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Used 2005 Subaru Impreza Consumer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
199 reviews
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5 out of 5 stars

Great kid car

Dcrespo, 10/23/2009
2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
24 of 24 people found this review helpful

I was looking for a car for my 16 year old son - required ABS, Airbags and AWD (we live in CO). This car has enough power to make it thru the mountains and gets 30 mpg. It holds all his hockey gear and it is easy to find tires and parts.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Great Wagon

stocksj, 06/07/2012
2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS AWD 4dr Sport Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful

I've have my Impreza RS Wagon since new in 2005 and it's always been very reliable in all weather. Mileage is good and it always runs. I've used it as a truck hauling my hobby stuff and gardening things. The HVAC does not blow cold AC from the lower vents but it's no differnt than the 2002 WRX wagon I traded in for this. This car's a keeper for life.

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5 out of 5 stars

Impressive Impreza!

andrew, 02/15/2017
updated 08/16/2017
2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful

I just bought my 2005 Impreza 2.5 RS 5 speed. I bought this car because i needed something that was good in bad weather especially snow. It had to be good to decent on fuel because i do some driving for work. I didn't want a blah car either and i didn't want to spend over 3 grand on it. well, i got the car with 157k miles for 1500 bucks! very clean in and out! one owner since new and serviced by the dealer. I have put about 800 miles on it so far and i have to say, I LOVE IT! We just had about a foot of snow and this thing was unstoppable! Handles really good , driving position is good, shifting is good though i think the shifter should be taller. Its comfortable and nice to drive. The engine makes a great sound, i dont think i have an after market exhaust but man does it sound great! The brakes are not that great. The pedal doesn't grab right away, you have to get your foot in it to brake. I have heard this is common with these cars. The interior is nice, plain jane but not dull looking at all. It gives you a sporty feel when driving it even though you know its an econo box. The seats are nice and just comfortable enough. The trunk is huge! Takes potholes and other road imperfection really well. The doors feel really light. I guess this is done for reduce weight and better fuel economy because of the all wheel drive system. The radio is horrible! doesn't not have good reception. The ac is ok and the heat is really hot! I some how find myself wanting to drive it more. Ive owned and own pretty cool cars and this subie is just as much fun to drive! There are a few things i have discovered that owners must pay attention to. Change oil regularly, change your coolant every 2 years and make sure your battery terminals have no corrosion on them. This is to help avoid the head gasket issues these cars have. This car had that taken car of including a new ac compressor. I read that it is best to use subaru coolant etc instead of your conventional coolants. I would recommend this car to anyone as long as you do your home work. Its the best alternative to owning a big, gas guzzling suv. It was between a subaru and a nissan xterra but i really do feel i made the right choice! I could have gone with a front wheel drive vehicle but i really wanted 4x4 or all wheel drive and this subaru in my honest opinion is the best choice hands down! Update: previous owner didn't replace timing belt tensioner, it slipped, ruined the heads. Luckly, my friend knew of a Subaru geek and the heads were rebuilt, ported, new valves, cleaned all carbon build up, cleaned pistons and piston walls, new belt and pulleys. Runs amazingly! More pep and pulls through out the rpm gauge. It's fantastic.......but I'm bored. Not enough performance. Not many blizzards here in new jersey so what's the point? Awd and fine tuned handling is a high plus on this car. I should have spent the money on the wrx.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4.38 out of 5 stars

Cheap & Fun AWD Car!

Matt, 02/24/2010
2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful

I bought this car in September of last year to use as a winter car instead of my Mustang GT. I bought it with 93,000km on it and I now have 104,000km. Obviously, the car is GREAT in the snow. With 4 snow tires, you can pretty much plow your street with your front bumper and still not get stuck. The car is comfortable, but I find the seats somewhat stiff (base RS seats) for longer trips. Fuel mileage is great for this engine and AWD. I've gotten a best of 32 MPG on the highway in the Winter, driving 120 km/hr. I imagine 35 MPG highway is attainable in the Summer. Features are alright. The radio is poor - changing the faceplate helps. Parts are expensive (import). I'd buy another one!

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Amazing car!!

ScoobyRex, 01/22/2009
2005 Subaru Impreza WRX AWD 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I bought my 05 with 15000 miles on it. Great performance car, with minor (about $1500) engine upgrades its at est 285hp/285 tq and runs with most cars on the road!! And I can still haul my daughter and a trunk full of groceries without a problem. I get 22-28 mpg AFTER being tuned to almost 300 hp. I have driven on horrendous winter roads with it (and Blizzaks) and it is amazing--more controlled and sure-footed than the 4wd Explorer I owned in the past. My only regret is not buying one as soon as they hit the US shores in 2002!

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