New Impreza a viable competitor to any compact hatch
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Where the hell did this thing come from? The Subaru Impreza used to be a tinny Japanese oddball that rode the coattails of its famous WRX big brother. If you owned a basic Impreza it was because you wanted a ’Rex but couldn’t afford it, or you were such a crunchy granola that a VW Golf didn’t have enough street cred for you.
All that has changed. Our Impreza Limited is a viable — and arguably superior — competitor to any compact hatch on the market today, including segment stalwarts like the Focus, Mazda 3 and new Golf. It’s fully featured — our high-zoot Impreza had nav, satellite radio, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning and heated leather seats – and Subaru has finally exorcised its styling weirdnesses inside and out. The result is a great-looking hatch whether you’re looking at it on the street or looking out from behind the wheel.
Having owned a Subaru years ago, there are certain traits that mark the breed: A slightly higher than normal “H-point,” which translates to a taller seating position; and stable, predictable handling from the brand’s trademark AWD systems. The newest Impreza carries all those traits along with an airy, open cabin feel that’s rapidly disappearing from modern cars due to increased crash safety structure.
Our tester came with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, and … it’s fine. The days of rote CVT hatred are officially over. To be sure, there are still bad CVT implementations, but the good ones like that in the Impreza simply aren’t worth complaining about anymore. Yes, there’s a bit of drone on hard acceleration; it’s not enough to call out anymore, and I would have no qualms about buying an Impreza with a CVT automatic if it was required equipment on the trim level I wanted.
As it stands, I’d have no trouble recommending the Impreza to anyone in the market for a $ 25K car. It’s a great alternative to the standard-issue front-drivers, especially for anyone in the
The Sport Limited trim also brings fog lights, turn-signal mirrors, roof rails, unique seat fabric and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: Over the past year or so I’ve talked to a number of foreign car writers who just don’t understand the newest wave of North American Subaru love. From their perspective, the Subaru lineup is full of decent-if-unsophisticated cars that don’t really stand out as doing anything exceptionally well, they’re not the most stunning designs inside or out, they don’t have the most refined powertrains or rides, they don’t boast any cutting-edge features and — this was a big one in the lands of outrageously expensive gasoline — they’re not particularly fuel-efficient.
Compared to a microscopic city car, this Impreza’s 31 mpg might not be anything to write home about, but it stands up to the SUV mileage Americans are used to. So I’d say that’s less of a factor here than overseas. All the rest could easily be spun into selling points.
The Impreza, like the rest of the Subaru lineup, is a really straightforward vehicle; one man’s lack of sophistication is another man’s honesty/lack of pretension. Today’s Subarus have retained much of their predecessors’ endearing simplicity. It’s tough to quantify, but it’s why I always feel so instantly at home in a bare-bones XV Crosstrek.
Even the stuff I’d tend to criticize, like the lack of power-adjustable seats, is really only annoying to someone jumping into new cars on a day-to-day basis. How often do you need to move the seat on your daily driver?
As a tradeoff, you get Subaru’s signature all-wheel drive — which is so hot with buyers right now — a tolerable CVT, and the option to tack on some fairly sophisticated tech, like adaptive cruise control and lane departure warnings, while still clocking in comfortably below the $ 30K threshold. Would a VW Golf have better steering? Undoubtedly — but you couldn’t get one with these features for a comparable price (and it wouldn’t have AWD).
Yeah, there’s a lot of value to be had here — which is why a low-key brand famous for (WRX aside) its low-key cars is seeing such success of late.
2.0i Sport Limited gray-finish 17-inch alloy wheels
Options: Options package including power moonroof, keyless access with push-button start, navigation infotainment system, eyesight driver assist system, pre-collision braking system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, pre-collision throttle management system ($ 2,795)
