Subaru review

"Ike" (untitledcarshow) 10/03/2014 at 12:46 • Filed to: Impreza

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Ike's review of the 2014 Subaru Impreza.

(Full discloser Subaru wanted me to drive the Impreza so bad that they had me drop off my 2005 Volvo v70R for the rear window to be replaced at a joint Volvo/Subaru dealership; then take my car half apart before realizing they had the wrong window glass. So they have me the Subaru for the weekend until the glass gets in. Which was very nice of the dealer)

When I picked up the Subaru I was feeling under the weather, but being the professional I am. I carried on with my road test. First thing I noticed about the Subaru was the interior, of lack there of. Now I'm all for a basic interior, I enjoy a well sorted minimalistic interior, but come on Subaru. I had last driven a Japanese car in 2004 when I tested a scion xB. Which is where I think this interior may have been lifted from, still not awful, just not what I would expect from 10 years of development in cars. Regardless I headed off, when I reached the belt way I tried to set cruise control, but there is none; seriously Subaru ? It's a throttle by wire car, it doesn't take more then a few dollars extra per car to put that in. I feel like this is more of a insult to those who buy the base version of the car then a consensus to save over all money on the cost of the car.

Still the ride was quality was good, handling the many bumps and pot holes of the dc area with very little bump steer, and while I wouldn't call it a soft ride, if is very comfortable over the bumps and dings, and very fun to chuck into and out of a corner.

That's about where the good ends on this car, I couldn't get over the seats, they are the worst seats I have ever been in, while not to noticeable when first sat in; they slowly find a way to make you back ache, with a bizarre lumbar support that can't be adjusted (maybe this is due to my height; 6'2") that pokes you right where you don't want to be poked. This ruins the car, it makes a trip over 15 minutes a torture, I had tried to adjust every possible seating position, but it could not solve the issue. The bottom of the seat is also to hard, and while there is ample head room for the tall folks, if you have long legs, you will not be able to find a way to side with out your legs, contacting either the steering wheel or the key poking out the side of the steering column.

The weirdest problem I had with the car, is that there is no contact patch or any clear place for your pedal foot; it kinda floats in this no mans land of no friction and prevents you from really knowing what to do with your feet. There is a dead pedal, but those who are shorter then me might have a hard time reaching it, unless you have a uh, really wide stance.

Finally the last thing to say about this car, is the power is good..: enough, the transmission, eh... Not so much. I can see getting used the the lack of shifting in the transmission (which by the way when you shift from park to drive or back again, there is a very audible *clunk* out side of the car). It's problematic that you really can't tell the difference between the power off the line and at 6k RPM, it very much a personal preference sort of thing, but my lord I dislike it.

I don't want to end on a sour note so let me just say, if your going to get a Impreza; first and foremost don't get the base. Spend a little extra money, get better seats, and get a manual transmission. Get aftermarket floor mats and if you have long legs, maybe a different car. It's a fun, cheerful car that will make you enjoy it( no matter how much you don't want to) around the back roads, but it quickly turns in to a back breaker on long highway trips, and the boxer engine doesn't provide the millage that you would want either, ( currently 26-27 mpg in mixed driving).

Ike is the co-host of the Untitled Car Show, and is the person normally posting to opposite lock. All opinions are his own, and you can listen to the latest episode of the podcast below

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ColoradoTaco > Ike 10/03/2014 at 13:27

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27mpg is pretty good for an AWD car though, we get ~34 on longer hwy trips in ours (2013 premium hb). Did they take out the paddle shifters on the CVT trans? We have that trans in ours and the paddle shifters are a nice addition when driving through the mountains. I can only imagine how awful it would be to drive there without them. Seems weird that one trim would have them and the lower trim not. Agreed about the cruise control, didn't realize it wasn't available on the base models. Never noticed a clunk with ours when shifting from park, I'll have to pay attention next time I drive it. Our cruise buttons are where the empty space on the right side of the wheel is on the one pictured. I believe the sedan is only available as base model, they look much better with the hatch. Like you said the power isn't spectacular but it uses what it has pretty well, 148hp isn't gonna win many races. It is pretty fun to toss around on a dirt road, so it has that going for it. Which is nice.

Ike > ColoradoTaco 10/03/2014 at 13:44

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26-27mpg, was being nice oh it's so awful in the city mpg wise. I think a smaller engine with a turbo would be better in this base trim, let's get some good mpg's out of this thing Subaru! (For reference my 2005 volvo v70R gets 24-25 mpg in the same driving conditions)

no paddles, and it noticed it when I was parking the car with the windows down, and then Standing outside the car.