jonlow

I bought a new 1993 Impreza wagon when my 1st son was a month old, because our mid-'80s Civic hatchback did not have AC, and because getting an infant seat into the rear of a 2-dr car was a back breaker. We thought the Impreza was amazing with all the extra room. The kids are no longer in car seats, and now we have a current-version Mazda MPV as the large, family vehicle, and a current-version Impreza as the small, commuter car. Perspectives change. I think the Mazda 5 is a great intermediate-size option, and reliability should be good. I read that while the vehicle is new to North America, it has been sold elsewhere for a couple years. The Mazda 3 is very reliable, and the 5 shares much of the chassis and powertrain.

Postings on forums usually deal with problems. It would take a large sample to demonstrate any difference in reliability among high-quality cars like Hondas, Toyotas, Subarus, etc. Toyoto forums are full of complaints / issues too. On an individual level, you are about as likely to get a good Subaru as you are a good Toyota. A Subaru will cost you more to drive because of the relatively poor fuel economy, but I doubt you'll know the difference in terms of repair costs. Compared to comparable Japanese-branded vehicles, I find Subarus to be more fun to drive, as I was reminded yesterday while driving a loaner Civic when my Impreza was at the dealership for a (cosmetic) repair.

The factory boots on my FWD 1993 Impreza lasted 9 years / 95,000 miles. In fact, the boots are the only repair I ever did on the car, before I sold it to a family member a year or 2 later to by a new 2004 AWD Impreza

Yesterday at N/C the dealership replaced the seat cover with a brand new one, after adding some padding to protect the cover from the form that keep the side bolsters in shape. This dealership is really exceptional. I've been back 6 times in just under 2 years, and been happy every time. Not so with other new car dealerships I have experienced. If anyone needs a dealer in Toronto, I'd highly recommend Marino's on Lakeshore Blvd West.

My '04 Impreza has Yakimas clamped to the factory rails. I suspect the rails are the same for both cars. The system works well.

You're right Steve, no side air-bags in my Impreza (wish there were). I have been noticing whether I touch that part of the seat when I get in and out of the car, and as far as I can tell, I don't, though once one starts thinking about it, one might unconsciously change how one does it. Thanks for the advice. The dealer has been truly excellent, as well as competitive for service like oil changes. If they continue to perform as they have been so far, I won't ever take the car anywhere else. This is my first, totally dealership positive experience buying and servicing a new car. Now I only wish I could find a competent Mazda dealer for the spousal unit's vehicle.

I have an '04 Impreza TS, with approx. 27,000 kms (~17,000 miles) on it. I just noticed that on the side of the driver's seat, there is a very worn spot in the fabric, a little below where my elbow would be if at my side. The spot is about 1/2" wide, 3" long. If I press on the worn spot, just below the fabric, I can feel what I think is a piece of hard plastic, probably what forms the side bolsters. At this rate, I'll have a hole in 6 months. Needless to say, I'll be discussing it with the dealership soon, though I am concerned that they'll consider it wear and tear rather than a defect. There is no other visible wear inside the car. My last Subaru was a 1993 Impreza, which I bought new and drove until I bought the 2004. The 1993 is still in the family, being driven by my sister-in-law. The seats in the '93 are fine. Has anyone else seen or heard of this problem?