Faults:

The a/c was "serviced" when I bought the car.. obviously this cause the a/c to stop working for 2 months. Since then the only other fault has been an exhaust hanger that keeps coming loose and makes a banging noise during hard acceleration or deceleration. Also, the juddering clutch which only used to happen during cold - now happens when the car is warm too.. Subaru service in Spain is average at best.

General Comments:

Excellent handling, body control and damping for Spanish roads. Very soft compound on OE spec tyres - not a bad thing, but I need to change them every 6 months at 400 Euros a pop.

Excellent seats.. steering wheel is too big and they should just delete the stereo as I NEVER use it - the flat four boxer sound and turbo wailing is far better than any music.

It is immediately evident that the money spent on this car's development was spent on the important things that enthusiasts enjoy - engine, gearbox (nasy clutch though), chassis and exhaust note. Every enthusiast MUST own one of these once in their lives - nothing is as quick on real roads cross country (Mitsu Evo lovers... you have a great car, for race tracks and rally special stages - suspension is rock hard for daily use and kids!).

Faults:

The only non-service problem I had with the car was the non-Subaru manufactured alarm system which suddenly decided to set itself off one Christmas Eve... what timing! Typically the dealers didn't have parts in stock, but they were fortunately able to disarm the system to at least allow me to drive the car over the festive period.

General Comments:

The Impreza is actually my third Subaru, the others being a 2.2 Legacy and a 1600 Estate.

I'd sum them up as being very reliable with a fantastic 4WD system... but at a price.

They are a little heavy on fuel consumption, presumably because of the 4WD system, and parts are way to expensive, although they do last a long time!

I bought the current model Impreza after taking it for a test drive. It handled better than any comparable car in the price range as is adequately fast. Going for the turbo model certainly improves performance, but costs more on fuel (I do 20,000 miles a year) and insurance as well as being much more expensive in the first place.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

Reliability is perfect for the car, for it was still made in Japan.

General Comments:

The car has great acceleration for its class.

When dealing with ice, dirt, or gravel it still clings on as if you were driving on a paved road.

However, when handling the car you must use EXTREME caution, the brakes do not match the power of the car. This is one car that does not "stop on a dime."

The car took me 1 month to get used to the braking system.

Faults:

Inside tire damage due to a long heavy load (moved from Boston to California).

Lid to storage compartment on the dash loosened, rattles, and does not close right.

Clutch is temperamental until break-in. 10,000 miles.

Passenger side door lock does not open all the time when the power door-lock switch is used.

General Comments:

Reliability is where this car excels. I have beaten this car more than you should beat a brand new vehicle and it just keeps on going. I have driven this thing up hills, brush and all, through farm fields, and slid it through the streets of Boston (pot hole capital of the world) and there is not one rattle. I still have not put an alignment on it and it is at 24,000 miles. The only thing you have to worry about is mud and dirt getting stuck in your wheels. It starts shaking when you do that.

It does have some get up and go (it is not a vette), but the all wheel drive more than makes up for it. If you don't beat them on the straight away it will definitely get em in the corners.

Handling is way above average on the street, and phenomenal in the dirt. Sliding around corners in the dirt is almost effortless. The suspension takes high speed bumps very well, the faster you go the less rebound you get. You can go very fast without bottoming this car out. Believe me I have tried.

Watch out for car thieves and vandalism. I owned this car in Boston (I know not the safest place to have a new car) and it was vandalized, stolen, and broken into numerous times. The car is an attention getter that can be good and bad. Watch out for the street racers too, they see that wing on the back and get all excited.