Subaru Impreza – What’s not to like?
Posted by subaru4u on February 21, 2010
Savage on Wheels
Mark Savage
What’s not to like with a Subaru Impreza?
The test car was the Impreza 2.5 Premium that starts at a reasonable $18,995, and for that you get a five-speed manual gearbox, 170-horse horizontally opposed (boxer) 4-cylinder engine, decent gas mileage and a hatchback with all-wheel drive.
Darn near perfect for our climate and a nice entry-level car for younger buyers, or thrifty shoppers. In fact, you can go even thriftier with a standard 2.5i sedan, starting at just $17,495. Like the hatchback styling and utility? That’s just a tad more at $17,995.
This Premium model (and there are both Outback and GT models still above it) is nicely equipped, plus the test car added a spiffy special edition package for just $500 that included a sunroof, fog lamps, heated front seats and side mirrors and heated wiper nozzles. All that heated stuff is worth the $500 alone.
The test car also added a 4-speed automatic transmission for $1,000, and I’d save that by sticking with the manual. You not only get a fifth gear, but the automatic was prone to some unnecessary downshifting coming off a corner, making for a less refined feel.
Still, the Impreza is a fairly lively car to drive. Acceleration from the boxer engine is strong and pretty quick. Again, a manual transmission would help, but this automatic had Sportshift, a clutchless manual that allows you to shift the automatic when you want. It works, but I still prefer a manual.
The car feels light, and at 3,119 pounds, it is relatively light, for a small car with AWD. Handling is fairly precise. There’s not much play in the wheel and you can toss the Impreza into tight turns easily. There is a little lean, but the traction from the AWD helps it stick, and you can power out with a sense of security.
Generally the ride is good, but there is some bump and jiggle as this is still a small car, with a bit of small-car ride. Braking is fine from four-wheel discs, and there’s a stability control system, along with the AWD to keep you from getting out of shape.
Kudos to the designers for creating a small car that earns a five-star crash rating for front and side crashes too.
After driving a number of cars with dark décor interiors the Subaru was refreshing with its brown over cream velour seats and matte silver trim bands on the dash and doors and also around the shifter and center stack. This looks light and youthful.
The interior was comfortable too and the controls were easy to see and use, not the illogical button-happy 747 cockpit that so many mid- and high-end cars and trucks deliver these days.
Seating here is mildly contoured on the bottom with more shape and support from the seatback. Impreza’s seats are manually adjusted but include a height adjustment lever on the side to help drivers of all sizes get comfortable behind the wheel. This one also added two-speed seat heaters (part of that inexpensive option package mentioned earlier), a welcome addition in our climate.
The steering wheel, which was wrapped in brown leather, is tilt only but has radio and cruise control buttons on the hub. I found it easy to get comfortable in this car.
Aiding that is a dash that’s simply laid out so you can see the vital gauges and adjust the vital controls. There are three round main gauges with red numbers and needles. The trip computer info is in a gauge atop the dash, so you can quickly see the outside temperature, clock and your current mpg rating.
The radio, including optional satellite radio, is below the trip computer gauge and includes a six-disc CD player. Channel changing buttons are a little small, but everything else is properly sized. Below the radio are two air vents and then the three big climate control knobs, a nice layout.
Overhead the test car featured a sunroof and two sturdy visors, but they did not slide or include extenders and there was no light on the mirror. I suspect all that plays a role in the starting price being as low as it is.
Still, there are two cup holders between the seats, a small storage box and huge glove box, plus a coin tray in front of the shifter.
The rear seats easily fold flat, too, creating additional cargo room, although there is plenty of space behind the seats (19 cubic feet) for suitcases, boxes or whatever you’re toting. A cargo cover is standard, too, and the hatch opens wide and includes a rear window wiper, another plus that sedans don’t offer.
I got decent gas mileage for an AWD car, although at this size, I could appreciate a bit more. I managed 21.6 mpg, just 1 mpg short of the trip computer. The EPA says to expect 20 mpg city and 26 highway. My drive was about 60% highway miles.
The final tally on the test car was $21,617, and by sticking with the manual transmission you could be into this for about $20 grand. That translates to an economical hatchback that’s comfortable and a good all-around performer with superior traction, thanks to its AWD system. A nice value!
