WE LIKE
1. Good looks
2. Easy to drive
3. Well equipped
WE DON'T LIKE
1. Running costs are high
2. No diesel option yet
3. n/a
Subaru has come under some criticism for the drastic restyling of their most iconic car. And we can see why. The Impreza has been a saloon since its launch back in 1993, but most recently it has been completely revamped into a hatchback design. Subaru is clear in its reasoning , aiming the new Impreza directly at a market currently dominated by the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf. The problem is that Subaru's unique engineering comes at a price - the diesel costs over £21,000, which is a huge figure for a family hatch without a prestige badge.
For those that still hanker after a traditional turbo-nutter Impreza, there is the monstrous 296bhp WRX STi version. For all of its horsepower, it doesn't feel quite as fast as it should, although there are a number of controls and settings to play with in order to vary the throttle response or differential settings depending on the road conditions or out on the track. It will get to 62mph in 4.8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 155mph, so on paper it certainly ticks all the boxes. However, in reality, the STi lacks any real presence on the road and is let down by its relatively sedate styling.
All the models in the range get Symmetrical All-wheel Drive, giving the cars better traction and improving all-round handling. The Impreza is an easy and pleasurable car to drive; steering is well weighted and the six-speed gearbox is smooth. The interior has been improved from its predecessor (as it needed to be), with touches of chrome and blue mood lighting around the dash, soft-touch plastics and front sports seats. Inside the car is spacious; its wheel base is slightly longer than the old saloon, despite the overall body being shorter. This makes it comfortable for four adults and the boot is adequate for a car in this class.
The problem with the Impreza is that most people would be paying a premium for abilities they will never use. If you are a rural doctor and you don't like the idea of an SUV but want 4wd, the Impreza might be perfect for you. For most people, it just does not seem worth the money compared to a Focus or Golf. We should be flattered that Subaru has committed to a European-style hatchback (complete with diesel option), but its specification leaves most Europeans baffled rather than intrigued.
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User reviews (3)
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Bantounas G.26 July 2009
this site realy works for the autos - its a bank of info guys have a fun summer and i wanna see Subaru imbreza WRX STI and performance stages - in winter 09- CYA!!!
Report as inappropriateAngelo25 February 2010
I've been driving a Subaru Impreza diesel for quite some time now, so "no diesel" could have been wiped of this review for over a year. Before the diesel I drove a WRX, before that a 555 and before that a GT Turbo and before that a Leone GT. Unfortunately, I've also driven over 200 other cars. Thats why I found it strange that Vicky's comment almost always were 180 degrees the opposite of my own experience with those cars. Fortunately, there has been plenty of snow and ice around lately and seeing Golf GTi, Focus ST and Opel/Vauxhall strugle or even landing in ditches trying to keep up was more than enough to get me over a very bad fifth gear rerun on DisChannel today. Bottom line is buy a car that is great for you, not one that happens to suit a certain driving style by a driver on a racetrack if you have never seen one or going to see with your car. Too bad car tv shows nowadays are either for lotto winners with topics on cars 100.000+ or 'look at me going sideways on a racetrack'. I don't care for any of those things. To come back onto topic, the reason why I bought another Subaru is simple, I wanted a new car, didn't want to pay 30.000 in taxes on an STi in addition to the 30.000 costprice already and ended up in a diesel because no car tv show could show me why on earth I should buy anything else. Whats the point in having a car tv show then? My review: WRX: With the correct tires (they make, brake and break a car) a WRX is a car that you can point and drive over that square inch/cm of pavement you point it to. Dry, rain or snow. It wont drive on 3 wheels like other cars when cornering. A prodrive kit can make it feel better and give more torque. Having a car that will accelerate WILL help you when you enter a motorway or overtaking slow agricultural stuff. First two gears are all you need on a motorway. The other three or four are for economy. Diesel: Compared to a WRX the first two gears are short, but hey, its a diesel. Compared to other 2L diesels, haven't seen one as smooth as this and even in 6th gear it still accelerates. Hope to compare this one soon with the WRX when I'm back in the UK. But I think I won't mind driving a Subaru Impreza on steep curvy roads in the national parks down west, or the muddy roads in the mid-west nor in the mountains up north.
Report as inappropriateroldan17 May 2011
wth its that pseudo review its like i would say well the megane have comfort but the megane RS have an acceleration to 0 to 60 in 5sec on the other hand if u want to shine in the track u need the megane thropy cup LOL the score its for the review no to the car
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