2008 Subaru Impreza Impressions Review at Automotive.com

2008 Subaru Impreza Review: Road Test

Below is a full, detailed review and road test of the 2008 Subaru Impreza written by either the experts at New Car Test Drive or by one of Automotive.com's very own. A full evaluation of the driving experience, price, equipment, and specs are here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists ... more

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IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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2008 Subaru Impreza Review

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Driving Impressions

iver, leaving the choices to the computer chip. The STi, on the other hand, lets the driver sort through a bunch of options using a series of buttons on the center console.

One STi feature, called SI-Drive, allows a choice of three maps for the electronic throttle, ranging from commute grade to extra aggressive. This allows the driver to control how much the engine accelerates with a given movement of the gas pedal: smooth, mild response to big dips on the pedal, or major acceleration with small dips. The VDC also offers choices: Standard, Off, and Performance, which allows enough wheel slip to slide the car but still tries to gather things up if it gets too sloppy. A manual adjustment for the center differential controls how much of the power is sent to the front or rear wheels, as it is in a real World Rally Championship car. Between the various throttle maps, stability and differential settings, there are almost enough permutations to confuse a race-car engineer.

The leave-it-to-the-computer settings in the standard WRX will be fine for the majority of drivers, but we suppose those paying an extra $10,000 for the STi might expect some tangible features to impress their friends. In the right conditions, driving enthusiasts will have fun playing with the various settings, and those stressed out or confused by the adjustments can go with the default, automatic settings in the STi.

Review Sections

• Introduction

• Lineup

• Walkaround

• Interior

• Driving Impressions

• Summary & Specs

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There's not much confusion when you step on the gas, even in the standard WRX. This compact just goes, noticeably more quickly than the vast majority of cars in its size or price range, with a swoosh from the turbocharged engine that makes a viscerally satisfying experience. Yet power delivery in the 2008 is more linear than ever, so you don't have to get the engine screaming at 6000 rpm to feel the pull. The WRX will jump as readily if the engine is humming at 2500 rpm when the driver steps on it.

The weak link in this gas-and-go process might be the gear-change for the five-speed manual transmission. The shifter has nice weight and resistance, with reasonably short transfer between gears slots, but the movement is a tad more stretchy than we might like in true high-performance car. Nonetheless, the driver adjusts quickly, and working the gears in the WRX is a very pleasant experience. Starts are aided by Subaru's Hill-Holder feature, which keeps the car from rolling backward as the operator releases the clutch pedal on an incline.

The optional automatic transmission works fairly well, with nice, smooth upshifts and reasonably quick downshifts when you step on the gas to pass. Buyers who need an automatic should be happy, but we're reluctant to recommend it nonetheless. As five-, six- and even seven-speed automatics proliferate in the car industry, the WRX's four-speed seems dated, particularly in a car that's technologically advanced in other respects. Still, our reluctance has less to do with how the WRX automatic works and more with the fun a driver misses by forgoing the manual. The STi leaves no such option, because it's available only with a six-speed manual.

The STi really quick: Ford Mustang GT and Aston Martin V8 Vantage quick, or 0-60 mph in about five seconds flat, with an engine about half the size. Yet even more than in the standard WRX, the STi's new level of refinement is apparent. The power comes smoothly and more evenly than before, even with the electronic throttle management set in its most aggressive mode. And again, there is less commotion or mechanical fury apparent to the driver as the STi hurtles toward the horizon; just the rich exhaust rumble of a well-tuned, high-performance engine.

The STi's new found civility is apparent in all its dynamic characteristics. Its suspension tuning, or the mix of overall ride comfort, sharp handling and pavement-sticking grip, is one of the highlights. Steering in both the standard WRX and STi is lighter than we'd expect in most performance-tuned cars. But it's also fairly quick, so the car turns a lot with small movements on the wheel, and accurate. With a little familiarity, the typical driver will have no trouble directing these cars in very precise fashion.

Is the ride soft? Not exactly, but it's softer than before, and it's missing the cruder, teeth-chattering shocks of the original STi. We'll call the suspension movement controlled compliance, with enough give to be comfortable on all but the Midwest's worst roa?SubaruWRX�&Driving_Impressions???? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????? ?????????? ?? ??? ????????? ?????????????????????? ?? ? ??? ?? ? ???? ????? ?? ? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? ? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?? ? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ? ? ??? ?? ???????? ???????????????? ????? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??????????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????????? ?????? ??? ??? ???????????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?? ????????? ?????????? ????? ? ????????? ?????????? ??? ?? ??? ?????????? ??????? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???????????????? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????? ???????????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ? ?????????????? ???????????? ?? ? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ?? ??? ?????????? ??????? ????????????? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ? ???????? ?????? ? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ????????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ? ?????? ??????????? ?? ??????????? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ??????????? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ??????????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ? ????? ?? ?????? ? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??????????? ????? ??? ??? ??????????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???????????? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ?? ????????????? ???? ? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ????????? ??? ??????????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ?? ?????? ????????????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???????????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ???????? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?????????? ??????????? ??? ????????? ?????????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ????????????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????????????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????????? ?? ? ??????????????????�????????????????A¸224-hp 2.5-liter horizontally opposed turbo 4; 305-hp 2.5-liter horizontally opposed turbo 4?SubaruWRX� Engines_standard?????????? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ????????????? ??????????? ???????????? ??????? ???ds, much like the typical European sport sedan. The STi's suspension dampens body lean and fore-aft bobbing firmly (still more firmly than the standard WRX, but less firmly than the previous STi). Yet it allows the car to settle smoothly after big bumps, protecting those inside from big jolts or repeating, annoying up-down motions. And it still offers the driver everything he or she needs to evaluate what's happening under the seat, or to build confidence in the car's behavior.

Confidence in a car is a good thing at a race track, and we suspect a lot STi buyers will try their cars at a track day with the local owners club. We had a chance to sample the 2008 STi at Northern California's fast, deceptively simple Laguna Seca road course, where some of the world's best drivers have made some very famous mistakes. There, the STi demonstrated potential street driving rarely reveals, except perhaps in emergency situations where a car's capability can be the difference between a deep sigh of relief and disaster.

This new, more refined STi might merit the label unflappable, and it might be the perfect car for a beginner's introduction to a race track. At the track, the quality of its brakes and stability control electronics might be the difference between embarrassment and disaster, as when a beginner crests a hill and realizes the entrance to the next corner isn't where he or she thought it was.

At its handling limits, the STi has a slight inclination to understeer, or to generate the feeling that its front wheels are pushing off the road. Yet that tendency is less than in the typical front-drive car, and the STi's all-wheel-drive system allows the driver to get the front end to tuck into a curve by adding a little more gas. With the electronics doing the job they're designed to do, the STi stays planted under rough, abrupt or heavy-handed inputs on its controls. Whether braking hard into a curve, or panic-braking with a sudden twist of the steering to avoid an accident, the electronics are always working to keep the car's weight balanced and the tires on that fine line between maximum grip and skid. The STi helps take care of the beginner without strangling the joy out for skilled drivers, and it allows exceptionally skilled drivers to turn all the electronic aids off.

The brakes on these cars are outstanding. On both the WRX and STi, the rotors are larger than those on the typical small car, but especially so on the STi. Its brake hardware is supplied by Brembo, which also makes the brakes for Ferrari and other ultra-high performance car builders. Meanwhile, the ABS on these cars is among the most sophisticated available. It uses various sensors to control the braking force at each rear wheel independently, which in turn can help keep the car's rear end from sliding around while braking aggressively in a curve. next page