- All wheel drive all the time. - Good acceleration. - Fun to drive.

None so far.

After driving an SUV for 2 years, it was a pleasent change to drive a car again. I drove a Nissan Pathfinder and although it''s a very dependable and great vehicle, it had many short falls as do most SUV''s. The thing great about the 2002 Impreza Outback Sport I have had the pleasure of driving for the last 7 months, is the all wheel drive all the time. Couple this with great handling and excelleration and for the money, this car is hard to beat.

Acceleration Styling-inside and out Handling Comfortable Seatsï

Gas Mileage Weak radio No trunk light

I researched a lot of cars before I decided to but the Impreza and I can say I made the right choice. Whenever people ask me about the car I tell them I love it. This is the best car I have owned to date. As for the features of the car, pickup for an automatic is good. The gas mileage could be better. Subaru claims 22-27 mpg but I have only been averaging about 20. Was hoping for a little higher. Especially after driving a Civic that got 30-32. However, I didn''t buy it for the gas mileage. The dark blue color and the black interior really go well together. Thing looks sweet in my book. Just make sure you get it with a spoiler. The radio is a little weak but better than what I had in the Civic. The handling on this baby is much better than my Civic. When I go into turns I can really notice the difference. This car is such fun to drive I usually hate having to park it. If you are really looking for a good bang for the buck this is the car for you. †

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95 Honda Civic

Power, handling, AWD, gas mileage

none as of right now. I have read the other weaknesses and find them pretty trivial. You get what you pay for.

I could not have been more happy with my purchase. Before purchase, we were debating on the Volvo V40 wagon, Volkswagen Passat wagon, Honda CRV, and the WRX Sportwagon. Researched all of them for approximately 2 months. It was a tough decision for us but the WRX obviously won out. It is a fun car to drive. Our goals to purchasing a vehicle were space, price, and good gas mileage. We didn''t want a large SUV but wanted the space. We also wanted a vehicle under $30k and we accomplished that also. We paid $600 over dealer invoice.

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Honda Accord Acura Integra (loved this car)

Good gas mileage Very dependable Safe Reliable This car can take a thrashing and keep on running as long as simple maintanence is done. Very low overall maintanence cost Good handling

The car is just plain ugly from the exterior and interior. I had to buy the RS spoiler and get a black paint job bc I couldn''t stand the ugly metallic teal paint job. Cheap interior Not enough torque or hp Car struggles when the ac it on No aftermarket support

The Impreza(1.8L 110 hp)is a very very dependable car. I have had my car for almost 5 years and have only had to replace the clutch, starter, one other internal component that I can''t remember. That may seem like a lot but let me state that when I bought the car it had 85000 miles. The car also handles excellently. A few years ago my brakes went out bc of the dumbass mechanic and i had to swerve into the grassy median at 80mph. The car only fishtailed slightly but never lost control. It probably saved my life. Being 20 though, this car is just too slow. Even compared to the civic it loses hands down because the civic has more hp and better mpg. The interior is also a little too plastic looking. All in all though it is a great little car but just not enough hp and there is no aftermarket support either unlike the 10000 companies that make products for Honda. I have searched for many months for aftermarket products but they just don''t exist. If your looking for a dependable car though, you can''t go wrong as my car has never failed me. I definately trust the engineering of Subaru. Styling is also lacking, although my car looks decent after I invested in the Impreza RS spoiler and a new paint job. I have grown kind of attached to it. I would definately keep my car if I could find aftermarket support.

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Honda civic

Handling, handling, handling. Fun factor. Acceleration. Driver seating. Sound. @30 mpg on hwy, 22 with agrressive driving. Above average stock radio w/ CD. Distinctive looks.

Cheap interior molding. Some fit & finish creaks. Speakers only ok.

I am an owner, not a test driver or wannabe owner. I have used the WRX a little over 6 months and absolutely love it. Handling, grip, suspension feedback are all top notch. This car loves accelerations in the turns. The AWD improves stability when you''re in the gas. It hugs the road better than any four seater under $35,000. The MoMo steering wheel definately improves the driver''s ability to handle this car. Accleration is excellent. While there is that lag under 3000 rpm it is not significant unless you are accustomed to a high performance 6 or V8. Once the turbo engages it more than compensates for the lower rpm lag. Braking is terrific - the car seems so light that quick stopping is a pleasure. Seating is a real strong suit, even for a 6''4 man. This car has more headroom and leg room than any other performance car that I''ve driven. Back seat leg room can be cramped. The Recaro type seats have excellent grip and prominent side bolsters to hold your bum while you hold the car. Adjustments to the seat are varied enough to find a comfortable position. The position of the shifter in relation to the driver is excellent. Opt for the short throw option - it''s a blast and will improve your shifting ability to help offset the turbo lag. Dashboard layout is also good. Gauges view is clear and the amber green lights are easy on the eyes. I purchased the optional 3-in-dash gauges (temp,volt,turbo) and they are terrific. Besides giving the car that extra rally look,the turbo gauge has provided important feedback when shifting, accelerating, etc. As a $700 option it is negotiable and your friends will think it''s way-cool. Fit is finish is on par with other rice rockets - not BMW or Audi or quality, however. It is better than other under $20k cars like Saturn or Geo. The main weakness is in the plastic pieces surrounding the radio, a/c controls, and window controls. Otherwise the look of the black dash, instrument cluster, and general interior is quite good. The sound of this car is incredible. When that turbo hits the accompanying sound is like music. As a family hauler it makes a road rocket flexible and practical. This is the most fun I''ve had with my family in the car!

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Honda Accord EX - tries to be all things to all people. Audi A-6 - too mushy and fat to perform well.

fun factor for the price good pull from the motor at low revs

a little rattley fit and finish needs upgrading

I have just had a chance to use my suby in the snow WOW is it fun drive it normally and it drives like its on tarmac drive it a little more aggresivelly and its a blast the back end gets real happy but predictable loads of fun just point the front wheels in the direction you want the car to go and it does no matter what the back end is doing WHAT A BLAST

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None

Whacky performance, 0-60 in 5.4 seconds, exhaust note and 4 wheel drive grip blows anything into the weeds.

Whacky looking sports wagon may not be to everyone''s taste. Can get a bit thirsty on fuel consumption. Also more than a hint of turbo lag.

Awesome car. Mica blue, gold oz Racing wheels, guaranteed head turner. Performance mind blowing. No other car comes near it for the money, including type R Civic, only Evo - but too expensive to run. Crappy interior lets the car down, but that''s soon forgotten when you plant your right foot.

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M3 - ballistic 321 brake horse power Lancia Integrale - superb car, let down by build quality.

Great Handling, quiet, smooth, very comfortable, soft-easy clutch, felt very safe, and last but not least FAST, VERY FAST.....

Turbo lag was definitley noticeable. Not much else.

Today was the second time to test drive the all new WRX AWD "Powermonger"!! The first test drive was late at night and I think the salesman wanted to go home. Today''s salesman was awsome, about 70yrs old this man was. He took me out on the freeway and invited me to down shift a couple of gears and "kick" it in the butt to fell that turbo build up and skoot past everyone. We then took it to a back street where he knew of a gravel driveway that was deserted. He made me drive the length of it, turn it around and back it up so that I could have enough room to do the test he was about to ask me to perform. He told me to build the RPM''S up to about 3500 and dump the clutch and nail it as hard as I could and when I got close to the end of the gravel driveway to "SLAM" on the breaks as hard as I could. (Man, coming from this old guy, I didn''t know what to think). So I did... All wheels started spinging and the car did not even fishtail or did I have to correct any steering whatsoever to keep it straight!!! As I got closer to the end of the driveway, He shouts OK STOPPP!! I slam on the brakes and the car stops again with out the tail end wanting to kick out or swing around AT ALL>>>.. He looks at me and I look at him and we are both smiling at each other like I was 16 and he was my dad showing me a thing or two of what his car would do. I was definitley impressed!! Keep in mind, I had my 9yr old son in the back seat saying, "Man!!!! Dad, Let''s do it again....!!!!" We all laughed and moved back out on the pavement. From there we we took this hard turn to the right to merge on to the feeder road of the tollway. He told me to take the corner as hard and as fast as I could. Of course, again I could not keep my foot out of it. We then made a u-turn to head back to the dealership and again he tells me to work it through all of the gears until I hit the next light (did over a 100 this time). Just zoooming by every car with ease and comfort. As we got closer to the dealer ship and an Eclipse wanted to play alittle but he had no chance after I dumped it at the light from a 4500 rpm start and went through 1st and 2nd and then let off. He was no where in site.....

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87'' Shelby GLHS Charger, this was my baby. Very similar, 4cyl, turbo chged, 175hp, 12lbs boost, Koni Adjustables, fun car to drive....

-Great value -Unique styling (actually looks cool for a wagon) -No direct competition (only AWD wagon under $20K besides Impreza TS) -AWD -Steering and general driving sensation -Good headlights and useful foglights -Plenty of interior room for a small car -Rear seats fold down easily -Great reputation for safety and reliability -Good engine power -Fairly good mileage (27-28 MPG highway / 21-25MPG city with crossbars removed) -Driver''s side height-adjustable seat -Great utility -Lots of standard features (only option on mine was Remote Keyless Entry

-Slightly weak brake response -Automatic transmission shifts up a little too early, down too slowly -No passenger-side vanity mirror -Stereo gets very hot on long trips -Interior colors vary too much (different shades of gray mixed with black) -Seat materials look gaudy (but feel and work fine) -Dealer service (oil change) takes way too long -Would prefer if Subaru offered a 2.5RS wagon model

2002 OBS (bought for $500 over invoice): I took a very long time to decide on this car, and I''m very pleased overall with the car. There are a couple minor gripes, but they''re only apparent because the car is so great otherwise. I would have rather bought a 2.5 RS, but wanted a wagon more than I wanted the RS''s features. The TS simply was not an option because it doesn''t have cruise control (I make long trips a few times a year and need CC). So the choice ended up being between an OBS or a WRX, and I wanted an automatic (for now), so buying the WRX would have felt like a waste. Once I had decided to wait for the 2002 Impreza, no other car was even considered. There is no direct competition right now (AWD cars that are affordable). I''m rather tall (6''7"), but I find fitting in the OBS quite comfortable. By comparison, the interior isn''t quite as large as the Jetta or Focus, but it''s at least as big as a Civic (my previous car was a 98 Civic Sedan, which was easier to fit into than the Coupe version) and bigger than a Cavalier or Escort. The interior of the OBS is very functional, but Subaru didn''t do a very good job on matching the colors. Why they didn''t just copy the interior of the TS or RS I''ll never know. Most of the controls are easy to use and find, although the cruise control placement and lack of an indicator is odd (also always having to turn it on first is weird, but added for safety I guess). There''s one vanity mirror, and it''s on the driver''s side. That is just stupid. The driver''s side height-adjustable seat is sweet though. The base stereo is a little weak, and gets VERY hot on long trips (although no CDs have been permanently damaged). Driving the car is pure joy. It''s not quite super-stiff and there is a little body roll, but the control and feel of the driving is awesome. The AWD also keeps the car stable, planted, and going in the direction you want in all but the most extreme cases. Even going crazy fast around turns in the rain, the car inspires way too much confidence. The power in the car is good. The automatic transmission shifts a bit early for my tastes unless I pound the pedal a little harder than I want to. Passing power is great, although you have to step hard to get the car to downshift. It''s not so much a problem as it is a divergence from my ideal driving style (a bit sporty). Su

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2001 Ford Focus (rental), 2001 Chevy Cavalier (rental), 1998 Civic LX Sedan (3.3 years)

- 2.5L engine has lots of umph and passing power. - AWD is very good. During an 8 hour highway drive in the rain the car felt solid the whole way and under complete control. I can''t wait to try it in the winter. I''m expecting great things. - overall styling is very sharp. Front on, this is very good looking car. - lots of features are now standard, including CD, A/C, power windows and locks, heated side mirrors. The interior doesn''t look nearly as cheap as the previous models.

Very few. The rear styling could use a bit of work, but that''s a matter of personal choice. My major complaint is that the rear cargo area doesn''t have a light. In the dark, the rear head restraints block most of the dome light. The ashtray has a light, so why not the rear cargo area?!?

What a great car and value for the money! Improvements made over the 2001 model are outstanding. The addition of the 2.5L engine greatly improves this car. AWD is super. Under less than ideal driving conditions the car remains glued to the road, feels solid and never lets you feel like you''re out of control for a second.

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''93 Subaru Legacy Turbo; ''93 Chev Cavalier 3.1L; ''97 Jeep TJ (piece of garbage)