2008 Subaru Impreza User Reviews

Pros

Fast, quick, speedy, fun and practical

Cons

Ugly as sin, minor mechanical issues (yes - minor!)

Purchased As New

What inspired me to write this review is a recent trip I took out to North Dakota and Wyoming to shoot some ghost towns. I'd never driven this car at (or near) sea level before, living in Colorado for the last 6 years. Oh man, what an eye-opener.

Like I said...fast, quick, speedy, agile, responsive, fun and practical. I can take my kids to school one minute, then hit the track in another.

This one sits on a Legacy frame. Having owned a previous WRX, I can tell you - those inches are welcome. I won't have an issue with infant seats (the variety that goes in backwards).

The car is not comfortable...at all. It rides rough and leans more than it should.

I've got a brake issue where the ducts clog with dust every 3k miles. Then the rotors start whining.

Not perfect, but I enjoy it anyway. Between this and my 2002 Z06, I'd have a hard time choosing....read morehide

Pros

Great performance for its class, roomy, lots of cargo space, lots of standard features, safe

Cons

Considerable amount of rattles coming from various parts of the car, premium stereo could be better

Purchased As New

First of let me say that this car is a great all around car. I've had it for over a year and have about 15,000 miles on it (lots of long distance trips). I have the premium package with the 5-speed manual and sport grille.

It's performance is very good for its class. The engine is responsive with a good power and torque curve. It's great fun to drive. Handling wise, with its stock suspension setup there's a good deal of body roll which worsens the handling and can make for an uncomfortable ride when cornering. However, I was able to easily remedy this by installing a rear sway bar from a WRX. The car is much more flat on the road now and is much more responsive and predictable. The ride of the car is soft, but not too soft; a good balance of performance and comfort. Unfortunately, the stock Bridgestone RE92A tires are just awful. Their dry weather handling on paved surfaces is adequate, but on anything other than that their performance is dismal at best. Overall though, the car handles well and the AWD adds that extra grip and piece of mind. The interior is roomy and very comfortable. I can get out of it after 11 hour straight drives and don't feel sore or achy at all. The premium package stereo is good but leaves me feeling like it should be better. One thing that seems to be lacking in this car is interior build quality. Rattles appeared almost from the start and seem to be multiplying. The driverside door rattles, the center console rattles, something behind the instrument cluster rattles, the clock rattles when it's hot, the front A-pillars rattle when it's cold, the rear seat mounts rattle, and the trunk lid rattles. And those are just the ones I've positively identified so far. I had a 12 year old BMW 3-series before this that had a couple rattles, but a car that old is supposed to do that, new cars shouldn't. It bothers me a little and that brings the comfort down slightly. The paint quality is not the best and will chip easily so be careful.

Honestly, all of the negative things I've listed above are minuscule compared to everything that is good about the car, and there is a lot to like about this car. Reliability for one. I've had zero problems with the car so far and I expect it to stay that way for a long time with Subaru's good reputation. Fuel economy is better than expected. I get about 26 city and 33 highway most of the time even with my aggressive driving style (I've had it as high as 48mpg cruising at 75mph on a level highway with a tailwind). The car looks very sharp in my opinion and the sport grille definitely helps its looks. You can definitely see many rally inspired features throughout the car too. The headlights, highbeams, fog lights, and tail lights are very effective and bright and the offroad handling is great even in the mud and at speed (even with the stock tires). The engine is quiet while cruising, but deals out that great boxer rumble when you want it to.

I could say more about this car, but I'm running out of space. I'm very happy overall with the car so far and its value. It's excellent for what I need it for (I'm a college student, so I need a car that can carry a lot long distances comfortably, economically, and reliably, and the car does exactly that). And hopefully I never need to test out the car's five star crash test rating.

I hope this review has helped you. And sorry about the long rambling review, it would be a lot easier to read if yahoo allowed any sort of formatting....read morehide

Pros

Safe, Sleek enough, but not over the top, roomy, AWD, Roomy

Cons

Weak factory stereo, rattles already from dashboard, fuel economy (but should improve)

Purchased As New

Overall VERY satisfied with this vehicle after about 1,100 miles. Smooth acceleration. Comfortable for all - some of the best cloth seats I've sat in. Sexy dashboard, simple yet nice to look at. Roomy trunk/cargo space, although not much space in the front for little things like driving glasses. Low vehicle noise in the cabin, but you can hear the awesome sound of that Boxer engine. AWD is safe and drives GREAT, but the fuel economy is way below what i was expecting - hopefully this goes up after the 'breakin' period. Easy to add ski/bike rack. Functional hood scoop is awesome! Only concerns are that the car rattles a bit, and my old car was a 1997 that didn't rattle at all - hopefully this doesn't get worse. I'll admit coming from a "Ford family" that learning this climate control system was a bit of a pain, but once I got it figured out, I'm loving the car all the way. Actually those Subaru "love" commercials are kinda true... you'll probalby love driving a Subaru. If the car withstand the test of time, I'll be a Subaru buyer for life....read morehide

Pros

power, handling in the rain/snow, looks, price/value

Cons

DCCD is not an option, average 21 mpg 50/50 city-hwy, no leather option

Purchased As New

Fun to drive car and not the cop magnet the old version was.
The turbo comes on early, you feel the boost at start at 2000 rpm's.
5 speed is a little notchy. not bad, just not as silky smooth as a Honda. Radio is just ok, not much power. aux is cool feature, I used it for my XM radio connection. The new body has framed doors that make it a much quieter car....read morehide

Pros

4 wheel drive, 4 doors, folding rear seats 24 miles per gal.

Cons

Auto transmission need extra gear, need window sun screening, poor dealer prep, sun shade cheep,

Purchased As New

Over all the car is ok for basic 4 wheel drive transportation, I had to take the car back for loose coolent hose. Paint seems cheep along withthe front windsheild which now has a crack in it. The auto transmission needs extra gear. What's with the sun visor -it doesn't stay put. No sun or UV screening in the windows. I will have to add sun tint to the back windows to keep from cooking. The car has atendency to plow on curves when slippery...read morehide

Pros

looks, handling, don't see many on the road.

Cons

stereo is weak, motor needs fine tuned, paint quality is just OK

I am a new Subaru owner having had mainly family type vehicles (sedans, SUV, pickup) in the past. However in my youth I owned a 944 Porsche that I loved ! Sold it and used the money for down payment on house many years ago. I now have a sports car to replace the Porsche that is a much better vehicle. The ride,power, handling,and looks of this vehicle are fantastic and with the AWD, seats that fold down and four doors I can still haul family and other cargo no problem. So this car gets driven every day. I would recommend the Cobb Stg 1 ECU to help smooth out the power band and help overall with performance and mileage ($625 ) Then visit your local stereo clinic to get a little body in the sound system...read morehide

Pros

Great Handling, good leg room for tall folk, engine can roar when needed

Cons

Turbo seems to lag, car doesnt really take off until 3,000 RPM

I used to have an 07 Legacy GT, I loved that car and told myself I would drive it into the ground. That was until I saw the 08 STi. Now when I first saw the car, I honestly thought it was ugly and couldnt believe that Subaru would do such a thing, but the more I saw it, the more I started to appreciate the new look. I think the new look has a more mature look, the hood scoop, wide fenders and quad exhaust let people know that this car means buisness on the road. The one this I am most impressed with is the handling. I am used to Subaru AWD and their top of the line handling but this car sticks to the road. My mouth starts to water every time I get near an on-ramp. Give the car some gas and it takes off, very little body roll and the suspension is hands down better than the aftermarket suspension I had on the 07 LGT. One thing I will say...this car has a high price tag, with the BBS package (Rims and fog lights) it brough the price tag up to 36K. You can get a 3 series or a G35 for that price. It was easy for me though...once your in the Subaru family, its hard to leave. I love this car....read morehide

Pros

Mid-range torque (4th gear acceleration), All-wheel Drive, Interior Size

Cons

Off the line acceleration

I traded a 2000 Honda civic for this 2008 impreza 2.5i hatchback. Great to have a new car again.

I like the standard features that come with the car. The tire pressure monitoring system and air bags all over add to my piece of mind.

The white hatchback with black accents looks sharp. Especially when the sun hits it just right.

I will miss the 36 mpg that my old Honda got. The lose of 10 miles per gallon is offset by the utility of all-wheel drive.

Off the line the impreza 5 speed seems slow but in fourth the motor pulls strong and smooth. The mid-range torque is stump pulling strong.

We could have bought a more expensive car. I like what I got for the money. My wife and I can't wait for snow now. I am look forward to 1xx,xxx mile in the 2.5i

Now, how about a short shift kit and the i-pod interface???...read morehide

Pros

In the Intelligent mode, got 26 MPG(Keep your foot out of the Turbo), Great Performance, good looks!

Cons

Needs more bells/whistles for the price i.e. electric seats, seat warmers, better sound system.

Did alot of research on this car before purchasing. It is a very nice, powerful, little car. Hopefully the car will stay as solid as it is right now. Love the engine sound, acceleration, etc. but, needs to have turbo guage/light built in from factory. Subaru used to do this, but, for some reason does not anymore. Sport/Sport plus modes are really nice!! Alot of fun to drive....read morehide

Pros

good mpg. it rides nice. more room.handling is very good better than my old 03 wrx.

Cons

the raido/cd/dvd/nav. is junk.needs more of a updated trans.

i bought the car off the show room floor in may. i have 4200 miles on it sofar. when i 1st. seen the car on line it looked kins granyish in looks. mostly from the frunt. like it 1st. looks it looks like a van..lol then after 2mos. i just had to go and look at it inperson and take it for a ride too. then i drove 120 miles back home to think about it. by the time i got home my mind was made up...lol
i did check out the other cars in the same $ and type,but i had the best luck with subaru and up here the awd is a must at winter. i have drove many cars,trucks, and at one time just about every thing the millitary had with tracks or wheels..lol
thia ia a very good G.T. type car!!! very niice on the open road but i have to keep an eye on it in parking lots..lol and i let some of my family and good freinds drive it too... but i had a hard time getting it back...lol...read morehide