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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS
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Comments
Here's a direct link to Edmunds' Road Test: 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, by Erin Riches. Let us know what you think. Happy Motoring! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
It's a shame they didn't have any snow to experience the AWD system for all its worth.
-juice
And those RE92's! Patti, you must admit that those tires are probably the biggest point of criticism across the board. SoA/FHI should look at some alternatives. Even other all-season Bridgestones.
Pretty good review though.
Dennis
Tread Life
Noise
Grip
Gas Mileage
Price
For the average car driver they are fine. It's a small niche of performance drivers like you and I that find fault in them. I say, let the buyer upgrade them himself if he finds they aren't good enough on the performance side for him.
-mike
Check out the tire rack's customer survey.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp
The 950 placed 2nd while the 92 placed 14th. There have been some people here on Edmunds that wanted a better all-season tire (and not just summer performance tires) and switched to the 950.
You do have a point regarding price though.
Dennis
-juice
-Dave
-mike
I'm average (non-performance) he he :-D
-Dave
The VW comparisons are interesting and you can't really fault the tester for making them. Yes, they are somewhat more expensive, but it all depends on what you want in a vehicle. Although AWD is certainly a nice feature, it is not a "make or break" feature for everyone, including myself. I've driven FWD cars for years and, with good snow tires, and even with all-season tires, have never had a problem in the moderate weather areas where I drive. As far as handling goes, an AWD vehicle with high horse-power like the WRX will indeed have an advantage over a FWD car of equal power. But with less powerful vehicles, the AWD is less of a factor as far as performance handling is concerned.
While a loaded 6 cylinder Jetta Wagon may approach the 27k mark, I believe the Jetta 1.8T Wagon starts at $20,350 or thereabouts. Although it lacks AWD, that may not be vital to every buyer. The Jetta is in some ways a more refined feeling vehicle than the OBS (just my opinion). Better quality interior materials, better paint quality and, it offers some items as standard which the OBS can't match. More power (180hp turbo), standard antitheft & keyless entry, standard power sunroof, 4-wheel disk brakes, side airbags, available 5-speed tip-tronic automatic transmission.
I'm still leaning towards a 5-speed OBS because of the balance of what you get for the money. But after driving the Jetta Wagon and a Golf GTI, I can't really fault the VW's either. They are fine cars. It just depends on what you want and what you are willing to pay for.
My friend was looking at the VW with the base engine (or maybe the 1.8T). When she loaded it up with the options she wanted, it approached 27k. That's why she went with the Legacy GT.
Dennis
I like that VWs have character, and the Jetta wagon is attractive and practical. It's just a tad pricey for its size, and reliability is a question mark.
-juice
He said he loved VW's because they kept his service department busy because they always needed something worked on. He said however that he would never personally want one because of that! Only confirmed what I've heard and read...
Now, when I say hitch, I mean that the acceleration is not smooth from 1st to 2nd like it is in just about every other AT I've driven. This is less noticeable when I really punch it, though I'm not doing that too hard as I'm not over the magic 1000 mile mark yet.
So, before I bug the dealership to have them reprogram the AT, I was wondering if this is something many OBS owners have noticed, or if I may have a problem.
-mike
It's just the nature of the beast. Basically they have less torque converter loss which leads to longer life, but harder shifts. Nothing to worry about, eventually you'll get a technique down that will make it a little smoother. Also as it breaks in it will get smoother.
-mike
-Bryan
Congrats. Saw a white one today and I still think they are quite handsome. I've only seen about 3 on the road, so they still stand out, IMO.
I agree that reviewers don't factor all the stuff that a buyer has to. Like gas mileage, resale value, reliability. They aren't paying for the cars they test, nor are they footing the gas bill. Finally, they don't keep them long enough that reliability even matters much.
-juice
Also, when downshifting, I press clutch, put car in gear, blip throttle, let off clutch. I think I'm supposed to blip in neutral, but I couldn't get the hang of it. My way is easier, but am I doing more harm than good?
Bliping the throttle (in neutral), also referred to as "double-clutching" is a carryover from the old days of stick shift, when there wasn't any syncros. You had to double-clutch in order to avoid grinding gears. Truckers still do it on big rigs, but it's really not necessary on cars with modern manual transmissions.
Bob
Rowing up through the gears, it's less important. Anything under 3000rpm isn't going to cause much wear on the clutch anyway.
-juice
Wanna post yours?
http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=107648&referrerid=767
Dennis
I had been thinking of synthetic for a while and last December we had two consecutive weeks of temps in the teens. Every time I got in my car, I had to sit and let it warm up or I couldn't shift.
If you check the i-club, you'll see that this is a hot topic. Mainly because people have different results with the same brand of gear oil. Some people grinding gears, some having problems shifting.
Not me. :-)
Dennis
I don't know anything about transmissions to know.
I think what you're experiencing has to do with clutch shudder. In some earlier Forester's, RS's and occasionally in my car, there was a very bad shudder when cold. My problem went away after I got a new clutch for a different reason. Sometimes the car would lurch/shake ahead as you're letting off the clutch. I think a little bit of this though is considered "normal".
Check the UK Impreza Driver's Club FAQ for more info:
http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm#3.5
Dennis
Ben
Juice has towed my 5'x8' utility trailer with his 5-speed 2.5L Forester, with a load of mulch. He'd be the best one to comment on towing, even though his car is a Forester, and not an OBS.
Bob
I hauled wood chips, and when I asked for one "scoop" full, I ended up getting 3 cubic yards, a little more than I bargained for. It towed the load fine, not too much clutch slippage, but you do need to rev higher than normal.
I think 1200 lbs is okay, perhaps even without trailer brakes. You're probably going much longer distances that I was, though.
I've heard autos are better suited for towing, and something with rear disc brakes may also help (Forester S, Outback) when it comes time to stop, but odds are your OBS will get the job done, just be careful.
-juice
Stephen
Good news is I had only cosmetic damage (bumper cover and tail light). The Saturn was wasted - hood, 1/4 panel, head lights, turn signal, wheel well, tires, possible frame damage.
It was like a glass car compared to the sturdy Soob.
-juice
Ben
-mike
-juice
(if you don't get it, think about the Ford logo)
I've just passed 2000 miles and had my first oil change. Do you think the genuine Soobie oil filter is the way to go? I had the guys swap mine out for any old oil filter at the oil change place, but i could easily head to the dealer for the genuine article.
I seem to be getting about 25.5 mpg, mostly fwy driving. From full to the moment the fuel light goes on seems to be exactly 14 gallons, and I'd done 360 miles on those 14 gallons of 87 octane fuel - which is very satisfying.
My antenna still sucks at times, but i'm living with it. And my qualms about the brakes are all resolved - it was just a matter of making the transition from the Forester. I love the keyless entry - never had that till now!
I'm very interested in the conversation about the ganz flow to increase power when shifting from a stop into first gear. Once i'm through this next extra busy phase of my life i may turn some attention that way. Anybody have an opinion about why Subaru got rid of the air vent on the hood on this year's model?
best to all,
rachel
Where do you change your oil? Some filters are not so good, others are fine. There was an oil filter study that circulated, and I recall that Purolators (what Subaru uses, actually) were rated high. Also ask the shop if they use a new crush washer for the drain plug at every change.
-juice
-juice
You have to get used to the frameless doors, which can feel tinny if you close the door with the window down (they rattle). Still, the structure is solid and Subies have aced the toughest crash test in the industry, the IIHS offset test.
-juice
FWIW, the OBS I test drove felt just as quiet and solid as mine.
I guess everything is relative.
This is funny, though. The Accord got 4/4 stars in side impact tests, while the Legacy got 4/5 stars. The Forester got 5/4 stars, also better.
So looks like frameless doors win.
-juice
Anyway go to the yahoo outback sport club. This was probably 4 to 6 weeks ago. There is an album in the photo section. The pics are a pain to view as they are very large but wait till you see what impact that car took! Nothing like seeing to believe they will withstand alot...
Brekke... you did get the hang of that shifter? Any power launches yet? Just don't be tearin' up that clutch, now... Remember how paranoid you were when you got your car? I sense that you're pretty secure now.
Put it on yesterday, two steps, and it looks like glass. Very hard and reflective. Some people like that buttery soft shine and use wax over the top, but me, I'm not that picky if it just looks smooth and shiny and I'm not looking for more work to do unless I have to. It's synthetic and supposed to last at least 6 months, some say as long as 10, we'll see...
Anyway, it looks like pure sex and you should have seen heads turn when I was out driving today, what an ego trip...
Go to autopia-forums.com and learn alot about different waxes and detailing products. Geez some of those guys are crazy and waxing once a week isn't enough for them. They should be doing this for work and getting paid. Some of the guys on this forum are detailers, though, and know their stuff.
Ed
Hey, you're making me want to go out and buy some Klasse so my car can look like pure sex! Yowza! :-)
-juice