Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

damish003 · July 2003

Got it...will try.

-Dan-

ateixeira · July 2003

She's still around, in fact she just got Patti's old account straightened out for us.

-juice

barriostkd · August 2003

Does anybody know if the stock WRX wheels will fit my '95 OBS? I recently purchased a WRX and was thinking of buying aftermarket Rota rims, but was wondering if I could put the stock rims in my old car. Please advise.

Thanks!

-James B.

paisan · August 2003

Yup they'll fit. I have ran the WRX wheels on my '96 Impreza L. I currently run '00 RS wheels on it.

-mike

damish003 · August 2003

Well, reality has now hit like a wet blanket. My brand new 2004 OBS, which was getting over 30 mpg on the highway, is now getting a highway/city mix average of about 25-26. This seems to be in line with what others get. I shouldn't have mentioned the good mileage...I'm thinking I jinxed it

On the other hand, it's still much better than the Jeep GC I had before, and it's a blast to drive, so I really can't complain. It was nice while it lasted, though.

Juice- you asked if I've tried pushing the engine a bit. Yes, I have been driving it more aggressively than when I got it, which likely accounts for the mileage drop. Anyway, the OBS isn't going to take on cars off the line at a stop, except for Civics and Neons perhaps, but it keeps up just fine. Nice, smooth power up hills. It doesn't seem to be straining at all. Of course, being able to take corners at speeds that would have been ill-advised in my Jeep more than makes up for the lack of big-time power. If I wanted a race car, the WRX would have been better, but this thing has more than sufficient giddy up for my needs. Go take one for a spin sometime, you'll enjoy it!

-Dan-

jmetz2 · August 2003

I was all set to purchase a used Subaru Outback when I began to read about wheel bearing problems - specifically comments by those who own 1998 and 1999. Has this problem been addressed in the 2000 version and later or it just hasn't emerged yet? Any infor would be GREATLY appreciated as I can't afford a 300.00 per bearing fix! I have two options this weekend - one at 1998 at 77,000 and one 2000 at 50,000. Should I go for the 2000 year one?

ateixeira · August 2003

The new bearing design started with the 2002 Impreza models.

So the Impreza Outback Sport had the old bearings up until 2001. They'll be noisy if they are failing, FWIW, you should be able to hear it with the windows open and the stereo off.

Now, thing is, at that mileage, if they are quiet, they'll probably last a long time. They would already have failed by now.

The 2000 model has a little powertrain warranty left, I'd look at that one.

Legacy and Outback were not affected, in fact they replace Impreza/Forester bearings with those designs.

-juice

lotboy · September 2003

Hello everyone,I am new to this site.I have a 2002 Impreza that I'm looking at with 29,000 miles on it or 46,000km.It is a manual and priced at $17,000 CAN.I need someone knowledgable to answer a few questions for me please.

1)At what milage or kilometres does the timing belt need replacing on a 2.5 Impreza TS?

2)Are these cars really not too bad on fuel compared to say like a Ford Probe GT 2.5 V6 even though they have AWD?

3)Are maitenance costs higher but these cars are in the shop less?What about parts costs and availability?

4)Is there any advantages of buying a 2002 Impreza TS as compared to a 1999?Improvements or anything I should know about?

5)Is the engine in the Impreza 2.5TS the "Boxer engine" or is it called something else?

6)Is the vehicle I am looking at a rare find and kind of hard to get?2002 Impreza TS 5 Speed,black!

revka · September 2003

Hi lotboy - Have you had a chance to plug your vehicle/s into Edmunds' Maintenance Guide? In addition to recalls and tsbs, you can also look up manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules plus estimated parts and labor costs for your make/model.

Also, our Used Car Guide lists all the standard features and specifications for each model year; look for Car Features in the left hand column of the individual used car pages. Others here may have more to add....

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

rbleland · September 2003

.. on your TS queries. I own an '02 TS in black (actually a very dark blue called Midnight Black Met.) with 5 spd. I only have about 18000 kms on mine and have had it about 17 months. I don't think it is particularily rare as I have seen a number of them here. My fuel mileage runs about 28 mpg in town and about 33 or so on the hiway (calculated in old manner with Cdn. gallons, of course). I have not heard of maintenance costs being higher. Mine has been no problem other than an overly sensitive CEL sensor, replaced under warranty. The '02 TS has more engine than the '99. The '02 has the 2.5 litre boxer engine rated at 165 hp/166 lbft torque. The '99 engine is less but not sure of figures (hp is about 132 I think). I haven't checked my book but think timing belt is good to at least 100,000 kms. Hope this helps. PS - I put on 4 snows on separate rims in the winter and can go anywhere with it.

ateixeira · September 2003

The only extra maintenance item is the rear differential fluid. That should be done every 60k or so, and it's about as easy as an oil change (remove two bolts, drain, replace one bolt, fill with 75w90, replace 2nd bolt). I've done it on a Miata, took less than an hour (first time, learning curve).

Interestingly, we owned a 626 V6, same engine in that Probe, and my wife traded that in for a Legacy L, same engine in that TS!

The Legacy is more fuel efficient PLUS it uses regular fuel. The V6 uses a recommended premium. Our fuel costs are way, way down. The Legacy gets about +2mpg better than our old V6, plus the 87 octane is 20 cents cheaper per gallon. Range is also better.

The TS is a lot lighter than the Legacy L. The Probe is also a little lighter than the 626 V6 was, but not by as much.

-juice

billyjolam · September 2003

My new 2004 OBS has only 1100km (~700 miles) on it so far. However, I got only 19 mpg for mixed city/Hwy drive. Is it normal? How long it normally takes to get a better mileage ? Thx.

-Billy-

damish003 · September 2003

Billy,

Only 19 mpg?? That sounds very low. When I got my new 2004 OBS, straight hiway mileage was 33-34, with city being 28-30. With over 4k miles on it now, mixed city/hiway is 27-29, with straight hiway at 30-31. I'm getting somewhat higher than the book says I should, but you're getting lower than expected. Without knowing how you drive, all I can say is try driving without quick stops/starts. You might want to try another brand of gas, in case what you're using is sub-standard. 87 octane is just fine, though. Of course, they say that mileage will improve over time, but 19 seems ridiculous.

-Dan-

ateixeira · September 2003

Don't even bother measuring until you're past the 1000 mile break-in.

Even then, it'll improve by about +2mpg once it's no longer so green. Mine did.

-juice

lotboy · September 2003

I appreciate your help,thankyou very much.
You said you see a fair amount of TS's around,do you live in western Canada?I live in southern Ontario,wish I was back out west though.
Does your car have descent passing power at highway speeds?And you mentioned you put snow tires and wheels on your car,how much did that cost you approx. and what tires and wheels did you select?
Is your car almost as good as 4x4 or is it different?Probably depends on depth of snow or mud etc...
If you have time fire me back a response,cheers Rick!

DD

I like Camry's too!

lotboy · September 2003

I appreciate your response,very interesting.I own a 1994 Probe GT at the moment,it's pretty good on gas....want a car better in snow now though....
Cheers!!!from Canada dude!!!

DD

rbleland · September 2003

...my files are all out of the house as we were just recently under Evac. Order because of the serious forest fires here; so my answers to you are based on memory for now. There seems to be a fair number of '02 and newer TSs in Western Canada as I have noticed them in Alberta as well as here in southern B.C. interior and at the Coast. My TS is good at hiway speeds although you have to dump down from 5th to 4th for better accel. I have been to Vancouver several times with it and no problem keeping up (or exceeding traffic). My snows are Yokohoma 720s and are mounted on 4 steel rims that I bought very slightly used from local Subie dealer (came off another new Subie). I think my tires were in the $100 apiece range. I think the TS (or any AWD vehicle) is superior to 4x4 in that all 4 wheels are getting power always (split 50-50 on standard shift TSs). Many 4x4 are not 4wheel until some action is taken; either by the driver or by the computer. AWD is better IMO. The only thing you would not be doing in the TS is going seriously off-road, it's not got the clearance nor the HD suspension. So, how many AWD or 4x4 vehicles go seriously off-road? Maybe 5 or 10%. I have owned several 4x4 vehicles and prefer the AWD for snow and ice. Better for braking also with standard shift and lower center of gravity than most 4x4s. Hope this helps.

ateixeira · September 2003

I think you'll get about +2mpg plus much better snow traction, go for it!

)

-juice

lotboy · September 2003

Cheers guys,thanks for your time,it's been fun.

DD

PS-rbleland,do you know a guy named Dave Ross by chance?We use to fly together for Peace Air based out of Peace River AB.It's in the north...where I learned my lesson about driving without enough traction...

rbleland · September 2003

Western Canada is a big place!! :>))

lumbar · September 2003

Had an odd experience after a dealer oil change on our '99 OBS. After picking it up, both wife and I noticed the friction point of the clutch was noticeably lower to the floor.

Although I have the usual distrust of mechanics, I think this has to be written off as coincidence since all they did was the oil change but there's no question it was contemporaneous.

Anyway, this is the first mechanical issue of any kind with this vehicle. Mileage is 52,500 and the dealer indicates problems with the slave cylinder at about this point. On my previous MT cars., I'm used to getting away with an "adjustment" initially. Anybody have any thoughts/knowledge on this.

ateixeira · September 2003

I had to rebuild the leaky clutch slave cylinder on my Miata recently, and it had just 42k miles. Nonetheless, the rebuild kit was just $10 or so. If you can bleed brakes, you can rebuild a clutch slave.

Check the fluid level, is it low? Better to fix then not know, you could end up stranded if it leaks enough. The line takes brake fluid.

-juice

PS I don't believe it's linked to the engine oil in any way, my guess is it's just a coincidence

lotboy · September 2003

I have been tossing the idea back and forth about getting another car to replace my 94 Probe GT.Basically should I patch up the one I have and make it last or sell it while it will still pass saftey/emissions testing and I can get a buck for it.However, I still owe money against it.Do any of you think it is cheaper to fix up a car and keep driving it compared to buying another one?I want an Impreza TS around a 2002 model to replace my reliable Probe GT.
My Probe has 278,000km or approx. 183,000 miles on it and still runs fine.It does need a bit of work though,like a clutch I would say within the next year and an oxygen sensor too.I could explain somemore but I think you get the jist of it!
I would appreciate some advice from you fellow drivers.

Thanks!

DD

PS-Anyone heard that Toyota kicked Chrysler out of 3rd spot as far as the Big 3 goes????

nippononly · September 2003

...my '97 had a cable clutch...the '99s had hydraulic clutches by then?

With the cable clutch, the routing of the cable was important to the operation of the clutch, and I remember one time after a major maintenance it was routed wrongly and the clutch was right on the floor. Took it back, they put it back in its bracket or on its path or whatever it was, problem solved.

It never actually needed any clutch repair the whole time I had it.

damish003 · September 2003

I hate to say "it depends", but, "it depends". It's hard to know what it will cost to fix the Probe, but if it's been a very reliable car, it might be worth a few bucks to fix. Getting a new car almost always will cost more, even going with a 2002. And not for nothing, but if you are owing money against a 10 year old car, you're likely to be better off by taking care of that problem before trying to figure out what you could get for the Probe on resale. It would simplify the issue.

-Dan-

ateixeira · September 2003

You might want to milk it until it's paid off. You sure put a lot of miles within the term of your loan!

A clutch is, what, $400 at least? Get a Bosch O2 sensor for about $70. Neither of those are huge repairs, but of course you want to sell before you do get a huge repair bill. It's a tough call, but you're the owner and in the best position to determine its reliability.

It's probably not worth much, so milk it for a while, then when a major failure occurs just donate it. That's what I would do.

-juice

lotboy · September 2003

Thankyou guys,you had some good points I never thought of yet.
Hmm,I am probably best to keep it going and pay off the remainder of it.
I have put a crap load of miles on the car because the car has been across Canada 5 times...looking for flying jobs,I'm a Commercial Pilot(kind of a rookie though).And I use to live in Northern Alberta Canada.
Cheers guys,

DD

lmp180psu · September 2003

My mom needed a new car to replace her totaled 97 Escort, and decided she wanted/needed all the safety features (AWD, ABS, EBFD, disc brakes etc.)that the Outback had to offer, after her accident.

I used the price quote service here on Edmunds, and email 6-7 dealers. 3 replied within the next day, and we went with Glanzmann Subaru in Jenkintown, PA. The price was 18,6XX after the 750 dealer incentive factored in( or about 500 under invoice). The car is Woodland Green with armrest extension, air filter, cargo net, and splash guards. They charged a $99 document fee, but didn't charge to get the car from another dealer. They also offer the first 3000 mile oil change for free, lifetime emissions/inspection for free, and free rental if the car is in for any service. Very professional low pressure sale, knowledgeable about the product. In and out in about an hour. Picking it up Monday or Tuesday. Hopefully F&I is just as nice

Will update as she begins her ownership experience.

revka · September 2003

Congrats on your mom's 04 Outback purchase! We look forward to your future updates. ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

lumbar · September 2003

I posted a little while back about excessive play in the clutch on our OBS at about 52,500 m.

Just a follow-up for anyone, like me, who did not know that this model does not have hydraulics but apparently uses a cable. Our dealer's service manager had even forgotten this. I'm assuming it's true because the mechanic said so!

lmp180psu · September 2003

Thank you for the reply Revka, and I am looking forward to seeing how safe/stable this car is!

I have a question about the 2 switches/buttons that are just below the armrest area on Outback Sport. What is their function? I didn't notice them during the test drive. Hopefully we will find out today 9/15 or tomorrow when we take delivery, but I would like to know beforehand because I am curious

I know heated seats aren't available, and the back seat window switches are on the driver's door.

Thanks for any replies, Lou

hypov · September 2003

Lou-
The two switches. Is the icon on either switch a chair with wigglely lines? That would be for the heated seats.

-Dave

lmp180psu · September 2003

that the icon was a chair w/ wiggly lines or not, since the pictures I have seen have been from too far a distance to decipher the symbol. I guess I'll find out today or tomorrow. Heated seats would be nice though

ateixeira · September 2003

I didn't think the OBS had those...

Most Outbacks (not Sport) do.

-juice

cbmorton · September 2003

Heated seats are standard in the OBS for the Canadian market, so that's where the heated seat switches go. However, if the car doesn't have heated seats (like our 2.5 TS), there are still two switch blanks there that could look like switches until you take a closer look.

ateixeira · September 2003

Those lucky Canucks!

-juice

lmp180psu · September 2003

I saw those pics on Carsdirect for a 2003 Outback Sport. So maybe they had pics of the Canadian version? I will probably find out tomorrow

)

lotboy · September 2003

What year is your TS?How do you like it?I may be looking for a 2002 Impreza TS manual!

DD

PS-do you know anyone that is selling one or a descent place to purchase one,they're kind of hard to find?

cbmorton · September 2003

Sorry, I meant our 2.5TS as in the Canadian-market 2.5TS, not one I personally drive. I'm also still in the looking phase, trying to decide between the TS and the OBS ($4000 difference) so that's how I come to have the spec sheet memorised. My dealer always has lots of new TS wagons in stock but people seem to hang onto them once they buy them, so I also notice that used ones are rare.

rbleland · September 2003

cbmorton - I went thru same choice in March02 between the OBS and the TS (different content in Canada from US cars). I decided that the extra $ for the OBS was not worth it and I have never been sorry for that choice. You can add cargo cover, rear bumber rubber pad, etc. to the TS. The larger wheels, heated seats and a few other itmes just do not add up to me. In the US, the TS is more contented so the choice is tougher.

cbmorton · September 2003

rbleland, you're right, I think the TS is a screaming deal for what you get, considering the mechanicals and all essential equipment is the same between it and the OBS. I haven't decided yet whether to buy or lease--I usually lease, and on a three-year lease the OBS is only $16/month more (tax included) than the TS, due to the OBS's higher residual value, lower interest rate and better dealer discount. On the other hand, the TS offers better purchase financing (3.8% vs 4.8%) and upgrades can be added later, like you say. I should know next week which way I'll end up going.

lotboy · September 2003

I was looking at a '03 compared to a '04 last night and can anyone tell me if there is any vast improvements over the '03 model besides a face lift?I think the 2004 had rear disc brakes and the 2003 didn't?
Just wondering if I'd be better off with the new re-designed Impreza?
Thanks to anyone with some info!

DD

cbmorton · September 2003

The addition of rear discs with EBD was the biggest improvement. The 04 TS also got standard roof rails, safer head restraints and brake pedal, a revised suspension, slightly redesigned dash and gauges, a chirp for the keyless entry, a revised driver's seat height adjuster, and lost the key lock on the rear hatch.

lotboy · September 2003

Thankyou very much cbmorton....what does EBD stand for anyway?Electronic Braking ???something.
Have a good weekend!

DD

damish003 · September 2003

Also, the 04 has the radio antenna built into the rear window. Much nicer look that way.

-Dan-

ateixeira · September 2003

In the US, the difference is sometimes just $700. That would be a no-brainer, but $4000 canadian is a different story (despite a little extra content in the Canadian OBS).

-juice

cbmorton · September 2003

EBD=Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.

The only equipment difference I can find for our OBS is that we get heated seats, not available in the US. However, in US dollars, we pay $900 more for the car. Interestingly, our TS costs US$900 less than the TS does south of the border, and we only give up the standard cargo cover. So that accounts for the additional price spread up here.

At any rate, I decided to go with the OBS, 5MT, due to the better lease deal available. Added the accessory tweeters, black mudguards and hatch spoiler. The dealer is also getting a power sunroof put in and 3M paint protection film on the front end. This will be my first AWD car, so I'm actually looking forward to snow this year.

damish003 · September 2003

Brent-

Like you, I'll be driving my first AWD vehicle, a 2004 OBS 4AT, thru the snows of Erie, PA, just across the pond from you. Leased mine too, but since I'm enjoying it so much I may end up purchasing it at the lease-end. Let me know how the 3M protection works. Thru the summer, it's been a bug magnet, and I've been thinking of some protection for it. Good choice on the tweeters, I should have had that done. Still might this winter. Heated seats...I'm so jealous! Wish we could get those. Good luck with the car.

-Dan-

billyjolam · September 2003

Do you have Heated Side Mirror too in US model?

Billy

cbmorton · September 2003

Thanks, Dan. We have several Erie TV stations on our cable over here and I sometimes feel like I almost live there. Have only passed through once on my way to Pittsburgh, however, but I remember the great view down to the lake from the highway.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the 3M film works as well. Thin, easily-chipped paint seems to be a universal new car complaint these days so I thought I'd try it out. My current car has a hood deflector that saved the hood, but the rest of the front end has more chips and nicks in it than I'd like to have seen.

Good to know you're enjoying the car. It'll still be a couple of weeks til I get mine, but I can't wait to try it out.

Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport &amp; TS

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