rizzo

i wish i had one...

the USA is really the only country that uses bigger engines on a regular basis. most cars in europe and asia are smaller with smaller engines.

the AC actually dries the air. it's like taking a hair dryer and blowing it on a fogged mirror in your bathroom after the shower. as for the smell... the air generally smells different when the AC is first turned on or turned off. also, something to try if it's coming from the outside is to switch the air circulation method from taking the air from the outside to recirculating the air inside. if you've got it coming from outside and you're behind a car with an exhaust problem, you'll be smelling it. if you've got it on recirculate, you won't. that should get you started with what the problem could be.

most places i've bought tires (town fair tire, firestone, other garages, etc) have offered the hazard warrantee on the tires. i am pretty sure that most will cover all 4 tires... honestly, most people who like their cars would want 4 matching tires even if it was FWD or RWD. best bet is to ask about it when you get your next set of tires.

my manual for my 03 impreza says 75W90. check your manual, it should be in there... mine has a diagram with different viscosities and temps...

is the redline water wetter something that i just add to the radiator or to the reservoir? also... is it something i should add even though my car will experience temperatures below freezing? or should i just use a 50/50 mix of coolant/water? i noticed the coolant in the radiator is green and clean, but the stuff in teh reservoir looks a bit dirty (of course it could be that it's just hazy since i can't see down there except through the side of it). i'm probably gonna get my oil changed soon and i'll have them flush the coolant anyways. all my other fluids look good as far as i can tell (i checked the levels of all the fluids today). the oil's a bit dirty, so my guess is it hasn't been changed in a while.

my apologies... i was confusing that with the other guy who said that german electronics are top of the line... and yes, it is dumb to trash something else to prove something else is better... however, between subaru and VW... having driving both for a considerable amount of time... i'd go subaru (at least with the smaller car). fat bulk expanse mass lump block clod... <img>

on the oil... it says in teh manual to not use different brands... now i'm about a quart low, of course i also just got the car and supposedly it recently had an oil change, and i was reading elsewhere on the board that sometimes it reads low when it's not... would ti be bad to just get a quart of whatever brand and put it in, or should i go and get the oil changed (unfortuantely i don't have the space to do it on my own)? and should i take it anywhere or should i go to a dealer? i used to take my car to midas (the only relatively known place around here that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for an oil change). i imagine i'd haev to request 5W30 to make sure that's what they put in... but i'm not sure...

thanks for the PDF. that helped, although it didn't say what the differences were... but i guess i can use any of those classifications since they seem mostly based on the year the car was built. any recommended brands? is synthetic oil better? i want my car running in perfect condition (obviously). checked the back for the coolant info... it says the same thing it does inside the manual... 7.4 US qt. nothing about type, just volume. any recommended brands?

subaru's are not as expensive as almost any german car. the jetta is more expensive than the impreza, the passat more expensive than the legacy. VW does not make anything comparable to the outback at this time. however, compared to toyota, honda, and nissan, subarus are more expensive... but they've also got more features (AWD for starters). as for german cars... i don't know where the whole german electronics thing came into play... that's just dumb saying that germans make the best electronics... but their cars are good. however, they do have a history of electrical problems (as seen in VW/audi). the german engineering that these cars are known for has nothing to do with electronics, it's the engines and stuff that they're known for. in response to the other kid's comment about his subaru lasting well over 200k and 20+ years... i know plenty of people who have BMW's, mercedes, VW's, and audis that last that long... i knew one guy who had a diesel audi that he bought with 200k on it. drove it across the country and back. got rid of it at 300k. german cars are good. cars in general have gone downhill a bit. they're not build like they used to. they're not made to go forever because people keep them for the term of the lease and trade them in for something new. that never used to happen. and he's right about the impreza... they're built in japan still...

after sitting in a firmer seat, i found they were more comfortable for driving than a plush seat (which is what the camry had). but the jetta had the firmest seat i've ever been in, although not uncomfortable. it's all really personal preference since my back isn't the greatest, so the firmer seats help keep my back comfy.

the owner's manual for my car says to use 5w30. i understand that. but then it says to use API classification SL or SJ. what's the difference and does it matter if i use one or the other? also, the coolant reservoir is low. is there any recommended coolant that i should be using? since i just got the car, i have coolant that i used in my old car, but taht's like car and driver brand stuff that came dilluted by 50%. the manual says nothing about the coolant type to use and i hoenstly don't know if there's a difference in coolants.

so does the impreza have the same engine as the legacy? i'm guessing mine would be an EJ25? is there different designation between phase 1 and phase 2?

strange... i find the seats in my 03 impreza outback to be very comfortable... much more comfortable than my old 89 camry wagon and a little more comfortable than my girlfriend's 02 jetta (hers are a bit too firm in my opinion).

i see things like EJ22 or EA81 or the like posted here all the time. what do they mean? i'm pretty new to subaru (although i've wanted one for quite some time now). i've never seen cars referred to as EJ or EA before...

anyone got any recommendations for a good bike rack for the rear of my outback sport? i have an allen one (i'm pretty sure that's what it is). it's cheap, does the job, but doesn't really hold the bike in place too well. it was a gift. i'd consider a roof rack, but money is an issue and it'd be more expensive to get 2 trays (saw the rockymounts suggestion in the other thread) than to get one 2+ bike trunk rack. i'm also going to need a ski rack for the roof, but that's not as important since there's no snow... if it matters, i have the factory crossbars on the roof rack.

it's only $60 if you already have yakima or thule crossbars. for the one that fits factory crossbars, it's $85. still pretty good looking...

can you post a pic of this? i don't think i'm picturing this right...

so basically you're saying that in order to get a stick with AWD in VW/audi, you have to go audi? that's a rip. i would personally, never buy an audi for the sole fact that they're way too expensive, they're way too expensive to repair, and they're just not as economical as a VW or subaru. and you still fail to address the history of electrical problems in the recent VW/audis. a passat wagon is comparable to the outback... why did they not put the stick in it? in order to get a stick with a wagon with AWD, you gotta get an audi for about $20k more. what's the point? personally, i'd like to see a passat tdi 4motion wagon with a stick... that's something i'd buy (even the jetta wagon with all that... but they don't offer 4motion in the jetta). so you never said why you can't recommend a subaru to your father...

the new outbacks offer quite a bit more than the older ones did. i say they're worth it. they also have better reliability than VW's. just because the car is german engineered doesn't mean it's better. i don't know why this rumor still holds... in fact, according to consumer reports (which some people here dislike), most of the german cars aren't all that reliable anymore. VW has a history of electrical problems that has yet to be taken care of. the engines and all that stuff is great, but the electrical systems are unreliable. also, german cars are more expensive to repair than japanese cars. that coupled with the lack of reliability makes them less bang for the buck if you ask me... the jetta's a great car. it's got lots of features i wish i had in my outback sport. the OBW should not have been compared to it, i agree. but even if you compare the impreza to it or the OBS, the subaru wins in the long run. but again, you can't get a passat wagon with 4motion and a stick. the only AWD VW's are AT. VW is turning into a family car as opposed to a car-lover's car. what's the point? why not offer a stick in everything? why is there no 4motion offered in the jetta?

nope... when you buy a jetta, you buy a german car that was made elsewhere... it's like buying polo vs. LL Bean. quality is the same (although i think LL Bean is better), but the price is skewed. you buy a brand name, nothing more... and lots of gadgets on the jetta that subaru doesn't have...

good point... but without VW, audi probably would've gone under... you can't really compare the VW and the audi lines... jetta is smaller than A4, passat is bigger than A4. and then there's the phaeton. that thing is sick... maybe people should think differently... you were comparing a large wagon with a small sedan... so compare all VW's to all subarus... or at least a comparable subaru (such as the impreza line) i'm not sure if there's a turbo outback, but there's definitely a turbo legacy... and there's the WRX (more comparable to the jetta than the legacy)... and H6 rocks... that's going a bit overboard... but yeah... jetta is a lot smaller than the legacy outback... but again... you're comparing a small sedan with a large wagon. either way... subaru is better...

actually audi's are VW's. not the other way around... gas mileage is about the same in my outback sport and my girlfriend's jetta. there's turbo-charged subarus and outbacks with the H6. one thing about space in the jetta (aside from the back seat)... the trunk is pretty big for a small car. and they do pretty well in the snow... not as well as AWD though. <img> i am perplexed as to why VW doesn't offer 4motion in all their cars... especially the wagons. and my biggest complaint... ALL THEIR CARS WITH 4MOTION ARE AUTOMATICS!!! <img> i was also looking at a passat wagon with a VR6 and 4motion... but it was an automatic...

i agree with most of what you have to say... however, heated seats are nice. i just got my 03 outback sport. no real options... my girlfriend has a 02 jetta. i think she's got a base model with the stereo upgrade. things i like about hers that mine lacks... the dashboard light colors (green is just boring now), heated seats (although, i never used hers that much in the winter), telescope steering wheel (not just tilt), one touch up and down for both front windows (as opposed to one touch down for jsut the driver's window), auto-lock at 5mph+ and unlock when you open the door from the inside, dome lights on when you pull the key out of the ignition, the VW/audi key, rear disc brakes. i almost considered a jetta... until i read about their history of electrical problems... things about mine i like better... front seats have larger sides to hold you in place better. AWD, AWD, AWD. headlights turn off when car is turned off (i'm not talking the daytime running lights either, her car just yells at you when you leave them on). my car also seems a bit bigger in the "cabin". her trunk is also a *************** to close (the hydraulics or springs or whatever it is are too tight). i'm glad i picked this car though... i feel safer in it than i do in hers. it just feels like it was built better. i never knew such love for a car as i do now...

know anything about the 03 impreza 2.5? i just got an 03 outback sport. is this the phase I or II 2.5? after reading some of this stuff, i'm now starting to worry... got my first scare today when my clutch started sticking... luckily the rubber floor mat had slid up just enough to catch the bottom of the pedal when fully pressed.