What do you love/hate about your Impreza?

[DiscoStu]

Thinking of trading my 99 OBW for an 07 Impreza Sedan. The local dealer has one with <30K miles for about $14,000 (is that too much?). Hoping I could get at least $4500 trade in on the Outback (am I dreaming?). Aside from the cargo space, what, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of the Impreza as compared to the Legacy wagon? Thanks.

[sregor13]

I have a 2007 Impreza Wagon 2.5i. It is way small if you are used to a Wagon (Legacy or Outback) You will miss the size, especially if you have passengers. In the rear you can have passengers if they are between the age of 0-7. A normal adult would fit but any kind of travel is a no-go.

 

If the sedan is a 2.5 then I think 14,000 is to much for sure. If it has had the 30,000 mile service then that costs about $800. So make sure that has been done as it is pretty comprehensive.

 

I would go no higher than 13,000, unless it is magical or has a Sunroof, Steering Wheel Audio Controls, Sat Radio and a high end stereo system.

 

With that said if you are set on an Impreza then I like the 07 better then the 08,09 etc. However those should have the Sat Radio Antenna pre-installed (I think) mine did not. Also they dropped down in price in 08 I think. They started to look kind of like GEO Metro though. I also think they cut other corners.

 

Keep in mind it is real small, not very powerful. My 96 feels much stronger. Not sure why but that's how it feels.

 

My check engine light comes on regularly and the seat belt chime goes off even if you are in park in your driveway. Those two things are very annoying. I can disable the Seat Belt chime but I don't like to do that. I would mind it if it went off only when the car was in motion. When the Check Engine light is on the Criuse Control is disabled. Easy to reset by unhooking the Battery for about 5 Minutes. But once I do that the Seat Belt Chime starts up again. Its like a Catch 22 of BS.

 

My buddy got a 04 Outback with 50,000 for about 14,000 cash. It a much more comfortable ride with heated Seats, plenty of room, and even Map Light up above. The cupdolder and center console is remarkable. I would not say the same for the Impreza. Its better to have one of those suits from Dune when traveling.

 

In closing you feel every crack every rock and every little ridge on the road with those low profile 17" wheels. I enjoy my 86 GL much better for that kind of thing. So I gave the 07 to the nanny to drive. She was driving a 94 Legacy LS and really enjoyed it much more. The Impreza looks great and makes the driver look great but I would recommend a used Legacy for sure, unless you are just planning on driving in town by yourself and you are under 5'8" tall and weigh less than 165.

 

Oh and did I mention it was small. That's my honest opinion but others may not agree.

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking of trading my 99 OBW for an 07 Impreza Sedan. The local dealer has one with <30K miles for about $14,000 (is that too much?). Hoping I could get at least $4500 trade in on the Outback (am I dreaming?). Aside from the cargo space, what, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of the Impreza as compared to the Legacy wagon? Thanks.

[idosubaru]

i'd test drive other vehicles before making a decision. if you're sticking with Subaru, test drive a legacy or two as well.

 

i agree with a lot of his sentiments above comparing legacy verses impreza.

 

you never need to ask about pricing - just check ebay, craigslist, autotrader and see what's out there.

[edrach]

Hard to tell about pricing since prices in your area may be different than the NW. That being said I find $14K much too high, even with the low miles. Being someone who keeps his cars to about 250K (having bought it at 100K), I have to ask why did the previous owner turn it in at 30K? Time for a carfax report (or better yet ask the previous owner--if you can--why he turned it in).

 

Secondly, having owned a '91 Legacy wagon and now a '97 Impreza wagon, the Impreza is significantly smaller both in rear leg room and storage space behind the back seats. If you don't need the room, I found the Impreza much more fun to drive.

 

Lastly, while you're considering moving up....look into the Forester. A fun car to drive (built on the Impreza chassis) but still much more room throughout. I'm speaking from experience since we've owned a '99 Forester now for almost a year. The early Legacy was was sold off to my son's girl friend last year and she loves it!

[Bucky92]

I agree..the price is too high.. I looked at a used Impreza at that price when I went with my 08 instead..more car for the money. And to the 08/09 haters...the 08/09s have more HP...more interior space..adults can fit comfortably in the back seat ( BtW I have the 5 door)When the back seat is folded down it has a TON of cargo space...not nearly as much as my Legacy but that thing is so heavy and lathargic and a gas hog.

The Imprezas handle much nicer and get way better gas mileage...it is not uncommon for me to get into the mid 30s mpg in mine. And lets just say..I have had my 08 now for 2 years..40K miles and its been 100% trouble free.

 

But you will get what you want..look at different cars and get the one that feels right to you.. dont go so much by what others tell you.

[bheinen74]

2010 impreza at heurberger motors brand new is 15.5k base.

many to choose from. buying new is about the same price as your 3 yr old one.

 

not that the one you found is out of reason, the dealer around here would be asking 16k for a 2007 with 50 k on it, until you try to tell them a new one is less and then show them the facts to back it up. This is typical.

Edited August 16, 2009 by bheinen74

[DiscoStu]

Thanks for all of your input. I test drove a 2006 Impreza the other day. I was quite surprised with the interior room. I didn't feel cramped at all (I'm not a tiny guy at all) and it was kind of fun to drive . I agree with your assessment of the price. $14.4 is way too much (it did, however, come with a 100K mile extended warranty). But I found a few others that I may take a look at this weekend that are 2007s and have fewer miles on them for about $12K. If anyone has a free carfax account and could run these numbers, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

VIN #1: JF1GD61637H502060

 

VIN #2: JF1GD61697H511975

[subaru360]

I have an 02 WRX wagon. I'm a tall guy 6' 2" and I have plenty of room. The 3 kids have plenty of room in the back too. It's a great car.

[sregor13]

I love the OEM Subaru Cargo bin. Took about 15 minutes to install. Looks great and adds a tons of storage.

 

A buddy of mine who is 6'11" tall actually drives an Impreza. He has plenty of room for short trips. The issue for both of us is that after 600-700 miles the Car seems to shrink.

 

The dealer in Salt Lake wanted the same amount for a used 2007 Impreza as the new 2010 model. I wonder why. What concessions were made to the newer models, that would drop the price 2-3 grand?

 

The Impreza rules for parking in Denver. The car is so small that it can parallel park like nobody's business.

 

A concern I have had, after getting in a head on collision, is the safety. Isn't the Legacy/Outback safer than the Impreza? If you have kids that is something to consider. Side airbags could be a real life saver.

Edited August 23, 2009 by sregor13

[Subarupusher]

I have to set the record straight on some misconceptions when comparing model years.

 

The 06-07 base models have the same HP and engine as the base 08-10. Judging from gas mileage grumbles from some of the 08-09 owners I know, I think the slightly larger size and weight has decreased the mileage slightly. My 07 never goes below 24 and has hit a 30+ when doing the math with miles over gallons pumped. The 07 does not have the mpg display like the new ones.

 

We also have a 96 Impreza in the household and I think that HP is about 30 less than the curent base Impreza. The performance was a big improvement over the HP of the original Impreza but the new Imprezas definitely out perform the 2.2 Imprezas of the mid to late 1990s.

 

Still a lot of people on both sides about if the new style is an improvement. I do know that the 06-07 wagons are narrower between the wheel wells and that makes it almost impossible to load a bike in without taking lots of parts off. Bikes scoot right into the newer model. I like the look of the previous model but then again I own one. The loss of the temperature gage also bugs me. The return of the fold down seats in the new sedan was a no brainer.

 

I I know Subaru is offering 11 to 11.5 guaranteed trade in on that 2007 Impreza model so knocking 1 K off and keeping the 100K warranty would be a decent deal on the original Impreza you posted here.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Subarupusher