Considering buying an Impreza, few Q's

[RatLabGuy]

Hi guys. Time has coem for me to finally replace my DD, I'm considering an Impreza, prob Outback Sport or reg 2.5i wagon. 5 spd of course. Also on the radar is a Protege5 or maybe Mazda6 i-series, but that's another issue.

Basically, I'm not looking for a 12 second car or have any interest in that, I just kinda like smaller curvy "wagony" / 5 door cars with tight handling. Just for daily driving, family trips etc. So i'm doing my research now and have a few questions for folks that have 'em. Went and sat in one at the dealer today and looked it over. no time for a drive, grrr.

-As mentioned, will most likely go w/ 2.5i wagon or Outback Sport. Not WRX. Realistically, how is the average gas mileage on these? I currently get >30 mpg w/ my '95 Tracer now, so i'm not anxious to lose that. My normal daily driving is ~75% highway.

-I'm not a large fellow (5'9"), but the back seat felt a bit tight. We have a 21 m/o son, so his car seat will be in the middle. Anybody else w/ thsi setup, and does this just swallow the space, making both side back seats uncomfortable for a trip of any distance? Nice time I visit the dealer I'll take the child and seat w/ me, lol.

- I am acustomed to doing ALL my own auto work/maintanance - between 3 well-used cars, have not used a "shop" in prob 3-4 years. how are these vehicles for working on them yourself, how tedious is maintanance etc? To be honest the horiz-mounted engine makes me wary - how do you even get to the "lower" 2 spark plugs?
On that note, my Toy truck only has about 4 different size bolts for everything, I can do everything (including remove engine) w/ a small socket/tool set. I love that. Are Subarus/Impreza like this as well?

- What are the most common failures/issues w/ these vehicles?

Thanks guys

[Jay!]

I don't know many modern Subarus that can pull down 30+ mpg, but most non-turbo models can manage ~28 on the freeway (and ~25 in town.)

If space is an issue, look at the Forester. The Forester is a tall Impreza wagon, built on the same chassis.

Maintenance has it own quirks, but not really that much worse than anything else. The first time I did my spark plugs in my 2000 Impreza, it took me about an hour and i took out the battery and the intake snorkel. Reaching the plugs on the H4 was not an issue, but you will need a u-joint and at least one extension. The flat motor layout is really pretty nice - except for the heads themselves, everything is just laid out right on top.

Pretty close to what you describe - it seems like everything I do under the hood is either with a 10 or 14mm socket. Get a full set of metric, and you should be set.

I haven't heard of any major "known issues" with the non-turbo models since the 1998 DOHC motor. They've done a fantastic job keeping an eye towards reliability. If you keep it tuned to factory specs, the car should behave well for a long time. IF anything, keep an eye on your alignment. If you get out of alignment, the AWD will eat your tires for breakfast.

Hope this helps!

[chuck16]

We had a 2000 Impreza sedan 2.2 L with an automatic. Had it for 6 years put on a little over 60000Kms with no problems. The only major things were trunk weatherstripping and brakes both covered under warranty at the time.

As for maintenance, they are a treat to work on. Most things are easy to get to and there is lots of room in the engine bay to work. The only thing I found tight was if I had to change the valve covers there wasn't a lot of clearance there.

The reason we got rid of it was because it was getting to small. Our son was 3 and this car just was too small. I also really didn't like the fact that with the driver's seat in a "comfy" position a normal human with say size 8-10 feet couldn't put his or her shoe straight down between the back of the seat and the front of the back seat. If you put your kid's seat in the middle forget about having another passenger in the back. It's ok with it on oneside but, then he'll probably kick the ever loving crap out of the front seat.

I agree purchase a Forester however, that being said we found those a little small too and ended buying a smaller SUV. (Kia Sportage)

Anyways, just some food for thought.