The 2012 Subaru Impreza, a compact sedan that's also available as a four-door hatchback, has gotten a makeover that has made this once rather overlooked model a real rising star among small cars.
There is a new design on the exterior, more room on the interior, a new engine under the hood and better performance at the gas pump.
The Impreza has always been a bit atypical among small cars, as it offers standard all-wheel-drive - long a key selling point for Subaru.
But frankly, prior to this model, there wasn't much to say about its looks. It wasn't ugly, more like nondescript.
Now, however, it's pretty nice looking. Kind of like the girl in high school who had braces and wore somewhat frumpy clothes, then goes off to college and gets glammed up a bit.
There are five trim levels for the Impreza: 2.0 i, 2.0 i Premium, 2.0 i Limited, 2.0 i Sport Premium (hatchback only) and 2.0 i Sport Limited.
The new power plant is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts; the previous engine had a single cam. It makes 148 horsepower and 145 pounds-feet of torque, down a bit from the previous engine's 170 hp and 170 pounds-feet.
You probably won't miss it that much though, as this car is adequately powered for a compact.
Subaru says the Impreza has dropped 150 pounds, which, combined with the new continuously variable automatic transmission gives decent performance and solid fuel economy. The five-speed manual transmission is standard, but that figures not to be such a big seller these days. The CVT is standard on the Limited and hatchback Sport Premium.
Fuel economy runs about 27 mpg city, 36 highway with the CVT and 25 and 34 with the manual.
As for styling, the Impreza now looks like a car that's for more than just a broke college kid. As a bona fide adult, you can drive this model and maintain your street cred, with its hexagonal grille and more aggressively slanted windshield.
On the inside, Subaru is providing a tilt/telescoping steering wheel standard, front seats with more lumbar support and higher seatbacks.
The Limited and Sport Limited trims get leather seating, automatic climate control and premium instrumentation.
The interior, overall, is pretty neatly arranged.
Subaru says backseat legroom has grown by two inches.
The Impreza's list of standard stuff includes air conditioning, power windows, side mirrors and door locks with remote keyless entry. Step up to the Premium and get iPod connectivity and Bluetooth-enabled hands-free telephone and streaming audio. For options, you can choose a navigation system and a moonroof on the Premium.
The Impreza starts at around $18,000 and ranges as high as $30,000. That might make it a little more difficult for it to compete in this market, where value has become a key criterion. But, Subaru still has a pretty solid quality reputation, so some might be willing to fork over a little more for that.
The new Impreza is much more impressive, and is worthy of consideration for those seeking a compact.
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