hi pdxgarcon, I think the Focus is a nice car, and that torque vectoring is a neat concept. The Impreza is good all around as well, and the visibility felt much better than on the Focus. My 8 year old son gave the Impreza a big thumbs up after sitting in the rear seat during back-to-back test drives on the two cars.
Having had it now for several days, I must say I really appreciate the great visibility on my long, mixed commute (for good measure, have taken out the headrests in the back and stored in a cargo net). The side view mirrors are very well thought out. I also like the moonroof w/ deflector, and the alloy wheels on my premium hatchback.Am getting comfortable with the satellite radio and navigation interface as well.
The good engine response at low to medium speeds make the Impreza fun to drive just when the commute gets more dreary. The CVT works smoothly, no issues on a moderate downhill (on the Sunol grade on 680N in the SF East Bay). So am happy with the decision in favor of the Impreza">
glad everyone endure the wait....was lucky...4 weeks from the time or order in early Nov till delivery the second week of Dec.....just rolled over 12,500 miles today on my commute.....no complaints at all with my HB Limited CVT in Deep Cherry.......
Hey all, I'm thinking of getting body side moldings for my SP Hatch and was wondering if its worth it. No dings on the car yet, thank goodness. Also, is it easy to install or better to have the dealer or a professional do it. Looks pretty simple when I checked out youtube.
easy enough if you take your time. because i got the offer from my local bodyshop (who would have fixed the car i totalled) to help me do it, i took them up on it. but i helped out.
if you take the time to cut the holes out of the patterns provided, you should be able to get it perfect. we didn't, but still got it pretty spot on with two sets of hands.
if it weren't for the offered help, i certainly would rather take my time to do it right myself than pay the dealer $120+ they wanted.
key is: budget enough time, cut the holes suggested to hold the panel/guide securely in place, and have a second set of hands.
I was able to install them with ONE set of hands! (lol j/k, but I wish I had some help at the time :P)
Seriously though, they're pretty easy as long as the prep work is done right. It's more tedious to get the template attached to the car than it is to attach the moldings themselves. I actually sat the edge of the templates along the door sill to keep them level from front to back. Attach both the front and back templates at the same; it allows you to check if they're level with each other.
I figured that the templates sitting on the sills makes the moldings sit a tad lower than trying to line them up along the bottom edge of the doors, but it looked like the sills were on the outermost edge of the door (serves their purpose better).
i definitely think it can be done solo if you follow directions. we (the tech at the shop was in a hurry) didn't bother to cut the holes which would allow an easier mounting of the templates. we just taped the top and bottom and i held the templates in place while he lined up the trims.
but yes, it's a fairly easier job and saved me $$$...much easier than the crazy homelink mirror i installed...
Left the dealer with my new Sport Limited ... reached over to the right side of the seat back to adjust the lumbar support. Slid my hand up and down; it's not there. Hmm, did they move it to the left side ... nothing there either. Maybe it has a power lumbar? Searched the left seat bottom with my hand ... nothing there either.
Hard to believe in this day and age that the Limited model doesn't have at least a manual lumbar support.
Yeah, I got the homelink mirror after purchase as well. I was looking at the instructions and thought, naaaah. Electrical or mechanical are definitely not DIY for me (that would suck to void a warranty item within 2 weeks.) The dealer only charged 50 bucks to install it so it was worth it at that price...
The 10" sub (the stock Kicker one) rattles the hell out of it though, lol (same as the stock mirror).
me too. My wife started complaining about lower back pains after 6 hours driving the car over a 3 day period. We had to buy one of the strap on lumbar supports. Seems to have remedied the problem.
My dealer price matched (nearly) an on-line offer I had received. My dealer is Bloomington Subaru in Bloomington MN. The site that I got the first quote from was a thread at legacygt.com.
No, the manual mentions a separate headlight indicator.
Although if you leave the fog lights on, you can use that indicator as a quasi "headlights on" indicator.
It would be nice to have the indicator because the auto on feature is not very sensitive (in my car anyway) and it's hard to tell if they come on when it's raining. The manual states that the dealer can adjust the sensitivity but I'd rather not have to go that route.
BTW, the current model Outbacks are ultra sensitive; they come on when going under small bridges.
In the Forester, there is an indicator light... it is green if I recall correctly, and displays as a series of lines to the left and right, in the same area of the dash as the high-beam indicator (blue, just above it) and the fog light indicator.
It may be that the Impreza doesn't have that functionality.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
I ordered my CLL Impreza in Marine Blue at the end of March. My dealer in MA called me and told me that the VIN was assigned and will arrive soon. Looking forward to driving a little after Memorial Day! The only option is the remote starter. Can you tell me which options you went for? Has anyone upgraded the speakers?
Well, it looks like the Impreza might have been knocked out of the running for a new vehicle to replace "The Beast" (my '06 Pilot) along with any other vehicle we were looking at. Turns out we may just keep him a while longer. We may be getting a 15' Gillgetter instead. I'll keep everyone updated if the Impreza gets tossed back into the mix.
quick report on my first highway trip today. i gave the full long report on the other forum, but here's the short report.
calculated mileage: 39.3 mpg car computer mileage: 39.0 mpg
However, i tracked my route on googlemaps, and it came out 4% longer than reported by my odometer. this was the first long route i've checked with gps or googlemaps, but it's consistent with my shorter trips previously compared against the odometer. if i correct for that 4%, the mileage on my 160 mile trip today was 41.1 mpg!
That's pretty respectable. I'm still waffling on which way I want to go with it. I have another year until I get serious about it, unless my car really starts to pitch fits before then. I'm already going to rebuild the top end of the engine in another month or so, so I shouldn't have any problem getting another year out of it (or more if I want more).
Right now, I'm only seriously considering Fiesta and Impreza, but I'm having a hard time getting over the not-so-pleasing look of the Impreza. I still have to drive the Impreza (manual and auto), plus I really should take a look at the Mazda3 now that the SkyActiv models are available. Still, I'm quite familiar with Subaru, it is the only AWD of the bunch, and I have $2,500 in Subaru Bucks available.
Those do make for compelling arguments!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
I have not been able to drive a manual Impreza and my wife asked a good question. She is afraid of leaving the car out of gear and also not setting the parking brake. Does the car (or any car ) have a warning or safety to prevent this from happening? This could be a manual trans deal killer for her... None of my manuals ever had anything but I just have old trucks.
but remember, your GPS is not taking into consideration when your stopped and sitting idle, how you get going or how you stop. It's just doing a straight line mileage. I do Geocaching and can tell you alot about the finer details of GPS's. You mileage for MPG takes alot of more into considerations. I had to turn the MPG estimator on both my GPS's (handheld and car, both Garmins) off because there is alot of idling and foot movement involved using them.
It would be nice to have lumbar, but for the price of the Impreza, this is a smashing success. It's still hard for me to believe that it cost less than my 10 year old Forester and 10 year old $$ when new and is improved in all areas.
Yeah, lumbar would be nice, although after ~400 miles my back seems to be conforming to the seat.
Based on the Crosstek specs, the 2013 Limiteds will probably get a back-up camera.
I've paid the same price (~$22,500) for my last 3 cars.
'96 Outback 4EAT - Base model w/ AWP, CD changer, trailer hitch '03 Outback 4EAT - Base model (included AWP and single CD) '12 Impreza Sport Limited w/ Moonroof (CVT, AWP, leather, etc)
- rattles (not sure they will improve this because i'm not sure there are any glaring ones that crop up regularly based on the different forums i'm part of) - the airbag problem some people have had - misprogrammed ECU/TCM - maybe offer rear camera option - something more elegant than the black curtain near the telescoping steering
Not seen the Scan Gauge, but have been using a Garmin Ecoroute HD for some months. This plugs into the OBD II port and uses Bluetooth to communicate to my Garmin GPS device. I have found prime use is modifying my driving behaviour as it throws up a series of detailed gauges. Fuel economy is improved a bit.
I had been worried whether water pump was near failing but water temperature is reporting consistently at 83 C so happy.
I dont' have an Impreza, but I have a scangauge... it's quite useful, and one will serve all your cars. I normally keep it in my Vibe, and sticky-backed velcro will secure it about anywhere you might want it. I just used it to diagnose my wife's Sienna, and it has a proper place there, too.
Good to have, and it'll certainly show you the "(deg)FWT" water temperature, together with three other parameters, if you set it up that way.
BTW, when you turn the car on, you have to push the "gauge" button to see the four gauge parameters, otherwise it sits at the init screen.
Why get scangage when you can have something else with much more features.
I use a OBD scanner with bluetooth interface (~$19) If you already have an android, iphone, tablet,or ipad, there are apps (lot of them free) that will talk to the OBD scanner and display temperature, and lots of other data.
I'm using an android app called torque. It can show oil, water temp. Torque, hp, output. Do 0-60 time, and many more.
Looks like they are other option other than ScanGauge. But they are all the same thing, a OBD reader. And looks like bluetooth OBD reader give you more information than ScanGauge. But I need a display dervice like a smart phone or a GPS
I just picked up my new Impreza 5-door PZEV Limited non-navigation moonroof this Saturday, and already love it. I initially wanted the Marine Blue but it didn't work out, so after searching all over the tri-state area, my dealer called to say he had found a Camellia Red. I didn't think I'd like it but went to take a look, and loved it right away. I opted for the upgraded speakers, and am very happy with the audio sound and the ability to use Bluetooth with my iPhone 4s and Spotify, which lately I prefer over iTunes.
It's really fun to drive, but I noticed something disturbing, when I pulled into a friend's driveway, whic has a slight dip in front of the curb cut. I heard a noise, and found that the underside of the front bumper had scraped the edge of the curb. It doesn't show from the front, but bending down to look under the car I can see a definite scrape in the paint. Is there anything that can be used to protect that area of the bumper? This never happened with other cars, but the clearance seems very low, and curb cuts in New York City are not always the smoothest. I'm also thinking of ordering the rear bumper cover that flaps over the back, for safety when parking on the street.
Anyone else have ideas on protecting the finish in a city environment? I didn't get the bumper appliqué and don't know if that would offer enough protection.
This forum has been really helpful in the whole buying process, thanks!
Comments
I think the Focus is a nice car, and that torque vectoring is a neat concept.
The Impreza is good all around as well, and the visibility felt much better than on the Focus. My 8 year old son gave the Impreza a big thumbs up after sitting in the rear seat during back-to-back test drives on the two cars.
Having had it now for several days, I must say I really appreciate the great visibility on my long, mixed commute (for good measure, have taken out the headrests in the back and stored in a cargo net).
The side view mirrors are very well thought out. I also like the moonroof w/ deflector, and the alloy wheels on my premium hatchback.Am getting comfortable with the satellite radio and navigation interface as well.
The good engine response at low to medium speeds make the Impreza fun to drive just when the commute gets more dreary. The CVT works smoothly, no issues on a moderate downhill (on the Sunol grade on 680N in the SF East Bay).
So am happy with the decision in favor of the Impreza">
Duration from order to pick up = 9 weeks.
Paid $728 under invoice. Local dealers are now selling (the few they have) at MSRP.
Nobody has been able to figure out why it took so long for the car to get built and I'm hoping it gets here when it's supposed to so this can all end!
I'm thinking of getting body side moldings for my SP Hatch and was wondering if its worth it. No dings on the car yet, thank goodness. Also, is it easy to install or better to have the dealer or a professional do it. Looks pretty simple when I checked out youtube.
if you take the time to cut the holes out of the patterns provided, you should be able to get it perfect. we didn't, but still got it pretty spot on with two sets of hands.
if it weren't for the offered help, i certainly would rather take my time to do it right myself than pay the dealer $120+ they wanted.
key is: budget enough time, cut the holes suggested to hold the panel/guide securely in place, and have a second set of hands.
Seriously though, they're pretty easy as long as the prep work is done right. It's more tedious to get the template attached to the car than it is to attach the moldings themselves. I actually sat the edge of the templates along the door sill to keep them level from front to back. Attach both the front and back templates at the same; it allows you to check if they're level with each other.
I figured that the templates sitting on the sills makes the moldings sit a tad lower than trying to line them up along the bottom edge of the doors, but it looked like the sills were on the outermost edge of the door (serves their purpose better).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDksviUVhM
i definitely think it can be done solo if you follow directions. we (the tech at the shop was in a hurry) didn't bother to cut the holes which would allow an easier mounting of the templates. we just taped the top and bottom and i held the templates in place while he lined up the trims.
but yes, it's a fairly easier job and saved me $$$...much easier than the crazy homelink mirror i installed...
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/Vehicles/2012-subaru-impreza/
Should be interesting to follow for the next year.
Bob
Hard to believe in this day and age that the Limited model doesn't have at least a manual lumbar support.
And now the cops are after you for grant theft auto.
Nice deal!
The 10" sub (the stock Kicker one) rattles the hell out of it though, lol (same as the stock mirror).
for $50, that's a good deal. mine wanted over a $110+ more than the $162 i paid for the mirror, that's why i did the self install.
John
And ... I paid with $1800 in Subaru Bucks and put $2500 (max amount dealer allows) on my Subaru Chase CC to earn another $75 future bucks.
My Sport Limited either doesn't have it or it doesn't work. Anyone have a working indicator?
Only thing close is the high beam indicator.
I do see a green light with squiggly line in font come on when the fog light is on.
Although if you leave the fog lights on, you can use that indicator as a quasi "headlights on" indicator.
It would be nice to have the indicator because the auto on feature is not very sensitive (in my car anyway) and it's hard to tell if they come on when it's raining. The manual states that the dealer can adjust the sensitivity but I'd rather not have to go that route.
BTW, the current model Outbacks are ultra sensitive; they come on when going under small bridges.
It may be that the Impreza doesn't have that functionality.
Odie
The only option I got on my Camellia Red Sport Limited w/ MR was the cargo tray. May pick up a rear cargo net at some point.
calculated mileage: 39.3 mpg
car computer mileage: 39.0 mpg
However, i tracked my route on googlemaps, and it came out 4% longer than reported by my odometer. this was the first long route i've checked with gps or googlemaps, but it's consistent with my shorter trips previously compared against the odometer. if i correct for that 4%, the mileage on my 160 mile trip today was 41.1 mpg!
I'm curious to know what sort of mileage folks are getting out of the manual transmission....
Right now, I'm only seriously considering Fiesta and Impreza, but I'm having a hard time getting over the not-so-pleasing look of the Impreza. I still have to drive the Impreza (manual and auto), plus I really should take a look at the Mazda3 now that the SkyActiv models are available. Still, I'm quite familiar with Subaru, it is the only AWD of the bunch, and I have $2,500 in Subaru Bucks available.
Those do make for compelling arguments!
-Steve
I don't want to insult your wife, so I'll end there, Steve. I would hope that if she wants an MT car, something like this wouldn't sway her opinion.
Odie
It would be nice to have lumbar, but for the price of the Impreza, this is a smashing success. It's still hard for me to believe that it cost less than my 10 year old Forester and 10 year old $$ when new and is improved in all areas.
John
Based on the Crosstek specs, the 2013 Limiteds will probably get a back-up camera.
I've paid the same price (~$22,500) for my last 3 cars.
'96 Outback 4EAT - Base model w/ AWP, CD changer, trailer hitch
'03 Outback 4EAT - Base model (included AWP and single CD)
'12 Impreza Sport Limited w/ Moonroof (CVT, AWP, leather, etc)
76.6 vs 80.1 miles is a pretty big difference!
at least compared to my old car (honda civic) google maps matched my odometer on that car to within a small fraction of a percent.
- the airbag problem some people have had
- misprogrammed ECU/TCM
- maybe offer rear camera option
- something more elegant than the black curtain near the telescoping steering
....
Thanks,
Ray
Not seen the Scan Gauge, but have been using a Garmin Ecoroute HD for some months. This plugs into the OBD II port and uses Bluetooth to communicate to my Garmin GPS device. I have found prime use is modifying my driving behaviour as it throws up a series of detailed gauges. Fuel economy is improved a bit.
I had been worried whether water pump was near failing but water temperature is reporting consistently at 83 C so happy.
Cheers
Graham
I just used it to diagnose my wife's Sienna, and it has a proper place there, too.
Good to have, and it'll certainly show you the "(deg)FWT" water temperature, together with three other parameters, if you set it up that way.
BTW, when you turn the car on, you have to push the "gauge" button to see the four gauge parameters, otherwise it sits at the init screen.
Cheers -Mathias
I use a OBD scanner with bluetooth interface (~$19)
If you already have an android, iphone, tablet,or ipad, there are apps (lot of them free) that will talk to the OBD scanner and display temperature, and lots of other data.
I'm using an android app called torque. It can show oil, water temp.
Torque, hp, output. Do 0-60 time, and many more.
I basically had fun playing with it for a couple of weeks, then haven't use it much since then.
I doubt I would want it mounted on the dash for the long term.
I you have use for a ipod touch, tablet, smartphone, you might as well buy one of those gadgets that can interface with OBD bluetooth.
It's really fun to drive, but I noticed something disturbing, when I pulled into a friend's driveway, whic has a slight dip in front of the curb cut. I heard a noise, and found that the underside of the front bumper had scraped the edge of the curb. It doesn't show from the front, but bending down to look under the car I can see a definite scrape in the paint. Is there anything that can be used to protect that area of the bumper? This never happened with other cars, but the clearance seems very low, and curb cuts in New York City are not always the smoothest. I'm also thinking of ordering the rear bumper cover that flaps over the back, for safety when parking on the street.
Anyone else have ideas on protecting the finish in a city environment? I didn't get the bumper appliqué and don't know if that would offer enough protection.
This forum has been really helpful in the whole buying process, thanks!