Review on 🚗 EPAuto CP846 (CF9846A) Premium Cabin Air Filter Replacement with Activated Carbon for Subaru/Toyota by Carl Movahed

I bought a POTAUTO MAP 1033C and an EPAuto CP846 Cabin Filter to compare for use in my 09 Legacy (Gen 4). Both appear to be comparable and cheaper than most other similar filters, although POTAUTO was and still is 33% more expensive than EPAuto. Both appear to be fairly well built considering they are only used as relatively low flow cabin filters. . However, EPAuto is slightly better, mainly due to the fact that the white border is not attached along one side at the bottom of the POTAUTO filter. Almost certainly nothing that will affect performance or durability, but that's interesting considering it's the more expensive of the two. Note, however, that this is an incredibly small sample size. In one of my very scientific tests (/s) I held them side by side and looked through them at the sun (obviously out of caution) to measure thickness/density and uniformity. Neither of them had subtle blemishes that I noticed, and overall they were pretty similar. One of them blocked a little more light than the other, indicating stronger filtering, but unfortunately I don't remember which one. I have a feeling it was EPAuto but I really don't want to speculate as I could very well be wrong. What I remember is that the difference was so small that, all else being equal, it wouldn't justify the difference in cost between the two. In other words, even if POTAUTO were a little better, it wouldn't cost a few bucks more for minimal extra filtering. In another test I compared the filters to each other and to an old filter (which I'm pretty sure was an OEM but definitely not an activated carbon filter so it was significantly thinner) by blowing air through them from a compressor would have. I held the nozzle about the same distance apart on one side of the filters and held my other hand about the same distance apart on the other side. The old filter unsurprisingly let in a lot more air. Both activated carbon filters were much stiffer due to their extra thickness, which made me feel like there was a lot less air flowing through them. Both were about the same. Both filters perfectly withstood strong air currents. I bought a few other filters that I wanted to trim to use one or both of these filters as a pre-filter and/or additional activated carbon. After an airflow test I gave up as they are already much stricter than OEM and I didn't want to force it as at best it could cause problems with good airflow to the car and at worst it could damage the fan. Unless many, many people have been using these and similar filters for a long time without any visible problems, I wouldn't even be using them. I haven't noticed a decrease in airflow, but it's doubtful I will as I rarely turn the fan on past the first few settings (usually the first ones) if it works at all, and I have center vents. pulled out (to gain access to the interior of the dashboard), resulting in a slight reduction in flow through the vents. quality (based on my limited sample size per sample) and lower price. Filtering seems very similar between the two, certainly not enough of a difference to justify the premium price for POTAUTO over EPAuto. The flow is significantly more restrictive than the OEM filter, but that's not a problem. I give EPAuto 5 stars and POTAUTO 4 stars only because the cost of POTAUTO is much lower (very similar or maybe even worse quality for 33% more money). I can't comment on their durability or performance, but I don't think that should be a problem. ------------ ------------------------ As a special note for the Legacy: Replacing the cabin air filter in This car is PITA BREAD. It's not all that difficult on its own, but it's a real pain and certainly not something you'll do if you have a few minutes to spare. I'd rate it about a 3.5/10 for difficulty and 7/10 for irritation. While you can access it by removing the manual tray, you cannot remove the tray through that. So you have to remove the entire glove box, which involves removing the side panel, unhooking the rope/loop that keeps it from falling completely, and unscrewing some plastic screws, which can be a little painful (and apparently Subaru loves them, so ). as if they were all over the car). A short Philips driver is helpful. Once you've removed the glove box, you'll need to remove a few more plastic screws to remove the plastic cover between the glove box and the filter. This is the hole where you gain access. Be careful when removing the old filter as dirt and debris can fall out and cause a bit of a mess. You really don't want anything hitting the fan underneath if you can help it. Reverse the steps to assemble it and don't forget to reattach the rope. Replacing the glove box can be tricky; In my experience, having done this a few times, I've found that you half force it and half don't. That means it will likely offer some resistance even when leveled. So if you try to babysit it, you'll probably stick around for a while, but also play around with the leveling a bit to see if you can get it up without messing it up. The tab and slit on the right side are too much. In general, expect to spend 15-45 minutes on this and make sure you have a standard length and shorter or shorter Philips screwdriver. I have to say when it comes to air filters this car is terrible. The air intake filter is also very difficult to change - much worse than most if not all other cars I've done. ------------------------------Keywords: Subaru Legacy, fourth generation, fourth generation, 4 1st generation, 4th generation, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009