2006 Subaru Impreza Review

Specifications

Too Much Fun to be Practical

I recently had the opportunity to retest a car that I drove last year on its official launch, and came away after a week just as satisfied the second time around. This is always a good feeling, as on occasion Ive been struck dumb with love at first sight syndrome, and missed some obvious glitches that I normally would have caught if Id spent more than a single afternoon behind the wheel. The vehicle in question is Subarus recently updated Impreza 2.5i Wagon, one of the more enjoyable compact five-doors on the market.

It only takes a quick glance to see that the Japanese automaker substituted its previously nondescript grille for a new three section façade, and added new aerodynamically efficient headlights as well, but the rest of the car looks pretty well the same as the old 2005 model. Still, as with most mid-cycle upgrades theres more to the new Impreza than whats visible to the eye.

Like the 06 sedan, almost everything with the wagon has been redone where the sun doesnt shine, from a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine to a much more impressive cabin design, the revised five-door is exactly what Subaru fans were asking for, and maybe a little bit more.

Make sure you take a close look at the interior photos accompanying this review to see the changes inside, as its a really attractive design, if a bit on the conservative side. Most of the interior plastics are soft to the touch and all the panels fit together perfectly. Only a somewhat cheap feeling armrest, which seems like an afterthought, makes me wonder why Subaru didnt go all the way with the redesign.

They certainly followed through with driver ergonomics by installing two of the best front seats in the segment, with superb lower back support and side bolstering, and together with the placement of the foot pedals, the shift lever and fabulous steering wheel, everything makes me feel right at home.

That right foot pedal in mind; I love the sound of the boxer engine. Its kind of like a muted VW Bug, but of course even the Super Beetle didnt make anywhere near 173 horsepower. Yes, it moves away from stoplights with enough enthusiasm to cause those little grins of mischievous joy, not full-out giggles but smiles all the same. This has more to do with the engines impressive 166 lb-ft of torque than its horsepower, at least during initial takeoff, a force to be reckoned with even in inclement weather thanks to Subarus asymmetrical all-wheel drive.

Normally Id say that a four-speed automatic, as was equipped with my tester, would be a bane to any four-cylinder car, especially when competitors are arriving in this class with five-speed units, but all that aforementioned torque combines nicely with the little wagons rather spry curb weight of 3,071 pounds, so I didnt really fell held back, even when going up hills. Remembering back to the cars launch last year, the five-speed was a lot more fun, but my guess is that most will nevertheless opt for the $800 slushbox - the cars only option. After all, two hours of daily commuting kind of saps the fun out of any manual transmission, no matter how good it is.

Fun factor in mind, the all-wheel drive can add to the cars performance capabilities too, both pushing and pulling the car around curves if driven properly. On that last note, however, all-wheel drive will do nothing to save you from getting into an accident if you dont use the engines power to pull you away from a trouble spot, if time and space permits. I get a kick out of the presumption that somehow all-wheel drive will magically save a driver from mishap, when contrarily the extra weight of such systems only add to the burden of stopping on slippery surfaces. In reality, if youre not actively steering and powering towards an opening in traffic so as to escape the abhorrent metal on metal crunch, youre left to the whims of ABS brakes and airbags.

Fortunately, the Impreza Wagon comes equipped with a pretty decent set of four-wheel discs as standard, not to mention ABS and EBD as part of the package. Pedal feel is good, and the cars ability to slow to a stop in dramatic fashion is about as good as it gets in its compact class. If time and space doesnt permit, Subaru has outfitted all Imprezas with dual front and side-curtain airbags. Crash test results of the previous generation Impreza, prior to the new cars ring frame reinforced body structure, were very good, so this new car should be even safer.

No doubt such standard features are just some of the reasons why few carmakers have been able to achieve the loyal customer support that Subaru enjoys, and for the most part theyve done it by building good reliable cars with features that you just cant get anywhere else. This is why there are few direct competitors to the new Impreza Wagon, as only Dodges Caliber and Suzukis new SX4 make all-wheel drive available as an option in this class, the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe dont offer it anymore. Most auto journalists will agree that Subarus AWD system is superior to competitors, as well.

Unlike some brands that try to be everything to everybody, most people know exactly what a Subaru is. First and foremost its all-wheel drive, second its powered by a horizontally opposed boxer engine, and thirdly, what matter most, Subarus are designed to last a very long time.

Subarus biggest challenge might be a problem of its own making. Its owners keep their cars so long that it can never sell as many as some other brands, but thats the price of loyalty.

Actually, the car that came before the Impreza Wagon was named the Loyale for just these reasons. And just like the Impreza, when a used example comes on the pre-owned market it gets snatched up quickly.
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You need to spend more to get into an Impreza than you would for an equivalent Toyota or Honda, but then again, there isnt an equivalent Toyota or Honda available, so once again its difficult to make a comparison.

And that brings us back to the reason why Subaru fans come back to the brand again and again. They cant get what they want anywhere else. To that end, the updated Impreza, and in particular this Sport Wagon serves its purpose well.