Test Drive: The Impreza

The Impreza is noisy.  The Lineartronic CVT may have the advantage of there being no gear change, unfortunately it does lead to a loud acceleration if done quickly. That being said there is no discernible stepping up of the gears and as such one can look at this as a trade-off.

The road holding is excellent with little roll or understeer. All in all, one feels protected. The safety features of the car are pretty good especially with its eyesight features and emergency brake system and lane sway and departure warnings keeping the driver on the straight and narrow.

The inside of the Impreza is what you would expect for a car of this standard and although won’t win any design awards is certainly robust with ample bin space in the door, space under the armrest and of the all-important cup holders.

Its reasonable and better than past versions. Boot size is reasonable as is the space in the back for two adults or three children.

The infotainment system looks fine and has all the usual accoutrements one would expect. It is difficult not to be picky with pretty much any system these days. I would say that it Is not that intuitive but then after a few tries as an owner rather than reviewer, it won’t be a problem as you will get used to it.

Given how competitive the market it is difficult to write a review whereby the Impreza shines above its peers, however that doesn’t mean it is not a good car. It does have all-wheel drive – something unusual in its class. It is a good car for the daily grind and certainly if you have messy children, you won’t be too on edge, given the hard-wearing nature of the interior. Price wise I would say it is average and fair for what you get.