2012 Subaru Impreza

angitherias · February 2012

The sales manager at the dealer near my area is suggesting a aftermarket command start instead of the factory one, stating it has greater range and stuff. Anyone have any problems with the factory command start, any comments?

thom52 · February 2012

iliketoshift wrote: "Buyers with no tolerance for mechanical problems should stick with Toyota or Honda...."

OK, this strikes me as one of the oddest defenses of a car brand that I have heard! Sort of answers the original question the poster put in, asking about reliability? Sort of rattles ME, as a first time Subaru owner.

I came from about 40 years of toyotas and Hondas, and one disastrous attempt with a Ford, into my first Subaru with the Impreza.
Never had to do any waiting when I started a car, just turned the key to full on and off I went, first time, every time. So its definitely a learning curve to wait until the dials quit waving at me. IF that is the worst idiosyncracey I find in this car and IF that ACTUALLY is all it takes, I am OK.

So far on another Impreza forum, only one person has said that has NOT solved HIS sporadic starting issue. There are a LOT of people chiming in with this issue/quirk on that forum. I think a bunch of us are testing the two step starting procedure as a solution. Time will tell. IF that is it, probably very few would give up the Impreza. Its just plain a fun, solid car to drive.

Nice to hear that its good odds Subaru fixed the headgasket issue. I gambled on that had to be hitting Subaru's bottom line hard enough to fix that glaring problem.

pao · February 2012

we bought an 11 Outback in Dec 10....and when it came time to replace the 04 Malibu Maxx with 200K on it....we went right back to Subaru and got the 12 Impreza in Dec 11...almost exactly one year between purchases....love both vehicles.....with the exception of one minor recall on the Outback, not a problem on either car...coming up on 20K on the Outback....

we drive these cars more than our 09 Cadillac CTS which sits in the garage these days....

ateixeira · February 2012

Impreza!

On top of that Subaru is the #1 brand overall. So Impreza is the best from the best.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120228/OEM/120229878/1283

Buyers with no tolerance for mechanical problems should stick with ~~Toyota or Honda~~ Subaru or Mazda. :shades:

This will come out in the April issue. The marketing value of this is *HUGE*.

Residuals on all your Imprezas just shot up a good 3-5%. KA-CHING! If they put the Impreza on the cover of the April issue, which seems likely, then make it 6-8%.

bpizzuti · February 2012

Don't WRXes already go UP in value after purchase?

flopka · February 2012

I'm a brand new '12 Impreza owner (5door), and I too have had the startup issue. It was a bit of a disappointment to try to start up the car the day after I got it (in 30 degree weather, which is not very cold) and have the long cranking issue.

However, so far the "hold it in ON" solution is working for me, though it's only been less than a week of driving the car. It's hard to tell if this is really cold weather related, or if the fuel system is simply bleeding off too much pressure after a "long" (more than 12 hour) sit in the driveway. Glad to know I'm not the only '12 owner who is having this issue. It's only happened twice so far, but both times it happened, the car had sat for more than 14 hours and I didn't hold it in "ON" past five seconds.

Didn't the 2010 Foresters have this exact same issue? Wasn't it a software problem they recalled it for?

Question: I'm new to CVT, too. What is this car supposed to sound like? I've never had a Subaru. The car has a sort of high-ish sound when accelerating from a dead stop. Gradually as I drive the car, this noise occurs less and less and I don't hear it really when it's up to 20-30mph. Is this sound normal? I have no idea. Car is performing well in terms of power and pickup, though.

Glad to find some other '12 Impreza owners...

flopka · February 2012

I ordered my Premium 5-door the last week of December and I was told it would be about 8 weeks to delivery. The salesman turned out to be accurate about the time frame... they did try to sell me one from the lot after a month had passed (watch out for that), but it was just what car salesmen do, they figure you might freak out that your car hasn't come after a month and change your mind. Nothing sleazy, they were just hoping to get lucky. I told them no :-)

In any case, a month later I was told they been "awarded" the car (the factory makes a car and matches it with a dealership that wants that specific car), and I was kept pretty well informed for the rest of the month about where the car was and when it might arrive.

larry1135 · February 2012

@ flopka regarding long start up.

I can't remember where I read or heard this from (I think I read it in some Honda Accord lit) but I do recall that sometimes there can be a delay or longer starting due to the onboard computer calibrating the air/fuel mixture as well as some other possible start up items. Kind of like a desktop PC that goes through POST power on self test. So, this maybe what you are experiencing 5 seconds is not to bad.

xwesx · February 2012

Trying to start immediately and experiencing a delay really isn't an uncommon occurrence. It won't happen every time, but it also isn't unusual. All of my Subarus did this, as does my Escort. Give them a few seconds, and they start quick, easy, and every time.

kanjii · February 2012

Motorweek also gave the Impreza Top pick also in the small car category :shades:

ateixeira · February 2012

The publicity won't hurt sales.

It may be a while before we see a lot of 5 doors in stock on dealer lots, though. They're still short on supply and around me pre-sell most of them.

jd_24 · February 2012

I'm looking to get a new Impreza. I'd like to have automatic headlights as much as pssible, but I'm not going for the limited version. Most likely the premium 5 door. My question is do the headlights turn off when the key is removed or engine shut off?

On my 2001 Outback I just leave the headlights on all the time. When I shut it off and remove the key the lights go off.

The owners manual that I found online seemed to say the lights stay on and you get a chime whne you open the door and the lights are still on.

kagantuncy · February 2012

No issues what so ever! I enjoy more everyday with my 5 door impreza.

kagantuncy · February 2012

They go off

xwesx · March 2012

I should hope so! That feature has been on every Subaru model since the 1990s, so not having it now would be a big step backward. :sick:

flopka · March 2012

But the manual does seem to imply that they DON'T go off...see here:

Before leaving the vehicle, make
sure that the light control switch
is turned to the â â (off) position.
If the vehicle is left unattended
for a long time with the light
control switch set to a position
other than â â (off) position, the
battery may be discharged.

Even if the key is removed from the
ignition switch, the lights can be illuminated
by operating the light control
switch from the â â (off) position to the
â â or â â position. .

If the driverâs door is opened while
the lights are illuminated and the key is
removed from the ignition switch, the
chirp sound informs the driver that the
lights are illuminated.

xwesx · March 2012

Oh, I understand where the confusion is coming from now.

If you are driving the car with the lights on, park it, and remove the key, the lights will turn off by themselves when they key is removed. Now, if you turn the lights off (on the switch) while the key is not in there, and then turn the light switch back to 'on,' the lights will stay on regardless of the key's presence (or yours for that matter!).

In that scenario, the chime will occur when you open the driver door to remind you the lights are on. If you opt to ignore it and walk away, you'll likely return to a dead battery!

On the other hand, if you buy the car, set the lights to "on" and leave them there indefinitely, they'll always be on when you put the key in the ignition and off when you take it out.

Does that make sense? I suppose I could make up a video demonstration on my own car (it's a '10 Forester rather than a '12 Impreza), but hopefully the explanation above is clear.

debbadoo2 · March 2012

For those of you who park your Impreza outside regularly in the rain, have you noticed the problem with the weep holes not draining until you open the door, and then an excessive amount of water runs out? I've seen several people comment on this and have read about the same issue with other cars. Apparently the holes are draining okay, but not until after you open the door which means a substantial amount of water has accumulated in the door in the meantime. This concerns me, as I do have to park outside. I've never had this issue with any other car but I guess it is not that uncommon, depending how the door seals are designed. It sounds like the holes are somewhat blocked when the door is closed which does not allow enough water to escape when it rains hard.

flopka · March 2012

I haven't noticed this yet, but then again I'm in the Northeast and we have had no heavy rain this winter. I'll keep an eye out for it though.

flopka · March 2012

Thought I'd share this incident here because it may be Subaru-related, maybe not... While driving home yesterday, I was almost home when the Impreza started emitting a dreadful high scratchy metallic squeal on the driver's side, seemingly from under the car or around a wheel. "What!" I thought "Already?!" (the car is a week old) I pulled in the driveway, then immediately thought to test drive it around the block a few times... and mysteriously the squeal was gone.

I'm almost positive that I somehow picked up a rock or pebble from the road (dirty winter road, no street cleaners) and it got caught in a wheel or brake caliper somehow. I went online to research this and came across an interesting comment from someone who used to work for a Subaru dealer and he said that Subarus are sort of notorious for picking up road debris occasionally this way. Anyone else had this experience?

In any case, it's said that 90% of the time, going in reverse will kick out the stone. I would guess that driving with such a squeal might result in nasty scarring to whatever is rubbing against a foreign object. Anyhow, glad that the noise seems to be all gone - it was very unnerving to hear in a brand new car!

xwesx · March 2012

That will happen from time to time, and reverse is generally the best way to eject it, combined with repeated forceful applications of the brakes. If that doesn't do the trick, just lift that corner with the jack, remove the wheel, and physically remove it.

I'm not sure that Subaru does it any more or less than other cars. Disc brakes are certainly more prone to them than drums were (hey, I still have two vehicles with four-wheel drums!), but that's about it.

xwesx · March 2012

That's not good! This is a known thing on many models? I guess it wouldn't be too much of a problem if the vehicle is used daily, but let it sit for a little while and one could have a sizable puddle in there! Stopped drain holes are the single largest contributor to "rusty door syndrome" on old cars.

onemodog · March 2012

6 Weeks tomorrow since I drove my Subie home for dealer. So far all is well. I am avg about 27 mpgs and coming up on my first oil change (will do it between 3000-3200. Currently at 2650 miles). I am hoping for another 1-2 mpg after the change but am not expecting to hit my goal of 30+ mpgs until it warms up.
The car is fun to drive though I wish it had just a bit more oomph off the line (have a Sport Premium CVT). Ive been pushing the car a bit harder since I hit 1500 miles and I must say it has handled well.
The tires handle well in wet weather but I havent had a serious storm yet, just some mild ones.
Last night I saw the Impreza commercial where the car is in the snow showing its AWD off. Looked like fun. My wife and I decided a drive to Tahoe is in our immediate future.
All in all, I am happy with my purchase.

debbadoo2 · March 2012

thom52, has your wife had any recent issues with the slow cranking now that you are following the "prescribed" startup procedure?

thom52 · March 2012

debadoo2 wrote:"thom52, has your wife had any recent issues with the slow cranking now that you are following the "prescribed" startup procedure"

NO problem with hard cranking, ever since she started turning the key to "ON" and waiting for the gages to stop waving at her. (and not touching the gas pedal!)
There is a theory that you only have to do this after its been sitting for a long time, like overnight, but its simpler for her to use the same procedure all the time, so its a habit and no more worries.

One person claims they had a hard start even with doing this. I can't confirm that he followed the simple instructions EXACTLY, and no one else seems to have had further problems. Yet.

My wife LOVES the car. Absolutely no regrets. We are currently getting about 28mpg with mixed driving. (Premium hatchback, CVT, basic 16" alloy wheels, approx 500 miles.) :shades:

odie6l · March 2012

I know it was probably an honest mistake, but I got a good laugh not once, but twice this week.

The dealer that I have been working with decided to send me a letter in the mail (twice) congratulating and thanking me for making my purchase of my brand new Subaru Impreze Sport Premium with them. It goes on to say they hope I have many years of great adventures with the vehicle and to contact them is there is anything they can do to assist me with any upgrades or additional purchases. With one of them was also a Sample copy of their Customer Survey that has been filled out to show you how a perfect survey should look and that they hope that when mine arrives in the next week or so that I will be able to fill it out the same.

Thought it was kinda funny, but if I do happen to get the survey in the mail, that will be the icing on the preverbial cake.

Odie

kanjii · March 2012

I'm a little PO'd today. Last night, my oil light came on and I only have 2126 miles on the Subie. What the heck? :mad: I checked to see if there is any oil leaks, none. I really hope this is not an oil guzzler. I emailed Subaru USA about it. They said if it needs a quart of oil at 1200 mile or a liter at 2000 to call your dealer/service. This is not good. Have any of you have this problem? I heard the older model engines eat a lot of oil.

ateixeira · March 2012

Well, it is break-in, plus the oil level may have been low to begin with. The dealer is supposed to check that at the PDI.

Had you checked the oil level before now?

xwesx · March 2012

No, significant oil use is not typical (even on the EJ engines). Unless you checked it prior and it was full, I wouldn't start worrying about it yet because it may have been low from the start. Definitely keep an eye on it, though.

kanjii · March 2012

No, this is the first time I checked. I did call Subaru service and this was the first he heard it too. Never happened to my Nissan and Hondas. I thought maybe this is due to a boxer engine. I don't know. Well, I'm off on vacation for a few weeks and the car is in the garage, I guess I can get a qt of oil and put it in just to be safe.

ateixeira · March 2012

I'd start a log, check it each time you fill up with gas, or every 500 miles or so.

Industry standard is <1 quart per 1000 miles is OK, but I'd be concerned and document it now in case it is a real problem and especially if it gets worse.

I'm betting it's a one time thing.

kanjii · March 2012

I hope so AT, We all didn't buy a Subie to save gas, but in return need to add oil, let alone synthetic oil too

ateixeira · March 2012

That's why I doubt it's burning that much...we'll know in the next month or so if there is consumption or it was just low to begin with.

pao · March 2012

there is a short paragraph in the owners manual that states if you see an abnormal oil consumption during breakin...to call service.....there was one other case of low oil over on the nasioc site.......do take into service to get it documented.and also notify SOA.....

6600 happy miles for me so far without any problems...

kanjii · March 2012

Thanks PAO, email sent to SOA and called my Subaru dealer and service.

larry1135 · March 2012

So, we started negotiating the price yesterday which they are being more difficult then usual when I got home I noticed the paper work the sales person wrote notes on was for a PZEV model which here in Illinois we are not required to have and we did not ask for it.

So, any pros or cons to taking this off the order? I'm thinking we don't want it as it is just more stuff to worry about under the hood.

dcm61 · March 2012

I noticed the paper work the sales person wrote notes on was for a PZEV model which here in Illinois we are not required to have and we did not ask for it.

Per cars101.com: All Foresters and Imprezas to have clean burning PZEV emissions starting with April 2012 production! No Fed spec Impreza or Forester orders will be accepted after March 1st.

pao · March 2012

it was a requirement here in MD..adds $300 to the cost of the vehicle...but as noted above.....its not an option any more....based on production..go to trucar to get an idea of the regional selling price of the car....

ateixeira · March 2012

PZEV models have to meet a longer emissions warranty and supposedly use more durable emissions equipment.

On the Forester you got a bonus 5hp as well, so I happily paid extra for it.

raycc · March 2012

I just got a 2012 Impreza and I notice that their is no Engine temperature display. Is that right, is really not their or I'm not just not looking hard enough?

flopka · March 2012

It's really not there. Welcome to the age of the idiot light.

I'm going to have a true temperature gauge installed if I can.

xwesx · March 2012

Consider a ScanGauge - it is a whole lot more than just a temp gauge, and the price is pretty reasonable. I haven't sprung for one yet, but I'm keeping it on the short list!

xwesx · March 2012

I do believe that the additional warranty only applies in those states that require the CARB (California Air Resources Board) spec. Right now, that includes seventeen states.

raycc · March 2012

If anyone have installed a Engine temperature gauge, please share on how you do it .

Thanks

pao · March 2012

you are correct...many of us subie owners have long complained they need to replace the MPG meter with a functional and usable water temp or oil pressure gauge....otherwise enjoy the car.....love mine.....approaching 7K on it in three months!!

flopka · March 2012

Thanks for the Scangauge tip... I'll keep it in mind. My former car was a VW Beetle which had the same idiot light system - flashing blue, flashing red, steady red... arggh, just tell me whether my temp actually is, willya?

ateixeira · March 2012

True, but I'd bet the mean time to failure is greater for those likely more durable parts.

xwesx · March 2012

I agree. That lack of additional warranty didn't stop me from choosing PZEV as well. Most I see on the road here have the PZEV batch on their hatch. I see more Legacy without the badge than any other.

I'm a little annoyed that the plastichrome covering on my car's badge flaked off the "PZE." That said, I can handle a little aesthetic blemish; I do drive a '98 Escort, after all! :P

ateixeira · March 2012

So it's just "Vehicle" now?

Too bad it wasn't just the "P".

dcm61 · March 2012

I'm a little annoyed that the plastichrome covering on my car's badge flaked off the "PZE."

The Impreza (and probably the Forester) is losing the PZEV badge and being replaced with a sticker.

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2012 Subaru Impreza

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