Handling, on the other hand, is pretty good. Hustling the Impreza doesn’t seem to make it nervous at all; the car benefits from a well-balanced chassis and body roll is kept to a bare minimum, while the ride quality on the open road remains appreciable. Barrelling down a 270-degree highway on-ramp, you’ll likely run out of tire adherence before the car loses its poise.
The standard-issue 5-speed manual generally works well, but the shifter feels a little rubbery in its gate. In addition, shifts from third to fourth are sometimes notchy. In 5th gear at 100 km/h, the engine is spinning at 2,500 rpm.
Inside, the Impreza sports a sober but well-finished cockpit. The dash panels rigorously line up together, and the chosen plastics have a high-quality appearance. There is a lot of silver-painted trim that could get easily scratched, though. No electronic switchgear here, just straightforward rotary dials for radio and ventilation settings, which is great. Wheel-mounted audio controls would be nice, but they’re not available in base trim.
The front seats, however, are not so great. Personally, I can’t get as comfortable as I would like in the driver’s seat; its cushion can’t be lifted high enough and there is a lack of lumbar support.
In back, foot space is tight, and the transmission tunnel takes away some room, but two adults will otherwise be comfortable. At 320 litres, the Impreza’s trunk isn’t as capacious as some of its rivals, but let’s not forget that there’s an all-wheel drive powertrain lying underneath.
The Impreza’s looks have turned from mildly distinct to mildly conservative during the 2008 model-year redesign. The Sport and Limited trims get some extra flair with their alloy wheels and lower-body aerodynamic add-ons, but our 2.5i tester looks a little naked with its hubcaps. Curiously, the sedan gets dual mufflers, but the 5-door gets only one, yet power output is identical in both body styles.
The standard-issue 5-speed manual generally works well, but the shifter feels a little rubbery in its gate. In addition, shifts from third to fourth are sometimes notchy. In 5th gear at 100 km/h, the engine is spinning at 2,500 rpm.
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| A sober but well-crafted cockpit is found in the Impreza. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Inside, the Impreza sports a sober but well-finished cockpit. The dash panels rigorously line up together, and the chosen plastics have a high-quality appearance. There is a lot of silver-painted trim that could get easily scratched, though. No electronic switchgear here, just straightforward rotary dials for radio and ventilation settings, which is great. Wheel-mounted audio controls would be nice, but they’re not available in base trim.
The front seats, however, are not so great. Personally, I can’t get as comfortable as I would like in the driver’s seat; its cushion can’t be lifted high enough and there is a lack of lumbar support.
In back, foot space is tight, and the transmission tunnel takes away some room, but two adults will otherwise be comfortable. At 320 litres, the Impreza’s trunk isn’t as capacious as some of its rivals, but let’s not forget that there’s an all-wheel drive powertrain lying underneath.
The Impreza’s looks have turned from mildly distinct to mildly conservative during the 2008 model-year redesign. The Sport and Limited trims get some extra flair with their alloy wheels and lower-body aerodynamic add-ons, but our 2.5i tester looks a little naked with its hubcaps. Curiously, the sedan gets dual mufflers, but the 5-door gets only one, yet power output is identical in both body styles.
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| In back, foot space is tight, and the transmission tunnel takes away some room, but two adults will otherwise be comfortable. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |