Nice affordable car
Someone backed into it and busted the bumper.
Then an uninsured driver totaled it.
Plastic exterior breaks easy, but other than that, the car was pretty fun. I just wished I had longer to drive around with it.
AWD would have been nice for a Minnesota winter, and the wet rainy days.
Decent sound system, acceleration, and styling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd March, 2010
Decent car, average quality, horrible dealer service
Creaking sound coming from dashboard since new.
Rear cargo cover squeaks.
Driver's window lift starting to fail.
Rear passenger window lift failed at 18,000 miles.
Two wheels dinged on potholes.
Small pit in the windshield turned into a crack that goes clear across the glass.
Overall, for the money, a reasonably good value. However, be warned that most Subaru dealers treat non-WRX owners like second rate people.
The overall impression I get from this car is that the powertrain and other major systems are of high quality, but that the fasteners, bodywork and trim are of such utter rubbish quality that this car is quite literally going to start falling apart in a few years. For example:
The seat fabrics are already starting to stretch and come loose, the gear knob is becoming discoloured, the carpets are coming loose and the plastic clips holding them in break.
The windshield glass is at the minimum thickness allowable, so expect to be replacing windshields fairly often.
The steel body panels also appear to be rather thin, and in spite of covering up some small nicks in the paint with touch up paint, they are now starting to rust, and some small bubbles are forming around them.
Fuel economy is also not up to par, giving an average of 25.8 MPG. My previous Saturn would average close to 30MPG, even if I drove it like a maniac.
Rims are very fragile. I live in the Northeast, and it is often impossible to avoid potholes in the dark on the motorway. Rims should not dent in low speed impacts with potholes.
I've been very gentle with this car, attending to all maintenance, washing it as often as I can, and trying to keep it nice. I suppose it's been built to a price, and that buying the first year of production of this particular model was a mistake. Nonetheless, their dealer network has been very rude and unpleasant to deal with; servicing costs at the dealer are ridiculously high. I fear that this car may become increasingly expensive over the years, due to the low quality of many of its constituent parts.
Buyer beware.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 8th January, 2010
Update: at 41,xxx miles, I'm now finding copious amounts of rust on the underside of the car as well as on the rear hatch, the doorsills and inside the wheelwells.
I believe that someone in Ota, Gunma forgot to rustproof this car when it was built...
I can't believe a car that recent would have so much rust; seems like they're punishing you for not buying a top-trim model.
Amazing vehicle, a must drive
Squeaky cargo cover at 1000km.
Squeaky dashboard at 1500km.
Poor rear wiper (stock).
Squeaky brakes - still doing it.
Sub-par paint.
Horrible stereo system.
One word to describe this car is amazing. Everything about this car will surprise you.
The looks of the car makes it somewhat generic, yet still stands out from the pack. Am looking into getting the STI hood and spoiler to give it a unique look for a N/A Impreza. People either hate or love the look of the new Impreza. I for one love the look.
The steering is very responsive and tight at the same time. Acceleration is pretty good considering this car has 171hp. Although not as fast as the WRX, it is very practical. Stock tires are not very good in the snow, but it is drivable if you are careful.
If you are buying this car, get 3M protection on as much of the car as you can if you live in an area with a lot of stones (Calgary is known for it). The paint chips very easy.
Interior is very nice. Cheap plastic in some areas and leather and fabric in others, a perfect combination. Leather stitching on the wheel was coming apart, but the dealer fixed it when I requested it.
Stock stereo is very weak. Changed the head unit in mine and now I'm quite satisfied. The adapter to make the steering wheel controls with aftermarket radios is very expensive ($250).
Dealers are fairly expensive for simple things, but they get the job done right the majority of the time. I have a squeak in my back right brake and they said they can't find it no matter what they did. I can replicate the issue within 10 seconds. They inspected the brakes and wheels and found nothing. Nobody knows why, quite frustrating for a new vehicle. Make sure they don't charge you for windshield washer though!
All in all, this is a wonderful vehicle and I can't wait to get a STI in the future. Will be with Subaru the rest of my life now, I'm hooked!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th November, 2009
What "amazes" me is how you consider a car with all of these issues to be an amazing car. Every gripe you have listed would take away from the "amazing" factor for me.
What constitutes an average car for you? Blowing the engine on the way out of the dealer? We really have become so numb to the fact that cars are so poorly engineered that we are so easily swayed to believe a car with just a short list of shortcomings is an amazing car. For $20K+, shouldn't you expect a little more?
I don't think anything he's listed takes the "amazing" factor away from a car, if you want a car that doesn't have any "fault" but does nothing more than "moving forward", get a Toyota.
How can you consider those faults minor? I would sue the dealer for lemon law with that kind of list of issues! And I drive a Toyota, and it moves forward really well thank you very much!
I've a 2008 model of the same car. Same issues as described in this review as well, minus the squeaking rear brake. To be honest, I genuinely hate this car. Just recently, the driver's sun visor broke and kept flipping down while I drove. The dealer fixed it, and then had the gall to demand a 10 on their service survey.
These are pure rubbish. I should have bought a Ford, and once this one is paid off, that's exactly what I intend to do.
22nd Oct 2010, 08:15
More things going wrong with this car now...
Driver's sunvisor broke and kept flipping down at 36,000 miles. Dealer was kind enough to fix it, even though it was slightly past warranty.
Trim below windows on rear doors is warping.
Rear hatch, bonnet and passenger doors are rusting more.
Exhaust rattles, even after tightening all clamps.
In a nutshell, this car is rubbish. Save some money and buy a Ford.