2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Wagon

Purchased As Used

I absolutely love my 2008 Subaru Impreza Wagon. My very first car was a Subaru and I have been in love with them ever since. This car just keeps exceeding my expectations. I have now owned it for a year after buying it used (5 months old) and have loved it ever since. I have heard some people complaining about rattling and I have not heard anything like this.
As for the gas mileage: I am a petal to the metal type driver and I have had to stop doing this to keep my gas mileage decent. Right now I am averaging about 25-26 miles per gallon which is about 1/2 Highway and 1/2 City. But I try hard not to drive aggressively so I can keep that mileage high. Honestly my last car was a Mazda 6 and I get better gas mileage now then I did with that car.
My car had the premium package which was way worth it. I would highly recommend this to anyone. My car has a 6 CD Changer, an I-Pod hook up, Upgraded Speakers, Rear View Mirror Dimmer (My favorite feature) and several other smaller upgrades. The only thing that does annoy me is that it does not have Vanity Lights. But I can live without those.
I have had absolutely no problems with it so far. It has been a great little car and I plan on keeping it for a long time to come!...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

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

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

My 10th Subaru and Still Extremely Happy. Everything about this car just works.

Cons

Little wind noise with the roof rack and road noise

The entire design is well thought out. Car has classy styling yet is still able to work. More then enough room for everyone and everything. And with the 5 spd manual tranny..and not driving it like a fool..can easily see 32-36 mpg. 24K miles trouble free. Bad weather driving is unsurpassed

Pros

Handling, interior room, style

Cons

Not enough amenities, MPG (due to awd), not enough pickup

Very comfortable for hatchback, even back seat. Nice dash. The 2.5i model 4 cyl. just not powerful enough despite small size & can't break 22mpg even on highway. Perky handling *once* up to speed. Engine can be loud on acceleration. Lots of great comments on appearance, not a bad price for an overall reliable car!...read morehide

Pros

good mpg, very smooth and comfortable, quiet

Cons

premium radio , low front seat, paint chips easily, no sunroof option.

I've had this Impreza OS a couple of months now and i am very happy with it. The car is quiet and smooth and has enough pep.
I'm getting 24 mpg in suburban driving and over 30 on the highway with the air on. It has a very good ride for a small car. The Ipod intergration option is very good. you can shuffle through using the steering wheel controls. The premium radio is hard to adjust to make it sound good. I ended up using the surround mode with the bass and treble at 0 and the midrange at -5. Also the fm radio sounds flat. The auto transmision is ok , but it could use a 5sp auto. The sport shift is excellent though. The front passenger seat could use a pump to bring up the height, it sits very low. I only put on the luggage rack when i need it, because it is noisy when driving fast. The car handles very nice but the steering could be a little sharper for my tastes. Looking forward to driving it in the snow. The paint seems to chip fairly easy from stones, but it looks great....read morehide

Pros

good fuel economy for type of car, sticks on the road like glue, responsive

Cons

standard model audio isnt so amazing, trunk might be to small if your outdoorsy with alot of gear

just recently bought this car new, and it was about the same price as used honda CRV's and toyotas. i had a 01 Saab 93 turbo which i loved, but it died on me. this car is practically the same thing but without turbo and better handling. whats better about the subie is that it takes regular gas and it is suprisingly quick once you know when/how to push it on the road. all around, this is a great car to get. it would be nice to have a WRX but, the everyday person doesnt need a car that they can race. The Fast and the Furious is dated, impreza 2.5i is definatly the way to go, especially over a Saab 9-3 and a Mazda 3....read morehide

Pros

Good fuel economy for the size of the car and awd. Smooth ride.

Cons

Head rest is a slanted a bit too much.

I love this vehicle. I previously owned a Jeep Liberty, which was a bouncier ride and was not sure that I would like going from a vehicle that sat higher up to sitting low. My son has a WRX and I liked the ride so he convinced me to get try the Imprezza 5 door,when I was car shopping, so I did and I really like it. I went to Ruge's in Rhinebeck and was fortunate to have the same gentleman assist me that my son purchased his vehicle from. Thank you Al!...read morehide

Pros

Very stable, supple ride, superb braking, unbelieveable handling, decent creature comforts, AWD

Cons

Spartan interior, a bit uninspiring off of a dead start, lower MPG because of AWD

Going from a '97 Grand Cherokee to the '08 Impreza Outback Sport (2.5i, 170hp) was a complete system shock: this little Suby revitalized my love for driving. I'd suggest the WRX if you want to be quicker off the line, but on highways 170hp does the trick...the angry buzz of the 4-speed boxer is assuring as the Impreza darts and moves with confidence and precision, the AWD and VDC (stability assist) keeping it tight on the road even in heavy wind and rain. Stopping on a dime is no problem, as the ABS brakes are top-notch (a least in my limited experiece). The maneuverability and wire tight turn radius shine in cramped urban environments as well, making mundane tasks like lane-chaning, intersection turning and even parking somewhat fun. If you like driving - not just going from point A to B - and feeling safe and secure even in bad road conditions, give this little Suby a test drive....read morehide