
NOTE .Even during the illumination after
the driver ’s door is opened, if the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position, the combination meter will 
illuminate as usual.. If the doors are locked by the remote
keyless entry system during the illumi-
nation after the driver ’s door is opened,
the illumination will be turned off.. Even while the illumination gradu-
ally turns off after the ignition switch is
turned to the “LOCK ”position, if the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position, the combination meter illumi-
nate as usual. 
To change the setting: 
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
or “Acc ”position.2. Press the trip knob to show “”or
“” on the odometer and trip meter
display. The display can be switched as 
shown in the following illustration by
pressing the trip knob.
*: “”or “”, and “”or “”cannot
be displayed when the ignition switch is 
in the “ON ”position.
3. To change the current setting, press
the trip knob for at least 2 seconds.
: Activated
: Deactivated
NOTE 
The initial illumination setting of the 
meter/gauge needles of your vehicle
has been set for activation “
”at the
time of shipment from the factory. &
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the vehicle speed. & Odometer/Trip meter
1) Trip knob
This meter displays the odometer and two 
trip meters when the ignition switch is inthe “LOCK ”, “Acc ”or “ON ”position.
If you press the trip knob when the ignition
switch is in the “LOCK ”position, the
odometer/trip meter will light up. It is
possible to switch the indications while
the odometer/trip meter is lit up. If you do
not press the trip knob within 10 seconds
of illumination of the odometer/trip meter,
the odometer/trip meter will turn off. Instruments and controls
3-7
– CONTINUED –    

3-8Instruments and controls
The display can be switched as shown in 
the following illustration by pressing the
trip knob.
*1: STI only
*2: “” or “”,and “”or “”
cannot be displayed when the ignition 
switch is in the “ON ”position.
*
3: Except STI !
Odometer
The odometer shows the total distance 
that the vehicle has been driven. !
Double trip meterThe trip meter shows the distance that the 
vehicle has been driven since you last set
it to zero. 
To set the trip meter to zero, select the A 
trip or B trip meter by pushing the knob
and keep the knob pushed for more than 2seconds.
CAUTION
To ensure safety, do not attempt to 
change the function of the indicator
during driving, as an accident couldresult.    

3-10Instruments and controls
&Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine 
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position.
The coolant temperature will vary in
accordance with the outside temperature
and driving conditions. 
We recommend that you drive moderately 
until the pointer of the temperature gauge
reaches near the middle of the range.
Engine operation is optimum with the
engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the
engine is not warmed up enough should
be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal 
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. 
Refer to “Engine overheating ”F9-
12. REV indicator light and buz- 
zer (STI)
The REV alarm system has the following functions. .
When the engine speed reaches the
level that was previously set, the REV 
indicator light illuminates to inform you. At
this time, a buzzer also sounds if the
buzzer setting is activated. . Whenever the engine speed enters the
red zone of the tachometer, the REV 
indicator light flashes. 
If you press the trip knob, the odometer/ 
trip meter will show the engine speed that
has already been set.   

The fuel consumption indicator is linked 
with the odometer/trip meter display on the
combination meter, according to the fol-
lowing chart.Odometer/Trip meter Fuel consumption indicator
A trip meter Average fuel consumption corresponding to the A trip meter
B trip meter Average fuel consumption corresponding to the B trip meter
Odometer U.S-spec. models:
Not indicated
Other models: Current fuel consumption &
Outside temperature indica- tor
1) U.S.-spec. models 
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
The outside temperature indicator shows 
the outside temperature in a range from  22 to 122 8F(  30 to 50 8C).
The indicator can give a false reading
under any of the following conditions: . When there is too much sun.
. During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine 
is restarted immediately following a shut- down. . When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range. !
Road surface freeze warning indi- cation1) U.S.-spec. models 
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
When the outside temperature drops to 37 8F(3 8C) or lower, the temperature
indication flashes to show that the road 
surface may be frozen. 
If the outside temperature drops to 37 8F
(3 8C) or lower while the display is giving
an indication other than the outside 
temperature, the display switches to the
outside temperature indication and flashes
for 5 seconds before returning to its
original indication. 
If the display is already indicating an 
outside temperature of 37 8F(3 8C) or lower
when the ignition switch is turned to the Instruments and controls
3-27
– CONTINUED –   

8-4Driving tips
Periodic inspections 
To keep your vehicle in the best condition 
at all times, always have the recom-
mended maintenance services listed in
the maintenance schedule in the “War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”per-
formed at the specified time or mileageintervals. Driving in foreign countries 
When planning to use your vehicle in 
another country: .
Confirm the availability of the correct
fuel. Refer to “Fuel requirements ”F 7-3.
. Comply with all regulations and re-
quirements of each country. Driving tips for AWD models
WARNING
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and 
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi-tions.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily
lead to a serious accident.
. When replacing a tire, you must
use a tire that is of the same size,
circumference, construction,
brand (tread pattern), speed sym-
bol and load index as the original
tires listed on the tire placard.
Using tires of other sizes, cir-
cumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical 
damage to the drive train of your 
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking, speedometer/
odometer calibration, and clear-
ance between the body and tires.
It also may be dangerous and 

lead to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four tires that are
of the same size, circumferences, 
construction, manufacturer,
brand (tread pattern), degree of
wear, speed symbol and load
index. Mixing tires of other sizes,
circumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION
If you use a temporary spare tire to 
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the
original temporary spare tire stored
in the vehicle. Using other sizes may
result in severe mechanical damage
to the drive train of your vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine 
power to all four wheels. AWD models
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand.
By shifting power between the front and
rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also
provide added traction during acceleration
and added engine braking force duringdeceleration. 
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle 
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging 
the AWD system, you should keep the 
following tips in mind. . An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. 
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles. .
Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom- 
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle in
hard driving conditions such as steep hills
or dusty roads will necessitate more
frequent replacement of engine oil, brake 
fluid and transmission oil than that speci- 
fied in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet ”.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “Towing ”
F 9-12. Driving tips
8-5  

8-8Driving tips
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving 
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’s intake system and may
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or evenbreakdown.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. 
If the front wiper blades are frozen to the 
windshield, use the defroster with the
airflow control dial in the “
”position
and the temperature control dial set for 
maximum warmth until the wiper blades 
are completely thawed out. For details, 
refer to the following section. . For the manual climate control system,
refer to “Defrosting or defogging the
windshield ”F 4-5.
. For the automatic climate control sys-
tem, refer to “Control panel ”F 4-8.
If your vehicle is equipped with a wind- 
shield wiper deicer, it is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to “Defog- ger and deicer
”F 3-46.
If the rear wiper blade is frozen to the rear
window, use the rear window defogger.
Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”F 3-46.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow control dial in “
”and the
temperature control dial set for maximum 
warmth. After the windshield gets warmed
enough to melt the frozen snow on it,
wash it away using the windshield washer.
Refer to “Washer ”F 3-37.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is 
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to 
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers. 
We recommend use of non-freezing type 
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non- 
freezing type wiper blades may not perform as well as standard wiper
blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.
NOTE 
When the season requiring non-freez- 
ing type wiper blades is over, replace
them with standard wiper blades. & Corrosion protection
Refer to “Corrosion protection ”F 10-4.
& Snow tires
WARNING
. When replacing original tires with
winter (snow) tires, make sure 
you use only tires of the same
size, circumference, construc-
tion, brand (tread pattern), speed
symbol and load index as the
original tires listed on the tire
placard. Using tires of other sizes
or constructions may affect
speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion and clearance between the
body and tires. It also may be
dangerous and lead to loss of
vehicle control. 

.You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, circum- 
ference, construction, manufac-
turer, brand (tread pattern), de-
gree of wear, speed symbol and
load index. Mixing tires of other
sizes or constructions may result
in severe mechanical damage to
the drive train of your vehicle and
may affect ride, handling, braking
and speedometer/odometer cali-
bration. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “summer
tires ”as original equipment, which are
inadequate for driving on slippery roads
such as on snow-covered or icy roads. 
Compared with winter and all-season 
tires, summer tires give significantly less
grip on snowy and icy road surfaces.
Therefore, use of winter tires is strongly
recommended when driving with such
road conditions. 
When you choose to install winter tires on 
your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You must install four winter
tires that are of the same size, construc-
tion, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body. 
Remember to drive with care at all times 
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle.
& Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on your 
Impreza, WRX and STI because of
the lack of clearance between the 
tires and vehicle body.
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from 
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the shift
lever back and forth between “1 ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For 
the best possible traction, avoid spinning 
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st.
Driving tips
8-9