AWD, agressive looks, boxer engine (more responsive than I4), 16" alloys, sunroof, good value for $$$$$ since fullyloaded for just $19000USD, 3yr Subaru full roadside assistance program included with purchase, excellent in all weather conditions!

1st gear is short compared to similar cars like Celica GT, no trunk or glove compartment lighting.

The 2.5RS is a very good buy considering what you get for the price of $19000USD compared to say a Type-R. Being able to get AWD as standard on a car with this price is only offered by Subaru! AWD is a big bonus if you live in a snowy country like Canada (like me). Rarely will you experience understeer in corners with this car in snow, rain or freezing rain unless you go ludicrously fast in these weather conditions. I have tried many times going 50km/h+ when turning left at intersection in rain & freezing rain at this speed with success everytime!
BUT!! if you want to race Type-R's or preludes this is not the car for you. 2.5RS is a rally car where the latter are somewhat racecars. you'll kill them in any other weather conditions, but on sunnydays you'll lose due to the close gear ratio of the 2.5RS.
Either way, the 2.5RS is the best buy for the buck! and not many are on the street like Hondas or Acuras.

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Nissan 240SX - shifts a bit more smoothly, but 2.5RS more sprity
Eagle Talon TSi '94 - both cars AWD but 2.5RS has better handling, & better visibility when driving.
RX7 '89 (FC) nonturbo - 2.5RS grips the corners whereas FC performs a fishtail though very controllable! =P FC with only 142hp feels faster since its a 2passenger hatchback & powered by Mazda famous rotary engine!

It is reliable, a joy to drive, safe, smart, practical, easy to maintain. Great for long trips, short dashes around town, skiing, camping. I love knowing that no matter how bad they are, I have a car that can handle the weather conditions, and even make them fun. Plenty of sitting and cargo space. All the options (AC, power windows, power door locks) are standard. Handles sharp curves and slick surfaces like it's on rails. Sometimes I brake extra hard on ice just to experience a "Subaru moment" - that split-second when the AWD kicks power to the slipping wheel, and you know in any other car you'd be wrapped around a tree or doing a 360. Oh yeah, and I think it's beautiful, but that might be because I love driving it so much. I also love the way I can zip right into parking spaces and around parking garages while people in their big ugly unsafe polluting SUVs are backing and filling.

Ummmmmmm. Trying really hard here. Oh, OK, I wish it had ABS but I really don't miss it. I am tempted by the new WRX, but I know that that way lies speeding tickets and I like flying under the radar.

The best car I have ever owned, and I've owned some really good cars (sheer luck, but this one was throughly researched - my first new car). I love this car with a passion, I get a warm feeling just looking at it in the garage or in a parking lot. I bought it nearly two years ago and I still owe less than 1/3 on the loan than I could sell it for today.

This car was made for me, but my 6'1" husband who's been a gearhead all his life (his hobby for many years was restoring Alpha Romeos and British racing bikes) loves it as much as I do. I get a kick out of knowing that people who do not own one - and the police, and people who steal cars - look at it as just another cute little Japanese rice rocket when it is actually more like an upscale street legal rally car.

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Nothing is similar to this car, it is in a class by itself. I previously drove, from earliest to latest: 1963 Chevy Nova supersport convertible, 1974 Chevy Nova Supersport (350), 1965 Chevy 10 1/2 ton longbed fleetside PU truck, 1978 Datsun B210, 1985 Chrysler Reliant (it was a company car), 1980 Toyota Corolla station wagon.

AWD
Smooth boxer engine
Good cargo room
Wagon practicality without the "station wagon" look
5sp makes the car fun to toss around
Surprisingly good off-road

Mushy brakes do not inspire confidence
Door windows rattle loudly when door is shut
Audio system is pathetic
Gas milage not good for a four banger
Worst hubcaps I have ever laid eyes on

I've driven compact cars before, so I know not to expect a whole lot of car when you purchase one. BUT! for $17,000 I'd expect moor than this. As you can see in my weaknesses this is car feels very cheap. If I did not need this vehicle for work I would not have bought it, but as far as the engine, AWD, and cargo space I'm sure I'll be able to get to any work site in almost any weather with all my equipment.

If I were buying a vehicle for personal use I would probably opt for a Honda Civic Si or Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS. Both vehicles have the feel of a sports car at half the price, but the edge would go to the Subaru because I live in the northeast and we don't have the luxury of light winters. But as far as the Impreza Outback Sport goes I would have to go with the 2002 model. It has addressed many of the concerns of the previous model years but your going to have to pay a premium as far as price goes to get a decent vehicle that doesn't feel "cheap" like the model years 2001 and earlier, and for that price you might as well get a leftover late model Legacy Outback.

All in all it's a good vehicle that was bought for its durability and reliability, most people don't buy a car with the intent on puting 300,000 miles on in at purchase time. So if you want a small wagon that's going to be worked like an old farm mule then the (pre-2002)Impreza Outback Sport is for you. But if you small wagon that going to be driven like a throughbred and shown-off like so you might want to look at Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mazda MP5, or Subaru WRX Wagon.

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2001 Honda Civic: Flat out the best car I have ever driven in my life(and I've driven alot), but it didn't have the cargo space I needed.

2001 Nissan Sentra: A quick test drive proved that this was a very boring car that did not inspire comfort in a 5sp.

2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara: Lets just say that the vehicle is way overpriced for what you get.

2001 Kia Sportage: It has a better price, the same cargo room, and good gas milage, but if they went more for the compact wagon look instead of the Super-sub-compact SUV look they might have had my money.

- All wheel drive
- Standard 165 Hp engine
- Big, wide and grippy 16" tires

None yet.

Nothing beats all wheel drive. You can buy an Audi or Volvo for twice as much but for the price this car is the way to go. I've driven it for a month now and it handles great. The front and rear ind. suspension and huge grippy tires, along with all wheel drive, make this car an awsome corner taker and passing in traffic in wet or dry weather. The now standard 165 HP engine, give this car plenty of zip as well. I couldn't be happier.

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Out shines any previous vehicle I've driven in inclement weather. To many other cars to list.

This is a great car for Vermont. In the winter, the full time AWD provides excellent traction, even in foot deep snow and/or ice. I didn't put snow tires on it last year, but am planning to do so for this winter. Handles mud season well and in the summer, is pretty smooth even on the dirt and unpaved roads. The engine is powerful for this relatively small car. No problems starting up even on -20 mornings. More room in the trunk than would appear, especially with the seats folded down, but it could be a little bigger. Lots of head room. Good storage and cubbyholes. Controls are ergonomic. Excellent amount of standard equipment.

Brakes are disc/drum, and they are definitely not as good as the all-discs that I have on my wife's car, a Saturn. Interior looks a little ""cheap"" with a good amount of hard plastic, and the fabric could be a little nicer. Not much room in the back seat at all, especially if you have someone tall sitting in the front. I have notice some very minor leakage while in a carwash from the frameless windows. Trunk could be a little bigger, especially for a wagon. A/C is not as cold or efficient as I would like, and could strain the engine a little less.

(1999 Model) - Overall, an excellent car for this part of the country - as shown by the large number of Subarus that I see on the road. Great value for the money, especially with the standard AWD.

-fun car in a family car package
-AWD & ABS & Boxer engine
-firm ride, good handling
-reliable & economical

-some rattles through normal driving (very solid on dirt roads, I know dosen't make sense)
-windows are slow up and down
-city gas mileage is low for 4cyl.
-took way, way too long to find this car in 5spd.
-not for the person who is looking for a really refined car. Check out the Legacy line.

I have really enjoyed this car. The engine has enough power to make it fun and has no problems pulling the car over the mountain passes. Drop it into 4th gear, up the passes, and it will fly by SUV's all day. Handles wonderfully. I autocross a Porsche 914 and feel that this Subaru is not far behind in the handling department. Been through one decent winter in Colorado with the car and it performed wonderfully. The AWD does inspire confidence. If the car starts to slip a quick push on the gas gets the wheels hooked up for what ever direction you are pointed. This car really flys down dirt roads, no 4x4 roads. Good comfort in an economy priced/classed car.

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audi coupe- fairly similar, expect suburu to last as long. VW Golf- Subaru is better product but does seem to be the Japanese VW. Subaru Forester- like the sport better. Nissan Sentra- Subaru is far superior. Isuzu Rodeo & Nissan Pathfinder- what can I say, they are SUV's. Subaru is way better. Porsche 914- its an old sports car. Can't compare the two.

Accelaration, 16" tires do a good job,has enough ground clearance for the outdoors.

nothing yet

At $23,300 this car is a great buy. It includes lots of extras including a two-tone leather upholstery (special order), performance gauge pack, and a stereo with amplifier and subwoofer upgrade. This car is very quick, corners nicely and has decent cargo space for a small car. Its the perfect car for a small family.

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It was between getting a low-end Outback or a high-end Outback Sport. Chose Outback Sport because its quicker. The outback is more luxurious but less torque.

Good looking car that made many heads turn.
Fast (If you want to).
Safe driving under all weather conditions.
Many toys (fog light, spoiler, etc) are already standard.

Not fast enough :)
Does not have the same front bumper as the US version.
Need to improve the internal looks and quality
Need to improve on gas

Was looking to buy a car that falls the price range between $16K US to $22K. Once I drove this baby, I did not want to know what are Focus, Civic, 1.8T, etc...Although the inside of the car are somewhat cheap look when compare to other cars, but when you think the performance and safety features of this rocket, then no deal can beat this car. It give me so much confidence when I am driving regardless the weather conditions. For the winter time, I pray everyday for a snow storm so I can drive MY00 to go out and have fun or laugh at other cars that got stuck in the sonw. Another plus for the subaru is the after market modification on this car. You can get almost anything you want. So, for my next car I will definitely buy another subaru.

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Very, very fast. It's like driving any other $23000 car, untill you hit 4,000 RPM, Then it takes off like a rocket, the boost builds untill redline and the car will keep going untill you run out of gears.

Cheap fit and finish, the cd player is ok but the speaker position and quality is horrable. $3000!!! xtra for the 17" wheels! Don't get the spoiler(every kid in a civic wants to race me)& pull off the WRX emblem.

Not the best looking car under 25k but what this car lacks in form it makes up in function. 4 wheel drive, great motor, enough room for 4 of my friends and thier stuff. And the satifaction of knowing you can out run almost any other car on the road. Forget the Civic Si, the Integra type R, Mustang GT, Camaro Z28, The WRX is the real deal, no b.s. this car will run with an M3 when it needs to. Even with the 16" wheels the WRX will suprise you with how well it sticks to the road. The chasse is super stiff. The brakes are excellent. Best go for the flow.

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The VW Jetta with the 1.8 turbo or VR6 is a fun car to drive, but not nearly as fast as the WRX.

Great acceleration
Great handling
Good storage space.

Cheap plastic finish if the central control panel.

This is an awesome vehicle. It is my first perfomant car and I am quite impressed. I just took possesion yesterday so this is just a first impression review (100 miles). The handling is great. The car corners well and acceleration is impressive. The seats are sporty and comfortable with a nice cloth finish. The carbon fiber trimings would have improved radically the interior appearance of the car. The plastic is entry level type. Great value when considering performance and price. Too bad Subaru had to cut back on the horsepower to meet emission standards... an STI version would have been sweet. Good car for anybody who wants performance and enjoys outdoor activities, install a bike or a ski rack and have fun!

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Rental Ford Mustang (V6 only), does not compare at all.