gas is expensive, why is this hard to understand?
 

Hi everyone, just joined the site. i have a subaru outback and my wife has a subaru impreza. i dont think there is a better value than a subaru, wrong-wheel drive, or front-wheel drive, is not cool with me. the thing is my wife drives almost 100 miles a day, so a gas-sipper is important. her impreza averages 36 mpg but considering how she doesn't care at all about fuel economy thats very impressive. i think she can get over 40 if she actually paid attention to fuel consumption. i removed the spare, tools, and random crap inside, removed the stock snorkel for the air intake and charcoal filter, found on a subaru site that its ok, and also i removed the mud flaps. i cant do much else cuz she doesn't want her new car altered. the impreza may become my commuter one day when she wants something else.

Welcome. How are you doing with the Outback? No reason you can't Ecomod your driving also known as "adjusting the nut behind the wheel" and reap benefits from it. See 65+ Vehicle modifications for better fuel economy - EcoModder.com. So why is it the guys get the hand me down car?

Welcome to the site. 36 mpg is pretty impressive from an Impreza.

36 in an Impreza is amazing. My Forester won't get better than 25.

You can make some alterations, but you'll have to be sneaky.

You can add aero improvements like a belly pan; she'll never see it.

A really well-done set of fender skirts that look factory will help a bunch. If you can cover her wheels to reduce their aero resistance, that'd be good.

Taking out the spare might have been a wrong step. If she's covering 100 per day, her commute is probably pretty long and on highways; weight reduction is good in town but doesn't contribute as big a savings when cruising.

Its a 2012 Impreza, it took two years to avg 36. About the spare she doesn't even know how to change a tire. I'm thinking of blocking off the lower grill. I really doubt she'd let me put aero covers on the wheels, we got that particular trim level for those gunmetal wheels. Maybe I can convince her into winter tires and putting covers on16" wrx wheels(super light and super cheap)

Oh yeah, it already has decent underbody panels that come stock.

I was seeing an avg of 31 when my outback was new when the EPA rating is 22/29 but I've added so much stuff I only avg about 27 now. I'll add a pic later so you can see how unfriendly the mods are to fuel consumption.

Subaru has come along as far as fuel economy is concerned.

I averaged 27mpg in a 2.2L Legacy manual, but as you mentioned, the newer Outbacks are easily able to achieve that. Do you have the CVT?

...and rear-wheel drive should never be referred to as wrong wheel drive. It's the best arrangement for powering a 4-wheeled vehicle. Steer with the front, power with the rear. It splits the duty of the wheels up nicely, and allows for fast and efficient driving. There is a reason F1 cars are rear-wheel drive.

That said, those that have not extensively explored the handling capabilities of their vehicle can quickly find themselves in trouble. My wife had a small scare in the Jeep Liberty when accelerating onto the freeway on a curved on-ramp. Me- I like to wag the tail for fun.

Those stock underbody panels...are they still there?

I ask because my Fozz is supposed to have an engine tray; it's long gone at the hands of somebody working on it years ago. I didn't even realize it was gone until months later, by which time it was much too late to complain.

i would never refer to rear wheel drive as wrong-wheel drive. i meant front-wheel drive is wrong-wheel drive. i've been into racing my entire life, i started out with formula cars. front-wheel drive is so horrible, torque-steer scares me more than spinning off a track with a few of the wheels in the air. but both my subarus are CVT. and yes the front undertray is still there. i was wondering if blocking the grill from behind would have any effect besides warming up the car sooner?