[Timgt5]

Had a fun day yesterday going to a local Subaru dealer and test driving a 2012 Subaru Imprezza.

The reason for this is actually my mom in law (no worries its not going to be one of those rants, she is a very sweet lady) She currently owns three cars a 1998 Honda Accord which she bought new back then, a 1998 Toyota 4-Runner and a 2008 Honda Accord which he inherited from here deceased husband. This is rather costly and inconvient in that she is responsible for maintenance, taxes, insurance, servicing etc... on three cars.

The 98 Accord was a really nice car in its day,but is getting long in the tooth, I parked for her a couple of weeks ago and its engine sounded almost agriculture. It got her reliably through her last 7 years of work, but like her its time for it to retire.

The 98 4 runner was purchased from her son a few years ago as utility vehicle to haul gardening supplies. This is a rather crude truck that rides rough and guzzles gas (19 MPG).

The 2008 Accord is nice car, that her late husband bought new back in 2008. The problem is that it is really too big for her. She complains about the difficulty with visabilty, parking it. It also has a V6, which has more power than she really will ever use. The other issue is the complicated controls.

Our objective was to find a fuel efficient, reliable car, that had extra cargo space and was comfortable/easy to drive. This way she could sell the others and have a single car that could address all of her needs and in the process lower her living expenses.

My wife having looked at a Subaru Imprezza at a car show was very impressed with the simple control layout, an honest sturdy build and a hatchback body for extra cargo room. We took her yesterday then to actually drive one around. I got to be the main test driver, so I thought for anyone here looking for a compact car, I would impart my impressions.

Styling: The 2012 Imprezza shares the general shape of its bigger brother the Legacy. The lines are nicely taut and well proportioned. I would call it "Generically Handsome" The Hatchback is much better looking than the previous model. To sum up nothing that will exite, nothing that will offend.

Inside: The Imprezza is fairly roomy for both the front and rear seat occupants. The back seats are plenty big for even taller folks and it has good headroom as well. The hatchback has 22 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up and 52 cubic feet with the seats folded down, more than enough for her needs.

The interior materials of are good quality. The dash is soft touch and padded with a piano back finish around the switch gear. The presentation is much nicer than the Honda Civic or Toyota Corrolla. There are a couple of pieces of cheap switch gear but for the most part it is near the top of the class. The control layout is very straight forward and easy to learn. The standard feature content is not quite as dazzling as the Elantra or the Focus, but at its price point it is not bad.

Powertrain: The Imprezza uses a new 2.0 liter flat four that puts out 148HP and 145 lbs of torque. The model we drove had the CVT automatic gear box. I am not a fan of CVTs in general but this one works pretty well. There is some whine especially in hard acceleration but it does not lack for capability. For fussy people like me, Subaru has included as standard a "flappy paddle" gearshift on the steering wheel and found it worked suprisingly well considering a CVT has no actual gears. You will not win any drag races at the stoplight, but at highway mpg of 36 you will not complain about the hit on your wallet at the pump

As a bonus, the box configuration is one of only 3 engine designs that is inherrently smooth (the others being an inline 6 and V12) as a result the car ran vibration free, eliminating what normally is an annoyance with all four cylinder cars.

Ride and Handling: The subie aquits itself very well here. The car is very smooth for this class, rough roads were taken in stride and bumps were absorbed nicely. In this area the Imprezza punches above its weight class with a ride quality that is as good as some of the better full size cars out there.

The handling is also excellent. Body roll was kept well in check, the steering had just the right level of effort and thanks in part to the lower mounted box engine, and standard all wheel drive, it grips very well. It is not quite as sporty as the new Focus or Mazda3, but I suspect it is not far off and would keep up with either on a twisty road. Overall the Impezza was a very balanced package.

Safety: The Imprezza comes with the usual assortment of airbags, front and side curtain. It also has standard stability control. Front and side impacts are 5 star rated.

The secret weapon the Subaru has here is standard all wheel drive and when the going gets rough (snow, heavy rain etc) The Imprezza is in a class by itself at its price point. There is a great video on youtube of someone driving one of these over the snow and the level of control was astonishing.

Pricing: THe 2012 starts off at just under 18 grand. The premium model we looked at which includes alloy wheels and upgraded stereo clocked in at just under 21K which is about what she paid 14 years ago for her 1998 Honda.

Overall if you guys are shopping for a small car, this one should go on your list. I was very impressed overall with the package. Consumer reports now has the Imprezza as their top pick for compact car.

My mom in law really liked the car but change will be very difficult for her. She struggles with even small changes in her life and this one will seem monumental This issue really isn't the money. The 2008 Accord she has has only 11K miles and would easily get top dollar at carmax, giving her most of what she would need to buy the Imprezza outright with little money out of her own pocket. She could also get good money for the 4 runner as well. The 1998 Honda she could hang on to a while longer and donate to charity at some point.

[roads]

As it happens, I'm in the market for a small car. This is still too big --but you're adding to my info. ty!

[Yoda]

If I had the money that is the car that I would buy. Sweet.

You are selling that car Timgt5! The hatchb doesn't look too bad either.
Pssst!....hang on to that 4runner too tho! Gotta have a beater *grin* Actually all wheel drive ez purty sweet...do up the 'preza for sure.

Always lusted after the staid Forester....nearly bought one a few yrs ago to lug stuff in. Got a Toyota Tacoma instead. 2WD....poor decision...nice little truck tho if onedrove slow and there were no hills....sold it shortly after and bought a dumbass used Ford Windstar....*smacks head repeatedly*

[DenisDonnacha]

test drove a 2000 Subaru Impreza myself lately lol, it's only 1.6 litre engine though, front wheel drive too not 4wd like its bigger engine brother, but I won't be buying a car until I'm finished college.

Hi, TimGT - Note the attached Impreza review from Car and Driver: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...k-test-reviews

Overall, it's a good car but beware, C&D found it did not get close to the promised mileage. (Typical of cars with boxer engine designs and all-wheel drive - design elements that lower mileage.) They also thought the car was slow. However, speed is usually not an issue for senior citizens. What is a big issue for senior citizens is easy ingress and egress, as well as ergonomics while in the drivers seat. In other words, senior citizens need cars that are not too low or too high. Still, it seems that the Impreza has a lot going for it.

[gma45]

I have owned a few Subaru's in my day. I would buy another one if I was in the market for a new car.

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by unhappyguy

Hi, TimGT - Note the attached Impreza review from Car and Driver: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...k-test-reviews

Overall, it's a good car but beware, C&D found it did not get close to the promised mileage. (Typical of cars with boxer engine designs and all-wheel drive - design elements that lower mileage.) They also thought the car was slow. However, speed is usually not an issue for senior citizens. What is a big issue for senior citizens is easy ingress and egress, as well as ergonomics while in the drivers seat. In other words, senior citizens need cars that are not too low or too high. Still, it seems that the Impreza has a lot going for it.

The mileage thing does tend to vary a bit, but my Mom in Law is a natural at "hypermiling" On her trips to SC to see her son she coaxes 30-31 MPG from her 2008 Accord V6.

The door openings were wide and the car itself is sits neither really low or really high, that is definately something I had considered as well, which is why I ruled out the Outback and the Forester, which cost more, are not as fuel efficient and require a bit of a climb to get up into.

[eskielover]

There are times I would love to have a small car that I could just use around town & when not hauling my horse trailer......but calculating the price of a new or even used small car along with insurance & taxes, it buy's a lot of gas for my dodge hemi 1500 4x4 truck even at 12mpg.

Get lots of "love your truck" & lots of "that truck is too big for you" at 5'2".....I can relate to what your MIL wanting a car that fits her. First time I drove my truck, I went to our state fair & parked it out where no our else parked....came out to my truck & it was surrounded by cars & I had no idea how I was going to get it out of the parking place without taking out all the care around me.

Since then, I have gotten so used to my truck, I can park it in the smallest possible places, back it into tight spots & haul around my horse trailer like it was just a normal part of me. Love the V8 power....a first for me.....can get me out of really tight spots.

Find it interesting how we can get so used to whatever we are driving that it almost becomes one with us. Hope your MIL will be able to make the change that will help her feel more comfortable & more reasonable on gas. Always nice to have a new care also....nothing like that new car smell either.

Have always heard good things about the Subaru's....friends who have had them have always loved them.

It's not an exciting car by any means but the Toyota Yaris (which comes in a 4-door hatchback) is very popular among senior citizens. It's a comfortable appliance that's reliable and has the right seating height for senior citizens. My mom loves her's.

[Travelinglady]

The Impreza does sound impressive. My son said he got money for test driving some version of a Subaru. He just needed the money. Ha!

Yeah, I'm finding as I get older that I have to take into account things like how comfortable the car feels to my back, how easy it is to get in and out of, etc. It does sound like she needs a very reliable car, too, unlike the older ones she has.

My mom bought a Kia Forte, since she was sucked in by the low advertised price. But after she got what features she wanted, it cost a lot more than she thought. She says now that she wishes she had bought something else. It a moot point, though, since she has just been told not to drive due to advanced glaucoma.

Speaking of such, I think as we age we need cars that are easy to see out of. I can't see diddly out my back windshield, but at least I have those backing detectors that sound when I get to close to something. I have a 2011 Ford Fusion.