2008 Subaru Impreza

Subaru has updated the all-wheel-drive Impreza for 2008 with a new and more mainstream style available in sedan and five-door configurations, a lighter engine in the WRX model, a new rear suspension design, added interior room, and standard safety features including side-curtain airbags and Vehicle Dynamics Control.

Love or hate them, previous Imprezas were unique. In its effort increase sales, Subaru is taking a more mainstream approach to car design, with the ’08 Impreza suffering the consequences: The styling is ho-hum and the driving dynamics only OK in the 2.5i (noticeably better in the STI).

Once upon a time, the standard Subaru Impreza was a sleeper deal. You got a good chunk of the fun of a WRX and nearly all the funk, just with less power and a cut-rate price. With that history in mind we were initially excited to get our hands on the all-new 2008 Impreza 2.5i, so imagine our disappointment when we discovered that the little Subie is making a play for the mainstream. By many measures it’s better than the previous car, but the funk and fun that made the older car endearing is largely gone.

Our pre-production Impreza 2.5i was about as base as it gets. With no options that we could see, the price on it would have come to $18,140 including the $645 destination charge, a sizeable chunk of change for the company’s entry-level vehicle. Admittedly, it’s well equipped with standard all-wheel drive, a five-speed manual, anti-lock brakes, an audio system with speed-sensing volume adjustment and other nice bits. The $1,500 premium package bundles alloy wheels, vehicle stability control, rear disc brakes, fog lights and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, while the satellite radio and nav package throws a better audio system and navigation on top of that for $3,500.

The combination of a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter flat-four engine, a five-speed manual transmission and full-time all-wheel drive sounds like a recipe for fun. However, this is a high-carb mixture thanks to the Impreza’s 3,064-lb. curb weight. The result is pokey acceleration, even though the powertrain gives it all it’s got. It’s noisy too, especially at high revs, and the five-speed’s shift action was quite rubbery. Stand on the throttle in a corner and the all-wheel drive corrects most mistakes, but you still find yourself using body English to push the car faster out of the corner.

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