Bmm001

I have a '95 Legacy Sedan that I got last July, and have put 13,000 miles on it so far. Other than a water pump and a CV boot, I have had no problems whatsoever. It drives great, and has the smoothest, quietest engine out of all of our Subies. (Tip: never underestimate the significance of new sparkplug wires and other minor tuneup items... they make a HUGE difference). My family is somewhat Subaru-obsessed; we've had a '86 GL 4wd wagon, and we currently also own a '97 Impreza Sedan and a '98 Legacy Wagon, both over 100,000 miles. My car actually has the fewest miles (94,500) of all of our cars. My younger brother inherited my Toyota Tercel (with 133,000 miles) , but by next summer he hopes to have enough money saved for a Subaru. We love Subaru's dependability, their unstoppability in the snow, and the fact that they are just more fun to drive than any other car. We've been a Subaru family since the eighties, and plan to stay that way as long as they keep building great cars. We always change our oil at 3,000 miles, and take care of any major or minor issues right away. Finding a GREAT independent Subaru-specializing mechanic has been a godsend as well. Brian M.

Speaking of tires, my dad needs new tires on his '97 Impreza. Right now he has Dunlop SP Sport A2's, which were nice until they wore about halfway down, then got very loud and had poor wet/snow traction. We like the Yokohama Avid Tourings we have on our legacy, but they are only S Speed rated, whereas the Dunlops were H. The tire rack DOES carry the Yokohams in the proper size for the Impreza, so my question is this: Does the speed rating really matter as long as the tire is the correct size? My dad drives very gently and long tread life and good snow traction along with a quiet ride are the most important things, not maximum cornering ability. We only got 35,000 miles out of the Dunlops. All these requirements have been met with the Yokohamas on our Legacy, so we're wondering if it would be OK to get them for the Impreza too. P.S. Barhard: We've gotten 3 sets of tires from the tire rack and have been very pleased with the promptness, service, and price. Be aware that not all garages will put the tires on since you didn't buy them from the garage. The tire rack has partnered with garages all over the country that WILL put them on and recommends them. I believe they can even ship your tires to one of those recommended garages. Brian M.

My heat shields on the exhaust pipes under the car (a '95 Legacy sedan) do the same thing on startup. It's just annoying, not a major problem. The screw that holds them is rusted and won't stay tight. Maybe I'll try putting a new screw in it. Brian M.

Starting in 1995, Subaru Switched to OBD II. Brian

The Subaru garage we take all our cars to always uses 15W-40, citing higher levels of detergent, better overall protection, and less piston slap as their reasons. They've been working on Subarus for over 20 years and used this oil with no problems, so if it works for them, it works for me. I also noticed that our Subaru dealer used 15W40 for about the first 2 years we've had our '98 before they switched to Mobil (they used to use Castrol). Brian M.

Double Offset Joint

I would check with CCR Engines (www.ccrengines.com) and see what they say. From what I gather, they know their stuff and have an excellent reputation. Brian

Numbers can be interpreted in many different ways. You can make them say almost anything. Think of it this way... out of those 50,000 owners surveyed, how many of them own Porsches? Probably not too many. But notice that Porsche is near the top of the rankings. Could this be because the few Porsche owners who were surveyed were lucky? From what I have read about them, they are NOT that reliable, as many high-performance cars are not. That is just one example. Additionally, notice that although Jeep ranks near the bottom third on the problems-per-vehicle chart, the Jeep Liberty is somehow still one of the "top" vehicles in its segment. What does this mean?! There is no explanation of what that second chart means, and many of the cars in this second chart did not fare well in the manufacturer's listing in the first chart. I also notice that the majority of the "top" vehicles in the second chart did not fare nearly as well in the first chart; this majority are also coincidentally American cars ie Buick, Chevrolet, etc. Could this be bias? Again, I reapeat, numbers are misleading, and can be made to say almost whatever you want them to say. Brian

I posted a similar reply to someone else with a question like this. As far as I know, the EJ22 and EJ25 (in your GT) are open-deck designs that don't hold up too well to turbocharging. I guess it's a personal thing, but I know that if I spent money for a nice car like that, I wouldn't do anything to the engine to sacrifice its longevity. However, to each his own. If people do it with success in the RS, I guess it would work in your GT. Just be prepared for your engine to probably not last nearly as long. Brian

Sounds like you totalled the clutch. We had to replace the clutch in our '98 legacy at 88,000 miles. The RPM's would go up but the car would not pick up speed. If you can barely get up to speed from a standstill, your clutch is almost gone. The problem starts in the higher gears, but the worse it gets, it creeps into the lower gears. That's how ours was. I would take it to a good independent garage or do it yourself, The dealer wanted $850 to replace it, our Subaru garage did it for $400. Brian

If you don't get much of a jump off the line from a 5-spd AWD, you're definitely slipping the clutch (not good!). I have never gotten any wheelspin on a dry road. The subies just don't have enough power to break the tires loose. Get it right, and it will "step off" MUCH harder than any auto AWD. The best way to get a good start in my parent's 5-spd. Legacy is to "blip" the throttle to about 3,000 and let the cluch out quickly while flooring it, slipping as little as possible. At least that seems to be the best way to merge back onto I-95 from a dead stop fully loaded on the way to our vacation spot ha ha. Brian

Subaru is releasing the 2006 Tribeca and Forester this early because they are all new (the Tribeca) or significantly redesigned (Forester). There probably aren't too many changes to the rest of the lineup for 2006, so they probably won't be out until late July or August. That's usually how it goes around here at least. Hope this helps. Brian

I wouldn't try to add a turbo to a regular EJ22. The turbo ones have a "closed-deck" design in the heads, whereas the regular ones are open, as well as various other strengthening modifications and lubrication upgrades. I don't think a regular engine would last for very long with a turbo. Brian

I don't remember what the shift gate is like on the newer Subarus, but could you move the shifter into 2nd gear yourself? That's what I do if the transmission is being lazy on my '95. I seem to have the opposite problem; mine seems way too eager to downshift, and lazy about shifting into overdrive. Brian

My '95 Legacy and my dad's '97 Impreza do this too. Subaru automatics aren't known for their impeccable smoothness. If the fluid is in good shape and at the proper level, I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it's really severe. This phenomenon usually lessens in severity once the fluid is up to operating temperature, at least in my experience. I have brand new fluid in mine and it still does it sometimes. Brian

I was almost not going to respond, but I think this thread has gotten a little out of hand. If it's that big of a problem, why not just turn the cruise control off when you encounter a steep hill if it's that big of a deal!? Come on, guys and gals, it seems like we're nitpicking here. Every car has its quirks... no car is perfect. To me, this sounds like a trivial problem. Granted, I haven't experienced it, and my 95's cruise works just fine. I just can't believe so many people are getting so bent out of shape over CRUISE CONTROL. What did we all do before there was such a thing? I could sit here and complain about how my car is terribly slow with the A/C on and 95 degrees and humid... but I won't because there's no point; cars make less power when it's hot and humid, and the A/C sucks power from the engine as well. Let's worry about real problems and stop complaining about trivial ones! I post on several different forums concerning a variety of topics, and it was refreshing to come to this one, because people aren't mean to eachother and don't complain and ask the same questions over and over again. I'd hate to see this one go in that direction. Brian

I have to say it looks much better than the Tribeca. Not bad at all actually. Maybe it's the combination of the headlights and hood that make the grille look weird on it (Tribeca). But, here on the Impreza, I actually kinda like it. Brian

We like Yokohamas... We have a set of Avid Tourings on our legacy wagon right now and they are really quiet, have good traction, and 80,000 mile warranty. We got about 60,000 out of a set of Yokohama Aegis LS4's before that. Brian

My dad has a '97 Impreza with 104,000 miles and ever since we've had the car (it had 42,000 miles when we bought it used), there has been a moaning/whirring sound coming from the engine. My independed Subaru garage diagnosed it as a failing A/C compressor clutch bearing. Has anyone else ever had this problem? If so, what did it cost to fix? How much of a hassle is it? We want to get it fixed, just want some more info from others who may have had this done. Thanks, Brian M.

I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge: The 2005 Legacys and Outbacks are completely redesigned. They are a bit larger in terms of wheelbase, length, height, and just about every other measurement. Due to some reengineering, they are somewhat lighter, but the frame has been stiffened. The sheetmetal is completely redesigned as well, making these models (in my opinion) the best-looking Subarus ever. The engine, while the same model, has been tweaked with some lighter materials, switched to electronic throttle control, and a new, quieter exhaust system, giving a few more horsepower. The transmissions, brakes, and suspension have been similarly tweaked and improved, as well as the interior fit and finish and equipment. In terms of owning a Subaru (this goes for just about any car though) the more anal you are about routine maintenance, the longer it will last. I do not do much of my own work on my car, but I take it to someone who knows what they are doing. Dealers are good but expensive, and sometimes try to jerk you around. Obviously, you will probably have to take yours to the dealer while under warranty. Then, I'd either do the maintenence yourself if you're able, or find a good independent Subaru garage like I did. They are much cheaper, do better work (in my opinion) and don't try to screw me over or exaggerate/make up problems with my car since they rely on word-of mouth advertising for business. The recommended break-in is very important as well. Don't beat it up in the first 1,000 miles or so. I've heard that the 2.5 engine takes perhaps 10,000 miles to fully break in and after that you'll see your gas mileage come up, so don't worry if it seems low for a while. Living where you live, I would follow the severe service maintenence schedule. I replace my air filter once a year, oil change every 3-4,000 miles, etc. The car just runs better when you do simple stuff like that more often. My car (a '95) is the 4th Subaru my family has owned (we have 2 other ones right now) and by doing the routine maintenence stuff more often, we've never had one of our Subarus let us sit. Exception: dead battery. Hope these ramblings helped, Brian

Update: I replaced the PCV valve this morning, and it pretty much solved the problem! I also cleaned the crud out of the little hose that goes into the valve. The shudder is nearly gone, and I have noticed a bit more "pickup." Amazing how a simple fix can yield drastic results! Brian

My parents, who drive gently, got almost 90,000 miles out of their front pads on a '98 legacy wagon. Brian

My Subaru mechanic uses 15w40 diesel oil, claiming it cleans and protects the engine much better. He's never had an oil-related engine failure in any of his customers using this oil, so it must be doing its job. I also seem to recall our Subaru dealer using 15W40 in our old '86 GL wagon. Since it's thicker, I always make sure to let the engine run a good minute or so before I drive off to make sure it gets circulating well first. If you have really cold winters, it probably wouldn't be the best oil, but even in central PA here, I had no trouble starting my car this winter, and like the fact that my engine will be protected well this summer when it's hot. I figure if it's good enough for those hard-working big rigs and fleet customers, it's good enough for my soob. Brian

I could be mistaken, but aren't semi-metallic pads going to be louder to begin with? Also, when the pads were replaced on my parents' two cars, they sqealed alot until they were broken in (at least 500 miles). Brian

Of the four Subarus my family has owned ('86 GL wagon, and currently own a '95 Legacy sedan, '97 Impreza sedan, and '98 Iegacy wagon), none of them have ever used any oil that I'm aware of between oil changes. The milages range from 91,000 on the '95 to 120,000 on the GL when we traded it in. I drive much harder in my '95 than my parents do in their cars, but even I have yet to notice any oil consumption. Brian