Seriously, I love this car, it's my first subaru bought after some intense internet researching (forums/reviews etc.) and visiting various dealers. The shifting is smooth, much less notchier than other 5 speeds i've driven, you get up to highway speed very easily with little to no effort on the pedal, the AWD grips the road and refuses to let go. It's not a huge car but it's also not small like other hatchbacks on the market. I almost mentioned the "boxer rumble" and tranny noise audible from inside the cabin, in the cons section, then thought that some enthusiasts would be offended as that is what lies at the heart and represents the soul of these machines. If you want a "driver's car", this is it, the most enjoyable ride you'll have short of the STi (and a few $thousand$). It's just a shame with these gas prices, I find myself 'hypermiling' and not utilizing the wrx to it's potential.

Ok. After reading extensive reviews and test driving both the new 2008 STI and the new Evo, I purchased the STI. I bought the charcoal gray STI and, to me, the STI just looks more sophisticated, inside and out, than the Evo. The STI’s styling is very bold and, at a glance, it looks unlike anything on the road, which is something I appreciate. I seem to get a lot of stares and “thumbs-up” signs while driving the STI. The Evo’s styling, on the other hand, looks nice, but it’s a bit commonplace and is easily confused with other 4-door sedans at a glance, namely, Mitsu’s base Lancer. Inside, the materials of the STI have a better fit, finish and overall substance, in my opinion, than the Evo too. Driving-wise, the STI is less of a rough ride than the Evo, but is still plenty responsive and has a “planted”/solid feel at high speeds. The STI is a pleasure to drive because the seats are more comfortable for longer distance driving. The Evo’s seats are a bit hard, and are essentially racer-boy Recaros, which are fine if you want to be a poser/wanna-be racer, but not much practicality for every day driving. The STI also has 3 different driving modes depending on what type of driving you want to do - Intelligent/everyday vs. Sport vs. Sport Sharp, a cutting edge racing type driving mode that’ll gobble up a tank of 93 octane like nobody’s business! The Sport Sharp mode is like flipping a nitrous switch and boosts the already awesome acceleration over 3500 rpm. Due to its hatchback design, there’s a ton more cargo space in the STI than the Evo too, especially when you drop the back seats forward (which I don’t think you can even do in the Evo). I mean, I couldn’t even fit a single set of golf clubs in the trunk of the new Evo, whereas I could easily fit a single set of clubs in the back of the STI, and probably an additional set with one of the back seats down. The STI is just a better, all-around small sports car (I’d even say it’s a poor man’s Porsche 911 Carrera 4 due to its AWD and boxer engine) than the Evo. I mean, I actually had the little woman thinking that our new STI is a great family car, that is, until she saw how I drive that bad boy! If you’re really on the fence about which one to go with, just employ a little common sense and ask yourself if you will primarily be driving your car on the track or on the street. If on the track, go with the Evo, if on the street, definitely go with STI. You will not be disappointed. As for the new baby BMW, I don’t honestly believe it’s in the same class as the STI and Evo. I haven’t seen a BMW in any rallies lately, and given their maintenance costs over the long term, I think anyone would be foolish to buy one.

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.

Ignore the car magazine and other "professional" reviews of the '08 WRX sedan. It is a great car. I have the 5-speed Premium package and love the performance. And, of course, it is a Subaru. I have owned an '03 Legacy, which I loved, and an '07 Outback Wagon, which was also a great car. But I wanted a car with some performance and I tell you, for the price, you can't go wrong with the WRX. Some complain that Subaru sold out with the styling of the '08 to make this appeal to more, but I disagree. It's still has the distinct look (i.e., hood scoop) and does not look like any other car. I will agree though that the grill is only so-so.

Test drive this car and you will want one! I guarantee it.

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.

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!

Let it be known I am a Subaru fan. have owned several.

BUT Subaru has designed the worst ski rack for this car. It is hideously noisy. Their engineers must know how bad it is since they put a disclaimer on it saying take it off if you can't stand the noise (objectionable is too mild a word to describe the noise level).
It fits in specially built holes. There is probably no rack but theirs that will fit.

Had I known it would be like that, I would have never bought a WRX. We ski a lot and I can not imagine traveling 500 to 1000 miles one way listening to the roar coming from the ceiling in the car. I have a Subaru Forester and the rack is practically noiseless. I have rented Outbacks with racks and they too are unnoticeable.

Before you tell me let the buyer beware, no Subaru on the lot had a rack on it. And I suspect why. We had to order the rack and it just came. For a company whose largest clientele is winter sports fans, this should be a complete embarrassment, and considered a utter engineering failure rushed to market.

Drove a subaru base model with automatic.This car is pure pleasure.Recently, I drove it to from denver to Yellowstone national park on memorial day weekend.On a hilly, snowy, rainy and slippery conditions, this car performed amazingly well.

On the trip from Denver to Yellowstone, I set up cruise control around 65-70 and averaged around 33 on the highway.While returning to Denver, it rained heavily,I constantly touched 70-75 without cruise control and got a highway mileage of 30.In city driving, I get around 30.

This car is great in Winter.I feel very safe in it.The manufacturer's website says that we get a 20-27 MPG in city/highway,but I have never got less than 28-29 in city.In highways I get 30-35.

Seat material is a plus..I really love this car.

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.

I Bought this car couple weeks ago cause of a sale in april. I though it is ungly when i first saw the picture but in live its better, At least its less attractive for the cops. With the permium package, mesh grille, auto-dimming mirror, rear bumper cover, 0% finace and extended arm rest cost me around 28,000. For a wrx thats not bad. I am sure your dealer can cut down the price around the same. At first i was thinking of the forester 2.5xt but it doesn't has side curtain airbag and the dealer has a red wrx in show room. Got into it and it impress me cause of the new interior design. I like that better than the old one. So after i drive it and got comfortable in it these are my conclusions. Fuel is avg 20mpg mix with highway 70% and local street 30%. Noises when driving on highway. Feel jumpy at the rear of the car when corner hard. Power is enough for me. Stereo system is ok. Door opening is bigger than avg so it is easy to get in n out. Trunk size is good with the 5 doors model. So if you are looking for a everyday car you can consider the wrx.