SUBARU GOES MAINSTREAM
This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!
Published on Sun, Sep 20, 2009
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
Subaru Impreza 2.5GT
SUBARU GOES MAINSTREAM
These are some dark days for the auto industry. With the annual sales dropping
to a shadow of its former self, car manufacturers are forced to make some
unpopular decisions that simply make good economic sense. Forget about producing
low-volume, radical products. Sports cars or halo vehicles might be great for
the company's image, they can be a drain on the bottom line.
Subaru does offer vehicles that are designed for a mainstream audience. The
Legacy and Forester are two of those cars. But when the name Subaru is mentioned
most enthusiasts think of the dominating Impreza WRX and STi models, and that's
a good thing. So the question for budget minded, fun-loving drivers becomes, are
the base models from which the rally racers are derived wolves in sheep's
clothing, or are they just sheep?
Subaru
Impreza 2.5i
The Impreza line-up with sedans and 5-door wagons are the building blocks for
their fierce siblings. The Impreza 2.5i and Impreza GT cover the price range
from 17.5K to 27.5K respectively. In the Impreza model line-up there are no less
than 17 variations, plus buyers can pick from five additional option packages.
To add a little more confusion to this, the GT is actually $2,000 more and 41
horsepower fewer than the WRX, which might seem strange less they have different
missions in life.
These products share many interior and exterior appointments. The 2.5i and GT do
look relatively attractive and there is nothing that stands out as being out of
place with a vehicle of this genre. From the outside these look convincing
enough, posing fair competition to other manufacturers, with the 5-door being
less conservative in its styling. The attractive body, details, and the rich
looking paint, all point to something a cut above. Even the front end styling of
the GT with the air intake looks borderline aggressive, but is it enough?
The interior on the lower-rung model has a modern, user-friendly design.
Unfortunately the 2.5i shares another less desirable trait with its pricier
sibling, wall-to-wall plastic. As a matter of fact with the exception of a small
patch of padding on the armrest, and the leather wrapped steering wheel, the
carpet and seats, the rest is hard, econobox plastic. Perhaps, this is a carry
over from Subaru's early days where wash and wear products gained the brand
off-road street cred. When it comes to material choices this environment is
about as inviting as a dentist's waiting room.
The Impreza 2.5i and Impreza GT have much in common, such as much of the
interior trim and exterior sheet metal, but they also have different callings in
life.
Subaru
Impreza 2.5i 5-door hatchback
IMPREZA 2.5i
The Impreza 2.5i will never be mistaken as a race car or even a sports car, but
surprisingly it makes a good amount of power for its 3000-pound body. The
horizontally opposed 16-valve makes a reasonable 170 horsepower with 170
pound-feet of torque and is responsive when asked to react. Unfortunately, you
need to use the entire RPM range to see the power, and coupled with the 5-speed
manual expect to be doing a lot of shifting on freeway when passing just to keep
it in the powerband. But, this is a lot of fun driving around town.
Even the Impreza 2.5i, being the most basic of the Subaru line, comes with many
features not offered in most vehicles in the class. In all of the mid-compact
cars the rear seats are a bit tight, and they all have a baseline four-cylinder
motors in different configurations but no other offers over 170-horsepower and
all-wheel drive under $20,000. Subaru has done a great job even with their most
basic model keeping a generous hint of sports car performance with the Impreza
2.5i.
Any car, no matter how many horsepower or how much torque it may have, isn't fun
to drive if you can't keep the power on the ground. Most people think of
all-wheel drive as being great for the snow or off-road surfaces, but most LA
drivers are more concerned about handling and avoiding freeway debris than snow.
Being one of just a couple all-wheel drive cars in this class, the test is how
it performs in some of the faster curves around town and those freeway on-ramps.
Press on the throttle midst some of those fast 405 on and off-ramps and look for
the under-steer, as most cars in the class have a tendency to push all over the
place, and you will be delighted. The electronic dynamic control system is quick
to react and even when trying to break the 16-inch tires loose it is nearly
impossible to do. Not even a squeal of the tires is heard while the brakes are
being automatically applied and engine power robbed. Even though it can be
turned off, the traction control system did not allow the car to be pushed in
any manner. Good for tires, but bad for the driving experience.
Even though both Impreza models may have a less than soft interior it has a
surprisingly roomy interior for passengers. One benefit of using hard materials
is they take up less space. The trunk in the five-door however is not especially
large and three big guys and three sets of golf clubs are a tight fit but
certainly do-able with one of the read seats folded down. The cabin is spacious
and ergonomically very well set up as the driver and passenger sit low in the
vehicle and there is ample head-room even for the oversized passenger. - Paul
Robinson
Subaru
Impreza 2.5GT
IMPREZA 2.5GT
Offsetting the expanses of plastic are some nice touches in the GT. One of the
most distinct is the illuminated gage cluster that glow upon a twist of the
ignition key. The brief visual display is in itself enough to want this car.
This is addictive like a game of Ms. Pacman. And while the lack of a more
sophisticated trim isn't really surprising in entry-level products it's another
story when the car is approaching 30K. Surprisingly, the GT is closing in on
that territory.
What can really catch people off guard is the ride quality. The Impreza 2.5GT
does indeed impress. In its mission in life as comfortable transportation this
definitely succeeds.
The GT is, as the name implies, a grand tourer. The suspension is not too soft,
yet this is really not a hard-core sports set-up. The engineers developed this
to allow the average person to use this with great ease in everyday life, and
still have a moderate amount of fun.
The engine is what really gives life to this model. Producing nearly 90 horses
for every liter of engine is a pretty solid stat. For a car of this size it has
no trouble making due with 224 horsepower (54 more than the 2.5i). Subaru has
plenty of experience turbocharging its motors. In normal use the onset of the
turbo isn't a detriment to the overall driving experience. The presence of the
turbo comes on fairly smoothly and allows the relatively small engine to keep up
with far larger powerplants.
Subaru
Impreza 2.5i 5-door hatchback
What the engine giveth, the four-speed automatic takes away. Giving credit where
credit is due, this is a fairly good four-speed, but it this is really holding
the car back in performance and fuel economy. One would suspect the engine might
be a bit thirsty, but in long hauls this feels like it's constantly wanting to
upshift, However, the reality is the tranny is already in top gear. The
transmission alone goes neck-and-neck with the interior materials as the one
aspect that needs the most attention from Subaru. A five-speed is really
overdue.
The seats serve their masters well, even without an adjustable lumbar support.
It is possible to spend a few hours behind the wheel without feeling fatigued.
Like the 2.5i, the rather ho-hum looking material and design don't reflect just
how comfortable these really are.
Any car is more than just the sum of its parts and these are no different. While
there are several points to be made from pricing to materials, the GT does offer
a good drive. In fact, with the all-wheel drive this is both engaging and
communicative when needed. The steering feel indifferent while going straight,
yet the feeling coming through when pushing this through turns is confidence
building, just as it is with the other models.
The Subaru Impreza line-up is more than just the 2.5GT and the 2.5i. However,
even with just these two models, it does keep the majors looking over their
collective shoulders in the race for better-than-basic transportation. The race
for sales is one of endurance, and that's one race Subaru is very accustomed to.
- John Grafman
Subaru
Impreza 2.5GT
SUMMARY JUDGMENT
No, they are not WRXes, but they more than offer lots of value and economy for
their price.
For more information about Subaru products, go to
www.subaru.com
SPECIFICATIONS
Subaru Impreza 2.5i
Price: Base $17,495
Engine type:
Four-cylinder, horizontally opposed (boxer); aluminum cylinder block and heads
EPA mileage estimates City/ Highway: 20/27
Horsepower: 170 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 170 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm
Drive configuration: Front engine / all-wheel drive
Transmission type:
5 Speed Manual
Suspension:
Front: MacPherson-type struts with multiple-phase valving; steel lower L-arms;
coil springs; stabilizer bar and negative-scrub geometry
Rear: Double-wishbone
Wheels and tires:
16 x 6.5 JJ steel wheels, 205/55 R16 Bridgestone RE92A M+S all-season
Brakes:
Front: 10.9-in. ventilated disc, dual-piston calipers
Rear: 11.3-in. solid disc, single-piston calipers
Vehicle Dynamics Control with all-wheel, all-speed traction control and
Electronic Limited Slip Differential function
Overall length: 173.8 in.
Overall width: 68.5 in.
Overall height: 58.1 in
Curb weight (lbs): 3,075
Subaru Impreza 2.5GT
Price: Base $26,995
Engine type:
Four-cylinder, horizontally opposed (Boxer); turbocharged with inter-cooler;
aluminum cylinder block and heads
EPA mileage estimates City/ Highway: 19/24
Horsepower: 224 @ 5.400 rpm
Torque: 226 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm
Drive configuration: Front engine / all-wheel drive
Transmission type:
Four-speed automatic
Suspension:
Front: Sport-tuned MacPherson-type struts with multiple-phase valving; steel
lower L-arms; coil springs; stabilizer bar and negative-scrub geometry
Rear: Sport-tuned double-wishbone with stabilizer bar
Wheels and tires:
17x7 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, 205/50R17 all-season tires
Brakes:
Front: 10.9-in. ventilated disc, dual-piston calipers
Rear: 11.3-in. solid disc, single-piston calipers
Vehicle Dynamics Control with all-wheel, all-speed traction control and
Electronic Limited Slip Differential function
Overall length: 180.3 in.
Overall width: 68.5 in.
Overall height: 58.1 in
Curb weight (lbs): 3,240