Subaru IMPREZA
The
Subaru name and the World Rally Championship are a perfect pairing - but in real life, does the revised Impreza live up to its racing laurels? Vanessa tries one for size
Like many others, I found the looks of the original second generation Subaru Impreza, shall we say, difficult to live with. Which was a pity for I rather liked the original version. I dont seem to have been alone either, which is presumably why Subaru has facelifted the car and taken the opportunity to introduce a few other tweaks. Since there wasnt much else wrong with the Impreza, you can safely take it as read that this car has moved a few notches up my must have list.
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And I havent even been driving the top WRX or STi versions. Under the beautifully painted bonnet of my Impreza 2.0 GX Sport 5-door test car, I found one of the smoothest engines you'll enjoy in a car of this price range. The five-door Impreza (theres also a saloon) looks like a
mini estate, an impression which is reinforced by the roof rails fitted as standard, yet is termed a Sportswagon by
Subaru. That means that you enjoy three windows along each side rather than two - the additional glass around the cabin creating the illusion of more space than is actually there. Not that it's cramped inside, I hasten to add. It all adds up to a family car, which is satisfying to drive.
The five-door is always a practical option and the Impreza combines ease of loading passengers with a boxy boot space that's equally user friendly. I did like the 'spring loaded' luggage cover, though, that can be neatly unhooked to load up and tweaked back into place to hide your valuables from prying eyes, or your shopping from the sun's rays. The latest cars feature smarter front and rear bumpers that give a sleeker appearance: the bonnet is raked more steeply as a result and the compound headlamps integrate more elegantly into the overall design. At the back, all models have received a revised bumper and tail light combination, the lamp cluster mirroring the headlights curved dip to their inner edges Moreover, you cant argue with the changes made to the interior, which previously was plasticky and rather cheap-looking. This ones much nicer. Higher quality cloth has been used throughout the range with each model getting its own signature trim.
Theres a classier dark metallic tone for the fascia too. Safety has been carefully examined too. Even the door mirrors have come in for attention, now featuring an anti-raindrop system to ensure they stay clearer and aid visibility. In common with the latest Forester range, the Impreza gets active front head restraints designed to reduce the risk of whiplash injuries.
The brake pedal is energy absorbing too, detaching itself under in the event of a severe impact, protecting the drivers legs. In the rear
seat are two ISOFIX-compatible child seat mountings. Pedestrian safety has been carefully considered with a more rounded contour to the front bumper and windscreen wipers that are designed to collapse under impact. Laudable stuff.
Some aspects of the cabin are still disappointing however. The indicator stalk is also the light switch, not uncommon of course, but in the Impreza it seemed all too easy to switch off the headlights inadvertently.
As youd expect from Subaru, four-wheel drive is standard on every model, making the car a sure-fire favourite with country dwellers. There's a 'dual range' capability for use when the going gets really tough. This means an extra gear lever which the driver can pull to select 'Lo' range. Once that's done, use of the normal gearbox gives you access to an extra five forward gears (or four in the case of the automatic) to cope with the worst winter can offer. The only problem I encountered was the proximity of the lever to the handbrake. More than once I pulled the wrong one - and at one point, having failed to depress the lever fully again, I was unable to get the car into any gear, for which I blamed the immobiliser..
. The engine might sound a trifle gruff, but it's pleasant to listen too and a delight to drive. It's just a pity that the gear lever seemed rather light, flimsy even - I felt that the smoothness of the engine deserved a better mate. The 2.0-litre engine in the GX Sport model I tried failed to set my pulses racing, and a rest to sixty time of 9.8 seconds, though creditable, isnt going to induce g-shock.
Maybe I shouldnt have tried the WRX version first. Flat out, the little flat four will propel you to a subsonic 118mph. Still, fuel economy is better than you might expect - the average figure is around 30mpg.
There are several interesting options in the Impreza range - the 2.0 GX Sport I tried, the potent 2.0 Turbo WRX. For those who fancy themselves as future rally stars a rocketship STi Type-UK is also available, but it looked a little fearsome for my tastes.
Prices start at around £15,000 for the version I tried.
Apart from the odd whinges already outlined, there's now very little to criticise. The five-door look of the Impreza is individual and if you want estate car benefits on a budget, then this car would be well worth more than a second glance.
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