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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS

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What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza, Subaru Outback, Wagon

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#7 of 3121 Brighton vs. Impreza Wagon by ultra Jun 14, 1999 (8:34 pm)
I'm having some problems deciding which one to purchase. I would greatly appreciated any and all feedback as I've been trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. As I see it, the Brighton is a very stripped down Legacy L. Am I correct? Are there any other major differences beside not having the interior extras? The Impreza Wagon has power windows, mirrors, and locks, which I would like to have. However, the Impreza looks as though it won't haul very much stuff because of the way the rear window is sloped. Any experiences with this? I'm comparing this to a Honda Civic EX 4 door, which is fully loaded for the same price. Will the Impreza, with the rear seat up, haul as much as a Civic or any other small sedan? I do like the Impreza Sedan, but the rear seat doesn't have a 60/40 split. This severely limits the hauling abilities. I need to stay around $16k, so I can't afford to step up to the Legacy L, which looks to be around $18k.
#8 of 3121 ultra by slickrick1 Jun 15, 1999 (4:07 am)
Tough call. How much/what kind of stuff do you need to haul? Because I believe that the Impreza comes with a roof rack that the Brighton does not. Depending on what kind of stuff you haul, the roof rack can be a big plus. Also the Brighton does come pretty well decked out for the money. It has a/c, a 40 watt stereo/cass, tilt, etc. I do believe that the Outback Sport would be able to carry as much cargo as a Civic with the rear seats up. I found the OBS to be almost like a 4 door hatchback, with alot of utility and a good amount of cargo space, but not a ton of it. I also found it to be fun to drive, and spacious as long as your not in the back seat. It's capable to carry alot of stuff, but in your case, is it enough? Good Luck! Rich
#9 of 3121 slickrick1 by ultra Jun 15, 1999 (1:59 pm)
Thanks for your comments. After I sent my previous post I should have put in one more thing. We are use to travelling in a Ford Escort wagon, which is big enough for me, my wife, and my 5 year old, but of course severely underpowered going over the Rockies. We want our next car we buy to be our travelling vehicle. When we travel in the Escort we have half of the rear seat folded down and the back full. However, it usually isn't packed so full that I can't see out all of the windows. My thoughts are now, after reading your post, that the Impreza wagon will probably haul everything I want it to, but will be packed so full as to cover the windows (which is fine). I think I can find someone, maybe even Subaru, who makes a metal grate that fits behind the rear seat to keep stuff from shifting forward. Also, if it came down to it, I could get an enclosed luggage carrier that fits on the top, like Thule or Yakima. I don't agree with your comments about the Brighton coming "well decked out for the money." The Impreza Sedan, which sells for about $1500 less, comes with more goodies. The Impreza Wagon, which sells for the same price, also comes with more goodies. I realize this is purely marketing. If Subaru put all of that on the Brighton, then you have a Legacy L. I just think the Brighton is a little too stripped down for the money.
#10 of 3121 ldkusmin by ldkusmin Jun 15, 1999 (5:44 pm)
We test-drove the Impreza Outback Sport last weekend. For our purposes, it couldn't compete with the the other cars we tried--the noise level was too high, and the seats were too hard. But then, sporty handling and off-road capability weren't really priorities for us, and we might not have even been trying the Subaru if there were more compact wagons on the market from makers with a reputation for reliability. From our standpoint, emphasizing comfort and carrying capacity as well as safety and reliability, we were pleasantly surprised by the Saturn SW2. They seemed to have licked their noise problem, and despite what we've read about it in some places, the seats seemed comfortable to us. I think it's probably targeted to a different market than the Impreza, but if what you want is a compact wagon, it's worth checking out. (I've read some positive things about the Ford Escort wagon as well, but my wife has had bad experiences with Fords, so we weren't considering one.) Good luck, Lorin
#11 of 3121 ldkusmin by ultra Jun 15, 1999 (6:52 pm)
I won't even consider a Saturn. (Look at my post #292 in the Sedans, Saturn Stories). I test drove a 1999 Escort, but was not impressed. It supposedly has a slightly bigger engine than my 1995 Escort, but the performance was about the same. I need something with more kick to it. I live in Denver and go over the mountains quite a bit. I test drove an Impreza Sedan climbing one of the major hills west of Denver. I was going 60mph in 5th gear, which I found acceptable for a 4-banger. So, the sporty handling is fine and actually welcomed by me and my wife.
#12 of 3121 ldkusmin by slickrick1 Jun 16, 1999 (4:12 pm)
I'm glad that you've narrowed down your list. I had a different experience when I drove the OBS and SL2. I found that the Subaru's engine didn't need to be pushed to get up to speed. For me the SL2 was a different story. I found that it needed to be pushed very hard and when it was, it was VERY loud and rough. I also didn't particularly care for the Saturn's interior, it appeared cheap and flimsy and I didn't care for it all. In the OBS's interior, everything fit together nicely and seemed very well screwed together. Finally, I also liked the fact the subaru is offering the OBS with a $500 rebate and with that it is possible to pick one up for invoice or slightly above. Saturn will not deal. It seems like we had two different experiences. Good Luck on your purchase. ultra, My statement wasn't very clear. I meant that the Brighton is a good value for the money. I think that what you get in the Brighton for what you pay makes it a good value, a large wagon with very generous cargo room that still does include a/c and cass/stereo. Also look into some of Subaru's roof rack attachments that are made for the OBS. Rich
#13 of 3121 Brighton vs Impreza by miboman Jun 17, 1999 (8:08 pm)
The Brighton is bigger than the Impreza. Given that key fact, I would agree with the post that it is pretty well equipped at its price. Essentially, it is a base model of a mid-sized wagon but it includes the stereo and AC. It doesn't include the power windows, power locks, or antilock brakes. The Impreza will give you that in exchange for the room. The roofrack for the Brighton is an option which runs about $160 for the dealer. I think the retail price is about $250.
#14 of 3121 why not an Impreza L Sport Wagon? by jagat1 Jul 01, 1999 (6:32 pm)
ultra: Have you considered the Impreza L Sport Wagon? It's a lower priced Sport with basically everything included except the 2 tone,alloys(option)... just add what option you want.
#15 of 3121 ultra by slickrick1 Jul 03, 1999 (3:27 am)
That's another option. The Impreza L wagon does not have ABS available and that is the biggest separating factor between that and the Outback Sport. I wouldn't rule out the Legacy L wagon just yet, either. If you wait a little bit, you may be able to pick one up for 17K. Check your local dealers and ask for a price on a basic Legacy L. When you factor in the $750 rebate and if you're willing to shop around, you MAY be surprised.
#16 of 3121 Charelle by charelle Jul 29, 1999 (12:17 am)
Just my two cents here. I recently sold my '97 Impreza Outback Sport, having driven it for two years after owning a Mazda MPV 4WD minivan for seven years. The Impreza is a SMALL wagon, something I could not get used to. All of my "stuff" had to be the front seat as there is no room between seats for anything or on the floor in back. My cassettes were always getting dumped all over for lack of room for the case. Also, although they say there is more ground clearance than in other small cars, you couldn't convince me of that. The view is not all that great; however, there is practically no blind spot. And there is plenty of room in the cargo for almost anything you would normally carry and it is easy to lift things out. My OS had a 2.2 (5 sp) engine with plenty of get up and go, which I enjoyed. However, living in MI with lots of snow and leaving for work early in the morning sometimes before roads were plowed, the low clearance meant slow going, but I always got there. The car sticks to the road no matter what. I am a small woman and the front seats were comfortable for me although the upholstery was a bit thin in my opinion. One thing I will mention is that the paint seemed to chip EXTREMELY easily. I thought perhaps it was just modern-day paint jobs, but I'm not so sure. After two years I had a couple of door dings but MANY small spots, especially on the hood, I had to touch up. This was pretty much on the top half of the two-tone (blue). The metallic portion wasn't too bad. For whatever this is worth . . . .

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