2012 Subaru Impreza User Reviews

Pros

Fuel economy, CVT, interior upgrades, overall quality

Cons

Some CVT coding quirks; a little noisy

Purchased As New

Consumer Reports got this one right. Car mags grouse about lack of power and styling. But I'll trade a slight loss of power--not enough to think twice about--for a huge improvement in mpg. On a trip from Denver to Beaver Creek, over two mountain passes above 10600 feet at 70 mph most of the way, averaged 34.5 mpg. There's more than enough power, the handling and ride are superb, and four-wheel disc brakes are reassuringly solid. The continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is light years ahead of automatics. The interior is uncluttered, intuitive, and relaxing. The moonroof/alloy wheels/winter package is well worth the price in Colorado and other cold/snowy places. Fit and finish are top-notch, and attention to detail shows throughout. One example: the doors are perfectly balanced, so they open and close with little effort, and feel very solid. It's not quite perfect; there's a bit more wind noise than necessary, and the CVT doesn't really understand acceleration or downhill coasting. If Subaru releases an update for the programming, this car will be almost ideal.