Calling On Subaru Owners Please?

[7TFord]

Greetings:
Am considering a purchase of what will be our first Subaru vehicle, and most likely the Impreza. How is the build quality in general of their automobiles? There is certainly enough of them on the road if you take the time to look! I am mostly interested in the AWD system reliability and which system available on the Impreza would be more desirable for the long term, if that is even an issue? The manual "viscous coupling" or the automatic "hydraulic" version.

I read one person's experience with having a premature tire failure and being advised to replace all 4 tires due to the possibility of the viscous coupling over heating and failing if only one was replaced. Is this a serious consideration with the manual trans option? How do the two transmissions/drive train set-ups perform in general with regards to shift quality? Can I change the fluid over in either to an Amsoil or Redline product and forget about it for 30K so to speak?

How do the Boxer engines perform and are they smooth running and mostly trouble free for the long term? Last engine that I had even close to this design was my 1973 Bug! Not sure if it is true but I may have read somewhere that the cranks were forged steel. Are there any issues with the engines that the company hasn't addressed?

Thanks for any input.

 

[rcy]

I didn't have an Impreza, but a 2001 Outback with the H6. I was nothing but impressed with the vehicle. The AWD system made the car unstoppable in the snow (no matter how deep). I had no problems with the vehicle at all.

The H4 had problems up to about 2002 with external head gasket leaks, but the issue has been resolved now.

The AWD system with the automatic is far more advanced than the system that comes with the manual.

You may want to check here http://forums.nasioc.com/ for more info.

Also check here for the craziest Impreza WRX video..

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/ken-from-the-block

 

[TwoWheelRider]

Originally Posted By: 7TFord
Greetings:
How do the Boxer engines perform and are they smooth running and mostly trouble free for the long term?


Boxers are everything but smooth running. Have you heard of the Subary Shimmy?
They have very good torque though, and engines can last a long time with proper maintenance.

Earlier models had significant issues with head gaskets blowing well before reaching 100K.
I think those incidents have trailed off for models in the last four years.
Otherwise, we have put 90K+ on it and it NEVER let us down.

What made me not want a Subaru anymore is not the problems or build quality, all cars have
problems, was the outrageous service prices the two local dealerships have commanded.
My bills were creeping past $2K a year for the aging car, and that was with basic servicing like fluid
changes done by myself. Brakes and brake rotors did not last squat, CVT boots busted a couple
of times, front diff started going out...
I think all AWDs can get spendy when they get close to 100K.

I had a 2002 Forester and really didn't need an AWD so I traded it for something simpler and newer.

 

[MrWideTires]

I have 3 subarus at home... a 2005 legacy, a 2005 STI, and a 2008 STI. And there has been like 10+ subarus in my close family (yeah we're subaru people).

I can tell you that engine.. the EJ25 is one of the best machines out there, it will not give you one single issue, just take care of it. ALL[/b} the Subarus in my family are still running, some with over 300,000 miles... and they all get driven hard, one of them is armored and it's a JDM 1st gen Legacy turbo.. that's my favorite one.

Things to remember: (you might wanna print these points?)

#1: The drivetrain will take a lot of abuse.. as in off-roading. But try to have all four tires the same, and remember to change the diff. fluid.
#2: Subbies like heavier oil, you can run a 5w30 or 0w30 for the first few years but I really recommend you run 0w40 or 5w40 (that's what we run in all our subbies)
#3: I recommend you use platinum spark plugs, because the plugs are really a pain in the b*tt to get to.
#4: CHECK THE OIL REGULARLY, Subarus burn oil naturally, even the non-turbo ones, I say carry a quart of oil with you.
#5: Go to your subaru dealer and get yourself a little blue bottle of "subaru coolant conditioner" and dump it in the radiator.

I'll post anything else if I remember..

 

[7TFord]

....Think there may have been a few nicotine stains in that guy's shorts in the video?

 

[Dave Sherman]

My ex had an '05 Legacy wagon, and now has an '09 Outback. Some of the 2.5 engines have been known to blow head gaskets, but we never had trouble with the engine. The Legacy had some electrical glitches like a flaky CD player, a trip odometer that would randomly show an error code, and slow cranking in the winter. The slow cranking we never quite got resolved, although a new battery helped. Her Outback has the same engine, and it cranks mightily compared to the Legacy, so we're thinking the Legacy either had a defective starter, or they made a heftier starter for the '09. The dealer said the '05 had an all-new electrical system, so perhaps some of the glitches were related to that.

The AWD worked well, although it was interesting to note that if the compact spare was used, you had to install (not remove) a spare fuse in a location to disable the AWD, since the different size of the spare would cause problems for the AWD. I don't think the owner's manual said replacing a worn tire with a new one would create problems, but it was specific on the spare tire, which was noticeably smaller. The auto trans was okay, although it seemed to need frequent ATF changes, maybe every 20k. It would get to where it would be slow to go into gear and give a noticeable pause going from reverse to drive, and it would be sluggish to shift gears. A few ATF changes would make a noticeable improvement, for a while.

Finding parts got to be a little tricky, however. When it came time for brakes for the Legacy, Autozone did not have the front brakes, but had the rear brakes. Advance Auto had the brakes, but the fronts were wrong. Seems they had two sets of brakes; one for the GT and one for the non-GT version. Turns out I had to order the front brakes for the GT to get the right ones for her non-GT Legacy, and the rears I had to ask for the non-GT. Even at the dealer, they would always ask for the VIN to make sure you got the right parts; according to them, they have been known to change designs mid-year, so one '05 Legacy might be using different parts from another '05 Legacy.

 

[Captain_Klink]

we bought our first subaru, a legacy brighton with 90,000 miles on it 6 years ago. at first my wife is shaking her head, not knowing what to make of this "surprise" vehicle in the driveway. the vehicle now have 190,000 miles on it, and it only has had regular maintenance. it still runs 100% like the first day we bought it.

what my wife DID notice, was that in the slippery conditions, the vehicle DOES NOT SLIDE, and NEVER WILL IT GET STUCK. because it has a full time all wheel drive.

last year i thought it was time again for a new car, so i looked at getting a rental Impreza 2008, with 7400 miles. so i asked the bride: can i get the impreza? reply: as long as it is a subrau. for a joke i asked: how about 2 impreza's? she replies: as long as they are both subaru, i don't care what you buy.

the 2008 i bought has the premium package, which means stability control is included. For 2009 stability control comes even in the base model, included.

make sure you get the hatchback - it will hold a lot more cargo.

our 2008 Impreza is now at 32,000 miles (put on 25,000 miles in one and a half years). Even though the owner's manual says to take it to the dealer for maintenance, the nearest dealer here is 200 miles away, so my local mechanic does all my work.

Up to this point, all i have done is regular oil changes, and at 31,000 miles it had: replace spark plug with iridium/platinum,
check brakes, lubricate calipers. manual says to drain and refill tranny, but the Subaru has a drain plug on tranny, so i will do that myself (2 cycles of drain and fill). it also says flush brake fluid, change diff and transfer case oil, but me and my mechanic decided to defer the brake flush until it is time to do an oil job, and i'll have him do a gear oil change with Amsoil at the same time he is doing the brakes. This is the NON TURBO, so the stress on the tranny and differential is MUCH LESS, so we feel quite safe leaving the fluid in longer.

The car has the normally aspirated engine.
It runs LIKE A DREAM!!! Smooth, quiet, actually very quiet, extremely comfortable, double wishbone suspension is amazing, no pavement noises, no thumping noises going over expansion joints, excellent power - this baby will pass a whole line of transports on a two-laner in a matter of seconds, and go up to 100mph easily and the engine is still pulling strong - i am not sure what the top speed is, because police can seize the vehicle for that kind of stunt. Excellent stereo, mileage about 28-29 mpg with 70mph driving, all 5 star safety record, and the stability control is AWESOME. I will intentionally put it into a skid to see what happens, and it seem like a giant hand comes down from the sky and straightens it up. Driving through either deep snow, or packed snow is pleasant - you will pass all SUV vehicles, all 4 wheel drive vehicles with ease and safety. (mileages are in US mpg, because it is a US vehicle. translate to Canadian, it will get up to 38-39 Canadian, but I am filling up the tank with Michigan gas, that is ethanol free, so that might be making a difference. I also add 500:1 ratio outboard 2 stroke oil to the gas, even though i don't really notice any difference, the extra lube can't hurt, especially with that kind of ratio. makes up for us not have access to Marvel MMO.)

This is the most undersung vehicle on the road. It is obvious the Japanese engineer put his heart and soul into this vehicle, to make it the best vehicle you will ever own, at any price - that's right any price, because price and value are two different things, and no other car on the market has greater value than the Impreza. (be sure to get a second set of tires if you are in serious winter country like ontario, and if you drive 69 highway up to sudbury - the car will drive excellent with high quality all season, which is what my legacy has, but if you want to tear up and down 69 in a blizzard, snow tires all around is a good decision no matter what your vehicle is.) i am currently stationed in ontario, and am on leave at the moment, so feel free to p.m. with any further questions. for instance, we bought our subaru from Minneapolis Minnesota, and my wife drove it home, to take advantage of cheaper price, and also Subaru does not allow cross border shopping for new Subaru, but will allow you to cross border shop for a used vehicle.

 

[gathermewool]

I have a 97 Legacy GT with 202,000 miles on it. If you can do your own maintenance I'd recommend an older Subaru that has had it's timing belt/tensioner, water pump and head gaskets replaced. I bought my Legacy for a good price, but have had to replace the radiator, struts, both CV axles and the EGR solenoid valve, as well as replacing all of the fluids.

Older Subarus are known for head gasket failures and EGR problems. The head gaskets are the more costly of the two, with the EGR usually easily fixed after a little bit of cleaning and trouble shooting. Older Subarus also have very finicky auto trannies. Mine has been finicky since I bought it 40k ago, but hasn't changed much and still shifts reliably.

I owned an '06 WRX for a year, and now currently have an '08 STI in addition to the 97 Legacy. The STI has all of the Subaru quirkiness, but also the relability and fun-to-drive factor. The turbo helps with this, though ; )

Subarus run pretty smoothly, but, as was stated before, you'll have to get used to the Subaru idle shimmy. At idle the car will seem to slightly miss, causing a slightly perceptible shimmy. I've also had my Subaru mistaken for a diesel a few times. I've never had a motor or transmission problem, and even the '97 starts every single time for me, although it does make some strange noises, especially when cold.

With a Subaru, you're paying for reliablity and the convenience of AWD. The rattles and noises very rarely bother me, but the few times I've gotten out of a pinch in the snow more than make up for any minor nuisances.

 

[Captain_Klink]

I do not find any "shimmy" at all in my Impreza. And when the plugs were changed over to Denso iridium/platinum long life, the engine ran TOTALLY smooth - we were all impressed, because it was smooth before the plug change, but we could not believe that the Denso's had made it even smoother - just put a glass of water on the engine while it is running and you will see. The flat four design means the cylinders are horizontally opposed, and the vibrations cancel out BY DESIGN, with NO counter weights. This engine has one of the highest power to weight ratio, and amateur pilots take out the engine to use in their home made aircraft.

Even though the stock plugs were NGK double platinum, the platinum part had fallen out (the hockey puck part on the ground had all fallen out) - and I measured the gap as .042 .042 .046 .046. new installed plugs were all EXACTLY .043, and this seems to make the difference: your ECU likes it when plugs are manually gapped, and exactly gapped to ALL THE SAME SPEC.

 

[MrHorspwer]

I actually just sold my Subaru, a 2002 Impreza 2.5RS. The new owner is going to pick it up tomorrow. It was my first new car and at 93,500 miles, I'm not sad to see it go.

There's nothing in particular that's wrong with it and the new owner is getting a great car that will probably go thought yet another owner before the end of it's life. There are just a bunch of little things that people will tell you, "Oh, it's a Subaru, that's just how they are." I just grew tired of it. It wasn't exciting anymore, NVH was incerasing, and it was starting to make my daily drive a bit teidious.

The engines aren't really all that sophisticaed. The SOHC engines still use a mechanical valvetrain, so expect some valvetrain noise increase as it ages (This is one of those, "That's just how they are..." issues). Don't forget to adjust those valves when the 8' long timing belt needs to be replaced. Very old technology stuff. The EJ engine has been around longer than most and it's beginning to show.

 

[97tbird]

my mom in law has a 2005 Forrester. base model 4-cyl. with auto trans. I have driven it pretty often and it has about 50k miles now.

build quality is decent - nothing special-just solid and squeak free.
dash/center console looks cheap - shiny plastic etc, but all controls and switch gear work fine.

engine idle is rackety - can feel it everywhere and not smooth at all - my 1997 Tbird is about 10x smoother and quieter at 140k miles. this subby has 50k miles.

engine screams bloody murder till about 55 mph and then gets quiet if on flat road.
engine feels like it's "straining" when going uphill and really have to flog it to keep up with the rest going 55 mph or so; engine does not feel smooth, IMO. acceleration just OK - feels a bit underpowered.

handling good - didn't do any special driving to test it.

it has had no repairs so far.
MIL is happy with it, but she just drives to church and back and to get groceries; everyday is NOT a winding road for her.

 

[ueberooo]

The '96 and post 2.5 liter H4's (EJ25) had design problems, but the 2.2 liter engines, EJ22's were always completely bullet proof. No doubt in my mind the EJ22 is one of the best and most durable passenger car engines ever made.

I have a normally aspirated EJ18 '95 Imp with manual transmission; though lacking power (and displacment) unless pushed and rev'd it has never let me down and runs amazingly well at 165K miles (got it at ~115K).

Repair and maintenance bills probably average between $300 to $400 per year. I've replaced one set of tires, one CV due to torn boot boot, a MAF sensor, one timing belt change, one set of brake pads, and besides fluid and filter changes spark plugs and patching flats that's all. I don't do repairs at the dealer or overpriced mechanics (check the Cartalk mechanix user review database to find a good affordable mechanic); brakes tires and fluids are usually done at Firestone. I'm fairly happy with the cost of maintenance, esp compared to some brands of cars like Saabs, it's downright cheap.

Originally Posted By: rcy
The H4 had problems up to about 2002 with external head gasket leaks, but the issue has been resolved now.

The AWD system with the automatic is far more advanced than the system that comes with the manual.

You may want to check here http://forums.nasioc.com/ for more info.


I'd agree with you, that wile the AWD kicks butt, that the MT, at least for my year, is below average. The MT is so sensitive to fluid viscosity that I had to put ATF because the 75W140 would be too thick to shift well in the winter. I imagine Subaru has most likely improved the transmissions and a whole new generation(s) of MT was produced after the mid 90s.

The only thing I would really dislike about buying a new subie is that, I believe (can someone confim?), the engines have now been changed to a interference design, meaning that if the timing belt snaps your engine turns into scrap metal.

Originally Posted By: MrWideTires
#2: Subbies like heavier oil, you can run a 5w30 or 0w30 for the first few years but I really recommend you run 0w40 or 5w40 (that's what we run in all our subbies)

In climates like Florida that's probably true. My '95 manual actually says specifically not to use 5w30 oils in warm and hot weather. Oils since then have improved sufficienty (additives packages excepted), that I trust a modern semi synthetic 5w30 to do okay even in the summer, if I replace one quart (25%) of it with a 10w40 or 15w40.

 

[sprintman]

My wifes manual trans Outback is bulletproof. Redline oils in trans, diff, and p/s.

 

[Seguino]

I've got a '05 Impreza RS wagon 5spd manual with 105000km on it. Had it since new. Only warranty claim was for a stereo speaker in the door. Original brakes still at 50%. Awesome in the snow with proper tires. The only thing less than stellar is the gas mileage. 29MPG city 34 hwy (Imperial).

 

[fdcg27]

We bought our first Sube, an '09 Forester, in August '08.
It has been trouble free, and it is a delight on winter roads.
Fuel economy sucks, the engine is neither smooth nor quiet nor powerful, and the auto trans shifts slowly.
The interior is roomy and the seats are very comfortable, as is the car's ride.
Handling is pretty decent, especially when you consider that the Forester has nearly nine inches of ground clearance.
The interior is bright and open, with great outward visibility.
The materials and design are not up to Honda Accord levels.
Overall, we are very happy with the Forester.
I had always wanted a Subie, and I remain glad that we bought the Forester.
We have had it on one long trip, three up, and it is comfortable at eighty or so on the interstate, and is a quiet cruiser.
The Imprezza is a very good buy for the money, for what you get.
Where else can you get a world-class AWD system in a 16-17K car?

 

[Tribeca]

I believe so much in Subaru's, I bought stock in the company! I currently own a 08 Tribeca, but have owned several Outback models. My daughter just sold her 91 Subaru with 325,000 miles on the odometer and it was STILL running well, she just wanted a new one.

 

[Dominic]

55,000 trouble free miles on my 2.5i Impreza.
Fun & Safe in all conditions. I call it my battle tank.

Problems:
Had a rear wheel bearing replaced under warranty.

It's been the best car I've ever owned, and I hope to get many more miles out of it. It's fantastic for those who are mechanically inclined, but awful for those who aren't because the dealerships charge a fortune to work on the car.

 

[bigbadboss101]

I now have a 2010 WRX, and also have a 98 Outback. Previously I have owned 03 Acura TL, 04 Caddy CTS-V, 2002 Maxima, 98 Maxima, 2001.5 Audi S4, 2000 Integra Type R etc etc. In our climate the AWD is nice. The Subaru's might not be as fancy inside, but it's been reliable so far (both of mine). Fuel economy might not be as good as some other imports. My WRX usage take 9.6 to 10.5 L/100 km.

All in all good car. If you want more toys you can go with Honda/Acura vehicles. They are reliable and more of a passenger car minus the AWD.

 

[HPatrick]

Hello,

I drove an 06 Forester from 06 to last summer, about 75000 miles. All in all it was a fundamentaly good car. Great driving position, visibility, handling, etc.

Mine did have a few problems. It slowly lost coolant from day one. Pressure and leakdown testing detected nothing, but the dealer suspected the water pump was leaking so that was replaced. When this did not work, I put a bottle of stop leak in my one year old car and the leak slowed down a little. Slow coolant leaks are apparently common and perfectly normal for a Subaru. A wheel bearing was replaced under warranty. Again a common Subaru issue. I also had the very noisy fuel pump problem, but it never actually failed, so it didn't really count. The biggest problem was the paint. It was very neatly applied, but very fragile. The front of my car literly looked like I had taken a sandblaster to it simply from road grit and debris. I have driven the same route to and from work for 12 years in five different cars(98 altima, 01 jetta, 03 explorer, 06 subaru, 10 camry) and the subaru is the only one that had more than a few stone chips.

I averaged 25 to 26 mpg mixed driving and would hit 28 or so on a long road trip. The forester and impreza are geared short so they aren't the best on mpg, but the engine is kept in a good part of the power band. Mild to moderate hills present absolutely no need for a downshift to get up them. Steering and handling are first class. Subarus have long travel suspensions and stay composed over very bad roads.

Again, I felt it was a good car overall and would have no problem buying another. The residual value is about as good as it gets too. I bought a camry because I wanted a more smooth, quiet, and fuel efficient car. Despite all of the criticism camry's take on this board and others, they are good cars if you want a Buick without having to drive a Buick.

If you like the way it drives, go for it.

Best regards,

Patrick

 

[rcy]

Originally Posted By: ueberooo

The only thing I would really dislike about buying a new subie is that, I believe (can someone confim?), the engines have now been changed to a interference design, meaning that if the timing belt snaps your engine turns into scrap metal.



Don't know about the newer H4, but the H6 has always been a chain (two in fact).

The newer H4 is probably a belt (the older ones were), but if the belt is changed at the req'd interval, then one shouldn't really need to worry about it breaking.