2009 Subaru Impreza User Reviews

Pros

Full-time AWD makes car amazingly safe and fun to drive. Great brakes, stereo, powerful engine.

Cons

Would like a higher front passenger seat, optional sedan trunk liner, and rear windshield wiper.

Purchased As New

So many of my friends have had wonderful 10+ year experiences with their Subaru Foresters...but when I was looking for a used one, a fantastic deal came up on a Subaru Impreza demo...and I couldn't be happier!
To be honest, I have been surprised how good the gas mileage is -- when I don't have the heater or air conditioning on, about 27 mpg city/34 mpg U.S. (approximately 8 liters per 100 km city/6.8 liters per 100 km highway Canadian, I believe.)
The full-time AWD makes the Impreza grab the road as if it has claws, without slowing its speed. The acceleration is powerful, the brakes are amazing, and the car's cornering abilities turn mountain driving -- which face it, can be rather gnarly at times -- into a fun experience. Some people seem to have issues with the stereo, but I have a pretty good ear, and I love it.
After last winter's experiences on our icy, snowy western side of the Rocky Mountains, I was really glad that I had immediately added excellent winter tires -- hey, this car deserves to be met halfway! I would also recommend the optional fog lights -- key if you are ever going to be driving a poorly lit two-lane road in a snowstorm.
It's intriguing that some of the consumer reviewers have added rear sway bars to their Imprezas. Perhaps it's a good idea for extremely sporty drivers, but around here -- where you will hit either a moose or a mountainside if you're driving that fast -- the stock suspension works just great; people say the car's ride is very comfortable.
The sedan's back seat fits three large people easily, the sedan pass-through works great for skis, and the ability to lay the back seat flat really helps for occasional cargo hauls. That being said, a person with an extremely rural lifestyle who needs room for hay bales, or a large dog, might consider paying the extra $1000 or so to get the wagon version of the Impreza. Both versions look great, IMHO.
I am very much enjoying all the available power in this car -- who needs a turbo? even at 70 mph, there is obviously lots of room left in the engine for people who want to drive faster than I do -- and I feel this may be partly because I have a 5M, standard shift model. So, I would definitely recommend it, unless you adore automatics.
Because my previous car, a 1987 Toyota Tercel 4WD wagon, lasted 22 happy years due to its first owner having undercoated it, I immediately invested in that, with hopes of similar long-lasting results! Some consumer magazines say that undercoating is no longer necessary, but I am not sure their writers/editors live in the Pacific Northwest or Rocky Mountain regions, where cars sometimes go for months without ever really drying out.
Overall, I am extremely pleased that I could find such a fun-to-drive, safe car, with AWD, for such a reasonable price. And I was amazed to discover -- after I signed the papers -- that Subaru included a 3-year Roadside Assistance package in the deal! Overall, a great experience, so far.