Subaru Owner Reviews

Not really flash in tech, but considering it's a 2012 model it okay. Safety-wise it is good with decent airbags. Multimedia is just okay and not really very interesting.Interior is decent. Ride quality is good as well on the highways. Good comfortable fabric seats. Works wonders with roof rails.Very nice on the highway. Not really a car for city driving. At 110km/h speeds, there is very high cabin noise and you can't hear much from the passenger in the rear seat. Running costs are decent considering it's a sedan. I get 6.9/100km on highway speeds of 110km/h. Servicing is very, very cheap.Very reliable. Owned the car since 2017. Minimal issues and never missed a beat. Boxer engines are extremely reliable.

Sufficient to fulfil my needs, but not so much that it is intrusive or unreliable. Bluetooth works well. ABS doesn't cut in too soon, but works well when you need it. Great. Plenty of space, although I will always test the limits. The tailgate allows great access, other than the low height that has led to my wife and I banging our heads. The seats adjust electrically, so it is easy for anyone to get comfortable. The full-size spare wheel compartment has room for a selection of tools. Reasonable power for a diesel. Easy to place the car on the road. Corners well. Armchair ride makes for pleasant long-distance driving. Quiet, even at speed. Very good for towing, both long distance and for tight work. I consistently get 7-7.2L/100km (~40mpg) generally, unless I am towing. General servicing is a reasonable cost. I have had two major repairs in 160,000km: a new clutch shortly after I bought it (I don't know how the previous owner treated it), and the fuel pump inside the engine casing leaked and needed to be replaced. Each of those repairs cost $5k, but that is not bad over 160,000km. Insurance is basic. The car has been used very hard and has come through it all with flying colours. It has never let me down. I once hit two kangaroos at 120km/h. There was some bodywork damage, but the headlights, radiator, air-conditioner, steering and suspension were not affected, and I was able to continue the trip (The kangaroos were not so lucky!).I have spoken above about the repairs needed, but they were handled at service time and never put me off the road. The most frustrating issue was the HID globes failing repeatedly. That drove me crazy for a while. I eventually resolved this by having LED globes fitted.

Very limited technology was available. Like many passionate owners, I upgraded from the generic sound system, while Harman/Kardon is the high-end option. The speakers very easily overloaded, leading to the 'umbrella' speaker, or very little output, most likely just due to the age the the system/car, which is why many people upgraded.The in-built media system didn't come with GPS stock but was offered as an upgrade from factory. Like always, the system updates stopped. This was when Android Auto and Apple CarPlay started to enter 10+ years later. As a sedan I've learnt that they're not the most practical cars, but I was able to fit many things in from Bunnings. Unfortunately, this often required taking off the packaging, but still able to fit things. The boot was absolutely useless.Never buy a sedan again, always opt for wagon or hatchback. A car to be driven and driven to the limit. The upgrades with the STI model haVE most definitely hit all the right spots. An absolute pleasure to drive on road and off-road. I've driven around on dirt around Wisemans Ferry (the other side) completely feeling in control whilst looking out against the Hawkesbury river.The AWD system from Subaru, with a great set of tyres, really does not fault in terrible weather conditions. The combination of slight additional upgrades with STI model made a huge difference. I feel this was the end of an era for Subaru and STi collaboration. Fuel consumption always came down to how you drove and still remains the case with any car now. City versus highway versus spirited driving. This, of course, impacted serving and insurance. Being a safe driver in a location with lower statistics means less cost. Unfortunately, moving closer to the city from outer Sydney saw nearly a double in price.Servicing comes down to modifications - the more you've done the more you're seeing your mechanic. Typically, twice a year I was getting a service done. A stock-as-a-rock car could get away with once a year. Pricing is very consistent with what a new car pricing offers, often actually cheaper. Unfortunately, due to the poor design of EJ25 engine and bay placement, your hit with a big major service, typically due to headgasket requiring engine being pulled from the bay.The engine type and narrow engine bar is why I've been turned off purchasing similar Subaru's again (along with the old headgasket issue), as much as I love the cars. Headgasket, oil, headgasket, oil, headgasket. Seriously, I went from thinking Subarus were the solid OEM after having no problems. All I had was issues on my third (this review), so I didn't purchase another Subaru after this and I most likely wont ever again.

Tech is old but simple, especially without the sat-nav head unit. The speakers are great and can be loud with the right inputs. Super safe with the AWD and 10 airbags. And the steering is perfectly weighted. Only thing I could say about the interior is that you can set the clock to a specific second. Super practical, with loads of space given it is a hatchback. It can fit up to five adults (not so comfortably) or four adults (comfortably). The back seats fold completely flat, giving the spacious boot even more space. It's small so it's rather easy to park (the bonnet is a little long, so It takes a little to learn where the front of the car is). It has rear parking sensors which makes it super easy to reverse, and there are almost no blind spots. I have found that on this car they placed the rearview mirror very, very low, which causes a nice big blind spot in the middle of the windscreen. This car has nice big wing mirrors, which may be an eyesore at the start, but they help you see loads of the surroundings. The driving experience is awesome. When the automatic transmission wants to work, it's rather zippy, and the steering feel is great and perfectly weighted. The AWD system really helps to keep it on the road as well, especially during quick maneuvers. The car has plenty of power for overtaking at any speed, even at highway speeds, as well as plenty of power to get up to speed. This car has horrible fuel efficiency. It may be because I don't do the longest trips, but I get from 12 to 14L/100km and get around 300km out of the 60L tank. Each fill is around 80 bucks on 91 and the car is recommended to run on higher octanes like 98, which would be even more expensive. Other than that, rego is rather cheap at $256 every three months, and I have full comprehensive insurance, which is around $250 a month, which may be way too much for this car. I wouldn't suggest getting full comprehensive. and the services arent the cheapest either. My last service was around $350, which was just a regular service without any big fixes. This car has over 220,00km on it and it still runs a dream. I know the boxer engines have a bad rep, but this 2.0 DOHC boxer engine hasn't given me a single problem. Although finding info about the specific engines in the Impreza RS is hard as the engine they have is almost only found in the RS, which is not a worldwide car. But every day I wake up, get in and it always starts - hasn't stuttered once.

Multimedia is extremely easy to use. We have stored three mobile phones on the system and we are able to switch between the three and play music/Spotify very easily. The speakers are super sharp and provide plenty of sound for front and rear passengers. Built in car navigation system is not as user friendly as I hoped. I tend to use Google maps with my phone in the holder instead. To have the map updated I had to take it into Subaru. I wish this was possible to do at home over Wi-Fi or something similar. I would have been happy to pay for this. The EyeSight technology and multiple airbags makes me feel very comfortable while driving.  The same can be said for the blind-spot assistance, which lights up to show cars in my blind spot. The Cruise control is amazing. Safety and Subaru go hand in hand. Main reason I bought the car.Very practical car. It’s been perfect for those city driving. Taking the kids to and from school, and to and from sport. I have used the car both on- and off-road. We have had beach days and driven onto the beach. The car handled beautifully. We have also taken it out bush and once again it was a smooth ride AND practical as we could go off-track. In the city it’s big enough and small enough. Big enough to carry everyone and equipment etc. in the cargo. But small enough to get around traffic and find parking etc.From a drive perspective, it’s smooth and super safe. The many safety options have saved me. The EyeSight assist is a welcomed addition as well as the ability to go into different modes and change the traction control to assist when driving in rough or slippery conditions. In the city it drives like a normal sedan. It’s the perfect blend of SUV/sedan and has the versatility to switch between the two with ease.From a servicing point of view I have only speny on the regular servicing costs. I take it in every 10-15ks. I have had no issues with the car for 6.5 years running. It has been perfect. The insurance is approx 1400-1500 per year with NRMA, which is reasonable. From a fuel point of view, it’s wonderful. It’s much cheaper than my old 4WD and eats fuel like a standard sedan which is amazing!In 6.5 years I have never had a single reliability issue with the car. It has stood up to every test I have thrown at it. From off-road to on-road, it has been the most reliable car I have owned. I have only ever had to complete the regular services. I would be looking to buy the upgraded / latest version soon as I love the car.  It was super reliable in the bush and on the beach. As well as in the city commuting from school to sports etc. If it’s reliability you are after, then this is the perfect car.

Solid Bluetooth system, which allows you to play music and take hands free calls. Display also notifies you of any safety issues such as oil, braking, engine temp. Seats five people comfortably with okay storage in the boot. Rear cargo is small but decent for its size. Drives smoothly with, tiptronic coming in handy for hilly areas to make it more efficient to brake less and wear them out. Drives very well in mountainous areas like Mt Ruapehu so is fantastic for ski trips, hikes etc. 60ish litre tank, around 143 to fill the tank currently, and yearly service. Recently had to replace the media system, which was over $1K, and front brakes which were around 700. Very reliable. Hasn’t broken down in the time I’ve had it and drives really well on open roads, as well as in the city due to its fairly compact size.