dirtdogs

DD's 97 Impreza OBS auto transmission, 157k miles (just bought a couple of months ago), averages 22.5 mpg with almost all city driving. She is also a beginner driver so driving in a fuel-efficient manner is not quite yet something she's got down. But a month ago got 27 mpg on a tank that got highway driving and an ascent/descent of 6000 feet, and a bit of off-roading as well.

have you tried fueleconomy.gov?

have you tried overstock.com and truecar.com? just for comparison i got some price quotes on overstock.com for a Subaru Outback 2.5i in my area...I'm So Cal so there are quite a few dealers close by so theoretically there would be competition on the prices, and I'm getting 24965.

ABPOS, sorry, didn't see your question til today. I will ask DD to join in the discussion since he may remember where we bought the gear, and all the stuff was bought online. He installed the hitch receiver on the 2007 Prius and the 2010 Forester. I *think* the receivers are different sizes on the two vehicles and there is an adapter involved in there somewhere. We also use the hitch receivers with our bike rack. But for cargo we have this tray holder, and then a large cargo bag that ties onto this tray. The cargo bag is pretty waterproof, it stands up to rain pretty well. There is a part of the bag that covers the zipper part. You can load small square laundry baskets, I think Mountainsmith sells hauler type bags, or just throw in some packed duffels. Again, have never used the roof rack on the Forester. Couple of other thoughts. I am not familiar with the newer Impreza, but we just bought DD a 1997 Subaru Impreza Outback Wagon (teen driver first car) and I am impressed how much can get packed in that hatch area (including three dogs in a pinch). Re your kids' allergies, sorry that that is such an issue for you. Speaking from personal experience......it's almost impossible to get that dog hair out of the car interior! I mean, my dogs' hair is KNIT irreversibly into the carpet, the cargo floor, the cloth back of the seats, the headliner (sorry if I am getting the terminology wrong, but I think you get the idea!) And I have a Dyson! Using tape barely makes a dent!

We have a 2010 Forester as our family car, rock steady in snow and ice and flash flood conditions. We pack four big dogs into the car with us, so there is *no* room in the cargo area for non-canine cargo. We do have a roof rack but we've never used it.....found it far more convenient to put a hitch on and use a cargo carrier (one of those tray contraptions). That should work well for the Impreza (or the Legacy), we have one on the Prius too. DH installed the hitch on both vehicles.

Adventure, thanks for your help. DD's new old car looks just like yours. (OP is DH) Not too many adventure shots yet but this is a pic of the mutts piling in... They love the car

brus, is there a coupon code for this? thx for sharing.

Thanks, grossgary....I did find the cars101.com archives after reading about it on this forum, and it didn't say anything about cabin air filter but I wanted to double check! This is DD's first "new" car and we are very excited for her. It has 156k miles on it and looks pretty well taken care of. It did recently get a new OEM timing belt (the dealer checked) so we were planning on getting it checked again in about a year, does that sound soon enough?

Just took delivery and checking it out....does it have one? DH tried to find it and hasn't been able to yet. Thx!

Congrats!

Hello everyone, and thx in advance for your thoughtful replies and input. We have a 2010 forester 2.5i...our first subie bought 5 yrs ago when we got a weekend place up in the mts. love the car. We just bought our teen a 97 Impreza Sport Outback wagon. I'd read such great reviews about its handling, reliability, and that EJ22 engine that has so many great reviews. Paid 3750 for it, the body shop guy checked it out and there is a bit of rust L rear quarter (wheel well? sorry, i'm trying to remember his lingo) that he's going to fix, he says it's not bad and the car is otherwise solid. 156k miles, two owners, looks pretty good exc small scrapes, clear coat coming off in some places (but overall really not bad). The interior is pristine, I am guessing no kids or dogs! (Or, very good kids and dogs). Checks out well mechanically, drives well, and looks well maintained. Kiddo loves it and she is looking forward to having her own car. DD is a great kid--careful, studious, straight A, college freshman. But.....she has inherited my driving (non) skills and has had a couple of encounters with immovable objects (one a lamppost, one a concrete median). She's crunched my Prius up quite a bit, and she is nervous that the Forester is too big for her. (And I *really* don't want her crunching up the Forester). I figured this would be a great car for her to get seasoned with. Her daily commute to college is about 10 miles on surface streets in So Cal. I like the size, the handling, the AWD, Subie's rep, the 2.2's rep, and the great visibility of this particular model. But....there are some naysayers and worriers (non-Subie owners) who are worried that this car is just too old, and may not have the safety features that may make a difference between life, death, dismemberment. OTOH, Subie drivers have often raved about how well this car has served them in unfortunate situations. Any thoughts, experiences and wisdom appreciated. I could alternately let her have my Prius and take this car.....I seem to have outgrown my dingbat driving for the most part.