2003 SUBARU IMPREZA ground clearance

Driving tips
8-8
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed ac-
cording to the road and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharpturn, during sudden braking or under othersimilar conditions. Always use the utmost care in driving –
overconfidence because you are driving an allwheel drive vehicle could easily lead to a seri-ous accident.
All AWD models except OUTBACK SPORT
Your AWD vehicle is neither a conventional off-road
vehicle nor an all terrain vehicle. It is a passenger
car designed primarily for on-road use. The AWD
feature gives it some limited off-road capabilities in
situation in which driving surfaces a relatively level,
obstruction-free and otherwise similar to on-road driving conditions. Operating it under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to exces-
sive stress which might result in damage not eligible for repair under warranty. If you do take your
SUBARU off road, you should review the common
sense precautions in the next section (applicable to
the OUTBACK SPORT) for general guidance. Butplease keep in mind that your vehicle
’s off-road ca-
pabilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK SPORT.
Never attempt to drive through pools and puddles,
or roads flooded with water. Water entering the
engine air intake or the exhaust pipe or water
splashing onto electrical parts may damage your
vehicle and may cause it to stall. OUTBACK SPORT
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground
clearance, your Subaru can be driven on ordinary
roads or off-road. But please keep in mind that an
AWD SUBARU is a passenger car and is neither a
conventional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain ve-
hicle. If you do take your Subaru off-road, certain
common sense precautions such as the following should be taken: Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seat belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a
towing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first

Maintenance and service
11-47
– CONTINUED –
After driving approximately 600 miles (1,000 km),
check the wheel nuts again and retighten any nutthat has become loose. Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and integral
parts of your vehicle ’s design; they cannot be
changed arbitrarily. The tires fitted as standard
equipment are optimally matched to the characteris-
tics of the vehicle and were selected to give the best
possible combination of running performance, ride
comfort, and service life. It is essential for every tireto have a size and construction matching those
shown on the tire placard and to have a speed sym-
bol and load index matching those shown on the tire
placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts from
controllability, ride comfort, braking performance,
speedometer accuracy and odometer accuracy. It
also creates incorrect body-to-tire clearances and
inappropriately changes the vehicle ’s ground clear-
ance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufac-
turer, brand (tread pattern), construction, and size.
You are advised to replace the tires with new ones
that are identical to those fitted as standard equip- ment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU recommends
replacing all four tires at the same time. NOTE
Unidirectional tires: Some tires have a specified direction of rotation. A tire of this type has an ar-
row or other mark on its side wall to indicate thedirection of rotation. Install it so that the direc-tion of rotation is correct when the vehicle isdriven forward.

Specifications
12-2
Specifications
These specifications are subject to change without notice. Dimensions
in (mm)
Item
SedanWagon
2.5-liter2.0-liter (Turbo)2.5-liter2.0-liter (Turbo)
RSWRXTSOUTBACK SPORTWRX
Drive systemAWD
Transmission typeATMTATMTATMTATMTATMT
Overall length173.4 (4405)
OverallidthSedan68.1 (1730)–widthWagon–66.7 (1695)67.3 (1710)66.7 (1695)
Overall heightWithout roofrail56.7 (1440)57.7 (1465)58.1 (1475)57.7 (1465)
With roofrail–58.5 (1485)58.9 (1495)58.5 (1485)
Wheel base99.4 (2525)
TreadFront58.5 (1485)57.7 (1465)57.5 (1460)57.7 (1465)
Rear58.1 (1475)58.3 (1480)57.3 (1455)
Ground clearance* 15.9 (150)6.1 (155)5.9 (150)6.3 (160)6.1 (155)
*1: Measured with vehicle empty
AT : Automatic transmission MT : Manual transmission