2003 Subaru Impreza

safest most fun car i've ever owned!

By jt (NJ) on Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 93,000

Pros: "tons of fun driving, great gas mielage, ultra tough and safe, awesome power potential."

Cons: "mines totalled."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"i've only owned my subaru wrx wagon for a year, and in that time i've put some miles on it, made some modifications, and finally was a victim in a very severe car accident. i nwas driving with my wife and 2 small boys in the car when a driver pulled directly into my lane from a driveway on a major roadway. long story short, we collided and our impreza rolled over 4 times totalling 140ft. not only did we all survive, we all walked away. most importantly neither of my boys even had a scratch. well done subaru."

28 people out of 28 found this review helpful

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A true love affair.

By BiG (WA) on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 136,000

Pros: "Safe. Sporty. Practical. Versatile. Fun."

Cons: "Not great gas milage."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I owned this car for 11 years. Had the 02 wagon. It went truly everywhere with me - from heavy gridlock interstate commuting, to 15" deep snow covered country lanes, to winding, rutted NW logging roads, to beach driving to country highway cruising, and it did it all with great aplomb. It lived life with me as a single guy in my twenties, to a married man, to a dog owner and finally to family man with two kids. It served as my sports car as much as my Home Depot hauler. It was a reliable, go everywhere, utility vehicle that had enough sportiness to it to competently hold its own against far more purpose built vehicles. Having previously been a Honda guy (a civic, an integra and an accord), this one car converted me. Sadly, last week, I got into an accident when someone bumped me from the back left, shifting my direction just enough to send me plowing straight into a 30" diameter tree just off of the side of the road. The tree didn't move and the wrx was totaled. It was a huge loss. But what I can say is that here I am, less than a week later, in reasonably good shape all because, on top of everything else brilliant about this car, it was built to be safe. The crumple zones worked flawlessly and the airbags did what they were supposed to do. Paramedics had to remove the roof to get me out, but I got out in one piece without any permanent injuries. This was the best car I have ever owned. And it saved my life."

23 people out of 23 found this review helpful

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WR-Awesome-X

By 2h2o (Boulder, CO) on Tuesday, March 11, 2008

"My 2003 WRX SEDAN is, by and far, the best vehicle I've ever owned; and I've owned more than a few. I bought it with 30000 miles on it, and have had nothing but good experiences with the car. A few things to mention: my clutch started slipping at about 48000. I don't know how the previous owners drove it, but I generally drive it pretty mildly, only slipping the clutch when necessary and only flooring it AFTER it's fully in gear. I've come to understand that this is semi-common with the WRX because the engine+turbo doesn't really start to make power until 2500RPM, so you have to slip the clutch more than in some other cars to get going from a stop. I've since upgraded to a lighter flywheel and heavier clutch: this combination makes it harder to drive in stop-go traffic, but an absolutely lovely experience in all other situations--even snow (once you figure out how to modulate the tight clutch.) It's not easy to work on anything on the engine, as it is VERY snug in the engine bay. Replacing spark plugs, PCV valve, belts, etc. is not fun, but not impossible either. Oil changes, transmission and differential fluid changes are a breeze. I'm at 60000 miles now, and the suspension still feels very tight--no need to replace the shocks yet! It could use an alignment, but that's to be expected with all the Colorado-winter potholes (try as I might, it's impossible to avoid all of them.) The fuel-economy is very reasonable considering it is fulltime AWD (=parasitic drivetrain loss of energy) and the engine is turbocharger-augmented. I average about 23 MPG with about 55% highway driving. It's no 31 MPG Civic CRX either. That's the price for performance. It's fairly comfortable, for me: 6'1" @ 160 lbs. It has ample room to carry three friends and I up to the slopes, with gear and boards/bikes mounted to the roof. I sometimes wish I'd purchased the wagon variant instead, for the additional cargo capacity (the Sedan's back seat does not fold down--my ONLY true gripe), but usually this is a non issue as the trunk is more than sufficient for my normal needs. Anything more than it can carry, and I probably should have borrowed my friend's pickup instead. All in all, for the price, this is a VERY capable and FUN car! It loves to zip around town, but the most fun is to be had on the tight mountain roads, paved or not! It handles excellent in snow, and as well as any on ice (*it doesn't matter what car you're in*: if there's no traction, you're not going anywhere, or not stopping!) Don't skimp on the tires: they are the most important component on ANY vehicle (besides a sober and alert driver!) Happy motoring! PS: put an exhaust on the car--if only a freer-flowing muffler. Subaru's signature boxer rumble is downright-sexy!"

17 people out of 17 found this review helpful

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Great for 7 years old

By Bugeyerex (Lomita, CA) on Monday, November 01, 2010

"I bought this car from the original owner about 9 months ago, and I will never look back. Over the past several years I have owned a handful of cars, including a track ready muscle car, a "sleeper" Honda Civic with 260whp, and a 1995 Mustang GT. I would take this Subaru WRX over any of those cars, no hesitation at all. It really is a great car. Let's do a breakdown of the ratings I gave: Value: Less than 10k for an AWD turbocharged pocket rocket? Nothing wrong with that. There's a lot of bang for your buck here, but it is still a lot of money for a car 7 years (or so) old. Reliability: I've only had the car for less than 7 months, but my wife has owned a Subaru Tribeca for almost 3 years with no problems, and my brother's STi has been flawless since 2005. I can only imagine that this car will follow in step. No problems so far, and Subaru has a reputation for reliability. Quality: 4 stars here, only because of the hard-touch plastics all over the place. The car has good fit and finish overall, body panels line up straight, door handles have a good feel to them, nothing really feels too cheap. The doors close with a little bit of a shudder, but with frameless windows you have to expect a little of that. Performance: Have to go with 4 stars here. Subaru designed this car to be 9/10 as good as it could be. The factory shifter is a little rubbery, although only when compared to the oh-so-smooth shifter that Honda puts in their Si model. Brakes are a little softer than I would like, but I work the left pedal harder than most. Very little fade, which makes braking predictable. Throttle response is fantastic, although the car does suffer from some turbo lag in 3-5 gears. Steering feel is excellent, no complaints there. Handling is interesting: there is a little more body roll than some tightly-sprung cars out there, but it is entirely predictable and controllable. Put it this way: the car seems perfectly at ease taking a 45mph interchange at 85mph. All of the issues mentioned in ther Performance section are easily fixed if you want to venture into aftermarket parts. Styling: I LOVE how the car looks. Small spoiler out back, bug eye headlights, big fog lights, it all works for me. Some people don't like it, some do. For me, the exterior is perfect. If there is a flaw, its the common "saggy butt" issue, where the rear suspension sags a little (1/2" or so). Doesn't affect handling at all, just looks... interesting. Inside, there is a lot of hard plastic, the headliner feels a little cheap, and the colors are a little boring. Everything is black. Comfort: The front seats really are comfortable. They will hold you in place nicely during hard driving, yet your butt and back still feel OK after a 3 hour drive. The backseat is pretty small, fine for small adults or children. But who cares, you're sitting in the driver seat! The suspension isn't too stiff, but you will feel potholes and rough pavement more than in most cars. Overall, if you're an enthusiast on a budget, give this car a good hard look. Buy one that has been taken care of, not abused, and you will be very happy with your purchase."

8 people out of 8 found this review helpful

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WRX best AWD for the Money

By WRX 2003 (WA) on Saturday, August 13, 2011

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 97,500

Pros: "AWD, price, mpg, cheap to repair"

Cons: "needs more cup holders :)"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I would let my siter buy this car, love it so far, I've had it for 3 months now, no problems, drives amazing, my best friend has a 2001 Audi S4 and I like my WRX better!"

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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