Need Subaru Guru's Advice

[Elvis_Pil]

Ok My New Ride is also the 1999 Subaru Impreza, and its a damn fun car to drive, but there are some advantages and disadvantages too

My car did gud on fuel, and very confy too but the man factor is spare parts are not avilable at all, trsut me thesedays im looking for Subaru front crystal Lights and cant find it anywhere, even body parts like the Fenders, etc

GAve up on the Evo? Sold?

Edited November 13, 2007 by Pilawoos

[Elvis_Pil]

IMHO if the EK3 does not have a VTEC engine there would be zero attraction for that car. The ES is a lot better but again without a VTEC its very ordinary.

Used to think like you but non-vtec performance has been proven many a time. Some of the all time quickest D series honda motor 1/4 mile times have been hit in non vtecs dude....(At least in the US) The ES with or without vtec is nothing much in terms of performance.

[Pericles]

Why is everyone getting all excited over a 1.5l auto? It won't be a WRX, so I don't know why people even asked that. And pls don't start another Honda arguement in here too.

[Ripper]

Well We both know that Skyline owner is still learning the ropes on the car, I'm sure he wont take risks with it just yet Give him a bit of time lol.. at the same time auto/tip on a powerful car sucks.. the N16 would have been nippy through the tight stuff and would have kept up -specially if it was manual And the sky is after all a heavy (almost 1 and a half tons) cruiser

he he pila...

the man in concern read these forums though he's too lazy to participate so chill on the g boy bashing

BTW...now he's started pushing the car a bit

[GihanFX]

GAve up on the Evo? Sold?

yeah, Got a English Number 1999 Impreza and did STi 4 swap, Everything is done, Body Kit, 17inch wheels, now changin White color to Blue,

Edited November 14, 2007 by GihanFX

[Dodge]

What an interesting thread. So I'm going to butt in with my two cents worth. ....

I don't think you should worry too much about straight line speed. I would give more priority to how the car feels when you drive it eventhough its nice to have lots of power.

Also any fool can go fast in a straight line. It takes some skill and a good car to go around corners fast though.

I must confess that I have not driven a front wheel drive Subaru except for some very very old ones long ago. However I have driven a few 4wd non turbo cars. And I must say I have always been quite impressed with the cars. They seem a notch above the usual Japanese fwd suspects. Such as the EK3 Honda Civic mentioned.

IMHO if the EK3 does not have a VTEC engine there would be zero attraction for that car. The ES is a lot better but again without a VTEC its very ordinary.

The Subarus on the other hand feel a bit special with their flat four engine and decent ride. On our roads ride comfort is very important even from a performance point of view. I mean you hardly get a smooth road anywhere. And a car with a better resolved suspension set up will be quicker and more pleasurable than one with "Sporty" or plain poor suspension.

So drive both and try to identify the differences and decide what you prefer before buying.

Guys, thank you very much. Thoughts from each and every one are helpful to me.

Well, the sad story is that we are in a developing country (always) where most of the people think about just using a car rather than experiencing the real driving pleasure. As 'GTAm' says subaru's driving pleasure is seems some what special. But I haven't experience a good Honda Civic VTEC yet. I like to have a car with balance of power and handling. Seems like I have to use this weekend to hunt down for good Honda VTEC while keeping the Subaru option open.

One other question. I have seen Honda city (2000-2002 version) with VTEC batch on it. What do you guys feel about theses citys in terms of power and handling? (This is not to compare City against Civic or Subaru.)

[Overdrive]

Let me keep this short. Had a manual 1.5 l front wheel drive Subaru. in terms of acceleration, was a bit sluggish. The Suspension on the other hand is very good compared to most jap cars. Fuel economy is average. spare Parts, originals are very expensive, some Nissan replaceable parts are compatible though. but all of this a bit of a headache for a daily runner. you need to have a special relationship with the senok service dept. to get things done! If you are buying a Subaru for power and a sports feel don’t get the n/a version. it sucks. go with a vtec Honda, considering ur circumstances.

[GTAm]

very true... But don't you think that the usual jap car "suspects" also keeps up with these "better handling cars" upto a point with a good driver behind the wheel...and maybe even with some minor mods?

Also any fool can go fast in a straight line. It takes some skill and a good car to go around corners fast though.

This might not be the ideal example but i've seen on FormulaD races on TV a tricked up old AE86 beat the snot out of a spruced up viper in corners but the viper always beat the AE86 the moment a straight run appears...

I don't think you can simply diss the usual jap car just like that

just my 2 cents worth

Well that argument can only be settled on a race track. However I don't think that a car with poor handling can keep up with a car with very good handling even with a small power advantage. Especially say on our upcountry roads, given both drivers are equally competent.

With mods to the suspension you can improve things to a certain extent. However the basic design should be sound in the first place if you want to really achieve a big difference. Or you have to modify it so much that it ceases to be that car at all. But we're talking about standard spec cars here, right?

As for FormulaD....well its a completely different ball game altogether. And don't forget the AE86 is tricked up as you say and we don't know how much. Anyway the Viper is not one of the best handling sports cars around. It's a straight line car like most American machines, save the new Corvette Z06. Besides that the AE86 should be tons lighter and so quicker in corners.

[GTAm]

Used to think like you but non-vtec performance has been proven many a time. Some of the all time quickest D series honda motor 1/4 mile times have been hit in non vtecs dude....(At least in the US) The ES with or without vtec is nothing much in terms of performance.

Again you are talking about straight line speed (typical non imaginative US ) and souped up engines. Not original engineering. I'm talking about noise and feel things that you can't measure with a stopwatch but have to live with everyday. Things that will determine how happy or not you'll feel using it with each drive. The VTEC twin cams sounds a LOT (when it hits the sweetspot) better than the other engines. I'm not as familiar as you with various series etc. But all I can say is some of those engines sound sh*t. It opposite of sporting and anything to do with motor sports! I'm sorry if I offend anyone who owns these cars, but this is my honest opinion after driving them.

[Ripper]

Well that argument can only be settled on a race track. However I don't think that a car with poor handling can keep up with a car with very good handling even with a small power advantage. Especially say on our upcountry roads, given both drivers are equally competent.

With mods to the suspension you can improve things to a certain extent. However the basic design should be sound in the first place if you want to really achieve a big difference. Or you have to modify it so much that it ceases to be that car at all. But we're talking about standard spec cars here, right?

As for FormulaD....well its a completely different ball game altogether. And don't forget the AE86 is tricked up as you say and we don't know how much. Anyway the Viper is not one of the best handling sports cars around. It's a straight line car like most American machines, save the new Corvette Z06. Besides that the AE86 should be tons lighter and so quicker in corners.

Mate..there is no argument about better breed cars over your average joe's sedan... No one's disputing that

The point was that on our roads in my personal opinion which i'm sure can be wrong...the superior handling blah blah cars don't have that much of an edge over decent sedan that's not known for handling etc etc...

The topic was about a guy who was into speed wanting a car to deliver that... and my point was that with present conditions you really don't need a high spec car to get you to 100-140... And how many turns are you gonna make at higher speeds that'll really push a car...

If you want weekend warrior racer type car to really hammer down a thrash in a nice road...definitely a better "driver's car" is what it should be...

But here as sad as it is... a normal 1.5litre civic will keep up with a 2 ltre "driver's" car

And when you talk about the whole driving experience.... that's relative... some people like a quiet, smooth drive where another guy might like a loud, fuel smelling bumpy ride...

and about upcountry driving...yep you have a point there no arguments... But i don't see the better handling car gaining a huge time advantage over the other though definitely it'll win a "race" beyond a doubt... the crappy poor handling jappie will still trail it

that's just what i think with my limited knowledge on the subject

[Kim]

yeah, Got a English Number 1999 Impreza and did STi 4 swap, Everything is done, Body Kit, 17inch wheels, now changin White color to Blue,

keep us informed AND some photos will be nice! u didnt even show us ur EVO yet..

Edited November 14, 2007 by Kim

[GTAm]

Hey Ripper I see your point. But my point is not about high spec etc etc. But what is more satisfying for the budget. What do you mean by 'edge'? I get the impression that when you're talking about 100-140 km/h etc you're refering to straight line speed.

My point is that you really don't need to get upto those speeds to enjoy your car. Getting up to those speeds last only for a few seconds on our congested roads anyway.

And why should your everyday car not be a good driver's car? I can't see why not. As I have owned good driver's cars that make driving a pleasure even with limited budgets .

Yes when I refer to the whole driving experience I know it's relative to ones experiences and knowledge. I made that comment based on my (possibly limited) experiences and knowledge.

Also you miss my point about the reference to driving on up country roads. More than wining a "race" or saving time, I'm more concerned about the pleasure you'll get from the drive.

What a differece it is to drive a car which flows into corners, up and down the roads, as oppsoed to a car that goes in small straight lines when you turn in. I can assure you there is a huge difference. Add to that a nice sounding engine and the whole journey is very enjoyable.

Also I like an engine to have noise. For a sporting car it's a must. But there are noises and noises. And I don't think many will disagree that a flat four sounds a lot better than SOHC Honda engine. As for a smooth ride on bumpy roads, Just FYI a more absorbent ride will always be quicker on poorly surfaced roads which are almost every road in SL. The other thing is that the best engineered cars have an ideal compromise between ride and handling. For example BMWs.

Anyway getting back to the topic at hand. considering my driving experiences in non turbo's Subarus and various Civics. I found the Subaru to be more enjoyable than the non VTEC Civics I have driven. So IMHO its non VTEC I'll choose the Subaru. If it's a VTEC it will come down to condition and price!

[Elvis_Pil]

Again you are talking about straight line speed (typical non imaginative US ) and souped up engines. Not original engineering. I'm talking about noise and feel things that you can't measure with a stopwatch but have to live with everyday. Things that will determine how happy or not you'll feel using it with each drive. The VTEC twin cams sounds a LOT (when it hits the sweetspot) better than the other engines. I'm not as familiar as you with various series etc. But all I can say is some of those engines sound sh*t. It opposite of sporting and anything to do with motor sports! I'm sorry if I offend anyone who owns these cars, but this is my honest opinion after driving them.

lol well all them civics are still econo rides vtec or whatever! Personally I think the Honda engines sound a lot better compared to other n/a brands

But at the same time you were talking Ek3 and Es's- all SOHCers.. DOHC vtec is a totally different ball game. My comment ment to state that just cause a civic does not have vtec- that is does not mean that the car is worthless. I'd still say an Exi Ek3 is among the best 1.5lt cars of its generation. Trust me even the old dual carb civics were rockets

Ok we're not helping the topic here

[Elvis_Pil]

yeah, Got a English Number 1999 Impreza and did STi 4 swap, Everything is done, Body Kit, 17inch wheels, now changin White color to Blue,

Good scene dude.. congrats men. Hope you got a good price for the Evo/Lancer when selling

[maithri]

Guys,

I would bring a different point to you all if I may. I presume all of you guys have a car because you need it as well as enjoy the freedom and the thrill of driving. A Honda as driven by a large contingent of the pensioners in the UK creating a complete nusense on Sundays by driving 20 mph below the speed limit in their vtecs are non exiting but practical and reliable cars to drive! A Subaru? well fist it is a fairly roomy saloon car with traditional styling with a fantastic powertrain under the skin in the 2.0l turbo versions or higher. It will take your grandma safely to the temple/church/kovila as well as give your girl a pair of wet pants driven hard. These 4WD's are reliable and have no hidden tricks, just plain good mechanicals that needs proper maintainance. Try abusing any car and the results will be pretty much the same.

So the decision is not how fast you can travel on the crowded Galle road, the fastest are the intercity buses! Probably followed by the 3 wheelers for whom there seems to be no road rules at all! No the decision should be made by driving both cars on a suitable road-where in SL I do not know-I think the road past the Randenigala Ranthembe etc tanks to Kandy felt good-so try. Buy the car for what you want it to do-and also it's soul! Then you get the car version of Nirvana!

[unknown]

so my question is now how much will be a 1999 wrx these days in here. i mean sri lanka. and is it 2.0l?

[GTAm]

My comment ment to state that just cause a civic does not have vtec- that is does not mean that the car is worthless. I'd still say an Exi Ek3 is among the best 1.5lt cars of its generation. Trust me even the old dual carb civics were rockets

Ok we're not helping the topic here

Well 'worthless' is a harsh word especially when comparing it with Corollas, Sunnys and 323s. I really can't agree about the EK3 EXi though. I drove one quite a few times and was astonished how very ordinary it was. It was .................urghhh I don't want to use the word . The VTEC engine goes some way to make the car more special. At least in terms of noise and they do feel revvier IMO.

The dual carbies sounded a bit better than EXi s IMHO. And we owned a dual carb Grand Civic 35X long years ago - 1994 I think The number was 18-8292 or 8797 or something like that. Yes it was quite quick (again in a straight line mostly) in the day but I would not call it a rocket. And there was the small matter that everytime you went over a few ruts you hit the under carriage and that did not give me the best feeling . While my father used the Grand Civic I bought a car for a fraction of that price which which was a world apart from the Civic in terms of performance, grip, noise and comfort. It was a 1985 Fiat Regata 100S (The only 100S in SL) - 1.6 twin cam 100bhp lots of torque, 5 speed, fully specced and 970kilos. 14 sri 1045 (tell me if you find it). I tell you it could run rings round that Civic. In corners you could simply floor the throttle and you know it will not loose grip. On a rough road whoever was driving the Civic had to slow right down while the Fiat just flew over it. Above all it had soul (I still miss it and regret selling it) while the Honda felt like a robot. However the build quality was terrible on the Fiat compared with the Civic. But a short blast in it and you'll forgive all that . We spent 750k for the unreg Civic and just 150k for the one owner (first owner was Harry Jayawardene - yes the famous rich dude) Fiat. This is one of the cars that made me take notice of Italian machines. When I learned that, that Fiat twin cam was designed by Ferrari engine guru Aurelio Lampredi...........well you just have to take note haven't you? And suddenly you know where the magic came from. The impression of the drives I had in it are etched in my memory forever. I can't say this most of the other cars I've owned. And I've had many and driven even more.

I don't expect many to understand what I'm talking about since most would not have had the opportunity to own such a rare car in SL. And very few would take such a crazy risk. But I am so happy that I did and experienced so many different cars and learned about those intagible things some cars have.

Like I said its easy to make a car go fast in a straight line. What's hard is getting a better average speed on real roads with varying surfaces. And then there's the pleasure/soul factor...................... I really think that the Subaru flat four has a bit more soul than a SOHC Honda straight 4!

[GTAm]

so my question is now how much will be a 1999 wrx these days in here. i mean sri lanka. and is it 2.0l?

I believe all WRXs are 2.0 and blown. I think depending on the condition (there are a lot of raced and abused ones out there) 1.5 - 2.0m!!??

[GihanFX]

I believe all WRXs are 2.0 and blown. I think depending on the condition (there are a lot of raced and abused ones out there) 1.5 - 2.0m!!??

All Sri Lankan WRX and STi's are 2L and 19 - to 300- Cars cost around 2Mill and English Numbers around 2.5Mill, WRX 7 around 3.8Mill

[sharkster]

the 100k service is the same as other cars, only it may a bit more expensive, but as sharkster know's certain parts can be locally sourced. The service includes the timing belt and pulleys associated with it, t belt tensioner and the water pump. Also if not previously done all fluids in the car should be changed (gear oil, diff oil etc...)

changed my timing belt 2 or 3 weeks ago and sourced ALL the original parts locally... and i don't mean the agents... saved me lots of $$$$$$ but let's see how the clutch kit is going to kill me lol... the car also shares parts with nissans so your best option would be to walk around with a sample and you might get lucky...

Now back onto topic...

Subaru's are bloody good cars... I've heard of reliability issues but it can't be too bad. But spares are lot expensive than your average sedan.

One of my buddies had to replace brake pads on his B4 and it had cost him a cool 70k from the agents

And that does only 4Km's per litre in colombo and worse outstation once the twin turbo kicks in

It really boils down to what you want out of it

70k for brake pads is extortion!!! now that ebay's up and running in SL you can source almost all your subaru parts online at reasonable prices... not cheap but far cheaper than senok...

fuel economy on your friend's car is ridiculous and i suggest he get it checked... drake and i get an average of 10km/l outstation with frequent use of the two turbos

I was (and still am) under the impression that the non wrx impreza 1.5lt is nothing really special (no offence to anybody)

please correct me if i'm wrong..

also, does the non wrx come with awd?

i've driven an auto 1.5 fwd impreza and it was actually very boring... i bet the n/a AWDs are far better but would be heavier and greedier on fuel...

yeah, Got a English Number 1999 Impreza and did STi 4 swap, Everything is done, Body Kit, 17inch wheels, now changin White color to Blue,

are we at least going to see pictures of this or is it a 'secret' too?

i have an anti-top end policy too guys... no sooner you reach the intended 140 you hit the brakes... how many of you ever get a chance to maintain 100?? fair enough you won't get the chance to test your car's 'feel' in traffic and lousy roads but when you DO get the chance on a windy B-road, the feeling of an AWD car is fabulous...

[GihanFX]

are we at least going to see pictures of this or is it a 'secret' too?

No No this time i post some pics, just give me around 10 more days

[Elvis_Pil]

Well 'worthless' is a harsh word especially when comparing it with Corollas, Sunnys and 323s. I really can't agree about the EK3 EXi though. I drove one quite a few times and was astonished how very ordinary it was. It was .................urghhh I don't want to use the word . The VTEC engine goes some way to make the car more special. At least in terms of noise and they do feel revvier IMO.

The dual carbies sounded a bit better than EXi s IMHO. And we owned a dual carb Grand Civic 35X long years ago - 1994 I think The number was 18-8292 or 8797 or something like that. Yes it was quite quick (again in a straight line mostly) in the day but I would not call it a rocket. And there was the small matter that everytime you went over a few ruts you hit the under carriage and that did not give me the best feeling . While my father used the Grand Civic I bought a car for a fraction of that price which which was a world apart from the Civic in terms of performance, grip, noise and comfort. It was a 1985 Fiat Regata 100S (The only 100S in SL) - 1.6 twin cam 100bhp lots of torque, 5 speed, fully specced and 970kilos. 14 sri 1045 (tell me if you find it). I tell you it could run rings round that Civic. In corners you could simply floor the throttle and you know it will not loose grip. On a rough road whoever was driving the Civic had to slow right down while the Fiat just flew over it. Above all it had soul (I still miss it and regret selling it) while the Honda felt like a robot. However the build quality was terrible on the Fiat compared with the Civic. But a short blast in it and you'll forgive all that . We spent 750k for the unreg Civic and just 150k for the one owner (first owner was Harry Jayawardene - yes the famous rich dude) Fiat. This is one of the cars that made me take notice of Italian machines. When I learned that, that Fiat twin cam was designed by Ferrari engine guru Aurelio Lampredi...........well you just have to take note haven't you? And suddenly you know where the magic came from. The impression of the drives I had in it are etched in my memory forever. I can't say this most of the other cars I've owned. And I've had many and driven even more.

I don't expect many to understand what I'm talking about since most would not have had the opportunity to own such a rare car in SL. And very few would take such a crazy risk. But I am so happy that I did and experienced so many different cars and learned about those intagible things some cars have.

Like I said its easy to make a car go fast in a straight line. What's hard is getting a better average speed on real roads with varying surfaces. And then there's the pleasure/soul factor...................... I really think that the Subaru flat four has a bit more soul than a SOHC Honda straight 4!

Subaru flat four on a FWD is just plain noise nothing else dude.. with AWD?<<scratches head>>

And take nothing away from the even the dual carb CRX's IMO Civic's up to the Ek's at least handle pretty well for humble FWDers..

I actually would love to have an Italian car though.. a family member once owned an Alfa 146 which I used to get to drive once in away those day's.. man I've yet come across a sweeter gear box than the one that had.. so damn hard and sporty.. the sort that only a true enthusiast would appreciate. Even though I never pushed it through corners it had a very responsive steering and I love the heavy feel it had.. sadly the car was sold for a song a few years back as it was a bitch to maintain and always broke down A civic would have taken it down for sure- but the Alfa sure gave the Driver a different sort of pleasure.. I prefer feel rather than soul when it comes to cars

[unknown]

interesting topic. i also looking into a wrx 1999 or 2000 but my friend she had 1 before and she said she lot of trouble. but if you look after any car changing the all lubricants etc any car will last long.

[Arc Angel]

Above all it had soul while the Honda felt like a robot.

Soul... hmmmm...

isn't it a matter of perspective? I mean sure, the italians have 'heritage' and 'history' (again the term is relative), but it really depends on what the car means to you, isn't it... If you ask a mini lover, he'll tell you he loves everything the car stands for, body and soul... beetle lovers will say the same.

and for me, my honda is the most soulful creature on earth I'm not blind and ignoring the pedigree of proven brands like any of the italians, but i'm merely saying, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a cars soul (to a great extent) is mostly bout how she makes her driver feel...

feel free to thrash my humble opinion

Edited November 16, 2007 by Arc Angel

[Supra_Natural]

Soul... hmmmm...

isn't it a matter of perspective? I mean sure, the italians have 'heritage' and 'history' (again the term is relative), but it really depends on what the car means to you, isn't it... If you ask a mini lover, he'll tell you he loves everything the car stands for, body and soul... beetle lovers will say the same.

and for me, my honda is the most soulful creature on earth I'm not blind and ignoring the pedigree of proven brands like any of the italians, but i'm merely saying, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a cars soul (to a great extent) is mostly bout how she makes her driver feel...

feel free to thrash my humble opinion

true that, it really does depend on perspective, but i think what Gtam means is that certain cars have that "special something" that stands them head and shoulders above the rest, and really most japs simply dont possess that.... the italians on the other hand, do the soul part very well...... everything else they seem to have trouble with