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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS
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piya - congrats!
I'm waiting over 7 weeks for mine, and I am more than a little p'd off. I would have been satisfied if my salesman had made a couple of phone calls - with my VIN, which he said he would do, and to let me know where the car was, approximately, like Van Bortel did for action. I have heard nothing and he won't return my calls. I was told 6-8 weeks so I'm still on schedule but...no recommendation from me.
Call 1800Subaru3 and see if they can help you. Also, let them know you're having problems communicating with the dealer.
Dennis
Once I have time to take some pix of the new car, I'll post them, and give a more thorough review of my first week's impressions of the new OBS (very favorable).
-Action
But, anyway, it is a nice car and should last you a good long time.
ramon: yes, I've been wanting one of those 240hp Forester GT (turbos) for years.
The OBS' EPA dimensions may be close, but it's the square shape that gives the Forester the edge in hauling. The OBS can fit a 27" TV, but the Forester can fit an entire oversized clothes washer (on its side) still in the box, hatch closed. The roof rack also has cross rails and there are rub strips on the roof.
Still, the OBS is close in size and a bargain given all the content (gotta love them 16" alloys). I drove one and found it was more refined than my Forester, had better seats, and generally moved up a notch or two over the previous generation. It's also very attractive.
The only bad thing was weight - it was no quicker than my Forester, really (not slow, I just expected it to be faster). If I had to pick nits, the carpet is still cheap, and the sun visors are cheap, cheap plastic.
But look at the price/content, and you can't beat it for a sporty little AWD wagon.
-juice
Minivans: seen as kid-transports and are very family oriented,
SUVs: rugged and outdoorsy (although I think more and more they're viewed as modern-day minivans)
sports cars, sedans etc, all have their own images.....
However, the OBS has a unique niche in that it is not really a sports car (except maybe the WRX!), not really an SUV, and not really a station wagon. Just wondering what your views were on this. Thanks!
-TI
I'm serious.
-juice
Leo
So I did a Plus One, with a little extra width, to 225/60R16. My rims are 16"x7", which is actually wider than the Forester S comes with, so the offset was 15mm further out.
The tires are Nitto NT460, basically an all-season touring tire, H rated, 460AA UTQG rated, and with a higher load rating as well. They are better in every way except for snow, but the AWD is more than enough for our mild winters. Far better dry handling, hugely better wet braking, and quieter to boot, plus longer lasting.
I have no complaints and would do the same thing again.
-juice
First, a bit about the options:
- Automatic
- Rear Spoiler
- Premium Sound Package (sub/amp, premium speakers, tweeters)
- Tailpipe Cover
- Air Filter
- Rubber Floor Mats
- Cargo Net
- Armrest Extension
- Keyless Entry
Price Paid - $19,666 (a little more than $300 over invoice, according to Edmund's)
Dealership - Vanbortel Subaru, Victor, NY (http://www.vanbortelsubaru.com)
Previous car - 1993 Nissan Sentra
General Impressions:
I'm very happy with the car so far. It really is a pleasure to drive. I'll jump straight into some specifics:
Handling - The suspension is a little harder than I'd like. The car doesn't float over bumps in the road ... you'll feel them and hear them. However, the dealer inflated my tires a little high, so that may contribute to this.
Cornering - Yes! This takes corners better than I remember it taking corners when I test drove it. My only reference is my old 93 Nissan, and there's no comparison. Now I can continue through most corners without letting up on the gas or braking, and I'm even comfortable accelerating through some corners. The car gives no indication that it wants to go skidding off the road.
Acceleration - I have been pretty easy on the gas pedal thus far. I can tell that it doesn't have the accelerating power of a real sports car (keep in mind that this is an automatic), and I haven't yet tried Celeste's idea of shifting down into first before taking off from a standstill. I'd say that the normal acceleration curve is fairly average.
Power:
Since I'm still breaking in the car, I'm keeping the RPMs below 4000. I've only had to approach that limit on one occasion when I was passing a car at 70 on a 2-lane country road. It doesn't have the passing power of a good V6, but it felt better than the average 4-banger.
Braking - the brakes are kinda soft, but they're fine. Sometimes there's a small forward surge as I'm braking. For example, let's say I'm slowing down from 45mph to stop at a red light. When I get down to around 35mph while applying constant pressure to the brakes, the car feels like it surges forward (maybe while downshifting?). Either way, it's a strange phenomenon. Should I bring this up with the dealer, or is this not uncommon?
Interior - I find the seats to be very comfortable. The interior material is very rugged and neutral-colored, leading me to believe that it will last a long time. The upper cupholder is entirely useless if you ask me. It might be a place to store an unopened drink on a cool day, but that's about it. The AC works well, and all the controls for heating/cooling are easy and well-placed. There's a nice open space above the CD player that slants downwards, so you can store things in there without the risk of them falling out as you accelerate or go around a corner.
The dashboard displays are clear and easy to read, and very attractive. However, there is no indication of cruise control's status. The "CRUISE" button lights up when you enable cruise control, but there is no indication that it's engaged. That is a real annoyance to me. Even my Sentra had a light for this!
Mileage:
On my first tank of gas, I got 25.6 miles per gallon. That was a 65/35 mix of around-town and highway driving using 87 octane. The AC was used sparingly.
Blind spot:
There had been some discussion here about the OBS's blind spot and visibility. Somebody posted a link to a AAA article about using mirrors correctly to eleiminate the blind spot. I did what was said in the article, and it works great. I removed the headrests from the back seats, and the rear visibility is even better. Backing into parking spaces etc. hasn't been a problem.
Color:
Yup, the black is rad
Features:
Of all the cars standard and optional practical features, my favorites so far are the cargo net, the rear cargo tray, the premium sound package (yeah!), keyless entry, the armrest extender. I suggest those options to everyone!
Conclusion:
That's about all for now. I enjoy the car a lot, and I don't regret my decision to buy it whatsoever. I'd be happy to answer questions, so fire away. As promised earlier, hi-res pictures sometime this weekend!
-Action
Don't be afraid to mash that brake pedal. It may feel mushy but it's extremely effective.
On the OBS black may indeed be the best color. It sets off the two-tone real nicely. Then again, most of the ones I've seen were black.
I'd be quite happy with 26mpg that early. Mileage tends to improve after break-in. Congrats.
-juice
You mentioned the car doesn't float over bumps, etc. Well, to me it's like a luxury car compared to my 84 Volvo wagon. You felt EVERY ding in the road in that car! This car (2002 OBS) is actually even smoother than my 2000 OBS was.
By the way, if you ever really need the added boost you can go from 1-2-3 gear, but from what I've been told (reprimanded) you don't want to make a regular thing out of it. Anyway, the best gas mileage does come from leaving it in drive.
I really do enjoy the sound system in this car. The tweeters really bring out the high sounds I can't even distinguish on my Bose speakers in the house!!
-juice
That silver is so nice and I'm happy we get side moulding.
*sigh* these pics will have to do til I get mine...I'm so pathetic. *sigh*
...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/subaruchat.html
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I recently brought it in to the dealer to have them install the premium sound system and my rear spoiler. Well, the sound system went in fine, and it really sounds awesome. The base is very clear, and overall the system is much louder. (Much better than stock speakers).
While I was washing my car (before I brought it in) I noticed that the front right tire looked different than the other ones. The silver hubcaps, or whatever you call them, were different than the ones on the other tires. Well, I told the dealer, and they informed me that it was actually a completely different tire. I bought the car new from them, so they were mystified as to how a different tire got on the car. They simply put on a new one for no charge, so it was no big deal, but it was kinda strange.
Well, I got the car back and the wheel was fixed and the sound was in but there was no spoiler. Unfortunately, the dealer had ordered the wrong color. (Silver instead of Midnight Black Pearl). I was very upset, but people make mistakes, and I forgive them.
I'm past the 1000 mile break-in period, so I had a chance to really test it in the poconos this weekend. If you let the rpm's get up there, the car really flies (it feels and sounds so fast). I was letting the rpm's go up to 5 1/2 before shifting. It felt really cool.
I'm still extremely happy with my car and would recommend it to anyone. Feel free to ask any questions.
Image 1:
Big (1600x1200) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs1-010625-1600.jpg
Medium (1024x768) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs1-010625-1024.jpg
Smaller - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs1crop-010625.jpg
Image 2:
Big (1600x1200) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs2-010625-1600.jpg
Medium (1024x768) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs2-010625-1024.jpg
Smaller - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs2crop-010625.jpg
Image 3:
Big (1600x1200) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs3-010625-1600.jpg
Medium (1024x768) - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs3-010625-1024.jpg
Smaller - http://www.frontiernet.net/~kjackson/obs/obs3crop-010625.jpg
I'll take more soon. Enjoy!
Saw my first '02 OBS on the streets last Sunday. They look better in motion. First I noticed a red blur zipping by then the rear fading away from view. :-)
So how do like the 2.5L zip on it, compared to the say '99 2.2L (which I have)?
Nice alloys, too.
-juice
hypov: I had the 2000 OBS with 2.2, 142 hp, manual before this one (2002 OBS). This one is automatic, so not as fast off the line as manual. However, we put on a Ganzflow air intake and from reasearching, this is said to add 15 hp along with replacing the air filter with an Amsoil or K & N. When I need to move, that car GOES!! If I really need fast acceleration from a stop, I can downshift into 1st and run thru the gears but I don't do this much as I was told is was bad for the auto transmission. But the takeoff is exceptional from 1st gear!!!
I think that's with the combo of a 2.25" catback exhaust system to get that 15hp gain. So what r u waiting for?! Go get yourself a catback exhaust!
OK update on my BuRPy... the AGX/Eibachs are going back into the car and so is my UR pulley. Oh yeah... someone's gonna be tearing up some crazy twisties this weekend! Come next week, I will have performance alignment done too!
-juice
What are they, $180 or so?
-juice
In real driving, the hood is closed and the engine's temperatures mean the air can get really hot (i.e. less dense). So it's hard to get accurate measures.
I use the hill method. There is a long, steep hill near my house, about 1/8 mile, and I do a slow rolling start to eliminate the clutch factor, then measure top speed at a specific land mark.
An intake may get you 3-5 horses, I'm guessing. Package it with a filter and a cat-back, and 15 horses sounds about right.
-juice
Stephen
Stephen
-juice
Good point though.
Stephen
And old SCC (2 years old) article did review of n/a mods on a 99 RS. with the catback and intake and AFC it netted 25hp. Not bad. But I'll be happy with 20hp gain. Also with 99 RS, they were running lean with that setup thanks to the MAF based engines. So the AFC was needed to enrich the fuel mixture. But 2000+ EJ25 cars are MAP based which means it runs rich. So no need for AFC. THo it would help to lean out the fuel mixture for gas savings. Bah screw gas! me want power power power!
There's an old saying... it is better to drive a 'slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow'. Agree?
I guess the mixed reports have me on the fence.
-juice
PS I have to agree - none of my cars are particularly fast, though they do offer best-in-class handling
Ok for the handling dept. I have set it at 2f/3r. Marked improvements over the stock suspension. my old setting for my OBS was 2f/4r. will get to that next week. Very nice and firm. I'm a happy camper now.
-juice
-juice
-juice
For inake, u cant go wrong with larry gantz' intake. For exhaust, get a catback. No point just the muffler as that only gives sound no real power gains. But I do suggest to get a silencer/resonator along with the catback since the hatch behind the OBS will amplify the drone much more than say a sedan's trunk. it's that cavernous hatch! All the best!