2012 Subaru Impreza consumer reviews

This is a limited hatchback with CVT, moonroof, PZEV...pretty much all options except the navigation system. The car replaces a '94 Impreza which has been the most bulletproof car we've ever owned. It still looks and runs fine, and the only mechanical problem in that time was a failed fuel pump at 110K miles. I've rated the reliability of the new car at 5 stars in the hope it will be just as good (but time will tell). Performance is very good for the kind of car it is. Bear in mind that this is not a WRX, so we're not talking sports-car performance. Despite the small engine, acceleration off the line is punchy (actually quicker than I would like). 0-60 is less impresive, but perfectly adequate. Handling, with the AWD, is exceptional. This is why you get a car with AWD in a place where it doesn't snow. Interior is kind of spartan and retro. Despite the hype about "soft-touch materials" there are some cheesy plastic bits. The seats are comfy enough. The main attractions is that there is a lot of room. The salesman who accompanied us on the test drive was about the size of an NFL lineman, but even he could slip into the back seat without a fuss. Even better, when you fold the rear seats down, the cargo space is huge. Really, you could drop a fridge into the back of this thing. I don't really care about styling. Every car is basically a box on four wheels. It looks nice enough, but the big rear bumper asks, "does this make my butt look big?" It does actually. Stereo with bluetooth and iPod connectivity sounds nice but is seriously annoying to operate. We considered the Ford Focus and Mazda 3 hatchbacks. The Impreza is comparable in most respects, but has much more cargo volume, rear legroom, and AWD for about the same price.

I just bought my 2012 impreza Jan 31 2012 to be exact. it has less than 500 miles on it since i got it. I have been driving the car most of the week and have noticed that the transmission jerks as if it were to be a stickshift on regular drive mode when you let off the gas and press on it again. It seems to me as if there is something loose on the mounts but again, its the transmission itself. Please post anything alike if the transmission on your car feels the same way. Also, the RPM stays at 3000-3500 when shifting out of first gear. Something like this on a conventional transmission would be an indication of transmission problem such as slippage. I don't understand why Subaru did not catch this problem. It only does it from time to time and not always but it does worry me to know that the vehicle only accelerates and does not shift into the next gear. Hope this helps and if you are having similar issues please post it so others will know and maybe Subaru can address the problem, if they feel its a problem and keep consumers from dishing out for a new tranny. Over all, the car is great, except for the cheesy radio volume. volume control goes to 40 and you can still have a nice conversation with a passenger. By the way, i bought the premium with all weather package and sunroof. nice!

My dentist will be pleased, I can now drive in snow without my teeth! The car interior was easily adjusted for short person. I needed to put the back seats down to get a good view on right side, but that is okay with me.

Test drove all of the compact contenders. While there were some aspects of the other vehicles that may have a slight edge over the Impreza in terms of standard features, I found the handling to be superior to all of them, including the Focus and the Mazda 3. Even with AWD it equals or exceeds other cars in its class for fuel economy. It felt as rock solid in corners and high speeds as the GTI or BMW 3 series. That Subaru's reliability and resale value are on par with Honda made this an easy decision. I was impressed by the greatly improved interior as opposed to the prior iteration. Ironically, even though I felt the hatchback was a bit more attractive than the sedan, I bought the sedan as it seemed more composed on the highway than the hatch at high speed not to mention the sedan is cheaper. I initially assumed I would walk away with a manual transmission, but that changed after noticing that 5th gear on the manual was lifeless. I was surprised by the CVT and paddle shifters and the very quick throttle response from a stop which was a sharp contrast from the dual clutch setup of a competitor which was very herky jerky at low speed. I ended up with a 2.0i premium sedan with CVT, and heated seats, heated wipers and side mirrors, all weather mats, bluetooth with streaming audio audio and really nice 16" alloy wheels. This was the only car in its class that actually felt like a legit small sport sedan with the added bonus of AWD drive to get me through the snow. Really, I think the only reason why Subaru isn't getting the accolades that Ford and Hyundai are for the Elantra and Focus is that I notice that there haven't been any comparo tests including the Impreza. I suspect the sleeper Impreza is going to surprise them, especially with the handling which to me even outclassed the Mazda 3.