Faults:

When I first got the car, the exhaust was falling off, the front seals leaked, and the previous owner had not cleaned the car for over 5 years (so the car smelled like wet dog for about two months).

Recently the starter has been working sporadicly. For example, sometimes when I go out to my car and try to start it, all I will here is "clik", but if I turn my key literally 40 or 50 times, the car will start fine.

General Comments:

For the most part, this has been a very reliable car. My last car had all sorts of problems, so the Subaru has been a nice change. Especially since I get abut 26 miles to the gallon.

Faults:

So far the only thing that has really gone wrong is the engine block coolant temp sensor. $30 to replace, so no big deal, but it does throw a CEL, which can be scary!

I have also noticed some weird wear on the brake pads, both front and rear. for some reason, only the outer driver's side pad will wear down, while the other pads will remain fine. not quite sure why this is happening, but since replacing pads is neither horrendously expensive (again, $30), or time consuming (30 minutes tops), it's not a big deal.

General Comments:

Acceleration is pretty good, the 140 lb/ft of torque is definitely noticeable! Be aware that the automatics do operate mostly as FWD unless slippage is detected in the rear, causing the various differentials to shift power around. Manuals operate as 50/50 front/rear split, and see about the same mpg as the autos as a result.

The handling is pretty good for a car this size, though it could be better. both this and the acceleration can easily be fixed through after market modification, if so desired (these cars respond very well to basic intake, header, and exhaust upgrades!).

The windows do rattle quite a bit when rolled part way down, but only at highway speeds. Be aware that Subarus use frame less windows, which is quite a shock for many people.

Lastly, be careful with the dash. I tore a nice chunk out of it while trying to remove the gauge cluster (replacing the bulbs can be a pain!), and noticed how fragile the material is.

Faults:

Almost nothing... except the CD player has stopped working.

Small crack in the windshield.

General Comments:

Most reliable car I have ever owned. I bought it in May 2002 as a temporary vehicle and fell in love with it. It was pretty cheap with 170k miles on it, but I trusted Subaru. Now it has over 205k miles and still runs strong. Not one problem ever. Incredible.

The AWD is GREAT in the snow too!! You can go anywhere!!

I liked this car so much, I bought one for my sister when she went to college. She also loves her Subaru and will never buy any other car.