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Impressed by the Subaru Impreza

Thursday, 26 June 2008

This week I’m in a Subaru Impreza and no, I’m not suffering from a mid-life crisis. Honestly, for me it’s just another test car, well that’s my story anyway.
Up to now the Impreza was synonymous with rally success and boy racers. But we don’t all aspire to be rally drivers and with their new model for 2008, it looks like Subaru is trying to gradually shift their focus towards the family man or woman with their new hatchback.
It still has the famous Boxer engine and symmetrical all wheel drive system, which ensures your grip of the road is guaranteed in most weather or road conditions. Subaru describe it as “an exhilarating hatchback for everyday use”. It’s hard to disagree with that description.
The front looks really class with those beautiful headlamps and the back also has attractive lights and a nice touch of chrome. But while you get a host of extras like cruise control, alloy wheels, xenon head lamps and front fog lamps, it’s still a bit expensive. The 1.5 will cost you e23,495, while the 2.0 I drove is e27,995.
There are several good quality cars in the competitive C segment. But do they look as sporty? - that’s the question you have to ask yourself. I suppose it all depends on what kind of a fashion statement you want to make with your car and how much you can afford to spend on your wheels.
I drove a lovely blue model and it attracted some envious glances, especially from a group of teenagers sitting in their Nissan Micras outside my local McDonalds. They were almost salivating over the Impreza.
The boot is decent size and you get a cover to hide objects from any scobies who might be checking out to see if there is anything worth stealing.
There is plenty of room for five adults, but somehow I can never visualise five adults in this type of car. Maybe five teenagers, or mother, father and two children, but then car pooling has never really taken off in Ireland, has it?
I liked the radio, but the volume control and station scanner buttons are not located in what we have come to accept as the normal position. Usually the button nearest the driver is the station selector, but they are reversed in the Subaru. When you are only in the car for a week you find yourself reaching for the wrong button, but obviously if you own an Impreza, you would quickly get familiar with the buttons.
Internally black is the dominant colour, with just an occasional touch of silver to brighten the overall look.
As with the Subaru Justy I had a few weeks back you certainly will have to belt up in a hurry as the seat belt alarm is also very loud in the Impreza. But unlike the Justy, which went for a few hundred kilometres before a call to a petrol station, the same cannot be said of the Impreza.
So, overall an exciting motor and if you take a test drive you are sure to attract some envious glances from both young and old.
Subaru now has 14 dealers in 13 different counties. In Dublin the two dealers are Carroll & Roche, Newlands Retail Centre, Clondalkin and Lusk Motor Group, Station Road, Lusk.

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