2012 Subaru Impreza

Rating from Scotsman

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I've been looking for an economical AWD for awhile, and it was a tossup between the Audi A4 and the Impreza. With the 2012 posting good EPA mileage, I decided to take the plunge. Very happy with this car. Not gutless, and getting 30+ mpg, plus it's king in the snow and ice. I got the Premium, which has all the features you'd expect from a luxury car- heated seats, bluetooth, ipod connectivity, everything controlled from steering wheel - for under 20K. Very comfortable ride and handles great."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from First-time Subie Owner

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"My wife and I did a lot of research before deciding our next car would be a Subie. Several of our friends have had excellent experiences with Foresters so that was our original choice to replace her trusty but aging Volvo, with me eventually buying an Impreza. Then a fool on a cell phone t-boned my car so the Impreza came first. A fully-outfitted Limited model turned out to be a better value than a "build it yourself" Premium with the options we wanted - moonroof, HD radio, Bluetooth, etc. So far the car has been everything I've expected and a bit more. We live in an area with many winding roads; the permanent AWD and wide tires hold the road firmly and predictably. After years of driving MTs it took me a while to adjust to a CVT but now it feels completely natural. In spite of its relatively small size the engine has plenty of power, especially at the low end. Mileage has been a bit lower than claimed around town (~24 versus 27) but trips have come in higher than the advertised 36 so it all evens out. The inside layout is very good. There's a lot of storage space and cupholders seem to be everywhere. Climate control is simple and straightforward: major functions are separately controlled by large circular knobs with a toggle pushbutton in the middle. The headlight and wiper stalks are a bit complicated at first but again have separate controls for each function which makes them easy to use once you get used to the layout. Subaru made several changes to improve visibility over the 2011 edition. Side mirrors are larger and are attached below the window line rather than taking up part of the glass area. They also bucked the odious trend to ever-higher beltlines and actually increased window heights, which is a welcome relief from the shrunken glass area found on so many new cars. Seating is very comfortable; maybe not luxurious but you have to remember this is a sub-$28K vehicle. We're both average in height and have no difficulty with clearances. Cargo space in the hatchback is very good. I'm a cyclist and there's still plenty of space after loading a fully-assembled bike and equipment for a day on the trail. OK, now for the quibbles: > Electric seat adjustment isn't available, even as an extra-cost option. We have 3 drivers so seat memory would be really nice ... > As others noted, seat-heater switches are inconveniently positioned to the rear of the center console. They're difficult to reach while driving and easy to forget when exiting the car. > The steeply-curved rear gate cuts into available cargo area. > Finally, and yes this is just personal taste, to me the immense black accent panels surrounding the car's ditch lights come across as giant splotches on an otherwise cleanly-styled front end."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from TownshipSupervisor

(3)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"A Forester it is not. Sharp looking it is, particularly in the sage green/silver ice 2-tone paint. In the review that follows realize I live in rural Minnesota where paved roads are optional and street lighting non-existent. And I absolutely love my Forester. Pros: Looks great Good visibiity Plenty of leg room Easy-to-read instruments Wonderful heated seats Optional 120V outlet is positively handy. Kind of neutral on the CVT - its OK I suppose. Cons: Weak headlights - 150' max distance on low, adequate on high. I'm telling you now deer should run in fear - unfortunately they instead run in front of you, and you won't see them. Two close calls already. Very weak fog lights - do absolutely nothing in fog. The heated seat switches are very inconveniently located. Just leave them on so you don't notice how long it takes for the heater to take over. No option for footwell lighting. On a dark country road you have to stop and get out the flashlight to find something when you drop it. When you get out into the melting snow on that country road the lack of puddle lights become sorely missed. Horrid handling on gravel roads. Tends to fishtail at speeds over 40 mph. Oversteers on uphill gravel roads. Understeers on downhill gravel roads. The only thing worse is snow - bring s snow shovel. Blame all this on the tires if you will, but Subaru prides itself on rough weather. Not in this model! Rear spoiler should be called rear window shade. Back hatch is perpetually dusty. Dust collects on rear wiper blade where it meets the window. Using rear washer results in MUD. Rear window shade very effective in preventing an automatic car wash from washing the top quarter of the window - maybe that's why its called a spoiler! Radio reception in standard radio is astoundingly poor, astounding in that Subaru is touted as a rural car, and rural radio signals tend to be weak. Very disappointing. Fuel economy estimates are very optimistic. Rural road driving 21-23 mpg. Interstate highway driving 27-29 mpg. I have NEVER experienced anything over 32 mpg at 65 mph. I am underwhelmed. A Forester it is not. A city car is might well be, but not for rural Minnesota. It's a shame really. I dislike writing negative reviews. Buyers remorse I suppose. Should have bought another Forester. It was all about the fuel economy."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from frugal driver

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"This is my first Subaru, my last car was a Mazda 3 - it was the best car I've owned. I've driven it for about 3500 miles, so far the mpg is comparable to the Mazda which is disappointing because it's rated 27/36 but I'm getting more like 25/31 which is what I got with the Mazda. The overall finish on the Subaru isn't as good as the Mazda. I like the exterior and interior styling of the Subaru. I'm hoping with bad weather coming that it performs well in the snow and ice."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from SubieME

(2)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"This model does not use the same version of transmission as the Premium or Limited models. The shifter mechanism does not have any method for you to shift up or down. (Like in ALL previous Subaru Impreza models) The "sport manual" mode is simply missing. This is a MAJOR detraction in what would otherwise be a very nice car. It makes the driving experience very frustrating. The car sticks in lower gears and revs very high. It drags down the MPG. It causes heavy engine breaking when going down hill. (This can be dangerous in snowy conditions!) I would recommend NOT buying the Base model with this transmission. (either move up to a Premium or get a Manual) We have been buying Subarus for over 30 years and loved them all -- but NOT this one!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from KoalaQT

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"First Subaru and I love it--used to be a Honda and Acura gal. Traded my 94 Integra for it and very pleased with the Impreza premium hatchback. Had it since April and have over 9000 miles on it--CVT is great on hills--takes a little getting used to the automatic decleration on downgrades. Visibility is excellent--4 passengers comfortable--hatch is great. Very pleased with back-up camera installed by dealer. Getting 30ish milage in city driving--controls are not fussy--comfortable seats--fog lights and trim package give a sharp look that gets compliments. Very happy with car and peace of mind with AWD. Fun to drive--perky on acceleration."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from First and Last Subaru

(3)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		3 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"This is my first Subaru, and I am highly disappointed. My first complaint is the constant reflection of the dash in the front windshield. I'm told it is due to the steep slant of the windshield, and I find it highly annoying. I am only getting 22-23 mpg, which is combined city/highway driving, not the 27/36 that the car is suppposed to get. After circa 3 months, the car has developed a clicking noise every time I pass 3 mph. Subaru says it's related to the shift knob solenoid, and they are still trying to see if/how it can be fixed. The seat warmer gets warm quickly, and then shuts off, and never seems to get warm again. The radio system has a very tinny sound. This is my first Subaru, and it will certainly be my last."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from 50....

(3)
Comfort:		1 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"bought the car with water in the gas tank. when I got to hometown with steep hills,car bogged down.fixed it but lost any new car joy.felt seat was off;took out level,was off 3/4 inch.dealer not normal.Wrote to headquarters.My 1993 acura with 107,000 has less problems.whoops"

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from 1st time Subaruer

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"This is my first Subaru. After looking at many many many cars, I decided on the Impreza 5-door. I've driven manuals all my life, but decided on a CVT due to the traffic environment I am currently in. The CVT shifts well but I think is a little reserved feeling. I feel like this car would be a lot better with a bit more power, it seems quite slow from the start, but on the top end, it's great. The interior is my favorite part about this car: the seats are very very comfortable and the styling is simple and clean with nothing more than you would need or want. Each control and button is well placed and thought out, apart from the heated seat switches. The interior is adequately spacious to haul four adults AND some groceries. The fuel economy is so/so, it is not quite as good as I expected - I drive quite conservatively. A couple of small items that bother me about the Impreza though are the lack of auto up/down on all the windows and the lack of the ability to roll up/down the windows after the key is turned off."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from 5-Month Impreza Owner

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"After driving a car that wasn't so good in inclement weather, I decided to get a Subaru. I had to wait for these new Imprezas to come out, and it was well worth it. I love how the car handles. It's immediately comfortable with great visibility. Controls are within easy reach. I'm also really pleased with the features I was able to get for the money. I got the 5-door hatchback and love the cargo space. Great gas mileage."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around