Impreza impresses
VICTORIA — Subaru Canada president Katsuhiro Yokoyama has a neat way of getting right to the heart of the matter when talking about new products from the automotive branch of Japan’s Fuji Heavy Industries.
For instance, this is how he sums up the company’s all-new 2008 Impreza 2.5i: “This is a car that easily can be overlooked in a lineup with pop rockets like the (Impreza) WRX,” he says. “The 2.5i is a lot of car for under $21,000. It redefines ‘entry level’ model. Compare it to anything else in the price range and tell me this is not a car that demands more attention.”
After driving the 2.5i at the recent Canadian launch on Vancouver Island, I’d go one step further. I’ve got a new answer for a question I get asked all the time: What’s the best automotive buy?
At $20,695 for a base 2.5i sedan ($21,595 for the five-door), this may be the most car for the least amount of money.
Those prices are about $2,000 less than for 2007 models and you’re getting a brand new vehicle with more equipment.
Consider what $20,695 gets you: antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution; driver and front passenger front and side impact airbags, plus side curtain airbags; heated power outside mirrors; air-conditioning with air filtration; 16-in. wheels; trip computer with outside temperature display; halogen headlamps; soft grip controls; cruise control; tilt steering; AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA sound system with four speakers and speed sensitive volume; power locks/windows; remote entry.
And if that isn’t enough value, Impreza also comes with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive — the only vehicle in its class to offer all-wheel-drive as standard equipment.
For another $1,100 you can add a four-speed automatic, but the five-speed stick is so slick, and the manual transmission delivers so much torque in all gears, that if you can use a clutch, why bother?
However, you might want to consider the Sport Package, which is available only in Canada and on both four and five-door models. For an extra $2,500 you get rear disc brakes, brake assist, a vehicle dynamics control system with traction control, 16-in. aluminum alloy wheels, halogen fog lamps, windshield wiper de-icers, heated front seats, leather-wrapped gear selector and steering wheel, and a premium sound system with six-disc in-dash CD changer and upgraded speakers. And on models with manual transmissions, the Sport Package includes a hill holder system that maintains brake pressure for about one second after the pedal is released.
This third-generation Impreza is shorter overall, but with a longer wheelbase, than last year’s model thanks to reduced front and rear overhang. The longer WB results in more cabin space, especially rear legroom. Front seats have been totally redesigned to provide more thigh and lower back support, which should result in less driver fatigue on long trips.
At the heart of the Impreza is a 2.5-litre boxer four that pumps out 170 hp at 6,000 rpm. While that’s slightly less power than the previous model delivered, Subaru claims the horizontally opposed engine has been enhanced to provide better low end torque and better fuel economy.
I don’t know about fuel usage — that will have to wait for a complete road test — but more low end grunt was evident on our drive route through the mountain roads surrounding Victoria, especially in cars equipped with the five-speed manual transmission.
The new chassis is quite robust and, combined with all-wheel drive, turns twisty, hilly roads into a treat rather than a challenge.
Symmetrical all-wheel drive provides every Subaru with a low centre of gravity, but Impreza’s is even lower than before because the engine has been dropped another 10 cm.
Further enhancing ride is a new double-wishbone rear suspension that replaces the old strut-type design and allows for increased cargo area.
The four-door sedan, which is available only in North America, has a 320-litre trunk while the five-door hatchback provides 539 litres of luggage space with the 60/40-split rear seat upright and 1,257 litres when it’s lowered.
The new Impreza is quieter, too, thanks especially to new framed side windows that not only contribute to more body stiffness but also better seals. The quieter cabin, plus the “twin cockpit” design borrowed from the Tribeca SUV, make the Impreza a pleasant place to be.
Ted Lalka, V-P of product planning and public relations, says Subaru Canada is aiming high with the new Impreza, hoping to raise sales from the present 500 units per month to 700 — a 30% increase.
That’s a tall order, perhaps, but with the Impreza 2.5i they appear to have the car that can deliver the goods. Lalka says he expects conquest sales to come from buyers shopping for Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, VW Rabbit and the Mazda3.
Seen from all angles, both the sedan and wagon are good looking vehicles, the wagon especially so when viewed from the rear because of its integrated rear roof spoiler and nifty brake lights.
One oddity between body styles is that the sedan gets twin tailpipes while the hatchback has just one.
I hope Subaru Canada has boatloads of these coming from the factory in Japan. I have a hunch dealers are going to need them.
Competition: Toyota Matrix, Honda Civic, Mazda3
Highlights: Value for the money, standard AWD, rugged reputation
Find a dealer that sells the Subaru Impreza
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