Subaru Impreza 2008
Think of a Subaru and the image of a blue car with gold wheels, a neat rear spoiler and a very loud noise from its throaty engine will come to mind.
Basking on the highly successful rally competitions, Subaru’s high performance cars, whilst admired by women, have stayed in the men’s department mainly as 75% of previous Subaru’s were turbo that appeased the boys with their loud toys, but rather wasted on us girls.
However, Subaru have an extremely flawless record for safety, reliability and street cred, which would really appease us females.
Well, now we have a chance to have a bite of the apple as Subaru have revamped the Impreza with us ladies firmly in mind.
Three trims are on offer, R, RX and flagship WRX mated to the same three engines as its predecessors .. 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 litres, but the turbo has been binned on the former two, in favour of an improved engine that gives better fuel economy thus satisfying our purse strings. My test car for the week was the Impreza 1.5 R model that is the entry level, I know, not like me at all, but I am gunning for the cost conscious females trying to balance a stringent household budget without forgoing too many sacrifices and this car comes with a price tag of just £12, 495. Further savings are gained with low CO2 emissions of 176k/gm falling into VED band E, low insurance group of 4E and savings at the pump with the Impreza achieving 37.7 mpg on a combined cycle.
So for the first time, effectively, women can have the chance to own a Subaru. How impressive is that? But was I really impressed with the 1.5 Impreza R?
Well, the first thing you have to do, is get rid of pre-conceived thoughts and that means that the blue car with gold wheels has to go for the Impreza, whilst not a bad looking car, is certainly not like the other members in the Subaru family. This is a five-door hatchback competiveley directed to such rivals as the Honda Civic; VW Golf, yet has the added benefits of more safety and traction advantage thanks to the symmetrical all-wheel drive. This features a nominal 50/50 front to rear torque spilt. However, a centre viscous coupling senses which axle has the best grip and varies this ratio in milliseconds according to the road surface. That’s the tecy bit out of the way, the result is that it maximises tyre grip and handling accuracy, hence installs confidence in the driver especially on rain soaked motorways or snowy country lanes.
The new 1.5 litre ‘boxer’ engine is the least powerful in the Subaru range and this is certainly noticeable as the uptake of the Impreza is not exactly impressive taking 13.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. But I have to say, once she hits the designated speed, she holds it really well, too well at times so watch that speedo as she will creep up without you really noticing until the blue lights starts flashing from the police car behind. The new Impreza has been given a neat five speed manual gearbox, although automatic is available across the range, and this does help to give the Impreza a more sportier feel while the power assisted steering tightens at higher speeds yet loosens up nicely for those parking bays. Thanks to the AWD coupled with low friction, this Impreza is staying firmly on the road with excellent ride and handling plus outstanding chassis dynamics that Subaru is renowned for.
The Impreza does not exactly jump out at you but is far more subtle in terms of design with 15 inch alloy wheels, body coloured door handles, door mirrors and bumpers with integrated fog lights, but the sporty feel comes out in the wide track over the wheels, coupled with broad shoulder lines and side body creases.
Inside is a pretty spacious interior with plenty of room for five adults and on board toys include air conditioning, a radio/CD player, electric windows, an in depth information display including the fuel consumption used per journey and height adjustable steering wheel. There are a few storage solutions dotted around the cabin and the boot is certainly large enough for the weekly shopping with 301 litres of space increasing to 1216 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.
Safety wise, the Impreza comes with driver and passenger airbags, plus curtain and side airbags, the front seats have pre-tensioners, there are two ISOFIX mountings in the rear while the brake pedal is energy absorbing to protect the drivers lower limbs. ABS with EBD is standard but if all hell lets loose, throughout the body is an extensive use of high tensile steel of varying thickness that provides good crushability where needed to protect the passengers. To reduce pedestrian injuries, the front bumper has a more rounded contour on the top, a more gentle curved bonnet and wipers that collapse, hence soften any impact.
So, was I impressed with the new Impreza? Apart from the rather sluggish uptake and time it took to really get going, yes I was impressed with the rest of the technology under the bonnet ensuring I was safe, as was the Impreza. Her looks would not win any beauty contest, she is far too subtle for that but I knew other Suborn fanatics would recognise her as the new sibling and at the end of the day, the street cred in owning a Subaru is worth every penny.
FemaleFirst Jackie Violet