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Introduction
What’s New: Subaru has updated the all-wheel-drive Impreza for 2008 with a new and more mainstream style available in sedan and five-door configurations, a lighter engine in the WRX model, a new rear suspension design, added interior room, and standard safety features including side-curtain airbags and Vehicle Dynamics Control.
Competes With: Dodge Caliber,Mazda3, Toyota Corolla/Toyota Matrix
What We Think: Love or hate them, previous Imprezas were unique. In its effort increase sales, Subaru is taking a more mainstream approach to car design, with the ’08 Impreza suffering the consequences: The styling is ho-hum and the driving dynamics only OK in the 2.5i (noticeably better in the STI).
Subaru Impreza -- 2008 Review: Once upon a time, the standard Subaru Impreza was a sleeper deal. You got a good chunk of the fun of a WRX and nearly all the funk, just with less power and a cut-rate price. With that history in mind we were initially excited to get our hands on the all-new 2008 Impreza 2.5i, so imagine our disappointment when we discovered that the little Subie is making a play for the mainstream. By many measures it’s better than the previous car, but the funk and fun that made the older car endearing is largely gone.
What We Drove
Our pre-production Impreza 2.5i was about as base as it gets. With no options that we could see, the price on it would have come to $18,140 including the $645 destination charge, a sizeable chunk of change for the company’s entry-level vehicle. Admittedly, it’s well equipped with standard all-wheel drive, a five-speed manual, anti-lock brakes, an audio system with speed-sensing volume adjustment and other nice bits. The $1,500 premium package bundles alloy wheels, vehicle stability control, rear disc brakes, fog lights and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, while the satellite radio and nav package throws a better audio system and navigation on top of that for $3,500.
Performance
The combination of a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter flat-four engine, a five-speed manual transmission and full-time all-wheel drive sounds like a recipe for fun. However, this is a high-carb mixture thanks to the Impreza’s 3,064-lb. curb weight. The result is pokey acceleration, even though the powertrain gives it all it’s got. It’s noisy too, especially at high revs, and the five-speed’s shift action was quite rubbery. Stand on the throttle in a corner and the all-wheel drive corrects most mistakes, but you still find yourself using body English to push the car faster out of the corner.
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