 years. Another site you may try is to go to Yahoo, click on clubs, and type in outback sport. That is an outback sport club and possibly someone there has had a similar problem. Good luck!

    You also may do a search at i-club.com as their site has quite a past history of posts and the search engine there is easy to use. That is an impreza club, which of course includes outback sport.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If it is more than 1/4 inch off, you'll do long-term damage to your differential(s). I would not suggest ever putting different tires on, because they will wear differently, even if they originally are the same diameter.

    -mike
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I think Kim was referring to the width of the tire and not the circumference.

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    I was just about to tell you that there were some great pics of a silver OBS at the yahoo OBS club:


    http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/subaruimprezaoutbacksport


    but I checked myself and I couldn't find them...maybe you could post a message there and ask where the owner put them - his moniker was "dazl" something.


    I'm hesitant posting stock photos, but if you really want to see them, I will. I've never seen a red one if someone wants to post that!


    Personally, I went with silver because I think the two-tone is garish, I wish we had the option of getting at least one color in monotone (like the Baja)

  • newobslvrnewobslvr Member Posts: 8
    Hey all--

    Thanks for your input. Honestly, I couldn't imagine such a small difference in tire width could potentially cause such problems. What a drag... I hate these expensive lessons (though it sounds like the expense potential is a lot greater than just another new tire).

    Should I take it back to the Subie dealer to have the differential checked? (In asking that, I don't know anything about the differential, and if it is something that can be lubricated or serviced in some way or whatever.)

    Thanks again for all your help,
    Kim
  • artdechoartdecho Member Posts: 337
    Guess you have to be a member to see any pix at the Yahoo club.....maybe I'll try & sign up. In the meantime, stock pix would be fine if it's not too much trouble. BTW, that's why I think I would like the silver too.....to minimize the two-tone effect. I did catch a glimpse of a red one in our neighbourhood a few weeks ago.....it's a really nice red, but again, no too crazy about the two-tone.....guess I could go with a TS wagon & dress it up with alloys, roof rack etc.....
    Also interested in the Matrix, but despite the somewhat attractive pricing, it is way underpowered (esp. AWD version) when compared to the Impreza.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Kim: a good AWD system senses that small difference quickly, and then acts to send power to the wheels with grip. A smaller diameter tire will appear to be slipping a little all the time, because it rotates faster to cover the same amount of distance.

    Yes, the dealer can drain and refill your rear differential. It's just 75w90 gear oil and two drain plugs. The bottom plug is magnetic, so ask them to check for any metal shavings on it - if so your rear differential could be damaged.

    But my guess is because you haven't reported any grinding noises or tire scrubbing that you're ok.

    decho: consider the silver OBS, because the two-tone really doesn't stand out as much as with some colors.

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    You should also measure the circumference. If it's 1/4 inch difference or less, you won't have any worrys.

    juice, she just got the tire. Symptoms of a diff going bad may not show up for some time. Correct?

    paisan - how long did it take for you diff to start acting up?

    -Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I was saying I think she would have heard (or felt) it had there been any damage. Usually you'll feel the tires scrubbing, or some driveline grinding.

    The OBS has an open rear diffy, so it's less likely to have been damaged (i.e. it designed to tolerate a bigger difference from side to side). I bet you're fine.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well it never acted up, but for about 5-10K miles after changing out the tire I heard a whining and the 4wd lo would not disengage properly. The whine is what got me annoyed so I finally brought it in and they figured it out after a whole day of playing with it. I also got a few check-TOD (AWD) lights which they later repalced a speed sensor for that problem. I'm not sure if that was related or not. On a side note, the tire I put on was the same exact size (245-70-16) same brand, same treadwear, same style (Dueller 684), but it was from a different batch (made in US v. the originals from Japan) cause it came off my older rodeo. Once they put my spare tire on, the whine went away and haven't had any problems since.

    -mike
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    When you go to the Outback Sport Club on Yahoo, click on photos, then find the album called "Any 2002 OBS" whereupon you'll find a list of photos. Silver is at the end of the album. I think there is white and the ones of my black OBS that appear first.

    Funny, I was trading off my 2000 OBS and was sorta going to get the same color if they had it and yes, there was silver, like mine, then, smack! right there was a black one in front of me very eyes. I wasn't asking for it to happen but the fever hit and I got stars in my eyes over that color--deep bluish actually with sparkles under and in the black. I never thought I'd own a black car in my life!

    My tint all around is actually illegal (too dark in front) which makes it good that the car's black, I think it hides the darkness of the tint better!

    You know for 20 years we've had illegal tint on many Volvos (white wagons mostly) and even though I've been pulled over a few times by the cops, they NEVER questioned my tint! When rushing to the corner store to retrieve my wallet from a shopping cart in THIS car (black paint, DARK black tint), a cop pulls me over and never mentions the tint--and get this--my windshield on this car is also tinted!!

    Just a little anecdote about my little black Subie who had been christened "Juju" after a wise and industrious old Jamaican man my son had the privilege to work with on a construction job.
  • kdsmithjrkdsmithjr Member Posts: 5
    I'd contact your state's attorney general's office. if the problem is common enough and subaru has been reluctant with others to correct something that should be covered under warranty, sometime subaru being contacted by a state's attorney general's office can get subaru to "reconsider" their position.
  • kdsmithjrkdsmithjr Member Posts: 5
    Funny you should mention a silver OBS. I just bought my first Subaru, a Green two-tone OBS. I had the choice of a green or silver one. The dealer said that, locally anyway, everyone seems to have a silver version of the OBS. Just to make mine easier to find at the supermarket or mall, I decided on the green one. Love the car, by the way. And in Central NY winters (no we don't have the 80 plus inches that Buffalo got a couple weeks back) the OBS is DA BOMB!!
  • kdsmithjrkdsmithjr Member Posts: 5
    I'm not an expert in this area, but if the tire contact patch is different, even by a tiny bit, then the traction of that tire will also be different. Since AWD responds to tire slippage--which, of course is due to differences in traction--the small difference you quoted may, indeed, cause the AWD system to work overtime (compared to tires that are the exact same size).
  • celeste2celeste2 Member Posts: 362
    Boy, I sure don't have that problem here! My OBS is the ONLY one I've seen anywhere around here since I got mine in April. Have seen several WRX's and a few 2000 OBS models and older; however none like mine. Yes, life is lonely here in the sunny south...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have tint too, and the trick is to open the windows if you get pulled over. You don't want the cop to think you are hiding anything.

    Congrats, kd. I gotta admit, I have not seen a single green one yet. Black and silver are the most common around me.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep I do that every time. Other traffic stop tips:

    1) Don't take your wallet/paperwork out until asked for
    2) keep your hands on the wheel
    3) interior light on
    4) tell the office where your wallet is, and that you are going to get it when asked, same for paperwork in glove box
    5) Lots of Sirs/Ma'ams go a long way.

    So far I'm 27/3 on traffic stops, with the 3 moving violations being out of state and less than 20mph over so they never came back to NYS.

    :)

    -mike
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Can anyone in Canada give me an idea of maintenance costs for the Impreza? What I'm looking for is a rough idea of frequency and cost of regular maintenance. The dealer I have talked to is a little hazy on the subject.
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    image


    image

    another shelter doggie! Lucky for me she had been "returned"
    image

  • artdechoartdecho Member Posts: 337
    ......for the pix......I think silver is definitely the way to go.....OBS's seem to be pretty rare in these parts....have only seen one red & one silver 2002, so don't think I would have trouble finding mine in a parking lot if I went for the silver (or any other colour for that matter!) (nice puppy too!)
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Nice pics Caroline!

    -Dennis
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    I think you really have to see them in person to decide. I was going to get a different color, but when I saw the silver it looked best to me. Also, depending on the light it looks silvery white, but still hides the dirt better than white.
    I also think this car needs the spoiler and splash guards to jazz it up a bit.

    I do get snow and ice packed in the wheelwells so you have to watch that but this happens in other cars as well.
  • aajoslinaajoslin Member Posts: 15
    I've got a silver '02 OBS... It look's sweet with the deflector (Personal preference) I'll try and post a picture if anyone wants one. I only wished they had the blue as an option on the OBS. *shrug*

    I also have a shelter dog who was "returned" once before. He's a lab-pit mutt with a five foot vertical leap. Of course we found that out AFTER we built the fence.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paisan: I've lost count, but I've only ever paid for one ticket. It was in Jacksonville, FL, on the way down to Tampa. Being 9 hours away I could not go to court.

    But in court I'm undefeated. Twice the officer didn't show! Lucky!

    John: all you should need is oil changes ($25 or so), tire rotation (not much) every 15k miles, and the 30k and 60k services, a couple hundred bucks each or so. I do it all myself so I don't have exact costs.

    Nice pix! It almost looks monotone in silver. Cute doggie, too.

    -juice
  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    image

    Training her was (and is) very frustrating, but she turned out better than anyone expected.


    Plus she fits in the hatch area for short trips. Love that rear bumper cover!

  • brekkebrekke Member Posts: 304
    I always thought the blue ridge pearl was one of the nicest blues around, and in the monotone looks great. But the two-tone with the darker colors reminds me of someone wearing light shoes with dark pants (meh)

    (no offense to owners of two-toned dark-colored subies...The bronzish bumper with silver is still tacky :)

    oh well, the longer I own my Subie the less I like to look at it and the more I like to drive it!

    p.s. he jumps 5ft? Whoa!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hadji can clear a 4 foot fence, and he's about 12" tall at the shoulder. Quite the acrobat, that dog.

    -juice
This discussion has been closed.