OT: Another Car ???

[norcalbiker]

After driving Lexus CT200h, We decided not to persue this car.
Funny thing is we decided to walk across the street on a Subaru Dealership.
Now we are looking at the Subaru Impreza Sports Limited Hatchback.
Much cheaper and it has more kick than the CT200h.
It's also an AWD with 36mpg on a hwy and 30 on the city. Not bad.

Anyone here own one of this?

[Ralph]

I haven't owned a Subaru.....but if your ego can handle it......there are a lot of "more than adequate" cars out there in the popular price range. No need to buy premium brands for good reliable long lasting transportation.

I recently bought a new Honda CRV. My wife drives a much more expensive car. I think my Honda is just as much car as hers.

[mistermo]

I can't comment specifically on the Imprezza, but my Subaru Outback has BY FAR, the best AWD system I've ever encountered. The Boxer motor has a low center of gravity that makes driving on windy roads fun.

Formerly, I had a Passat W8 wagon (with 4Motion), an A4 wagon (Quattro) and my wife has a Volvo XC70 wagon. There's simply no comparison of their AWD system's vs. the Subarus. In deep snow, I preferred it over my Jeep Wrangler.

Don't know if this is a concern for you, but thought I'd toss it out there.

[norcalbiker]

I haven't owned a Subaru.....but if your ego can handle it......there are a lot of "more than adequate" cars out there in the popular price range. No need to buy premium brands for good reliable long lasting transportation.

I recently bought a new Honda CRV. My wife drives a much more expensive car. I think my Honda is just as much car as hers.

We did look at CRV and they want another $5k with same equipment without the AWD.

[CNY rider]

I can't comment specifically on the Imprezza, but my Subaru Outback has BY FAR, the best AWD system I've ever encountered. The Boxer motor has a low center of gravity that makes driving on windy roads fun.

Formerly, I had a Passat W8 wagon (with 4Motion), an A4 wagon (Quattro) and my wife has a Volvo XC70 wagon. There's simply no comparison of their AWD system's vs. the Subarus. In deep snow, I preferred it over my Jeep Wrangler.

Don't know if this is a concern for you, but thought I'd toss it out there.

Yeah, what he said.
Between my wife and I we have had 3 Subarus over the past 16 years.
Very reliable mechanically and gets us up the long, winding road to our home in the worst winter conditions.
Pretty sure we will always have at least one in the driveway.

[norcalbiker]

Yeah, what he said.
Between my wife and I we have had 3 Subarus over the past 16 years.
Very reliable mechanically and gets us up the long, winding road to our home in the worst winter conditions.
Pretty sure we will always have at least one in the driveway.

Good to know.
I think Subaru is a much better choice because we go up to Tahoe during Winter time.

[rice rocket]

We have an 2012 Impreza Hatch Sport Premium.

Nice car, rides well, good on gas. Realistically, we're at 28 mpg over 10k miles with mixed highway/city driving.

It's also huge on the inside compared to the previous Imprezas, without gaining that much on the outside.

[Louis]

I've been going back and forth between the Impreza and Mazda 3 hatchbacks.

Right now leaning toward the Subie. However, they don't make test-driving easy (dealer told me they didn't have any to test drive) so I've been on hold.

[norcalbiker]

I've been going back and forth between the Impreza and Mazda 3 hatchbacks.

Right now leaning toward the Subie. However, they don't make test-driving easy (dealer told me they didn't have any to test drive) so I've been on hold.

It's funny because we test drove the Mazda3 Skyactive as well. A little cheaper but you get a lot more on the Subaru.

[stephenmarklay]

Subaru is a rather no frills but solid brand. I have had 3 Foresters. Good cars.

[Ralph]

We did look at CRV and they want another $5k with same equipment without the AWD.

I bought mine at invoice plus $499 in dealer fees. (or invoice plus $500....however you want to look at it) Thru Auto Nation direct. Did the deal over the Internet and phone, and they arranged for me to pick it up at the Courtesy Dealership in my area. Auto Nation is parent company of all Courtesy dealerships....all kinds of makes. I was going to sell my old car myself, but their internet trade in price surprised me it was so good....as much as I thought I could sell it myself, and saved me the sales tax on the trade in value. Was more than satisfied with their buying service. And I could have bought about any car same deal. Check them out. Maybe they have a Subaru dealership near you.

[Vientomas]

2005 Outback XT Limited with tiptronic transmission. 250 horse turbo. Gas mileage is only 21 combined city and highway due to turbo and lead foot. 108,000 miles and running strong. Overall build quality of the interior and exterior are not up to BMW, Mercedes, Volvo quality, but the power plant and transmission seem sound. I would buy another Subaru but I have a wandering eye and a hankering for something different.

[Louis]

Whatever you do, don't drive like these maniacs...

http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20090518/MOTORSPORTS/905189987/AR/0/AR-905189987.jpg

[atl001]

I had an Impreza WRX hatch. Looking back, it was the most fun (and useful) car I've had, and I miss it. It's a bit more than the Sports Limited. Costco is a good way to go to buy Subarus.

Currently have a Mazdaspeed 3, which is also fun, but being FWD really limits its performance (and it eats tires in 20k miles).

[jonsamg]

After driving Lexus CT200h, We decided not to persue this car.
Funny thing is we decided to walk across the street on a Subaru Dealership.
Now we are looking at the Subaru Impreza Sports Limited Hatchback.
Much cheaper and it has more kick than the CT200h.
It's also an AWD with 36mpg on a hwy and 30 on the city. Not bad.

Anyone here own one of this?


Had a WRX back in the day (2002), and it was a great car. No problems at all until my son totaled it doing about 5 mph on the freeway (drove under trailer hitch that destroyed the engine).

If you want a fun car, see if you can find a used WRX hatch. Very practical, lots of fun to drive.

[Louis]

If you want a fun car, see if you can find a used WRX hatch. Very practical, lots of fun to drive.

Except that it's probably been thrashed by the previous owner...

[rugbysecondrow]

Except that it's probably been thrashed by the previous owner...

As a new, 2012 Subaru WRX owner, I would buy new again rather than used. I really like this car, comfortable, fun to drive, great in rain this far, it ha some pep to it, the hatch back allows space for bikes or bulkier gear. Lastly, resale is phenomenal. When I was shopping in the spring, used WRXs were fetch equal to or more than new ones.

Anyway, I really like mine and if you are in Maryland you are welcome to test drive it.

[Louis]

Anyone care to comment on the Subaru CVT vs manual transmissions?

Which one do you have and why do you like or dislike it?

I think gas mileage and reliability are probably my most important considerations, but with a small amount of "fun to drive" thrown in. (I obviously don't push the 5-spd on my Integra very hard, because my clutch has 242,xxx miles on it...)

[Chance]

My only suggestion is to test drive the actual car you’d be getting if at all possible.

Have had great luck with three Hondas but after riding and driving in a 2012 CR-V it’d be hard for me not to pass on it. Great vehicle overall but the steering is a deal breaker. Recently was riding in the back seat of one and the driver kept correcting from side to side to the point it was starting to make me motion sick. Never felt that in a car before. So at the next stop she let me drive to see if it was her driving or the car, and while my driving was smoother the on-center feel of the steering was completely absent. Required constant correction while going straight. A great disappointment for an otherwise great Honda product.

The powertrain may not be state-of-the-art, but it’s not going to bother the typical CR-V driver. What will is likely the new electric power steering system, the source of our single biggest complaint about the 2012 Honda CR-V.

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011/11/first-drive-2012-honda-cr-v/



After getting home looked up to see if there was a problem with her CR-V and or to see if the dealer could retune the steering with electronics and found that the issue is commonly reported. Otherwise a great car but personally could not live with the lack of on-center feel. For what it’s worth, not a great fan of electric steering for now. Some (of the more expensive) may be excellent, but too many (of the cheaper) rented vehicles recently from other brands were very similar. This last weekend rented a Ford Fiesta in DC and the steering feel (or lack of) was horrible. Would rather drive my older Honda.

[GuyGadois]

never owned one but the XV Crosstrek looks pretty nice. Never seen one in person.

http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/xv-crosstrek/index.html

[Ken Robb]

We can't do much about steering "feel" but a bit more toe-in at an alignment shop can give improved straight tracking/reduced wander.

[Ralph]

Never noticed that steering problem with my 2012 CR V. However, steering is lighter than my other vehicles. But have bought two new 2012 cars, both with electric steering, so maybe I'm just getting accustomed to it.

As Ken says....correct alignment is the key.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . on his way to the grocery store? ;)

BBD

Whatever you do, don't drive like these maniacs...

http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20090518/MOTORSPORTS/905189987/AR/0/AR-905189987.jpg

[AngryScientist]

IMO, the hybrids on the road at the moment are mostly a joke. good move steering away (pun!) from them. i've never owned one personally, but i've never met an owner who was unhappy with his/her subie - i would think they would be a good choice.

when the wife and i were looking for our last new car, we didnt consider subaru at the time, because their fuel efficiency numbers were simply not what we were looking for, but in the last few years, they have made some significant improvements in the fuel economy area. anyone know how they did this? pending a test drive of one of the smaller fuel sippers, i would certainly consider them with the numbers they are achieving now a days.

[LesMiner]

I have a 2006 WRX with nearly 100,000 miles. Not the best fuel economy but the performance is high. Many a time the AWD allowed me to avoid an accident. I use my WRX as a daily driver. My commute is 26 miles one way on mostly freeways. I get about 25 mpg overall. Commuter traffic here is fast and unforgiving which suits the WRX. I have not had a repair only routine maintainance and one new set of tires at 82,000 miles. It is a no frills car. The materials are on the cheaper side but you get what you pay for.

[AngryScientist]

one new set of tires at 82,000 miles.

you got 82000 miles out of a set of tires on a wrx?? that's pretty amazing IMO.

[Chance]

We can't do much about steering "feel" but a bit more toe-in at an alignment shop can give improved straight tracking/reduced wander.

Maybe, not sure if the problem is in the electric feedback itself. Besides, it was a brand new CR-V so what is she to do, take it to an alignment shop and have them change the settings away from factory specifications? Would never do that myself to a brand new car or recommend it to others. Just my thinking. It's hard to imagine that Honda test drivers didn't notice the problem and that the settings are not the best combination they could come up with. If more toe would work without causing other problems the factory engineers would set that as the correct specification.

In fairness to the Ford Fiesta tested last weekend, it had 12,600 miles and could have been way out of alignment. Doubtful but anything is possible. Got it in lieu of larger car because of interest on how small cars performed and while it was fun to drive such a small car, the overall design of such a little cheap car was disappointing. Great mileage though. Averaged around 40 MPG.

[Nooch]

. . . on his way to the grocery store? ;)

BBD

I was just about to say, Edstrom in the co-driver seat!

[LesMiner]

you got 82000 miles out of a set of tires on a wrx?? that's pretty amazing IMO.

Yep 82,000 on these Bridgestone tires. These were original equipment. Amazingly the wear was even across the width of the tire. The Subaru is a light weight car that could make a difference plus mostly highway driving. The replacement set of tires was $1,200 on sale at Costco. I think I got my money's worth on the first set and hoping to repeat on the second.

[pjm]

For $1200 they better last a long time! I just bought a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports (225/45-17) for my BMW for about $800 shipped from the Tire Rack. $100 to have them mounted and balanced. Of course I'll be lucky to get 40,000 miles out of these, but performance is my main priority in a tire, and I use proper snow tires in the winter.

[rugbysecondrow]

I have a 2006 WRX with nearly 100,000 miles. Not the best fuel economy but the performance is high. Many a time the AWD allowed me to avoid an accident. I use my WRX as a daily driver. My commute is 26 miles one way on mostly freeways. I get about 25 mpg overall. Commuter traffic here is fast and unforgiving which suits the WRX. I have not had a repair only routine maintainance and one new set of tires at 82,000 miles. It is a no frills car. The materials are on the cheaper side but you get what you pay for.

This has been my experience as well. My previous vehicle was a 2002 GMC Yukon, so the WRX is double that for MPG. I wanted a car which was fun to drive, provided utility value, 4 door, was big enough for me in the front and kids in the back, and something which was more efficient than my previous vehicle. It really is a great compromise as you really don't feel like you compromised on anything while driving it. My commute to the train station is about 15-25 minutes each way 2-3 days a week, so maximizing fuel economy was not my main goal.

What I was surprised about was how roomy the WRX and Integra is. It is spacious, good ceiling hieght, the back seat is large enough where I can set my drivers seat for me (6'2") then sit behind it comfortably in the back...that is pretty good for a small car. I also like the AWD. Lastly, I have found that the Subaru dealerships seem to have a different vibe, more customer service oriented, geared more towards long term relationships and customers than month to month sales. That matters to me as I like to have relationships with the people with whom I do business. Real people buying from real people.

[AngryScientist]

My previous vehicle was a 2002 GMC Yukon...........[wanted] something which was more efficient than my previous vehicle.

i honestly had to laugh at this one. rugby - seriously can you buy ANYTHING on the consumer market that gets worse mpg than the yukon??

[rugbysecondrow]

i honestly had to laugh at this one. rugby - seriously can you buy ANYTHING on the consumer market that gets worse mpg than the yukon??

I know and I agree. I herniated two discs in my lower back (and then reinjured them) and couldn't bend over to put my kids in their car seats, so I needed something tall. The Honda minivan I had crapped out on me so I needed something more quickly, paid cash, got a really good price on it and I was able to sell it for $2k more this summer when I bought the Subie.

It was an alright car and if I had a boat, trailer, horses etc, it might be good to keep, but it is not a commuter. :) It also drives like a couch, so the WRX is an upgrade.

[Dave B]

I sold my Yukon for a dodge charger SRT8. Good lord that was a fun car. I stopepd caring about mpg a long time ago. Plus I hate hybrids and all of the hype on them.

Got rid of it (it was a lemon) and now have a BMW 330xi.

I say you live such a short time that driving should be a pleasure. Make sure you have fun and if you are the type who drives to get to point B from point A...well you are missing out on a wonderful aspect of life.

Buy something that gets you excited to be on the road. I miss the pure power of the Dodge, (I fiddled with it and had close to 500hp at the crank) but the handling of the BMW is amazing.

[rice rocket]

you got 82000 miles out of a set of tires on a wrx?? that's pretty amazing IMO.

They're Bridgestone RE92s, the most antiquated tire in their lineup. It's 82k miles of torture. :fight:


Anyone care to comment on the Subaru CVT vs manual transmissions?

Which one do you have and why do you like or dislike it?

I think gas mileage and reliability are probably my most important considerations, but with a small amount of "fun to drive" thrown in. (I obviously don't push the 5-spd on my Integra very hard, because my clutch has 242,xxx miles on it...)


Louis, the CVT is pretty annoying to drive in CVT mode. The throttle pedal is now tasked to do two things, determine the throttle opening AND what "gear ratio" it should be in. It always gets one of them wrong, making it slow to react when you want power, and overzealous when you're trying to move short distances slowly (like pulling into a garage). After 6 months, I've adapted to 90% of it's quirks, but it still catches me off guard at least a dozen times every time I take it out.

You can flip it over to sport mode and it drives like your run-of-the-mill paddle shifted car.

[norcalbiker]

Well, after test driving the following cars

Lexus CT200h
Audi A3
Mazda3 Skyactive
Mini Cooper (yeah right I can't believe test drove this car)
Subaru Impreza

My daugther decided to go for the Impreza. We are going to pick it today.

2012 Subaru Impreza Sports Limited
White Satin Pearl with Leather Interior.
Because of 2013 model are all in transit and about to arrive, we were able to take $1747.00 off MSRP. I don't know whether that's a good deal. As long as she's happy.

She is very excited.

Thank you for all the input. :hello:

[Louis]

Louis, the CVT is pretty annoying to drive in CVT mode. The throttle pedal is now tasked to do two things, determine the throttle opening AND what "gear ratio" it should be in. It always gets one of them wrong, making it slow to react when you want power, and overzealous when you're trying to move short distances slowly (like pulling into a garage). After 6 months, I've adapted to 90% of it's quirks, but it still catches me off guard at least a dozen times every time I take it out.

You can flip it over to sport mode and it drives like your run-of-the-mill paddle shifted car.

This is good to know. If you had to do it all over again, would you go with the manual?

[rice rocket]

This is good to know. If you had to do it all over again, would you go with the manual?

I'm hoping they release an ECU update in the future since it's 100% a programming problem, I'm not sure how likely it is though.

It's not primarily my car, so manual was never an option. My better half drives it, and she likes it, but she's on 95% highways. It really is fine for 99% of road situations, but paying $25k for a car that's good 99% of the time is a lot to swallow. If it were my decision though, I'd get the manual, but I'd do that for any car.

[AngryScientist]

This is good to know. If you had to do it all over again, would you go with the manual?

if you're planning on keeping your next car as long as the integra, i think a CVT transmission would not be the best bet.

[Louis]

if you're planning on keeping your next car as long as the integra, i think a CVT transmission would not be the best bet.

I was thinking the same thing. I don't know much about them, but am concerned about long-term maintenance issues.

[AngryScientist]

I don't know much about them,

me neither. rest assured we are not alone on that front either. what i do know is this: manual transmissions have been in service for decades. essentially a literal box full of gears which you manually select. dont grind the gears and keep reasonably clean oil in the box, and you're golden.

compare that to a cvt transmission:

http://www.autorepairintheknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mercedes-cvt.jpg

[skijoring]

I was thinking the same thing. I don't know much about them, but am concerned about long-term maintenance issues.

Off Integratopic - but is that Kirk built yet? :)

[dhorst]

I looked hard at the WRX hatch but couldn't justify commuting in a car that could, and was designed to, rip around windy roads. awesome car though.

I ended up choosing a car based on what I thought was the nicest and most efficient bike ready car: the Lexus hybrid hatch, diesel A3 and v50. I ended up with the A3 and feel great about getting 40ish miles to the gallon.

Also, @mr. President. - I've got enough years ahead of me that I have to care about mileage.

Also, I still want the WRX. Subaru owners rave about subarus so much that it's hard not to want one.

[Louis]

Off Integratopic - but is that Kirk built yet? :)

Even complete strangers are now giving me a hard time about this... ;)

[Liv2RideHard]

Well, after test driving the following cars

My daugther decided to go for the Impreza. We are going to pick it today.



She didn't go for the WRX STi? Nice choice nonetheless. Enjoy.

[norcalbiker]

She didn't go for the WRX STi? Nice choice nonetheless. Enjoy.

Too much gas and too much for insurance.

[Louis]

Too much gas and too much for insurance.

I think it's Premium gas, which is an additional cost.

[dd74]

I think it's Premium gas, which is an additional cost.
It is. The car needs thicker syrup to gun out those 300+ horsies.

[Chance]

me neither. rest assured we are not alone on that front either. what i do know is this: manual transmissions have been in service for decades. essentially a literal box full of gears which you manually select. dont grind the gears and keep reasonably clean oil in the box, and you're golden.

compare that to a cvt transmission:

http://www.autorepairintheknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mercedes-cvt.jpg

Nissan seems to be one of the few major auto manufacturers committed to make them work. Particular on larger cars. The Altima got a new CVT with greater gearing range (:rolleyes:) that allows it to improve highway mileage up to 38 MPG, quite good for that size car. Seems most manufacturers are pursuing automated twin-clutch gearboxes to replace conventional planetary gear-set automatics.

While that diagram looks excessively complicated, in all fairness the conventional 5- to 8-speed automatic would probably have far more moving parts. Yet most can last 100s of thousands of miles. Having said that, wouldn’t touch a CVT. Unless they offered me a lifetime warranty on transmission, don’t see the advantage.

[dd74]

Love manual transmissions, and I live in L.A. Much of course depends on what car uses the manual. If you have a Honda SI Civic or S2000, yes, you're going to be shifting a lot because of the gear ratios. But if you have a turbo diesel or something gas driven with more torque (a Subaru, perhaps), you can use the torque almost like a gear in itself.

[norcalbiker]

i think it's premium gas, which is an additional cost.

yuuuuup!!!

[rugbysecondrow]

Even complete strangers are now giving me a hard time about this... ;)

As they should. I actually find your drawn out car shopping endeavor more entertaining. :)

[rugbysecondrow]

I think it's Premium gas, which is an additional cost.

About 8-10% more cost for premium than 87 oct.

I just depends on what you want out of a car and what you will sacrifice. The WRX is a very fun car and provides good utility value. I picked up a stack of 2x4x8 lumber last night and brought it home in my WRX...easy as could be. The car will also fit car seats, bike and is pretty quick. The all wheel drive is really nice to drive and accounts for a few MPG, but I really like how the car handles, so I will sacrifice a that MPG. For others, they won't and that is all good.

Would I buy it if it got 15, likely not, but if I drive it normal with a few spirited bursts, I will get 25 which is reasonable. It is about what a Toyota Camry will get, but the Toyota is not as much fun. :)

Plus, my kids love yelling at me to go faster on exit ramps...they love it too which is nice because so long as they are rooting me on they aren't arguing with each other. That is worth at least 10 MPG right there. :)

[mistermo]

Anyone care to comment on the Subaru CVT vs manual transmissions?

Which one do you have and why do you like or dislike it?

I think gas mileage and reliability are probably my most important considerations, but with a small amount of "fun to drive" thrown in. (I obviously don't push the 5-spd on my Integra very hard, because my clutch has 242,xxx miles on it...)

I have a 5sp on my '06 Outback. My commute to work is 30 minutes of twisty roads and I push it pretty hard. With 105K miles, my clutch is slipping and I'll need a new one soon. In my opinion, a CVT isn't even close to the fun of a 'regular' manual shift car.

[Ken Robb]

I have a 5sp on my '06 Outback. My commute to work is 30 minutes of twisty roads and I push it pretty hard. With 105K miles, my clutch is slipping and I'll need a new one soon. In my opinion, a CVT isn't even close to the fun of a 'regular' manual shift car.

Please replace your clutch before the slipping ruins your flywheel which can increase the expense a lot.

[Louis]

As they should. I actually find your drawn out car shopping endeavor more entertaining. :)

Here's an example of why this had been so "drawn out."

This PM I call the biggest St Louis Subaru dealer to see what they had. Not one single manual transmission Impreza for me to test-drive. Not even a 4-door. Everything is CVT. If I want to buy one it would have to be without test-driving it first.

So the salesperson and I talk a bit about what I want, and I say that I'm not interested in a whole bunch of options. So she looks it up on the computer - in the entire continental US there are only 16 Basic Impreza 5-dr hatchbacks w/ manual available to her. 16 - in the whole lower 48! If we were to get one here there would be all sorts of extra charges. Or they could order one for me. When would it get here? Early December.

This whole buying experience has been one frustration after another. Meanwhile, the trusty '97 Integra keeps on rolling. (242,2xx miles on it) The closer this gets to Dec 31 the more likely I am to just wait until next spring. (Which is what I said last year.)

[dd74]

Well, to be honest, Subaru aren't the common sort of car that is a Toyota, Nissan, etc. Even here in L.A., they're pretty difficult to get in a rather customized way. Yes, it seems like everything else, you have to order it.

What's real funny to me are Mustang GTs. I was recently at a Ford dealership, and didn't see a single manual transmission GT on the lot. Steve McQueen would be pissed.

[Louis]

What's real funny to me are Mustang GTs. I was recently at a Ford dealership, and didn't see a single manual transmission GT on the lot. Steve McQueen would be pissed.

Poseurs, one and all.

[AngryScientist]

in the NYC metro area, manual transmission cars are very rare indeed. i share your frustration, as when i was looking at subarus, i couldnt find a manual to test drive either.

[jlyon]

Go check out the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. Better looking than most of the car already mentioned and better gas mileage for about the same price as the Subaru.

[zap]

Meanwhile, the trusty '97 Integra keeps on rolling. (242,2xx miles on it) The closer this gets to Dec 31 the more likely I am to just wait until next spring. (Which is what I said last year.)

New Golf was introduced in Berlin last week. It looks great and the new GTI model should be at the Paris Auto show end of this month.

[jlyon]

New Golf was introduced in Berlin last week. It looks great and the new GTI model should be at the Paris Auto show end of this month.

But they atre still about 9 months away from coming to the US from what I hear.

[echelon_john]

Geez, here in Vermont you can't swing a dead deer carcass without hitting a couple of Subarus!

They're so common here it's comical; not unusual to see 5 in a row parked in the supermarket lot.

I'd like to drive the Impreza at some point; at 6'6" I'm not sure it will fit me, but the combo of AWD, MPG and $$ is pretty compelling.




Well, to be honest, Subaru aren't the common sort of car that is a Toyota, Nissan, etc. Even here in L.A., they're pretty difficult to get in a rather customized way. Yes, it seems like everything else, you have to order it.

What's real funny to me are Mustang GTs. I was recently at a Ford dealership, and didn't see a single manual transmission GT on the lot. Steve McQueen would be pissed.

[zap]

But they atre still about 9 months away from coming to the US from what I hear.

Don't know for sure.

I understand Mark VI production ended some months ago and production of VII started last month. The US market should get the new model earlier in the cycle than what VW has done in the past.

[dhorst]

@louis I had the same trouble finding my car: nothing for me to test drive or look at and a lot of extra options on the cars that were available. I got fed up and bought one sight unseen from a dealership a couple hundred miles away. It showed up on a truck looking very much like it did in pictures and driving much like a new car should. Within a couple weeks I'd forgotten almost everything about my year long car search. I'd buy a car online (from a dealership) again in a heartbeat.

[rugbysecondrow]

I found a prior model year, but same model Subaru WRX to drive and that was enough for me. I was able to order one with the options I wanted, more specifically, stripped down the way I wanted. Subaru adds a bunch of those options at the port so you can tweak them a bit and the person at the dealership should know that.

Here is a new one for you:

http://subaru.fusz.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-1637bdd90a0d06490164db486223e871.htm

Call a different dealership if the one doesn't work for you.




Here's an example of why this had been so "drawn out."

This PM I call the biggest St Louis Subaru dealer to see what they had. Not one single manual transmission Impreza for me to test-drive. Not even a 4-door. Everything is CVT. If I want to buy one it would have to be without test-driving it first.

So the salesperson and I talk a bit about what I want, and I say that I'm not interested in a whole bunch of options. So she looks it up on the computer - in the entire continental US there are only 16 Basic Impreza 5-dr hatchbacks w/ manual available to her. 16 - in the whole lower 48! If we were to get one here there would be all sorts of extra charges. Or they could order one for me. When would it get here? Early December.

This whole buying experience has been one frustration after another. Meanwhile, the trusty '97 Integra keeps on rolling. (242,2xx miles on it) The closer this gets to Dec 31 the more likely I am to just wait until next spring. (Which is what I said last year.)

[Chance]

Here's an example of why this had been so "drawn out."

This PM I call the biggest St Louis Subaru dealer to see what they had. Not one single manual transmission Impreza for me to test-drive. Not even a 4-door. Everything is CVT. If I want to buy one it would have to be without test-driving it first.

So the salesperson and I talk a bit about what I want, and I say that I'm not interested in a whole bunch of options. So she looks it up on the computer - in the entire continental US there are only 16 Basic Impreza 5-dr hatchbacks w/ manual available to her. 16 - in the whole lower 48! If we were to get one here there would be all sorts of extra charges. Or they could order one for me. When would it get here? Early December.

This whole buying experience has been one frustration after another. Meanwhile, the trusty '97 Integra keeps on rolling. (242,2xx miles on it) The closer this gets to Dec 31 the more likely I am to just wait until next spring. (Which is what I said last year.)

Are you at all concerned about buying a car where they make so few with sticks? Have thought about this before. Will sticks become so rare that dealerships won't stock as many parts and or mechanics have experience working on them? Love manual transmissions myself but don't want to be the only guy in town with one of a certain model.

[DHallerman]

I think it's Premium gas, which is an additional cost.

However, work out the actual numbers here:

Premium gas tends to cost about 20 cents more than regular.
Say you drive 15,000 miles per year.
And say you get 25 mpg.
Therefore, you use 600 gallons per year.
By that formula, premium will cost you only $120 more per year, or $10 per month, more than regular.

So, is that too much of a burden?

Dave, who says the annual extra cost for premium would be less of course if you get more than 25 miles per gallon or drive less than 15K miles per year

[rice rocket]

Are you at all concerned about buying a car where they make so few with sticks? Have thought about this before. Will sticks become so rare that dealerships won't stock as many parts and or mechanics have experience working on them? Love manual transmissions myself but don't want to be the only guy in town with one of a certain model.

Not really. I've known people who have been able to order individual bolts and brass synchros individually. Subaru has always been good about that (versus some European companies, that make you order the whole transmission as an assembly).

[Louis]

Here is a new one for you:

http://subaru.fusz.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-1637bdd90a0d06490164db486223e871.htm

Call a different dealership if the one doesn't work for you.

Apparently they don't update the web / computer very well. I spoke to a salesperson from that very dealership and she said that she had to go out to the lot and look at the cars in person to figure out what they had!!! What a cr@ppy system.

So about an hour later she called me back and said "no manual available." That was when she then looked up "basic 5-dr Impreza with manual" for the entire lower 48 and came up with only 16 available...

[dd74]

Geez, here in Vermont you can't swing a dead deer carcass without hitting a couple of Subarus!

They're so common here it's comical; not unusual to see 5 in a row parked in the supermarket lot.

Yes, I found it's the same in New Mexico. Maybe the Subaru is somewhat of a demographic/geographic-related car.

[spiderman]

Whatever you do, don't drive like these maniacs...

http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20090518/MOTORSPORTS/905189987/AR/0/AR-905189987.jpg

but this is exactly how i cracked the windshield of my range rover evoque last week...at least i wasnt driving her outback or our daughters forrester...

[mistermo]

Here's an example of why this had been so "drawn out."

This PM I call the biggest St Louis Subaru dealer to see what they had. Not one single manual transmission Impreza for me to test-drive. Not even a 4-door. Everything is CVT. If I want to buy one it would have to be without test-driving it first.

So the salesperson and I talk a bit about what I want, and I say that I'm not interested in a whole bunch of options. So she looks it up on the computer - in the entire continental US there are only 16 Basic Impreza 5-dr hatchbacks w/ manual available to her. 16 - in the whole lower 48! If we were to get one here there would be all sorts of extra charges. Or they could order one for me. When would it get here? Early December.

This whole buying experience has been one frustration after another. Meanwhile, the trusty '97 Integra keeps on rolling. (242,2xx miles on it) The closer this gets to Dec 31 the more likely I am to just wait until next spring. (Which is what I said last year.)

I'm calling BS on your dealer. I just checked inventory of the Subie dealer across the street and they have 4 basics and 1 premium (if I understand their inventory correctly). No way they have 25% of US inventory across the street from me. But as Echelon John implied, they are the state car of New England.

http://www.colonial.subarudealer.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-Danbury-0e2048170a0a000201d60b6a7f0cc795.htm

http://www.colonial.subarudealer.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-Danbury-134685380a0d048e013313b1d0aaef7a.htm

http://www.colonial.subarudealer.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-Danbury-134686820a0d048e013313b183a81957.htm

http://www.colonial.subarudealer.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-Danbury-b810225f0a0a000201eaf91f611935f5.htm

http://www.colonial.subarudealer.com/new/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Impreza-Danbury-b81023b50a0a000201eaf91f20ded694.htm

[Louis]

I'm calling BS on your dealer.

That may be. I plan to call other dealers to see what they say.

[rice rocket]

You should join your local NASIOC forum and check who's the most reputable dealership in your area, save yourself some time.

[mhespenheide]

I'd like to drive the Impreza at some point; at 6'6" I'm not sure it will fit me, but the combo of AWD, MPG and $$ is pretty compelling.

John,

I don't know about the Impreza, but if you're willing to go for an older car, I'm on my second (both used) '97 outback wagon. I'm 6'4" and have a few more inches to spare, given that the roofline bumps up. With the smaller engine and manual transmission, I get 30mpg highway with restrained driving, high twenties if I'm in a hurry to get down to Moab... I sold my last one at 210k and bought another with 150k to replace it.

[gavingould]

re: being tall -

the wife and i bought a VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI a couple weeks ago.
I'm 6'5ish and I don't even need to put the seat all the way back to get comfortable. Seriously, I was pretty surprised. The tilt/telescope steering wheel helps. Wife is around 5'4" and can just as easily find a good position. Plenty of headroom for me even with the massive sunroof.

Mileage reading from the dash calculator is averaging high 20s, but it's still the first tank of diesel. We've only got 180 miles on it, pretty much all city driving - still have a good bit over half a tank left. Will get a few hundred highway miles in a couple weeks when we go out to Iowa.

It's a huge upgrade from my 2001 Hyundai Elantra sedan (RIP) in every single area. More fun to drive, more power, better economy, much nicer inside, lots more space inside but barely larger outside. Also was a lot more expensive though, and the stereo kinda sucks.

I definitely hear ya on dealers not giving you a lot of options - around here they pretty much say "here's what we have." You can custom order from the factory, but nowadays that is fairly limited too and most dealers don't want to make the effort, they'd much rather clear another spot on their lot.