Subaru Impreza 1490cc replacement engine
Which other Subaru engine can fit into the Impreza 1490cc
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2005 Subaru Impreza Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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A new RS Sport Wagon joins the Subaru Impreza lineup in 2005, replacing last year's TS Wagon. It is similar to the RS sedan, but with more cargo room and a 60/40 split-fold rear seat. The 2005 Impreza is an all-wheel drive sedan or wagon in both 2.5RS, RS Sport, and the performance oriented WRX. The RS sedan appearance is based on the World Rally car and features a 2.5.-liter, 165-hp, flat-4 engine with a standard 5-speed manual or a new 4-speed automatic. The WRX is a turbo version of that same engine, but hits 227-hp. There is also the compact SUV-like Outback Sport wagon, which uses the non-turbo engine. A 2005 Special Edition of this wagon adds more interior conveniences and a rear spoiler.
In 2005, the Impreza WRX gets new 16-inch wheels, a new center console and dash, as well as standard automatic climate control. The new RS Wagon has a sport suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, a roof rack, a wraparound rear window, and 61 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded. For the RS Sedan, a Sport Package offers much of what's on the WRX, including ground effects, sport seats, leather wheel, body-colored mirrors, and alloy pedals. All 2005 Imprezas have all-wheel drive, ABS brakes, power features, cruise control, keyless entry, and daytime running lights, and dual front airbags. Only the WRX comes standard with front and side bags.
The 2005 Impreza is a compact car that's fun to drive, whether for weekend pleasure or city commutes. It is reliable, safe, and packs a lot of features at an affordable price. Owners love the WRX acceleration and and power. All-wheel drive provides added security. Handling is always rated well. Disappointments include a small rear seat, notable turbo lag, clunky shifting with the 5-speed, and below average fuel economy.
Published Aug 8, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 2005 Subaru Impreza
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Bryce R
Oct 07, 2021
The car had bodywork that look like a five-year-old did it. No clean title. Needed a head gasket job. The car has been in an accident on the right side Which was also not transparent in the Carfax. The rim is bent and the rear from the accident. The car was basically not sellableOct 07, 2021
by Anonymous
Jul 10, 2014
I like the inclement weather handling of this car it is far superior turning in snow than a longer wheel base and the ride is very similar. It is comfortable for four passengers and the reduced hatch space still allows for lots of stuff.
Mileage is not way up there compared to similar sized cars, but its worth having the extra power. Keeping up with fuel economy simply requires changing out the coils, plugs, wires and fuel filter and solves most rough idle and diminished performance issues and these can be done yourself with no trouble.
The design and assembly of this car is well done with a place for everything in the engine compartment and adequate space that makes it easier to dig in and repair things - for instance, I can replace the plug wires without much trouble.
This is my fourth Subaru and so far my favorite.Jul 10, 2014
by Chris W
Dec 02, 2012
great little car plenty of power to have some fun pretty inexpensive and fun to
drive. holds plenty of stuff in and on top of the car. seats are comfortable rears
are small but not bad for a younger familyDec 02, 2012
User rating:
by Bryce R
Oct 07, 2021
The car had bodywork that look like a five-year-old did it. No clean title. Needed a head gasket job. The car has been in an accident on the right side Which was also not transparent in the Carfax. The rim is bent and the rear from the accident. The car was basically not sellableOct 07, 2021
by Anonymous
Jul 10, 2014
I like the inclement weather handling of this car it is far superior turning in snow than a longer wheel base and the ride is very similar. It is comfortable for four passengers and the reduced hatch space still allows for lots of stuff.
Mileage is not way up there compared to similar sized cars, but its worth having the extra power. Keeping up with fuel economy simply requires changing out the coils, plugs, wires and fuel filter and solves most rough idle and diminished performance issues and these can be done yourself with no trouble.
The design and assembly of this car is well done with a place for everything in the engine compartment and adequate space that makes it easier to dig in and repair things - for instance, I can replace the plug wires without much trouble.
This is my fourth Subaru and so far my favorite.Jul 10, 2014
by Chris W
Dec 02, 2012
great little car plenty of power to have some fun pretty inexpensive and fun to
drive. holds plenty of stuff in and on top of the car. seats are comfortable rears
are small but not bad for a younger familyDec 02, 2012
by Justin K
Aug 27, 2012
Great commuter. Great Slow Car to Drive Fast. Has some of the great elements of the WRX, w/o the boy racer stigma. Great small car for city driving.
Could use more power and better breaks and Ipod Connectivity. Maintenance could be better.Aug 27, 2012
by Joe I
Nov 29, 2011
Slow, squeaky, looks faster than it is, cheap to own until something goes wrong,
but I love it and its a great New England commuter. Wish it was a little faster and
had less body roll, but it fit the bill.Nov 29, 2011
by Anastasyia S
Oct 23, 2011
Performance - Handles great in the corners, Acceleration is good could use more power especially on the hills, good braking.
Build Quality - is good had few none regular repairs done, rather then that all good
Appearance - Love her body style, id say personally that is my favorite yr. Interior is really nice too, simple and to the point.
Fun Facts - For now its all stock, so definitely can be improved with some after market or WRX parts. Love taking her through the canyons, i definitely enjoy driving it. Oct 23, 2011
by Anonymous
Jan 17, 2011
ilove everything about both cars! easy to work on (i have broken almost everything on my MY02WRX), reliable (almost all stock parts on my MY05RS) and both handle like they are on rails..the fun factor is off the charts!@Jan 17, 2011
by Nikki J
Oct 31, 2010
awesome;no cons;fast; love when people look when we drive by from the noise alone lol; its a beast on the road and im lovin it and now just writin extra so i can post this review :) lol lolOct 31, 2010
by Nick F
Jul 29, 2010
first thing swapped 2.5RS for a 2006 2.5 WRX motor, dual overhead cam, and of course, turbo. stainless steel headers, cat delete uppipe, cat delete 3 inch downpipe and exhaust pipe, grimmspeed electronic boost contrller, oversized stainless steel/aluminum top mount intercooler, tgv delete, 2 10" alpline subs powered by a 1200 watt amp. this car is amazing! if you've never driven a subaru you dont know what fun is! the symetrical all wheel drive grips the road at any speed. light weight build and 4 cyl boxer engine make for a sporty sedan that will blow your mind! parts are usually overpriced and hard to get.Jul 29, 2010
by Jayson S
Feb 22, 2010
It was basically like new when i bought it. now i just need to put an exaust kit, intake kit, and a new paint job/ body kit. Other than that its really great to drive it. Wish i had money for a WRX though...maybe next car. LOLFeb 22, 2010
by William T
Feb 18, 2010
I Love the style of the car. I love how people always say "how many pounds of boost you running?" But even without a turbo the car is very impressive. I think the cars are very well put together compared to some cars I have owned in the past. I owned two Subarus and I would definally buy another one.Feb 18, 2010
by Sharda S
Jan 12, 2010
This car is so much fun to drive, gas mileage kinda sucks. Black paint and black leather interior, dark black tint...imagine how sweet it looks! Excellent condition no repairs needed. the only thing I would say that needs changing is SPEED!Jan 12, 2010
by Nathan C
Jan 07, 2010
love the cai, the exhaust, tint, stereo system, gauges, hood, rims, suspension, everything that i did to the car i did myself. i hate that there is no turbo. but soon there will be :) the car is bad ass. periodJan 07, 2010
by Steven J
Oct 08, 2009
exhaust sounds sweet and awd is great for off roading. fun to drive in the snow beast in mud and jumps from pavement to dirt like a champ. most of it has to do with the driver but we wont go there.Oct 08, 2009
by Kyle G
Sep 14, 2009
I have owned this car for almost 3 yrs now and I have upgraded most of the car in some form or another. Even as a stock RS, this car has been amazing from the start. I would diffenately recommend this car to anyone.Sep 14, 2009
by Michael L
Aug 26, 2009
Performance- air intake makes it sound much nicer above 3,000 rpm, soon a catback exhaust
Build Quality- lots of rattles n squeaks (annoying) once you get a few fixed more come up
Appearance- stock but looks good, hoping to lower it in the future 2"
Fun factor- pretty fun car to drive, takes turns well and has some get up and go to itAug 26, 2009
by Ryan L
Jun 26, 2009
The 2.5RS has ok acceleration, braking is great but the back end is a little too light so watch out when breaking really hard in a corner cuz the back end will slide out really easy when the road is wet. Other then that its a fun car to drive.Jun 26, 2009
by Anonymous
Jun 23, 2009
i have a 2005 sports package and i love the car. it hasn't failed me and it still kicks. it has 130,000 miles.... no joke. It picks up fast i wish there were more upgrades for it and it was a DOHC. Other than that it's kept up with a lot of 6 cylinder and 8 cylinder cars. i love it!!!Jun 23, 2009
by Ryan D
Mar 05, 2009
fast but quiet, with a cold air intake, and an exhaust this car would be better, stock intake chokes out the motor, feels like it needs to be able to breath better, over all good car, very responsive, all around fun to driveMar 05, 2009
by Mick P
Feb 09, 2009
My Impreza is an 05' 2.5 RS sport, it has 32000 miles on it and has an automatic car starter. I just bought it this weekend and it is amazingly fun to drive! I would reccomend this car to anyone.. I would reccomend any subaru to anyone but I would prefer an Impreza.Feb 09, 2009
by Patrick B
Nov 06, 2008
Living in a country where we get a lot of snow, an AWD is not luxury. Subaru makes the best AWD vehicules there are, and this impreza 2.5rs gives me everything I want, security, economical, and fun to drive... At the moment there's no other car I would want over this oneNov 06, 2008
by Ghislain G
Aug 30, 2008
The engine is really good got a great torch.I like the all wheels drive during winter or on sand to drift a bit.The sound systeme suck so I change it complete I found the brake a bit loose don't have an off grip and they came hot real fast.It cost a bit higher than other car on gaz but its a 4x4 but you will enjoy whan you take some tight curves Aug 30, 2008
by Darryl P
Aug 20, 2008
ive got an 05 Subaru impreza 2.5 liter r.s its silver with black interior, ive put in a kenwood sound system comprising of head unit, 4x 4in speakers 1000 watt amp and 1500 watt dual cone sub, its awesome can make the whole car shake if u want. im out of stuff to write about it but i highly recommend this car to anyone who wants a nice driving car that u can actually use day to dayAug 20, 2008
by Charles P
Jul 28, 2008
As you must know, subaru are renommed Rally cars... no exception with this car! «winter is just a joke on an AWD Great edition with WRX seats and momo's shifter steering and pedals! Baught it 2 years used for less then a Brand new Kia ahahaahah
ennjoy Winter time!Jul 28, 2008
by Wendy L
Jun 18, 2008
It's hotttJun 18, 2008
by Kevin C
Jun 12, 2008
Its AwsomeJun 12, 2008
by Jamie S
Mar 09, 2008
The interior is nice. The race seats give it a sporty appearance, but rest is kinda dull. The
exterior looks nice. From rear end looks like a wrx, but unfortunately its lacking the turbo
and hood scoop lol.Mar 09, 2008
by Katrina G
Feb 24, 2008
Seibon Carbon Fiber Hood
STi Wing
K&N Filter
Borla ExhaustFeb 24, 2008
by James L
Jan 15, 2008
This is my first car, and I absolutely love it.
It comes out of the box with better performance than your general econobox. However, if you wish to make it peppier, the options for aftermarket parts are definitely there.
Perhaps it's main pro is that for a under 20k car it comes with AWD, which is a great heltp in winter time if you live in Chicago like me.
It's decently fast, and it can turn pretty well too. It's definitely above average if hyou're looking at a commuter car. All that and you can use 87 octane as well. So it's super cost-effective. Gas mileage is 22 MPG Street and 28 MPG Highway. While not great it is abvoe average. For the power you get, it's great.
Like any street-car it has plenty of low end grunt. It has enough to get you past thae car ahead of you on a lane merge.
For the tuner, it presents a challenging project, as power does not come easily to the 2.5RS like it does for the beefier brothers, the WRX and the WRX STi.Jan 15, 2008
by Steven J
Jan 08, 2008
its my second car but is like brand newJan 08, 2008
What users have asked
Exhaust Swap: 02 Outback Sport Exhaust (Cat, and O2 sensors and all) onto 05 WRX
Is this possible?? What would I have to look out for when doing this?
14 views
Why is my Subaru Impreza idling so low and dying, sitting or even when driving and I put the clutch in... She will die! What's wrong ?
Cylinder 1 misfire, I've replaced the wires, coil pack, and MAF and air filter moving on to spark plugs. The car was running fine until I replaced the coil pack. And I replaced it anyways because I didn't want the problem to progress. Thought it might be the wires so I replaced them too, didn't help. Replaced the MAF and it still idles low and dies if I leave it alone. I also changed the air filter because it looked pretty bad. I just bought this car and two days later this happen. What do y'all think? Subaru Impreza 2005 2.5 non turbo, I believe a single cam.
4643 views
Center clock display
The center digital clock display “flickers” really fast for about a minute then stops. It has happened twice now in the past week.
33 views
Top Comparisons
Have you driven a 2005 Subaru Impreza?Compare this car
2005 Subaru Impreza Pricing
Original MSRP
$18,820 to $20,220Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: alloy · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Drivetrain
Limited slip differential: center
Exterior Features
Skid plate(s): front and rear
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: alloy
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Drivetrain
Limited slip differential: center
Exterior Features
Skid plate(s): front and rear
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Roof rack color: black
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent · Rear wiper: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Drivetrain
Limited slip differential: center
Exterior Features
Skid plate(s): front and rear
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Roof rack color: black
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent · Rear wiper: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
6 disc in-dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: alloy · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Drivetrain
Limited slip differential: center
Exterior Features
Skid plate(s): front and rear
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Roof rack color: black
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent · Rear wiper: intermittent