Which Model

[jtraymond@comcast.net]

I am new to this, and am looking to replace my crappy hyundai. I have heard

alot of good things about Suburu, few not so good. I am confused about the

different models, Outback vs Forester vs Impreza. I know someone at work who has the 2000 Outback, he uses it for hunting. A Subaru for hunting? I was immediatley intrigued. He started to tell me that this model was built on this

frame etc.etc. I want the toughest, most powerfull, reliable, roomiest, and most fuel efficient of them all. (who doesn't) Anyway can someone educate me on the world of the Subaru AWD.

Jeff :-\

[REXSPEEDWORTHY]

Outback-rugged/some sedan versions can be sporty.

Forester-More family/SUV

Go on ebay and search subarus for sale, you can see all the differences with the pictures on there.

[bjwirth]

as far as i know, none of the subs here are built on frames (the way pickups and traditional suv's are).

 

But if you're looking for the roomiest and most powerful, then you want the tribeca. I don't know that any particular subaru model is "tougher" or more reliable than any another subaru model.

 

I don't know what you're looking for in a car, but if you're thinking about hunting, have you considered a baja? It's basically an outback that looks like a pickup. I don't think I would want a dead dear spewing its guts all over the inside of my car.

[Gnuman]

I don't know what you're looking for in a car, but if you're thinking about hunting, have you considered a baja? It's basically an outback that looks like a pickup. I don't think I would want a dead dear spewing its guts all over the inside of my car.

 

If you are taking the Outback hunting, you do not put the kill inside the car. you put it on top of the car. . .

 

OK, Outback: Two versions:

Outback, Legacy outback - Built on the Legacy platform. Single most rugged of the modern Subarus. good ground clearance.

 

Outback Sport, Impreza Outback - This is a smaller, quicker version of the Outback, based on the Impreza platform.

 

Legacy: Probably the most all-arouond capable of the Subaru lineup. with a standard ground clearance it has excelent handling, and a good serving of power.

 

Impreza: All out fast with lightning quick handling, or a great economy car. What you get is mostly in how you drive it. Lighter than the Legacy, it also uses a smaller engine. . .to very good effect. This is Subarus racing platform for good reason. as it is very light, you also get great gas milage if you do not "punch" it often, but this is dificult in a car that has this much raw performance potential. Besides the base models, there are two "Performance" versions. WRX = sporty, well manered on road, great handling. Some power upgrades, but not full on racing. STi - The only way to accelerate faster is to strap JATO to your car. Be careful in buying this car. The urge to exceed the speed limit (or the sound barrier) is almost unbearable. Buy this car if you plan to race. . .and win.

 

Forester: the most SUV looking of the Subaru line. Many people consider this to be a very tall Outback.

 

Baja: A Forester with an open back end. . . Or a pick-up truck with a very short bed and four doors. Take your pick.

 

Tribeca (new): 7 passenger capability, DVD, Nav. Face it, This is a minivan, Subaru style. Subaru calls this a "crossover" vehicle, or a SUV. OK, market it however you want, but it is a minivan. A very very good one, but a minivan.

 

Which one is for you? what do you want to do with it? Subaru has a car in it's lineup for just about anything you can come up with for a car to do. You get the greatest "beef" out of the Legacy Outback as long as you do not plan on driving real fast (My Legacy holds the road like she is bolted to it. Do not expect the same out of an Outback). I would rate this or the Forester as the best if you plan on going hunting with it. For primarily on road, I would go with an Impreza (for fast onroad) or a Legacy (for all around capability). The Baja and Tribeca are cars that you buy if you have a need/want for that particular form factor.

 

I think that covers all of the newer Subarus, and these are my opinions on them. All of them are very good cars, you just need to decide wich is best for you.

[AlpineRaven]

I am new to this, and am looking to replace my crappy hyundai. I have heard

alot of good things about Suburu, few not so good. I am confused about the

different models, Outback vs Forester vs Impreza. I know someone at work who has the 2000 Outback, he uses it for hunting. A Subaru for hunting? I was immediatley intrigued. He started to tell me that this model was built on this

frame etc.etc. I want the toughest, most powerfull, reliable, roomiest, and most fuel efficient of them all. (who doesn't) Anyway can someone educate me on the world of the Subaru AWD.

Jeff :-\

 

What is your main reason you want Subaru for? - to go off road/gravel/bush driving? Or Snow or wet inflected areas? or road safety with AWD?

 

For me, I own an 1995 Liberty (same what you call Legacy there) 5MT AWD and the main reasons were - I live in the country and it can be wet varies of days, also lives on a farm, needs 4WD/AWD and I feel lot safer with AWD plus I grew up with Subaru.

Cheers

AP

[Lesbaru]

I had a Legacy (not the Outback) wagon, now have an Impreza (not the Outback Sport) wagon. My gf has a Forester.

 

The Legacy has lots of room lengthwise. The Forester is about the same length as the Impreza, both are maybe a foot shorter than the Legacy. The Forester has much more room heigth-wise. I moved a couch in her Forester, and both our bikes fit in it fine. My bike fit ok by itself in my Legacy, no room for hers. My bike barely fits by itself in my Imp. (it's a BikeE recumbent, so it's an odd shaped critter.)

 

My dogs (a rottie and a mutt) fit just fine in the "trunk area" behind the back seat of the Legacy and Forester. The mutt is cozy behind the back seat in the Impreza due to the slant of the roof and back windshield. The rottie never got a chance to ride in the Imp.... sigh. All 3 "basic" cars have the same engine these days. All 3 are great cars. My favorites are the Forester and the Imp. Between the two we have just about all our car needs covered. If I could only have one, I guess I'd choose the Forester so I could haul a family's worth of dogs, bikes, paddling gear, etc.

 

Even though the Forester is a little taller than the Imp, it doesn't lean anymore than my Imp. My Imp is pretty new, and the best mpg I've got was 38 on the highway with 92 octane. Haven't managed to do it again, seem to be steady at 34-36 mpg these days.

[idosubaru]

you getting new or used, that will really narrow down this dicussion and get you better info.

 

avoid or shop cautiously for old 2.5 liter motors (prior to roughly 2001). they can have head gasket issues. newer ones are fine and great cars. you need to look at them and see what you like...the ebay option is a great suggestion, check the styles out. i really dig the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (OBS). They are like short wagons/hatchback sort of things. bought one for the wife and it's a great car, i like it way more than when i first got it. i'm tempted to start upgrading to newer subaru's from my old school fettish. tough...rugged...that's all oppinion. don't expect outstanding gas mileage on some of these AWD subarus' though. they don't get great gas mileage, but they do have AWD and reliability. that's the only thing i'd rather see different in the OBS...it's a 4 cylinder and gets worse or maybe the same gas mileage as my old school 6 cylinder subaru, the XT6 AWD. 25-28 mpg isn't that great for a 4 cylinder. but i dig it for the wife and she likes it too, so if i got her liking subaru's.....ding ding ding....

 

i fit plenty of deer in my dinky little XT6. i've had up to 5 in the trunk....got pictures. couldnt' close the trunk, but that's what ratchet straps and bungee cords are for. i strip all the carpeting out and drill holes in the bottom for hosing out or line it with enormouse pieces of thick plastic. deer are typically cleaned before loading so "guts spewing out" like previous poster mentioned isn't an issue. but thanks for the visual (yucK!) i have a full size ford F 150, but hate driving that big stupid thing. subaru all the way. has better traction anyway and LSD, just not the ground clearance but that's rarely an issue.

[Gnuman]

i fit plenty of deer in my dinky little XT6. i've had up to 5 in the trunk....got pictures.

 

Gary, you have got to share those pics. . . PM or email them to me (please) if you don't want to post them here.

[rweddy]

Forester: the most SUV looking of the Subaru line. Many people consider this to be a very tall Outback.

 

Baja: A Forester with an open back end. . . Or a pick-up truck with a very short bed and four doors. Take your pick.

Just a couple of corrections.

 

The forester is built on the Impreza platform, so it is a very tall Impreza.

 

The Baja is built on the legacy platform.

[idosubaru]

Gary, you have got to share those pics. . . PM or email them to me (please) if you don't want to post them here.

 

i did have to put the rear seats down for this.

 

this was pre-digital camera days so they are on regular film/pictures. i did just pick up a scanner but it's used, dont' know if it works. my power supply is fried too so my computer doesn't work...glad you brought this up i'll post that in off-topic to see if any computer guru's can help. i'll pm/email if i can and remember too.

[bjwirth]

but thanks for the visual (yucK!)

No problem!

 

The only "hunting" i do, is hunt for the best deals on meat at my local supermarket.

 

but getting back to the original Q, the best way to see which car is best for you is to test drive them. My wife and I went to the dealer looking at legacy wagons (thinking foresters were stupid cars). Just on a whim, we test drove the forester and that's what we ended up buying. go figure.

[soobmater]

If you are taking the Outback hunting, you do not put the kill inside the car. you put it on top of the car. . .

 

 

figured that out the hard way, o ya, and welcome to the board..

[Gnuman]

figured that out the hard way, o ya, and welcome to the board..

 

Heh, was that last directed at me or the original poster? If it is to me thank you, but you are a bit late. . .I'm about 400 posts behind you. I've been on here a while

[soobmater]

no, welcome to the board to original poster, i was just sayin i threw my deer in the back of my wagon, and the blood sorta got everywhere

[subie94]

i was just sayin i threw my deer in the back of my wagon, and the blood sorta got everywhere

 

so how was it to clean up we all have made goofs like that.

[soobmater]

well, it wasnt fun. uhh, its perfect now, except the little storage compartment under the carpet. were i keep a handsaw and a few other things. it still stinks under there. its getting better, but it smells like rot, and thats not good :/ but o well. i had a broken arm when i shought the deer, so i wasn't going to throw it up on the roof rack.

 

to stay on topic, if you havnt picked anything out yet, a forester seems like the way to go for you. at least, imo

[Andyjo]

I'd say most subarus are pretty hard core in the 'toughness' factor. I offoroad my impreza (OBS) quite a bit, have smashed in many components on the underside, and it's still running strong... My recent problem happens to be the fuel sending unit... but i think that's because i cruched the gas tank w/ a rock

[Martinjmpr]

I am new to this, and am looking to replace my crappy hyundai. I have heard

alot of good things about Suburu, few not so good. I am confused about the

different models, Outback vs Forester vs Impreza. I know someone at work who has the 2000 Outback, he uses it for hunting. A Subaru for hunting? I was immediatley intrigued. Jeff :-\

 

Jeff,

 

I've gone hunting twice in my Subaru. In fact, I shot an antelope in Wyoming back in October, using the back of the Subaru as a rifle rest, hit him in the back at about 200 yards. I was hunting with my father, and we had no problems putting him in the game back and driving him back to Fort Collins to the meat processor. If we'd gotten a second antelope, it might have been a tight fit but with the back seat folded down, it was fine, even with all the gear we brought.

 

The OBW will handle a moderately rough dirt road, as long as there isn't deep mud or snow (which can pack up underneath the car's body and cause a 'high-center.')