Subaru Impreza

2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan Shown

In the small car segment, the Subaru Impreza is often overshadowed by more popular vehicles. There are two primary reasons behind this: the Impreza's higher-than-average pricing and a lack of brand awareness regarding Subaru vehicles. But for the right kind of buyer, especially one seeking driving excitement, the Subaru Impreza can be an excellent choice among compact Car Evolution.

The Impreza's performance edge comes from its distinctive powertrain, as this model has always been available with all-wheel drive. It provides extra traction in wet conditions and, on higher-horsepower models, works in combination with the Impreza's well-sorted chassis to provide excellent handling. For power, the Impreza has always been equipped with its unusual horizontally opposed, four-cylinder engine.

In just about every measure, the current model is the best yet. It's the most powerful and, with the turbocharged Subaru Impreza WRX, in particular, provides exceptional bang for the buck. Earlier Imprezas are rather unremarkable, although Subaru made enough improvements during that first generation's run that the latter-year Car Evolution are a decent choice for a small car.

The Subaru Impreza is available as a five-passenger sedan or a wagon. Mechanically, the two body styles are very similar. For each, Subaru offers a base trim level called the 2.5i. It comes with a 173-horsepower, 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. All-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission are standard, as are basic comfort and convenience features. A four-speed automatic is optional.

More desirable, though more expensive, is the Impreza WRX. Because of its 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, which is good for 230 hp, the WRX is one of the few performance-oriented Car Evolution in the $25,000 range that's available as a sedan or a wagon. Subaru also offers a WRX Limited, which is the most luxurious Impreza in terms of features.

Each body style has its own specialized trim level. For the sedan, there's the WRX TR. Subaru removes a few of the standard WRX's features from this trim in exchange for a lower base price; it should be appealing to younger buyers interested solely in performance. For the wagon, there are the Impreza Outback Sport and Outback Sport Special Edition. These trim levels are similar to a regular 2.5i wagon but are styled and equipped to be a bit more capable for off-pavement use.

Impreza models built for 2006 and later are the best of this generation, as they benefit from an update that includes a styling refresh, additional horsepower and improved performance capabilities for the WRX. Imprezas built previous to this are still highly regarded, however. Notable changes that used-vehicle shoppers might want to keep in mind are: a 227-hp 2.0-liter engine for 2002-'05 WRXs; base models being called the 2.5 RS or 2.5 TS for that same duration; and a batch of desirable updates applied to 2004 and newer models.

Considering the current model's performance potential, it's somewhat surprising to learn that the Subaru Impreza had a rather meek debut in 1993. It was available as a sedan or wagon and came equipped with a 1.8-liter flat four good for just 110 hp. All-wheel drive was optional, not standard. There were three trim levels: base, L and LS. The LS (later renamed LX) came with more equipment, including a standard four-speed automatic transmission and antilock brakes.

Subaru made its first major changes to the first-generation Impreza in 1995. Additions included a two-door coupe model, the Outback wagon and a larger 135-hp 2.2-liter engine option. The larger engine was available only with a four-speed automatic, however. This situation was rectified in '96 when the five-speed manual became available for the 2.2-liter. That year Subaru also made the larger engine standard on all trims, except the low-budget Brighton coupe.

The first-generation Subaru Impreza continued to improve in its later years. In 1997, Subaru brought out an improved Outback model, increased the power output of the 2.2-liter, made AWD standard and dropped the LX trim. A year later, the desirable Impreza 2.5 RS debuted. Though not as powerful as the turbocharged WRX versions that Subaru was selling in other parts of the world, the coupe-only 2.5 RS came with a 165-hp 2.5-liter engine, a sport-tuned suspension, a non-functional hood scoop and 16-inch wheels. It also tied in nicely to the Impreza's success in the World Rally Championship during this time. No more significant changes were made to the Impreza, though a 2.5 RS sedan did arrive for 2000.

provenance of article: http://www.edmunds.com/subaru/impreza/review.html