1.5 liter awd gasoline

That's an uncommon engine (in most parts of the world), as far as I know - that's the only engine that ever came out from the "EL-series". Some say it's just a shrunken EJ.

Make sure mechanics in your area know how to fix it.

It's a typical Subaru engine, it's known for loosing oil (burning and leaking) while not tolerating low oil levels. A similar thing happens with the cooling system - it's known to have overheating issues, while also not tolerating overheating.

Personally I don't like this engine, it also has a rubber timing belt that MUST be replaced to avoid catastrophic failure. 

And for all of that trouble it's not even full efficient! I herd they do over 10 L/100KM in town but haven't verified that.

Very mediocre to say the least.

I heard that those are slow and do not know what to believe

Well believe the facts, The 1.5L when mated to a 4 speed automatic does 0-100kmh (0-62mph) in 15 seconds. with a manual, it's not that bad, it seems to be about 11 seconds

With the automatic it is slow - but just about punchy enough to get around.

If you get it with a manual - it's neither slow nor fast, it's average by Euro-standards.

Second of all I wanted to ask about the 2.0 liter

Similar issues, oil consumption, oil leaks, so you constantly need to check the oil level or else the bearings will get spun and the engine will be trash. It's also prone to overheating, and if it does, it's usually catastrophic.

It's not terrible, I couldn't find much evidence of head gaskets going on the later revisions of the EJ20. BUT it still sadly has a timing BELT.

I do not know which one is the wisest one to pick

the wisest would NOT be a Subaru 😆, probably a 3rd generation Mazda3 or a late-production 11th generation Corolla.

As far as 3rd gen Imprezas, they're not horrid - they're definitely not great, both the 1.5 and the 2.0 and even automatic transmissions aren't that bad. If you can get one for CHEAP (and I do mean cheap, it's a mediocre 15 year old trashy car), one that has a reasonably fresh timing belt, and on which the automatic was properly serviced and if a mechanic says it's in good shape - why not.

Personally, I'd just get a 4th gen with a FB-series 1.6L and a manual transmission.

It might be more expensive, BUT it saves you the cost of replacing doing a timing job as it has a CHAIN (and according to the internet, it's a good one that easily lasts the lifetime of the engine).

Another bonus of that design is much less oil consumption (sometimes even none at all) and it's also much less prone to leaks - makes life easier.

You still have to keep the oil level high and make sure you don't overheat it - but that's just how it is with Subarus, there's no way around it. A notable quick is that according to the internet, you must use the correct oil specification to avoid VVT issues.

I also heard bad stuff about the diesel failing with the crank

Yeah the diesel is pretty much trash.

Generally modern Japanese diesels aren't great.

I would not buy a Japanese diesel from any automaker.

driving cars since I was 3

Well I must agree with MMJ on this one. 🤣 

Anyway,

the subaru on the moose test does not have ESC like the civic due to its awd, the sudden braking from the ESC may damage the AWD system when it activates 

Chances are there will not be a manual hybrid, as the previous attempts  at a manual hybrids has failed (Honda CRZ) due to the costs, complexity and inefficiency of "Parallel Hybrids" as opposed to modern "Power-split hybrid" used by the Prius and "extended-range electric vehicles" (EREVs) expected to take over the market in recent years.

Looking at current plans, proposed legislature and existing regulations, by 2035, all cars sold in your area will be EREVs or BEVs with out an ICE.

Creation of a Parallel Hybrid with a manual is not something I'd expect to happen ever again.

Posted by: @ghost_biker_001

driving cars since I was 3

{pear}:laughingoutloud:

I heard subarus are reliable as hell but nowhere near as reliable as a civic or a corolla and I am cool with that. I am like: Meh, at least I get awd and a long lasting car that is zippy and fun to drive that will not get me stuck on snow or mud. (I live in a region where it is farely rainy and winters usually have a decent amount of snow on the road)

Also, I was a fan of the Subaru Impreza ever since I was little and I thought of buying one to see how it is to drive this zippy car myself because it used to handle so well in Gran Turismo. I just wanted to know some details which one it is wiser to pick so that it does not leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere. (plus automatics are not my type at all, for I am looking to be fully connected with the car when driving it)

Hi Dan, and thank you for the advice but that car is something that I was looking for. The timing belt is no issue for me because in my family we always used timing belt cars and those are okay because we kept changing it. I do not have a high standard for the impreza, but when it comes to driving experience I can change the suspension system to a more sporty one in case the handling sucks. I only wanted to know which one was the best option enginewise so that it does not break down when I start tearing up the mountain roads sideways.

I first of all asked because I found a farely cheap 1.5 liter gasoline impreza 2009 of the 3rd gen that has no rust issues though, has 20.000 km and is being sold for about 6000€

The catch is that on the passenger side door it has a slight bend on the frame (nothing too serious). A grandpa was driving it and has all the records of the oil changes and timing belt changes with him. I do not need that much power because I am still a new face on the public roads. Plus, less newtonmeters are better for downhill street racing because higher speeds are achieveable and you can stay longer on the throttle. 

It may be true that I might get less excited about driving a car but for me a car is not a car if it does not have a manual transmission. I am going to be as straightforward as I can. I hate automatic transmissions, they may be more efficient these days but I would not give up a manual car even if it were the end of the world. (plus the subaru on the moose test does not have ESC like the civic due to its awd, the sudden braking from the ESC may damage the AWD system when it activates so maybe that is the reason why it was not included)

Edit: I am not as inexperienced as most people think I may have my license freshly made but I started driving cars since I was 3 because dad wanted me to learn how to drive. Til this day (14 years later at the age of 17) I have improved to the point where I can corner on the downhill with 80 mph and still hold perfect control of the car. I did learn techniques like trail braking or left foot braking and when to break in a corner, all self taught. I used to drive on dirt roads in my dad's '89 Ford sierra at the age of 6 going 70 km/h on dirt roads

$3,000 to pull the engine for repair when the silicon seal on the lower oil pan starts failing (after around 30K miles). Good times.

Reliable . . . at failing.

I would never, ever buy another Subaru, unless I became filthy rich. They are expensive to keep on the road.

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