Subaru holds a unique position within the car industry. It has maintained steadfast core values centered on reliability, practicality,
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Most Subaru dealers I’ve spoken with say they could sell twice as many vehicles if they could get their hands on them, and on top of this most Subaru owners hold onto their cars longer than average, all contributing to strong residual values, but this also makes for niche like sales volumes.
This
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Just the same Subaru has been using its sales growth and the resultant economies of scale to its advantage, by creating cars that are more premium in refinement and features yet priced closer to the volume sellers. Take the Impreza, redesigned for its fourth-generation in 2011 and only receiving minor revisions since, but still looking good thanks to an inspired original design featuring muscular
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Now that I’ve mentioned the word “standard” I’d better let you know what comes with
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
That
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Touring trim takes things further upscale with re-bound front springs, a rear stabilizer bar, full auto on/off headlights, 16-inch alloys on 205/55R16 Yokohama tires, a windshield wiper de-icer, welcome lighting, chrome inner door handles, two-way heatable front seats, two additional stereo speakers, a rear centre armrest with cupholders, a retractable cargo cover, and more.
Other
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Without going into too much detail the $23,895 Sport adds 17-inch alloys on 205/50R17 tires, fog lamps, aero ground effects, a larger rooftop spoiler, a larger more sophisticated 4.3-inch colour multi-function display, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals, automatic climate control, a powered glass sunroof, etcetera, while $26,995 top-line Limited trim includes unique 17-inch alloys, HID headlamps with auto-leveling, LED side mirror turn signals, chromed door handles, dual-zone auto
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Sport and Limited models can also be upgraded with a $2,500 Technology package that makes the CVT standard before adding steering responsive fog lamps, NVH reducing liquid-filled rubber engine mounts, proximity access with pushbutton ignition, a shifter boot, and most importantly Subaru’s EyeSight technologies that include adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision brake assist, pre-collision throttle management, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, and lead vehicle start alert, the EyeSight gear earning the Impreza an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus rating over and above the five-star
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Now that we’re talking practicalities, the Impreza’s emissions are very clean evidenced by Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) status, just another reason its followers are so loyal, while the fuel economy is also good at 9.5 L/100km city and 7.0 highway with the manual or 8.5 city and 6.4 highway with the CVT.
Subaru is also the highest rated volume brand on Consumer Report’s coveted 2016 report card on reliability; the only brand to beat it was Audi. It didn’t fare so well on J.D. Power’s latest 2016 Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), however, placing below average in the former albeit still
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
As far as compact models go, the Impreza does a nice balancing act between sport and comfort. As most will know this little car is the basis for both the rally-bred WRX road rocket and the rugged little Crosstrek soft-roader, so the seats are inherently comfortable as well as amply supportive, my tester’s featuring nice woven black cloth bolsters with soft velour inserts, and while the steering wheel is merely polyurethane its design looks sporty and feels comfortable, plus the shift paddles fall naturally to fingertips.
The CVT features shift points to feel more like a conventional automatic, and it does
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Of course a comforting ride matters when passengers are on board, as does a lot of room to stretch out. Nobody is likely to complain about front seat spaciousness in the Impreza, while I had plenty of leg and foot room in back too. I always position the front seat for my own five-foot-eight frame as a reference, and then climb in back to see how I fit in. Granted I’m not a large person, but I had plenty of
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Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Those seatbacks fold 60/40 for a large, flat loading floor, the process expanding a 637-litre (22.5 cubic-foot) cargo hold to a maximum of 1,486 litres (52.5 cubic feet). A well-made aluminum cross-member houses a retractable cargo cover, and while it was stiffly held into place and therefore a bit difficult to remove, it didn’t rattle around either.
That last point sort of sums up the entire Impreza, actually. Everything about Subaru’s compact feels above average. From its solid body structure, robust powertrain, go anywhere AWD, great handling, comfortable ride, impressively finished interior, top-tier electronics, and overall usability, plus its excellent predicted reliability and resale value, it’s a car that’s truly worth its asking price. I can’t say that for everything on today’s market. No wonder the Impreza has some of the best customer loyalty in its class.
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