2006 Subaru Impreza vs 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit

[StageLeft]

That isn't incorrect. But neither you or I can truly say because we can't see into the future. I am just taking it a step further beyond consumer reports/and jd power by actually doing my own research. What a shocking concept. And in doing so, one finds out the Rabbit is for the most part a reliable, economical, and fun to drive car.

I know you don't actually rely on CR for your own purchases, you're smarter than that.

Show me real numbers. Objective actual research. I have no skin in this game either way. And yes, I do use CR as a source of information. I've learned it's virtuous to heed advice from others when they know what they're talking about. It claims to have surveyed 1.4 million car buyers and despite people (e.g. Volkswagen owners who don't like it disparaging their cars) who say it's rubbish and all that nobody has ever actually, that I've seen, had any substance to their claim. It has not paid these 1.4 M users. Do you think it has skewed the data for fun? Is it getting kickbacks from Honda and Ford as it reviles Dodge and Volkswagen?

If CR was bunk it would have been sued into oblivion long ago; according to wiki over its multi-decade tenure CR has had a few lawsuits which appear to be frivolous.

 

[PricklyPete]

Base model Imprezza? No thanks...I'd take the Rabbit every day of the week...that's just my personal preference though. Now if you were talking WRX...I'd reconsider...but then we're talking GTI money...and I think I'd still prefer the GTI depending on the year of both cars.

The reality is that the Subaru will likely be more reliable than the Golf...but the standard golf with the 2.5 engine is the most reliable, cheapest to maintain VW...so I wouldn't be worried. If you were talking about buying a Touareg...then yes...I'd probably say you were in for some maintenance issues.

Honestly...with the two cars you've mentioned, I personally would take reliability out of the equation and go for a test drive in both...and then decide. I have a feeling you will come back liking the Rabbit.

 

[StageLeft]

Rabbit might be an exception, as each brand has one. It's not on the worst of the worst liste, whereas the passat, toureg, and a couple of others are.

 

[exar333]

If you're going to do a lot of longish highway trips, I'd advise against either flavor of pocket rocket. They can be fun to drive on short trips, but fatiguing on long ones. Gas mileage is an important consideration, sure, but a somewhat heavier car whose engine can sleepwalk @ highway speed deserves consideration.

And no offense to AT Garage, but if you want to get a feel for what to expect as an owner of car X or car Y, find a forum devoted to it or its maker, and read a few months worth of threads relevant to the model you might be buying. EVERY make/model has its share of pet issues, and you'll get to know what to look for as a prospective owner.

LOL, yeah great advise. :\
By this measure every car would be awesome because no enthusiast site devoted to a specific model or maker is non-biased....

If you don't like the AT garage, please don't post here?

 

[ViviTheMage]

AFAIK the Impreza is going to be much more reliable, plus it's AWD

This ... I am usually a VW fan, but I haven't heard great things about the rabbit in terms of reliability. And i'd rather have AWD.

EDIT : This is from when I was doing some research - considered buying it, and read around on vw vortex, vw forums, etc.

 

[PricklyPete]

LOL, yeah great advise. :\
By this measure every car would be awesome because no enthusiast site devoted to a specific model or maker is non-biased....

If you don't like the AT garage, please don't post here?

Actually, if you go read enthusiast sites...you will see a lot of bitching about issues. Go to an E46 M3 site and you'll see bitching about subframe and VANOS issues. Go to a A4 website and you'll see bitching about carbon build up, etc. Now if you ask the people in the forum if you should buy said car....you will get an overwhelming response that you should...as they are likely fans of their car...but it is a good way to get an idea of common issues...just not opinions on whether to buy the car.

 

[Gibson486]

Base model Imprezza? No thanks...I'd take the Rabbit every day of the week...that's just my personal preference though. Now if you were talking WRX...I'd reconsider...but then we're talking GTI money...and I think I'd still prefer the GTI depending on the year of both cars.

The reality is that the Subaru will likely be more reliable than the Golf...but the standard golf with the 2.5 engine is the most reliable, cheapest to maintain VW...so I wouldn't be worried. If you were talking about buying a Touareg...then yes...I'd probably say you were in for some maintenance issues.

Honestly...with the two cars you've mentioned, I personally would take reliability out of the equation and go for a test drive in both...and then decide. I have a feeling you will come back liking the Rabbit.

This is my thoughts too.... the base Impreza just does not do it for me.

 

[KIAman]

That's ridiculous, not everyone here hates VW. It really depends on the opinion of the first is to respond, then everybody else agrees with the first response. Or something like that...

The AT garage is for entertainment only, for good advice on vehicles there are a number of other forums, even other non-car related forums that are more consistent and reliable sources of advice.

Edit: there are a few posters who I believe honestly try to help by giving first hand experiences and fact based research. Then there are the fanbois, unintentional posers and the rest who know someone who had a friend whose step sister dated a mechanic who had a customer that went to a different shop and heard from their secretary that a car was good or bad.

I have 2 co-workers sitting in the same office that own a VW Jetta TDI and Golf 2.5. My guestimate is that 3/4 of of any words that come out of their mouth during work is related to how much they have to fix their cars. The TDI was in and out of the shop for the last 2 months because of a simple cold start issue. That issue cost $3k in repairs (parts thrown in because they had no clue what was going on). The Golf apparently is having electrical issues and this is his 4th VW purchase. He wrote a letter to VWNA to explain why he will never buy another VW product after being such a die-hard fan.

My friend has 08 Jetta 2.5 that has numerous electrical and startup issues. He is at the point of trading in the car for a Honda and the majority of conversations with him is about how f*cked up his car is (and now what trim Accord to get).

On the flip side, IF there were anything to work on the Subaru, the flat-4 is a PITA to work on if you are a DIYer. Also, all my co-workers various Subarus have had to replace their shocks/struts before the 50k mark and their bushings turn to mush so it feels like driving a car with 150k miles.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I'd get the Rabbit unless you can use the AWD.

And the 2.5 Rabbit is very reliable, maybe not as good as a Civic or Corolla, but I'd put it even with the Impreza. Gas mileage isn't very good for both of these models though.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I have 2 co-workers sitting in the same office that own a VW Jetta TDI and Golf 2.5. My guestimate is that 3/4 of of any words that come out of their mouth during work is related to how much they have to fix their cars. The TDI was in and out of the shop for the last 2 months because of a simple cold start issue. That issue cost $3k in repairs (parts thrown in because they had no clue what was going on). The Golf apparently is having electrical issues and this is his 4th VW purchase. He wrote a letter to VWNA to explain why he will never buy another VW product after being such a die-hard fan.

My friend has 08 Jetta 2.5 that has numerous electrical and startup issues. He is at the point of trading in the car for a Honda and the majority of conversations with him is about how f*cked up his car is (and now what trim Accord to get).

On the flip side, IF there were anything to work on the Subaru, the flat-4 is a PITA to work on if you are a DIYer. Also, all my co-workers various Subarus have had to replace their shocks/struts before the 50k mark and their bushings turn to mush so it feels like driving a car with 150k miles.

This is why its important to take a TDI to a TDI mechanic, its most likely the glow plug harness + controller but only a TDI mech would know the proper way of replacing the system to do it correctly. TDI's are ridiculously reliable engines if they're taken care of properly.

The flipside of this is that subaru's old 4 speed autos are complete and utter garbage. My old lab professor had them replaced once each in both of his subarus and my friends is starting to shift slowly. I think i remember reading awhile back that was the weak link in an overall solid drivetrain.

Drive both and see which you prefer, for a year of use reliability won't matter too much plus both hold their value equally well. I'm partial to both subaru and VW here so im not just blowing fanboy smoke.

 

[Excelsior]

Show me real numbers. Objective actual research. I have no skin in this game either way. And yes, I do use CR as a source of information. I've learned it's virtuous to heed advice from others when they know what they're talking about. It claims to have surveyed 1.4 million car buyers and despite people (e.g. Volkswagen owners who don't like it disparaging their cars) who say it's rubbish and all that nobody has ever actually, that I've seen, had any substance to their claim. It has not paid these 1.4 M users. Do you think it has skewed the data for fun? Is it getting kickbacks from Honda and Ford as it reviles Dodge and Volkswagen?

If CR was bunk it would have been sued into oblivion long ago; according to wiki over its multi-decade tenure CR has had a few lawsuits which appear to be frivolous.

Spouting "CR said VWs suck" isn't "real numbers" either, so you've yet to show any. Show me that the Rabbit is a notoriously unreliable and expensive vehicle to maintain instead of throwing generalizations around.

I am used to folks disparaging VW. I don't care for CR regardless of that. It won't keep me from driving mine or possible owning another one in the future. But what I will do is learn about the models themselves, any serious relatively common problems they may have (most models have some issue that plagues an unusually number) and go from there. If the Rabbit had DSG issues like other VWs, I could see that as complaint. If the 2.5 I-5 had coil pack/sludge issues like the 1.8Ts, same applies. However, that isn't the case. The worst I've read is the rear brake pads wear down unusually fast.

 

[Arkaign]

The Rabbit has a nicer interior and drives better. Honestly, why these two though? Surely there are better deals to be found?

 

[StageLeft]

Spouting "CR said VWs suck" isn't "real numbers" either, so you've yet to show any. Show me that the Rabbit is a notoriously unreliable and expensive vehicle to maintain instead of throwing generalizations around.

I am used to folks disparaging VW. I don't care for CR regardless of that. It won't keep me from driving mine or possible owning another one in the future. But what I will do is learn about the models themselves, any serious relatively common problems they may have (most models have some issue that plagues an unusually number) and go from there. If the Rabbit had DSG issues like other VWs, I could see that as complaint. If the 2.5 I-5 had coil pack/sludge issues like the 1.8Ts, same applies. However, that isn't the case. The worst I've read is the rear brake pads wear down unusually fast.

Well, with all due respect:

Excelsior vs Consumer Reports

Really, which one do you want me to trust? One entity is a well respected consumer publication, its findings the result of compiling thousands and thousands of data points and the other is not.

 

[Excelsior]

Well, with all due respect:

Excelsior vs Consumer Reports

Really, which one do you want me to trust? One entity is a well respected consumer publication, its findings the result of compiling thousands and thousands of data points and the other is not.

I am not asking you or anyone else to trust me. That is the whole point. I am asking folks to do the research themselves. Only after that can they come to a proper realization. Looking at CR doesn't cut it, IMO. CR might be good for a snapshot of brands and such but it won't equal in-depth personal research or a test drive. And the former doesn't take long once you know which models you're interested in.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Well, I've owned both an Impreza and A Golf Mk4, and the Impreza was more reliable, and it was the turbocharged variant.

Subaru.

 

[DivideBYZero]

If you're going to do a lot of longish highway trips, I'd advise against either flavor of pocket rocket.

Then it's a good job he's not looking at anything close to a pocket rocket. Both cars are slower than ice flow.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Well, I've owned both an Impreza and A Golf Mk4, and the Impreza was more reliable, and it was the turbocharged variant.

Subaru.

MK4's were as reliable as a Lada

 

[Arkaign]

MK4's were as reliable as a Lada

Is that more or less reliable than a Trabant?

 

[PricklyPete]

Is that more or less reliable than a Trabant?

Neither are French...so they have to be good.

 

[DivideBYZero]

MK4's were as reliable as a Lada

Yeah, it left me at the side of the road three times in four years, and I had it from brand new. It even needed a new Haldex rear diff at one point(V6 4Motion). I still liked it though, even though it has been the least reliable car I have ever owned, and I have owned two British cars from the 80s.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Impreza, and the NA 2.5 isn't that bad. I've got an 08 forester, it's not fast, but, it is perfectly acceptable for accelerating onto on ramps and what not. Turbo = shitty gas milage and more wear/tear on the engine, higher insurance costs, and more maintenance costs. Still .. I would like an STI one of these days

 

[jlee]

Impreza, and the NA 2.5 isn't that bad. I've got an 08 forester, it's not fast, but, it is perfectly acceptable for accelerating onto on ramps and what not. Turbo = shitty gas milage and more wear/tear on the engine, higher insurance costs, and more maintenance costs. Still .. I would like an STI one of these days

pffffft but its so much fun!

 

[PhoKingGuy]

The MK4 generation will forever be a black mark on VWs quality record, lol

 

[Throckmorton]

That Impreza only gets 20/26mpg? Pretty terrible http://www.automotive.com/2006/43/subaru/impreza/reviews/summary-specs/index.html

 

[Rustican]

That Impreza only gets 20/26mpg? Pretty terrible http://www.automotive.com/2006/43/subaru/impreza/reviews/summary-specs/index.html

AWD and Turbo with 230 HP under the hood so not a big surprise. If you want a peppy fun driving car that can handle well in different weather conditions then get the Impreza.