[96r50]

My brother is looking for a car for himself. He want a small engine (probably 3.0L or less), manual transmission, and 4 doors. He wants something fairly reliable, and I know I'll end up teaching him how to do most of his maintenance and mods, so something that isn't a total PITA to work on would be cool . He likes the Subaru WRX sedan (2.0L turbocharged engine and 5 speed manual). I don't know much about Subarus. I talked to a Subaru parts guy and all the common parts seem to be similarly priced to Toyota's parts.

How are Subarus for reliability, quality control and such? How would you compare them to a Toyota? Any particular issues with the WRX models? Any model years better than others? Are my knuckles going to leave blood all over the engine bay? Any and all info would be great!

[FJason80]

I've worked on the NA EJ25, EJ22, and JDMEJ20 engines, but never on the Turbo'd WRX engine. The NA's are extremely easy to work on, everything is really straight forward and for the most part easy to get to. Mine have all been very reliable even with the abuse I give them. I'd recommend it. I'm more an old school subaru fan (95 and earlier) but the quality in the newer ones is great as well!

[mano002]

I have a stock 06 Impreza (not WRX) with about 60,000km on it. So far no problems. But i think the biggest difference between a WRX and a toyota is the complex AWD system. Lots of censors in the system, and the 2.0L engine is a few years old now, so it may be up for more maintenance than something with the 2.5L.

Just my 2Cents.

[96r50]

Originally Posted by FJason80

I've worked on the NA EJ25, EJ22, and JDMEJ20 engines, but never on the Turbo'd WRX engine. The NA's are extremely easy to work on, everything is really straight forward and for the most part easy to get to. Mine have all been very reliable even with the abuse I give them. I'd recommend it. I'm more an old school subaru fan (95 and earlier) but the quality in the newer ones is great as well!

I love working on my 80 because most of the parts are fairly accessible and easy to get to (except the PHH!) To get to the thermostat on my mother's Pathfinder all three belts have to come off, as does the fan and some other bracketry. Stupid design.

Are there any particular problems that the Subaru engines are known for? Weak links in the system etc? Can you get Subaru FSMs like you can from Mr T? What kind of mileage can you expect out of one of these cars (300,000 mi?)

Originally Posted by mano002

I have a stock 06 Impreza (not WRX) with about 60,000km on it. So far no problems. But i think the biggest difference between a WRX and a toyota is the complex AWD system. Lots of censors in the system, and the 2.0L engine is a few years old now, so it may be up for more maintenance than something with the 2.5L.

Just my 2Cents.

The computer controlled AWD will definitely be different than the fulltime 4WD diff system on my truck, especially all the electronics and computers involved. Hopefully nothing too complex. Not a guarantee of reliablity either way, but I think the 2.0L were made in Japan, whereas the newer 2.5L come from somewhere in North America. Not sure though...?

[cruiser88]

I love the old suby's

[ducktapeguy]

Working on Subarus is fairly easy, probably easier than an equivilent Honda or Toyota. About the only routine maintenacne that is slightly more difficult is spark plug changes , because of the boxer engine the plugs are buried further down in the engine compartment. Not impossible, just not as easy as an inline. Because the production cars are based on their rally cars, most of the car is designed to be fixed quickly. I've heard that a good pit crew can replace any part on a Subaru in less than 20 minutes, including the engine. I have heard of some people who can replace an axle in less than 10.

Originally Posted by 96r50

Are there any particular problems that the Subaru engines are known for? Weak links in the system etc? Can you get Subaru FSMs like you can from Mr T? What kind of mileage can you expect out of one of these cars (300,000 mi?)

I haven't heard of many problems with the 2.0 engine (unless heavily modded), but there were some problems with the 2nd gear manual trannys in those cars. But then again, those cars attract a certain type of driver. Lots of horsepower mods, little driving experience, and a affinity for the skinny pedal. The fact that it's a turbo means you can easily push the engine way beyond the limits of the tranny.

Early 2.5 NA DOHC engines had headgasket problems, but I think those were fixed sometime around 2002.

As far as longevity, the older ones were pretty reliable, newer ones are still too new to know

Subaru High Mileage Club

FSMS are available on Ebay and places like that in CD form, probably also in print.

[sirenmoses]

My father (diesel mechanic) is still driving an 84 subi I gave him. $35 sensor & fresh gas = back on the road after sitting for several years. My college roomie learned to drive in it (the body shows it) and it still gets 38mpg all day long.

I bought a Cruiser cuz I once filled the subi wagon w/ 3 6' humans @200+lbs ea, a doberman, camping gear for the weekend, and kayaking gear, and drove 12 hours to spend a weekend improving our whitewater skills. :bulging at seams:

I still kinda miss that lil car.

[Godwin]

I've only had experience with one, an '83 DL wagon that I purchased new. This was a solid, basic, no-frills car, 2WD, 5 speed, and very reliable. It delivered a consistent 34 mpg unless I had a roof rack on, then the mileage dropped to 32. Easy to work on. The owner's manual had instructions on how to adjust the valves which needed to be done every 15k miles. When I sold it (in retrospect a mistake) it had > 200k miles on it but used no oil and the mileage was still in the low-to-mid 30s range.

[Dirtsquirt]

The wrx is a 300hp turbocharged screeming ticket waiting to happen.
Only you know your brother.. If he is a teenager I would push him toward the nonturbo version.
These thing eat mustangs and camaro's for snacks.
Just giving you a heads up..
The first time he revs it till the turbo unloads and dumps the clutch. He will either deficate in his shorts. or Screem like a little school girl..
GL in your search..
Just wanna let you know what kinda vehicle you are dealing with

[1loudLX]

WRX doesnt have 300hp, thats the STi, and the STi puts down ~219whp, wrx has 70 less hp, so at the wheels its not even near 200.

The manual transmission on the 5spd's are super easy to drop down, my friend does it with his eyes closed now. Upgrades can be done quite easily, and theres a large market for accessories and such. I was tempted by the 07 STi Limited last year, but decided to keep the 100.

If I was in the market for a sedan/wagon with AWD and a 5spd I'd look straight to a Scoobie.

[96r50]

He knows he doesn't want the STI. It's too much power and totally unnecessary for him (his own words and conclusion). The WRX is rated for 227hp with the 2.0L at the engine, according to wikipedia. More than my cruiser :(

Good to know about the 5spd being easy to R&R. I've never worked on a transmission before, so that will be a learning experience. There is a pretty good Scoobie club and forum here in Eastern Ontario so hopefully he can get a lot of info and help from them (I dunno if it's as good as 'mud )

Narrowing it down to the second generation WRX with the 2.0L and 5spd (2001-2005 for the engine) are there any particular years that were better or worse? Wikipedia list some model year differences but it's definitely not exhaustive. Any features in specific years that make them a better or worse choice than another year?

Thanks for all the help so far guys!

[1loudLX]

get the newest he can afford. Imprezas are like legos, you can mix and match almost anything. My friend regularly posts on here

North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club

They may have a nice guide to picking a rex kind of like slee does for picking a LC.

[haryv]

I was the lucky winner of one of these at a auction and got it for 50 cents on the dollar. I think the front part of the awd aspect was failing but it did not have any negative impact on its drivability. It was a great car. Had lots of power and very solid.

I have worked on alot of subbies in the 90s. Most engine componets are easy to reach and replace due to its flat engine design. Heads though, mabey a little bit of a issue.

If you buy stick shift version with AWD I was told it was easier to remove the engine for a clutch change. It would normally take me about a hour to remove the engine.

Be warned though, my transmission on my LS started to fail. The transmission was doing some very strange behaviors such as driving forward in reverse. I dont know if this would be the case for the Subaru you are looking to purchace if its used or not. The
engine would be forced to die when starting up. I found it was going to cost 3,000 CDN to repace it. I said no thanks. So sold it for a grand and inherited my wifes car

Othern then the fuel economy, it was a very good car.

[tcb]

I had an '05. I liked it a lot. I'd have gone with the 06//07 generation if I had it to do all over again. It has the larger STi block. 04's (I believe) have earned the reputation of having a transmission made of glass.

[lndcruz]

Its the 02s and early 03s that have the glass transmissions, although the newer ones still are not bullet proof. There very strong cars. Extremely reliable and fun to drive.

I love mine, never had any issues.

[MarcoPolo]

Originally Posted by cruiser88

I love the old suby's

x2

I've had two suby's. Even did a little light wheelin' in them with my sons
before I could afford the Cruiser

Very reliable dd's.

[jonb96150]

The 84 subie that was the first new car I bought is still chugging around my town,prolly the 5th or so owner.

We bought my wifes 05 outback xt (turbo) and it is a screamer. But at 70k miles we replaced the radiator and the power steering pump. The steering pump I blame on my wifes habit of lock to lock turning while stationary. Don't know about the radiator.

But that is one fun car to drive. I thought it spec'ed out at 250hp. And I thought the earlier STIs were hitting 350hp stock, back when they didn't even have radios/stereos in them cuz it was extra weight, Basically a street legal race/rally car. But that was a few years ago and I think they may have been detuned and civilized a bit in the last 3-4 years.

Every time I hear an evinrude outboard motor drive by I know it's an STI or WRX. We have a fair amount of both models in town. They sure don't sound as fast as they are.

[cruiser88]

I would give my left nut for a 79 wagon or a 84 wagon....but with a 4 or 5 speed.

That 79 4 door was wicked on the logging trails.


lol With a good driver you can do most anything in a old suby

[MarcoPolo]

Originally Posted by cruiser88

That 79 4 door was wicked on the logging trails.

That is Soooo true. Talk about your 4whl drift on those corners... uphill or down


insert :twothumbsup:

[Eric Winkworth]

go find a celica all wheel drive turbo.... (JDM preferably) and forget about subaru's.... unless you enjoy doing head work!....

[lndcruz]

Originally Posted by Eric Winkworth

go find a celica all wheel drive turbo.... (JDM preferably) and forget about subaru's.... unless you enjoy doing head work!....

That was really only a issue on the early ej25(95 to about 99) engines. Now you hardly ever hear about blown head gaskets.

[AFinn]

my wife and i have 3 cars, my 96 LC, my wifes 05 subaru legacy gt, and our 95 legacy l. the 05 was bought after we had the 95 for 5 years. we bought it, the 95, with 130xxx miles, now has just over 170xxx. the only things that i have had to change on it were the brake pads and rotors, the bat, and the alt. i have changed the belts once, as well as the plugs and wires. it would be an understatement to say that the car gets neglected on maintenance, i change the oil filter every 3xxx miles, but put the used oil from my other vehicles in it. the car has never left us stranded, starts every time, and still pulls about 25 mpg. my experience with the 05 is limited to oil changes, plugs( which were a bit of a pain , but nothing an assortment of estensions and a swivel couldnt fix ) and a new up pipe. I also have helped a friend plum a new intercooler for his 02 wrx. the cars are easy to work on, and IMHO, reliable as hell. I almost forgot, valve cover gaskets seem to start weeping pretty early, but super easy to change.

[Rallyroo]

I'm a WRX wagon owner. I love it as a daily driver and road trip vehicle. Plus the space in the wagon comes in handy.

And yup, you can find me on NASIOC.

[MtnClimber]

a 99 2.5RS is a pretty sweet little ride. Fairly easy to work on.

[surfpig]

Originally Posted by FJason80

I've worked on the NA EJ25, EJ22, and JDMEJ20 engines, but never on the Turbo'd WRX engine. The NA's are extremely easy to work on, everything is really straight forward and for the most part easy to get to. Mine have all been very reliable even with the abuse I give them. I'd recommend it. I'm more an old school subaru fan (95 and earlier) but the quality in the newer ones is great as well!

We don't exactly baby ours, and it's been pretty reliable...