Buying a Subaru Impreza this year.

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CAMAROBOY69

CAMAROBOY69

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CAMAROBOY69
I will be getting rid of my 1996 Saturn. It has been one of the most reliable cars I have owned but we need an AWD car for Heather especially for winter. After the 2008 december winter we had and the recent layoff of plow truck drivers, I have decided I want a Subaru Impreza. They are attractive little AWD cars plus get decent gas mileage. It will be mainly for Heather in the winter but most of the time I will be driving this car.

So with that said it will have to be an automatic since she really doesnt like driving a stick. It needs to have enough power to haul 2 quads which shouldnt be a problem since we are currently using a 2000 Saturn with only 120 hp to haul 2 quads. However I really want to stay away from an WRX STI because I am pretty sure it gets worse gas mileage than a regular Impreza.

I would also like to know the pros and cons from other owners of similar cars. Does the AWD break down quite often? Any other problems I should know about before the purchase? Is the trans strong enough to handle the constant wear of the AWD? What is your average gas mileage city/highway? How is the ride comfort?

-1998-2004ish Subaru Impreza
-$2000-$5000 range.
-No sunroof.
-Must be automatic.
-No leather
-Must be blue.
-Mileage not important.
 
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I just bought a 1998 Impreza L AWD automatic wagon from a friend of mine. His wife was trading it in, so I paid him what they were going to give him for it.

It's got the EJ22 engine - 2.2 litres, making about 135 hp and about the same in torque. Late-'90s 2.5s have inevitable headgasket issues but the 2.2 is pretty much immune. The 2.2 is a 300,000 mile engine if you take care of it, and a 200,000 mile engine if you don't. This one has been neglected, but an oil change with Walmart's finest 10w40 high-mileage oil shut it right up. It was at least 2 quarts low and black as soot.

It's got about 107,000 miles on it and I paid $1800.

It's already had the timing belt replaced and the transfer case clutches replaced, and won't need either for at least 50k. I've just gotten done repacking the inner front CVs and replacing the boots. So far it has been easy to work on. It needs a wheelbearing at the back - a common problem - but the superseding part apparently solves that problem. Automatic transmissions have a good reputation and this one seems tight.

It's not rusty and the interior looks pretty darn good for 10 years and 100k. It's basic but roomy and comfortable. A few minor busted bits will need attention.

Overall the car seems peppy enough - the 2.2 is fairly torquey. This one has had a lot of deferred maintenance to take care of so we haven't driven it too hard, but it seems like it's going to be a nice inexpensive car.
 
I've got a Forester (non-turbo) that i would recommend in a heart beat. From what i've experienced and from what i've been told they make a half decent mud-plugger, better than a Saturn anyway ;) - when i was looking for mine most had tow bars, so i guess they tow pretty well too.

They are very reliable. Mine was bought used but with a full dealer service history and looking though what has been done on the car it's only ever consumables that have had to be replaced in what is now 90,000+ miles of usage. I thought about an Impreza wagon when i bought mine, but since they are essentially the same thing i went for the Forester instead and enjoy the extra space and ground clearance and put up with the little bit more roll you get in the corners due to the slightly higher centre of gravity. The flat four isn't the most frugal of engines, but probably no thirstier than a straight six like the one in the similar sized Cherokee.

When i get rid of mine in a year or so i'll probably replace it with a newer Impreza WRX wagon, purely because i've been so impressed with Subaru reliability. So far at least.
 
Thanks for the replies. What do you get in it for gas mileage and what is the towing compacity?
The gas mileage is very important to me since the Saturn I am trading in gets 35-40mpg. I have seen over 40mpg in my Saturn on the highway. About 32-35 mpg in Heathers saturn. I really dont need a performance vehicle. We have the 67 Mustang and 69 camaro for that. I just need a good daily driver that will do well in the winter and get good gas mileage.
 
CAMAROBOY69
What do you get in it for gas mileage and what is the towing compacity?
The gas mileage is very important to me since the Saturn I am trading in gets 35-40mpg. I have seen over 40mpg in my Saturn on the highway. About 32-35 mpg in Heathers saturn.
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I get on average *cough* *mumble* mpg. ;)
 
Subies do not have a reputation as gas mileage champions. I really don't have a history on this one, but I'm expecting mid/high 20s with mixed driving. It's got a 4-speed autobox.

If you've ever driven an first-gen Neon (which I like driving) with an auto, this Impreza seems a bit like that. It feels pretty nimble. Under normal conditions it's got an 80/20 F/R torque split, but it can send up to 40% to the back in the slippery stuff. I believe the later gens have a larger rear bias.

www.nasioc.com
www.rs25.com
 
The boxer engines in Subarus are notoriously fuel hungry things... my old turbo occassionaly struggled to 20mpg, and a mate with a 2.0 manual non-turbo only averaged mid 20's... I'd expect an auto to be 10% worse on fuel than a manual as subaru auto boxes aren't exactly sophisticated

Otherwise they are generally reliable things... widely used as runabouts by British farmers.

Pretty sure my '96 Impreza had a nominal 50/50 torque split - though this varied dependent on slip/grip levels. Turbo's also benefit from a LSD at the rear, which makes them incredible fun when it snows.
 
I'd strongly recommend an Impreza. Put snow tires on it and it'll be unstoppable in the snow. They might be expensive though. I know they hold their value pretty well in Scooby-friendly Seattle.

I'm actually strongly considering a WRX wagon to take instead of the GTI come graduation.
 
Stotty
Pretty sure my '96 Impreza had a nominal 50/50 torque split - though this varied dependent on slip/grip levels.
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I'd be surprised. The figures I quoted are from the book.
 
Stotty
Pretty sure my '96 Impreza had a nominal 50/50 torque split - though this varied dependent on slip/grip levels. Turbo's also benefit from a LSD at the rear, which makes them incredible fun when it snows.
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Duke
I'd be surprised. The figures I quoted are from the book.
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I think the auto has a different computer-controlled all wheel drive system to the one in the manual. My manual version has a gear driven centre diff with a lever next to the gear stick for selecting between high and low ratios.
 
No, it's full time AWD, with no range selector. I suppose you're probably right. I do not have the owner's manual in front of me, but I can check if they give different figures.
 
I don't know how the WRX insurance is, but it can't be as bad as it is on the base Lancers. Look into that before buying.
 
Need a car with good MPG and can be a good daily driver? Get a Corolla or Sentra. They are bulletproof and will last forever.
 
JCE
Need a car with good MPG and can be a good daily driver? Get a Corolla or Sentra. They are bulletproof and will last forever.
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Needs to be AWD. Our current Saturns are practically bulletproof and get 35-40mpg but they are only FWD.
I dropped the Lancer since they seem a lot more expensive and harder to find. So time for a title change.
 
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Yeah boxers and GOOD fuel economy don't really mix....
Although its not what your looking at buying , just out of interest I'm driving a 2002 STI Spec - C at the moment and half a tank (25 Litres) has got me a massive 150km haha mint
 
Spark plugs are a huge pain to change, I know this much.

MPG will be a bit lower than you'd expect, though that is a result of the AWD system sapping more power before getting to the wheels. Imprezas themselves are fairly reliable, unlike, say the transmission on the SVX.
 
ahhh..... the PERFECT thread for me to reply.

You're better off finding a NEWER '02+ Impreza. They are much safer because of the ring-shape reinforcement of the b-pillars.

You WON'T have to worry about the tranny being auto. The Auto's run a better center diff than the 5spd. Wear and tear would be more on wheel bearings, oil seals, and stuff. I would STrONGLY recommend upgrading tires because Subaru put not so decent tires on their cars except a few.

I need to grab myself a regular Impreza as well because my Impreza right now is turning into a weekend track car now. My car with the WRX swap I average 20-23mpg daily mix city/hiway. When I'm at the track doig lapping days it's more like 4-7mpg. lolz Boost really eats gas up!! Even on WOT pulls on the hiway you look at the needle and you're down a needle. Back when it was NA i was getting 24-27mpg
 
Have you looked into any of the AWD Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix models? Obviously they've got the Toyota reliability baked in, and being in Michigan, the Vibes are pretty easy to come by. Not sure on the specific fuel economy off the top of my head, but it seems fairly likely that it is much better than that of a similarly aged Imprezza.

The only other "cheap" AWD option in that price range would be the Suzuki Aerio, if I recall my history correctly. Not sure how I feel about that one.
 
YSSMAN
Have you looked into any of the AWD Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix models? Obviously they've got the Toyota reliability baked in, and being in Michigan, the Vibes are pretty easy to come by. Not sure on the specific fuel economy off the top of my head, but it seems fairly likely that it is much better than that of a similarly aged Imprezza.

The only other "cheap" AWD option in that price range would be the Suzuki Aerio, if I recall my history correctly. Not sure how I feel about that one.
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I never knew either of those cars came with an AWD system...

I just got learned. :dunce:
 
My Consumer Guide pitted the 2006 Vibe AWD at around 26/31, which isn't all bad. Of course, don't expect much exciting acceleration from them.
 
I believe its pretty much the same system from the RAV4, one of those fancy electronic diffs that shoot power around when slippage is detected. Otherwise, its pretty much a FWD car.

...Well, if my understanding of the system is right...
 

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