.

Subaru Impreza Review

Wikicars, a place to share your automotive knowledge
Revision as of 22:57, 4 December 2006 by MQuan (talk | contribs) (→‎Exterior)
Jump to navigationJump to search
2007 Subaru Impreza
2007 Subaru Impreza sport wagon


See also the main fact sheet for the Subaru Impreza.

High Points

Low Points

  • Small rear-seat legroom (Kelley Blue Book)
  • Low-rent interior plastics (Motor Trend)
  • WRX's suspension foregoes comfort for performance (Edmunds.com)

Performance and Handling

Subaru's 2.5L Boxer engine


Gas Mileage

As seen on Autos.com, in the compact car MPG rankings, the 2007 Subaru Impreza is in 21st place with 22/29 MPG.

Safety

The Subaru Impreza comes standard with the following features:

  • Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
  • 4-wheel antilock brakes ABS
  • Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
  • 4-wheel independent suspension
  • Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
  • Dual driver and front-passenger front air bags
  • Subaru advanced frontal air bag system with driver's seat position sensor and front passenger seat occupant detection sensor
  • Front-seat-mounted head/chest side-impact air bags
  • Height-adjustable active front-seat head restraints
  • Three individual rear head restraints
  • Height-adjustable 3-point front seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters
  • 3-point seatbelts at all rear seating positions.
  • Rear child-safety door locks
  • Safety brake pedal system
  • Energy-absorbing collapsible steering column
  • Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame body structure with hydroformed front subframe structure

Reliability and Maintenance

2007 Subaru warranty information:

BASIC COVERAGE is 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

SEAT BELT COVERAGE lasts for the useful life of the vehicle and includes seat belts and related components which fail to function properly during normal use.

WEAR ITEM COVERAGE is 3 year or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Items covered are brake pad/shoe linings, clutch linings, and wiper blades.

POWERTRAIN COVERAGE for all models is 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Subject to the exclusions listed in warranty information.

RUST PERFORATION COVERAGE for all models is 5 years, regardless of mileage.

SOA will pay the cost of having your car towed to the nearest Authorized SUBARU Dealer if it cannot be driven due to a defect covered by these warranties.

Interior and Comforts

The Subaru Impreza sports new fabrics and subtle new features inside, yet the effect of these and some hidden noise-suppression improvements add up to a sum greater than the parts.

The interior is one of the most obvious signs that the Impreza has grown up. The cabin is well designed, judged both by appearance and function, and it's also very well finished. The overall effect is that of a car selling in the $30,000 range, rather than an economy car priced in the low teens. The dash in the base Impreza 2.5i is trimmed with a dark gray metallic material. It's plastic, to be sure, but it looks good and doesn't come off as cheap. The new features enhance this upscale ambience: A sophisticated anti-theft system is now standard, as are cabin air filtration and an outside temperature gauge.

The wipers are located on a stalk to the right of the steering column, headlights to the left. Audio controls, particularly with the standard stereo, are on the small side, but the radio is placed prominently above the climate controls in the center stack, and closer to the driver's reach. The three climate control knobs are BIG. Even the standard mechanical/vacuum dials on the 2.5i work smoothly; the electronic switches for the automatic climate control in the WRX feel like the dials on some high-end home stereo systems. The front seats in the 2.5i, taken from the old Impreza RS, have as much bolster as the so-called sport seats in some cars.

The seats in the WRX have even more bolster, with a single-piece back that integrates the headrest. The gauge cluster hints that the WRX is a serious driver's car. It's tucked under a semi-circular hood, just as it is the 2.5i and Outback, but the tachometer sits square in the center, race-style, while the speedometer is secondary, to the right. The WRX dash trim is a lighter silver metallic, and this Impreza comes standard with leather on the steering wheel, shift knob and hand brake.

Front seats in the STi crank it up another notch. They're very firm, with bolster and shoulder wings on par with some aftermarket sport seats. The inserts are upholstered in loud blue Alcantara, with a heavy knit fabric (in black) on the bolsters. The big tach speaks volumes about the STi's intent with something you don't see every day: a 9,000-rpm redline. Despite the race-car design ambience, Subaru has finally accepted the reality of production cars sales and equipped the STi with a 140-watt stereo and CD changer.

The Impreza's rear seat is roomy for the class. The rear roof pillars are shaped such that getting in requires a steep head bob, but inside headroom and legroom are tolerable for people up to about six feet in height. There are three three-point seatbelts in back, but the Impreza is too narrow for adults to use all of them at the same time, unless those three people are on very, very good terms. With 11 cubic feet of storage space, the trunk is as roomy as it gets in this class. Think of the Impreza this way. Two people can carry all the luggage they'll conceivably need for a trip of any length, traveling comfortably throughout, with room to pick up a hitchhiker if they wish. The Impreza wagons have a 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback, with cargo retaining bars, a grocery-bag hook and cargo cover in all models.

With the rear seat in place, the Impreza wagon has more than twice the cargo space of the sedan (23.8 cubic feet). Fold the seat and it opens 61.6 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the front seats. How much is that? Almost as much as a full-size Cadillac Escalade SUV with its third seat removed (64 cubic feet), and not too much less than the maximum in a smaller SUV like the Chevy Equinox (68 cubic feet).

Exterior

The Impreza models have been restyled to reflect what Subaru calls its new brand identity. The centerpiece is a prominent three-section black mesh grille, which is supposed to reflect Subaru's aircraft heritage. Some reviewers have described the new Subaru look in unflattering terms. The new grille is flanked by comma-shaped light clusters, encased in tinted lenses. The taillight clusters are shaped similarly to those in front, with the red, yellow and clear lenses of individual lights gathered under a smoked cover. All models now have aluminum hoods to trim weight and improve weight balance front to rear (not something you expect on the typical small car). The fenders on all Impreza models are flared more aggressively, and the wheel wells are filled nicely with standard 16-inch rims.

The Impreza WRX now features the sculpted side sills previously reserved for the mighty STi. The 17-inch spoke wheels add purpose. The body-colored side mirrors, new smoked light lenses and softly shimmering paint (not to mention impressive overall panel fit) meld to create a jewel-like finish that would flatter cars costing twice as much.

The WRX STi has been stripped of what many considered its calling card: the big gaping scoop in its hood. Subaru says improved aerodynamics feed the STi engine and intercooler all the air they need through a narrower scoop identical to that on the standard WRX. Perhaps, but saving the cost of tooling a separate hood for the low-volume STi probably helped.

The STi was created as the homologation car, a required street-legal copy of Subaru's winning World Rally Championship cars. Those who care will notice the STi's slightly lower ride height, or the badges or the little spoiler at the trailing edge of the roof. And if none of those things are enough to announce the presence of the fastest Subaru ever, no worries. Absolutely no one will miss the giant, two-step rear wing. The STi's rear spoiler may be the most audacious in autodom. And if the wing doesn't shout "Look at me!" loud enough, there are optional gold wheels, just like those on the WRC race cars. They may not be particularly attractive, but they're genuine.

Styles and Options

The Subaru Impreza is available as a Sedan or Sport Wagon (Not available in STI trim). There are 5 trims available: 2.5i, WRX, WRX TR, WRX STI, and WRX STI Limited.

Impreza 2.5i Sedan

2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan interior
2007 Subaru WRX sedan interior
2007 Subaru WRX TR
2007 Subaru WRX STI
2007 Subaru WRX STI Limited
2007 Subaru WRX STI Limited interior
  • 173-hp 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER engine
  • 166 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm
  • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • Sport-tuned 4-wheel independent suspension
  • Sport-design front seats with height-adjustable active front-seat head restraints
  • Leather-wrapped shifter handle
  • 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
  • Rear-center armrest with trunk pass-through
  • 80-watt 4-speaker audio system with single-disc in-dash CD player

Impreza WRX sedan

  • 224-hp 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged SUBARU BOXER engine
  • 226 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm
  • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • SIRIUS satellite radio capability
  • Projector-beam halogen fog lights
  • Sport-design instrumentation with silver gauge trim rings and center-mounted tachometer
  • Leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel with manually adjustable tilt column
  • Performance-design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints
  • 120-watt 6-speaker premium audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3/WMA capability
  • Auxiliary audio jack

Limited Package:

  • Leather-trimmed upholstery
  • Dual-stage heated front seats
  • Power tilt/sliding-glass moonroof
  • Rear spoiler
  • Heated side mirrors and windshield wipers de-icer

Impreza WRX TR Sedan

  • 24-hp 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged SUBARU BOXER engine
  • 226 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm
  • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • Sport-tuned 4-wheel independent suspension
  • Sport-design instrumentation with silver gauge trim rings and center-mounted tachometer
  • Leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel with manually adjustable tilt column
  • Sport-design front seats with height-adjustable active front-seat head restraints
  • 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
  • Rear-center armrest with trunk pass-through
  • 80-watt 4-speaker audio system with single-disc in-dash CD player

Impreza WRX STI

  • 293-hp 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged SUBARU BOXER engine
  • 290 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm
  • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • SIRIUS satellite radio capability
  • High Intensity Discharge (HID) low beam and multireflector halogen high-beam headlights
  • STI-design instrumentation with aluminum gauge trim rings, center-mounted tachometer, gauge needles full-sweep on start-up and adjustable tachometer redline warning with audible indicator
  • STI high-performance-tuned exhaust system with single stainless-steel outlet
  • Leather-wrapped 3-spoke STI-design steering wheel with contrasting red stitching
  • STI-design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints and embroidered STI logos
  • Alcantara upholstery
  • 120-watt 6-speaker premium audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3/WMA capability
  • Auxiliary audio jack

Impreza WRX STI Limited

  • 293-hp 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged SUBARU BOXER engine
  • 290 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm
  • Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • SIRIUS satellite radio capability
  • High Intensity Discharge (HID) low beam and multireflector halogen high-beam headlights
  • STI-design instrumentation with aluminum gauge trim rings, center-mounted tachometer, gauge needles full-sweep on start-up and adjustable tachometer redline warning with audible indicator
  • STI high-performance-tuned exhaust system with single stainless-steel outlet
  • Leather-wrapped 3-spoke STI-design steering wheel with contrasting red stitching
  • STI-design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints and embroidered STI logos
  • Leather-trimmed upholstery
  • Dual-stage heated front seats
  • Power tilt/sliding-glass moonroof
  • STI front-lip spoiler and rear spoiler
  • 120-watt 6-speaker premium audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3/WMA capability
  • Auxiliary audio jack

Main Competitors

External Links

WikiCars Contributor Favorites

Toyota Manufacturer Sites

Community Sites

Retrieved from "https://wikicars.org/index.php?title=Subaru_Impreza_Review&oldid=20613"