Faults:

The forever hated WRX gearbox fault. When I bought the car, the day I took ownership of it I couldn't get it into reverse. Needless to say, Subaru after sales service is just over expensive, and extremely unhelpful. I now have the third gearbox, which was the cheapest and has lasted the longest!

Stock brakes were mediocre, I replaced them with 2000 model 4 pot front brake calipers. Now a 9/10 for brakes.

General Comments:

Not for the faint at heart. These cars are serious machines that have killed many people.

Although they aren't "as fast" as a lot of others, they get to speed very very fast.

They handle like, well, a rally car. As this is pretty much how they were designed. You Point, You steer! Although a little much body roll from factory, can be fixed with a number of After Market suppliers.

The Seats are possibly the best stock seats every to come in a car under $60k. Very sought after items! Enjoy!

At highway speeds, they had a really annoying wind noise due to the doors having no top, Also called pillar less.

Can't really be adjusted, but Armorall makes it a bit less noticeable.

Great car for the money. Will beat 95% of cars off the lights.

Faults:

I had to replace the fuel pump at 25k miles, although it was still under warranty.

Replaced the brake pads 2 times since owning. Brakes squeal when coming to stop due to accumulation of brake "dust". Does not seem to affect performance at all.

General Comments:

I have had very minimal problems at 80k miles. I take it in for maintenance regularly, per the Subaru maintenance schedule. This car has been incredibly reliable. I always starts right up and is ready to roll whenever I am. Unlike my previous cars, I never worry about whether or not the Subie will break down in the middle of a trip somewhere.

The car handles well in snow and icy conditions. After the snow/ice storm this past year, my Subie was the only car that was able to pull out of my apartment lot, even without studded tires!

The fuel efficiency is OK, not the 22/30 mpg as advertised. I get more around 20 mpg in city and 25-28 mpg on the freeway.

If I had anything critical to say about this car is that it lacks in interior quality and comfort. I have the optional leather seats, which are nice, however they are not comfortable especially on long trips. The seats lack lumbar support, which is nice to have for someone like me who is 6ft 2in tall. The interior is, however, surprisingly spacious for the size of the car. The back seats have minimal leg room. The interior plastic molding often pops and creaks on bumps or turns, which is slightly annoying. The A/C dramatically slows down the car performance, so don't try to pass anyone on a hill with the A/C on! The heater is slow to reach temperature.

Despite the few negatives outlined above, the impreza outback sport is a fantastic machine for someone who is looking for a reliable and safe car that can handle a variety of weather conditions. I plan on investing in another Subaru in the near future because they build quality cars.

Faults:

The brakes had to be replaced at around 30,000 miles. This wouldn't have been such an issue if they weren't $84.00 from the dealer. No after market parts were available. Replaced the brakes a total of 3 times since I have owned the car.

Lost countless numbers of wheel covers, those are $46.00 each. Finally purchased a set of rims for the car.

Currently the key is stuck in the ignition and the car can be shifted even when turned off.

The knob that controls the direction of the heat/air spins in a complete circle now, only defrost works.

Replaced the motor at around 70,000 miles, since then no major engine trouble.

Experiencing a loud thud/bump when turn at slow speeds.

General Comments:

The car is great in bad weather and is very sporty, has great acceleration and can outrun all 4 cylinders it meets.

The interior looks very cheap though, for the cost of the car you would think it would be a little nicer. Kind of reminds you of a Geo with all the colors on the seats.