Subaru Impreza

[YoungPUP]

Am looking into replacing the wife's '04 Jeep liberty. (found a handful of metal shavings in the last oil Change, and now its losing a qt. of oil a week without leaking outside the engine) Shes going to take my '03 Grand Cherokee, and i'm looking at the 2012 Subaru impreza as an economical fuel efficient commuter. I need the AWD because it snows like hell on occasion here. any info/thoughts on this car, or manufacturer?  please save the American made Speech. None of them make a small cheap AWD car. Plus the impreza is made right here in Lafayette ind.

[R J]

The old Subarus had a bad case of the heads warping.

Make sure they got that fixed, otherwise, they are a super vehicle if ya don't take it on long trips across the states.

[R J]

Hey Pup, have ya considered a KIA Sonata?

Daughter has one, rolled up 12K on the way to work today.    As far as problems with it, NONE as of this writing.

She got the 4 Banger with the Turbo on it.

[Bob E.]

My brother has a Subaru Outback Limited Wagon with the 4 cyl in it  that he bought new.  We had to put a head gasket in it last year.  But then again, the car is approaching 10 years old and had over 180,000 when the head gasket went.  It is closing in on 200,000 any day now and still going strong.  So that's pretty good.  He loves that car.  And I was really surprised at how easy it was to work on.  Start to finish, we had that head gasket changed out in 1 day...it was a long day, but still...for 2 guys who have never done it before, that was pretty good. It is a flat-opposed 4-cylinder engine, similar to our Valks.

Also, my boss drives a Legacy with the 4-cyl as well.  His has well over 160,000 miles and as far as I know, he's never touched the motor.

[RoadKill]

This is the first year they have made the 2012 models so nothing is definite but the track record speaks volumes! ScoobyDoo's are great cars!  JMHO and YMMMV 

[3fan4life]

The wife is on her second Subaru Legacy.

They're good cars and go better in the snow than my 4wd GMC P/U.

My Prizm gets better fuel mileage but then it's not AWD.

[Gear Jammer]

That boxer engine just keeps on going.  Good reports from all who own one in my family. 

[Bob E.]

Am looking into replacing the wife's '04 Jeep liberty. (found a handful of metal shavings in the last oil Change, and now its losing a qt. of oil a week without leaking outside the engine) Shes going to take my '03 Grand Cherokee, and i'm looking at the 2012 Subaru impreza as an economical fuel efficient commuter. I need the AWD because it snows like hell on occasion here. any info/thoughts on this car, or manufacturer?  please save the American made Speech. None of them make a small cheap AWD car. Plus the impreza is made right here in Lafayette ind.

Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

[YoungPUP]

Just popped over to Ford and saw that the Fusion with AWD as an option starts at $27K and change.  Stripped down subie is $18K ish out the door. ( with manual trans, and no options) But this would be a home to work to home car.

[Tailgate Tommy]

I have a 2008 Impreza 5 door (wagon) it drives great and I really like it. Has 62,000 on it without an issue. I drive 60 miles one way to work so mostly highway miles. Gets 27-28 mpg at 80-85. I trailered my Valk to Iowa and it is bit underpowered for towing, fine for otherwise (its automatic and nonturbo). For the record I use Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic oil (change every 7500 miles) and Michelin car tires.

[3fan4life]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

[MNBill]

My friend (an Interstate rider) has had several different Subaru vehicles and swears by them. Stretched the body on one of them yanking out a stuck truck with a tow strap (they now just use it on the farm). He told me the head gaskets go at about 100000- 120000, replaces them with an upgraded version and the motor runs forever, he has not had any other issues with them. He is a fussy fix it right away kind of guy and there is nothing to fix on them. Stay away from the used WRX models, the kids that buy them beat the crap out of them, they have a tranny issue if beat.

[9Ball]

Just popped over to Ford and saw that the Fusion with AWD as an option starts at $27K and change.  Stripped down subie is $18K ish out the door. ( with manual trans, and no options) But this would be a home to work to home car.

I can give first hand experience with both of these cars as I've owned and driven both.  I had a 2004 WRX STi and it was one of the best cars I've owned.  Granted, this was the top of the line with all the available options and went for $35k in 2003.  I only sold it because I was driving it much too fast, too often.  Had it over 100 mph many times in Wyoming and Idaho where you can almost see the curve of the earth in very desolate areas of straight roads.  It handled like it was on rails through the mountain passes and never had one warranty issue.  I replaced it with a  2006 Wrangler Rubicon to slow me down a bit and it worked.

I currently have a 2010 Fusion Sport AWD with every option...bought new in Sept 2009.  At the time I purchased it the WRX STi was listing for ~$41k and the availability was poor.  I have to say the quality on this car is phenominal for the price.  It is probably the best all around car I've ever owned.  The 3.5L V6 is the biggest engine and the Sport has the handling package.  The AWD has been great on bad roads (last year was one of the snowiest winters on record) and the car has been completely reliable.  I love the navigation, backup camera, blind spot warning system, heated leather power seats, power moon roof, traction control...etc.  Hard to find any faults.  I have to say it's probably better than most cars $10-20k more expensive.

Good luck with your decision....two good choices.

[doodleman]

Hey, we have owned Subru's for the last 10 years and are on our 4th one and have never had a problem with them. We currently own a 2007 Forester which is a all wheel drive and it is better than havong a 4 w/d, love them subaru's.

[The Anvil]

Subaru quality is up there with Honda and Toyota these days. I've seen more than a few with over 200k relatively trouble-free miles on the clock.

[9Ball]

Am looking into replacing the wife's '04 Jeep liberty. (found a handful of metal shavings in the last oil Change, and now its losing a qt. of oil a week without leaking outside the engine) Shes going to take my '03 Grand Cherokee, and i'm looking at the 2012 Subaru impreza as an economical fuel efficient commuter. I need the AWD because it snows like hell on occasion here. any info/thoughts on this car, or manufacturer?  please save the American made Speech. None of them make a small cheap AWD car. Plus the impreza is made right here in Lafayette ind.

Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

My Ford Fusion AWD Sport was made in Hermosillo, Mexico.....just so you know.

Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly
 
Hermosillo, Sonora
 
Mexico
 
Models

 Ford Fusion
 Mercury Milan
 Lincoln MKZ
 Ford Focus (01/00)

[Robert]

Those cars are good cars a little quirky but good. The engines are really VW engines water cooled, Im talking about the 4 cyc they do have the v6 also. I have seen many miles on some, not many around the head gaskets do go and you will need to put full synthetic in all the rear ends. The bearings can go but not a worry just advice to prolong life. Keep it cool and cooling system in good order change the oil regularly and you should be good to go. How about the WRX that would make commute in snow fun Jaguar, BMW,Ford all make 4wd cars that are good. The BMW 330XI is one great car inexpensive reliable good in bad weather.

[Bob E.]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

I only mentioned it because the OP said about no lectures about "buy American" and I didn't want him to think I was lecturing him about buying from a Japanese manufacturer.  And then he said that they (American Mfr's.) didn't make a small AWD car, so I was just pointing it out in case he might be interested.

As far as the Subie being an American "made" car...you would be correct...just like our Valks.  I'm really not interested in getting into any sort of debate about what constitutes an American car.  With globalization, the lines have certainly been blurred.  As jrhorton points out, the Ford Fusion is actually made in Mexico.

[Bob E.]

Am looking into replacing the wife's '04 Jeep liberty. (found a handful of metal shavings in the last oil Change, and now its losing a qt. of oil a week without leaking outside the engine) Shes going to take my '03 Grand Cherokee, and i'm looking at the 2012 Subaru impreza as an economical fuel efficient commuter. I need the AWD because it snows like hell on occasion here. any info/thoughts on this car, or manufacturer?  please save the American made Speech. None of them make a small cheap AWD car. Plus the impreza is made right here in Lafayette ind.

Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

My Ford Fusion AWD Sport was made in Hermosillo, Mexico.....just so you know.

Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly
 
Hermosillo, Sonora
 
Mexico
 
Models

 Ford Fusion
 Mercury Milan
 Lincoln MKZ
 Ford Focus (01/00)

Duly noted, sir. I kinda figured.  Thanks!

[a99miata]

don't forget to check the insurance on the Impreza...might be more than you would want. I know the WRX I was looking at was 50% higher than my truck.

[Hotrodwing]

Yey young PUP WE have had 5 SUBARUS  over the years. That flat 4 is made to last.  My wife wanted a change so we traded her legacy for a Honda CRV.  It's ok but the subaru was loaded and had the cold weather pkg and road really nice.  I wanted to get a used sub for or daughter but they were either to much or had to many miles.  I opt for a pontiac vibe AWD.  The drive train is all Toyota and it really runs great and the AWD works pretty good. Not as good as the Sub but good just the same.  Ps my sister has a Liberty and wants to get ride of it too.  I thought our Sub was better in the snow then the Jeep but it could have been the tires she had on it.  Anyway hope this helps and good luck  with your search.   PPS if you get a subaru make sure you change the timing belts at the 100,000 mile mark.

[NITRO]

don't forget to check the insurance on the Impreza...might be more than you would want. I know the WRX I was looking at was 50% higher than my truck.

+1. The increase for a WRX was about double that of other cars I was looking at last summer (Mazda3, Mazda5, Golf TDI, VW GTI, etc.) I ended up with the Golf TDI and am loving it. It's not AWD, but it's handling its first Wisconsin winter without any problems.

[fudgie]

Kinda high $$ just for a home to work to home vehicle. Guess it depends on how far ya drive and what your resale will be. I'm not a fan of AWD. More of a 4hi/4lo person. I 'want' to know its in 4x4. Take your time and dont rush into a 'deal. Looked all year for a truck for Kit. Found a 01 Blazer fully loaded with 75k on the odo. Got it less then $1500 under blue book.
Another idea is go with Mercadis (sp). Dad got a 2 yr old E class for less then a new Buick SUV. Had only 40k on it. He drives a hour 1/2 to work everyday and needed a high miles car.

[The Anvil]

Kinda high $$ just for a home to work to home vehicle. Guess it depends on how far ya drive and what your resale will be. I'm not a fan of AWD. More of a 4hi/4lo person. I 'want' to know its in 4x4. Take your time and dont rush into a 'deal. Looked all year for a truck for Kit. Found a 01 Blazer fully loaded with 75k on the odo. Got it less then $1500 under blue book.
Another idea is go with Mercadis (sp). Dad got a 2 yr old E class for less then a new Buick SUV. Had only 40k on it. He drives a hour 1/2 to work everyday and needed a high miles car.

Well, you're kind of talking about a major difference in powertrains when you talk about something with AWD and traditional 4WD. Some platforms offer both but AWD is really more of a "car" feature where 4wd is more of an SUV/Truck feature. Generally, trucks and SUV's don't get very good fuel economy. That's why I think he's looking for an AWD car.

[scoot]

Before the Subaru's and all. Here is the original SUV.
http://theamcforum.com/forum/81-eagle-kammback-is-back_topic35664_post327353.html?KW=eagle#327353Funny when the smallest of the Big 4 came out with these everybody said "why would you want a 4 wheel drive car?" They were cars the 6 cylinder was a good motor. This one is kinda the ugly one of the group. They Had a 4 dr. wagon, 4 dr and 2 dr sedan, and the 2 dr SX/4 hatch back and this one, the 2 dr Kamback.
 I bought an '81 SX/4 new in late 1980. I think I paid around $6,100 for it then. That car would go through anything. During the winter it got me everyhere. During the summer I would take it on mud runs, and up to Silver lake dunes. I run it through the ringer.

[YoungPUP]

We'll still be keeping my '03 Grand with the 3' lift and 31" all terrains for when the sh!t gets deep, but just want a fuel efficient car for going to work, its about 40mi round trip.  Am looking at the plain impreza,(I'd end up in jail or the obituaries with a WRX) And with full coverage, my ins. will only go up $80 a year. Friend that works at subie  says to skip used because most if not all will have mileage worthy of guinesses book of records.

[3fan4life]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

  I'm really not interested in getting into any sort of debate about what constitutes an American car.  With globalization, the lines have certainly been blurred.  As jrhorton points out, the Ford Fusion is actually made in Mexico.

My thing is this, I don't care who actually owns the company.

What I do care about is that an American worker drew a paycheck for building it.

It would seem that isn't the case with the Fusion.

And the lines have been greatly blurred with a lot of vehicles "Assembled" in America having very few American made components. 

[RoadKill]

Kinda high $$ just for a home to work to home vehicle. Guess it depends on how far ya drive and what your resale will be. I'm not a fan of AWD. More of a 4hi/4lo person. I 'want' to know its in 4x4. Take your time and dont rush into a 'deal. Looked all year for a truck for Kit. Found a 01 Blazer fully loaded with 75k on the odo. Got it less then $1500 under blue book.
Another idea is go with Mercadis (sp). Dad got a 2 yr old E class for less then a new Buick SUV. Had only 40k on it. He drives a hour 1/2 to work everyday and needed a high miles car.

Well, you're kind of talking about a major difference in powertrains when you talk about something with AWD and traditional 4WD. Some platforms offer both but AWD is really more of a "car" feature where 4wd is more of an SUV/Truck feature. Generally, trucks and SUV's don't get very good fuel economy. That's why I think he's looking for an AWD car.

AWD is referring to(Mostly)fulltime 4X4 .   4wd usually means part time. There are full time systems that are 2wd sometimes and full time 4x4 (or AWD) and can be shifted into part time 4X4 when using low range.  Are you confused yet ? Maybe you should stick to airplanes     

[rmrc51]

We've had two Subaru Foresters. The first one literally saved my wife's life during a black ice collision. That car and our present Forester have been fantastic! They handle extremely well, they're comfortable and get respectable gas mileage. No mechanical or warranty issues at all. They're great cars!

[MCRIDER]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

[The Anvil]

Kinda high $$ just for a home to work to home vehicle. Guess it depends on how far ya drive and what your resale will be. I'm not a fan of AWD. More of a 4hi/4lo person. I 'want' to know its in 4x4. Take your time and dont rush into a 'deal. Looked all year for a truck for Kit. Found a 01 Blazer fully loaded with 75k on the odo. Got it less then $1500 under blue book.
Another idea is go with Mercadis (sp). Dad got a 2 yr old E class for less then a new Buick SUV. Had only 40k on it. He drives a hour 1/2 to work everyday and needed a high miles car.

Well, you're kind of talking about a major difference in powertrains when you talk about something with AWD and traditional 4WD. Some platforms offer both but AWD is really more of a "car" feature where 4wd is more of an SUV/Truck feature. Generally, trucks and SUV's don't get very good fuel economy. That's why I think he's looking for an AWD car.

AWD is referring to(Mostly)fulltime 4X4 .   4wd usually means part time. There are full time systems that are 2wd sometimes and full time 4x4 (or AWD) and can be shifted into part time 4X4 when using low range.  Are you confused yet ? Maybe you should stick to airplanes     

What exactly did I say that was incorrect?

How many 4wd cars (not trucks and SUV's) are there out there?

[3fan4life]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

Did American workers receive a paycheck for assembling it ?

and How many American workers receive a paycheck for the Fusions that are assembled in Mexico ?


I would LOVE to see every component of every vehicle sold in America manufactured right here in the USA.

But, that isn't the reality in today's world.

I'll gladly settle for "Assembled" in America since that is at least putting food on the table for "some" American workers.     

[MCRIDER]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

Did American workers receive a paycheck for assembling it ?

and How many American workers receive a paycheck for the Fusions that are assembled in Mexico ?

Well, actually quite a few.  All the salaried workers at Ford get a paycheck.  And everyone who owns shares of Ford stock receive a paycheck.  See, lot of people receive a a paycheck and they're all Americans.

[9Ball]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ?  

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

Did American workers receive a paycheck for assembling it ?

and How many American workers receive a paycheck for the Fusions that are assembled in Mexico ?

Well, actually quite a few.  All the salaried workers at Ford get a paycheck.  And everyone who owns shares of Ford stock receive a paycheck.  See, lot of people receive a a paycheck and they're all Americans.

The better question is "How many more Americans would receive a paycheck?" if the plant was located here in the US.  I'm sure cheap labor and lax environmental laws are the reason they are made in Mexico.

The quality is top notch, so I'm sure the workers are making a good wage to keep them happy and keep the quality up.  The supervisors and upper management are also probably mostly American...this is only a supposition.

[3fan4life]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ? 

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

Did American workers receive a paycheck for assembling it ?

and How many American workers receive a paycheck for the Fusions that are assembled in Mexico ?

Well, actually quite a few.  All the salaried workers at Ford get a paycheck.  And everyone who owns shares of Ford stock receive a paycheck.  See, lot of people receive a a paycheck and they're all Americans.

Let me see if I understand what you are saying.

Are you saying,

That it benefits American workers more to have a car with an American nameplate assembled in Mexico and imported into the US than to have a car with a Japanese nameplate assembled in the US by American workers ?

Because if you are then I simply cannot understand your logic.


My logic in this matter is clearly defined by the part of my post that you omitted:

I would LOVE to see every component of every vehicle sold in America manufactured right here in the USA.

But, that isn't the reality in today's world.

I'll gladly settle for "Assembled" in America since that is at least putting food on the table for "some" American workers.   

   

[3fan4life]

The better question is "How many more Americans would receive a paycheck?" if the plant was located here in the US.  

Perhaps this does define the situation better.

[The Anvil]

[
Not pushing American cars, but just so you know...Ford's Fusion comes in AWD.  A guy I work with has one and it is a nice car.  Of course, it is new...they're all nice when they're new.  I don't know what they cost, but I'd guess it is comparable to the Subie and probably a little bigger.

Just a question:

If the Subaru is built in Indiana (and it is) then how is it NOT an American made car ?  

Because it is not made in America, just like Hondas and Toyotas.  They are made in Japan and some are assembled in the United States.  The manufacturers do this to avoid paying import taxes and to escape import restrictions.

Did American workers receive a paycheck for assembling it ?

and How many American workers receive a paycheck for the Fusions that are assembled in Mexico ?

Well, actually quite a few.  All the salaried workers at Ford get a paycheck.  And everyone who owns shares of Ford stock receive a paycheck.  See, lot of people receive a a paycheck and they're all Americans.

The better question is "How many more Americans would receive a paycheck?" if the plant was located here in the US.  I'm sure cheap labor and lax environmental laws are the reason they are made in Mexico.

The quality is top notch, so I'm sure the workers are making a good wage to keep them happy and keep the quality up.  The supervisors and upper management are also probably mostly American...this is only a supposition.

There are a LOT of Toyota/Subaru/Nissan etc. salaried employees in the US. As for shareholders and their dividend? I really don't care about them. But for that matter there are plenty of Americans owning shares in those companies as well.

All other things being equal, I will support a "foreign" manufacturer who's bringing jobs INTO the US before I support an "American" company that's busy exporting jobs and I won't feel the least bit guilty about it.

[3fan4life]

All other things being equal, I will support a "foreign" manufacturer who's bringing jobs INTO the US before I support an "American" company that's busy exporting jobs and I won't feel the least bit guilty about it.

DANG IT ANVIL I HATE IT WHEN YOU POST SOMETHING THAT I AGREE WITH. 

[YoungPUP]

Thankyou all for your input about my Subaru inquiry. I pulled the trigger yesterday and bought a 2012 Subaru Impreza. Base model, but their idea of base is pretty well loaded. Nice to have another boxer engine in the garage.

[T-Bird]

In the car business, they refer to Subaru's as  "tree hugger's cars". I don't know if this is an insult or a compliment, but all the used ones I see for sale look like they have been taken great care of.  I like them myself and would own one..