Great handling; AWD and traction control; sharp looking exterior; responsive acceleration; sporty interior; perfect blend of a sports car and everyday comfortable sedan; a good amount of power for a decent price; dual exhaust (the mazda speed 3 doesn't have that!); just enough bells and whistles to keep you happy without being too overwhelming.

Even though traveling at highway speeds is smooth, there is a considerable amount of road noise when you get up to around 60MPH. The shifter feels natural (the short throw aspect is actually very nice), but the clutch is extremely stiff, making it hard to judge how quickly you can let off of it. Also, the engine is very quiet at idle, and I usually use engine sound rather than the tach to determine the rate at which I can let off the clutch and give it gas, so sometimes it's hard to determine if I'm giving it enough gas getting going in 1st. (I've actually killed it a few times because I can't hear the engine well) I don't know if you can consider this a weakness, but it's a tad annoying.

This review is actually for the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX:
When it was time to buy a new car, I was looking for a car with a little power that wouldn't put a crazy dent in my wallet. I wanted a manual transmission car, so I was looking mainly at this car, the Mazda Speed3, the Honda Accord, and the Nissan Altima. Many people compare this car to the Speed3, and let me tell you, this car was the better choice. Yes, the speed3 is just as powerful, and it's got enough torque to put you into the back seat, but the Speed3 thinks that everything about it should be geared toward racing. The Impreza knows it's fast, but it still gives you that comfortable feeling you'd want in a car that you're in everyday while going to work. When it's playtime, though, this car delivers, and that's what's so good about it. It delivers when needed; it doesn't shove it down your throat the whole time you're driving it.

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Mazda Speed3

now using the plastic legacy motor

garbage after the 05 it was all down hill.

Good handling, goes well in the snow, has great visibility, great car when its working

Serious mechanical problems, its extremely common that the clutch needs to be replaced on imprezas before 40000 miles

After 35000 I've had to have the clutch replaced, the air conditioning stopped working, had an electrical problem where the headlights went out, and has been in and out of the shop a couple times now with problems overheating, also it blew the head gasket, all together if I wouldn't have gotten the extended warranty it would have cost me around $8500 in repairs

Handling, versatility, reasonably strong engine for the small car, snow perfomance.

1. BEWARE: insurance cost for the outback sport is ~50% higher than for a regular Impreza since it's considered a sports car. Insurance for the outback sport is the same as for a full outback/Forester. 2. poor mileage. 3. several minor nuisances, e.g. fuel tank lid would not open, cup holder is positioned stupidly above the stereo (AFAIK Subaru did nothing about this in the 2004 model - hello?) 4. More noisy than regular sedans, sonething that takes time to get accustomed to.

I wanted a manual, realiable (read: Japanese) AWD vehicle priced under $20000, and this pritty much left me with the Impreza (Rav4 and the Matrix had weaker engines, and looked wimpy overall). My Otback Sport handles great. It feels like it's on rails. At the same time, it's not as stiff as roadsters, i.e. the car can be used for long trips, and daily commutes. Handling in snow is very good: I've helped to pull out many huge SUVs during a recent snowstorm here in Long Island. A perfect vehicle for an single outdoorsman/a family of two active people. No problems at 25000, but will see. Overall, the greatest all-around vehicle if you are on a budget. HOWEVER, avoid the Outback Sport version and go for the regular Impreza. You overpay $1000 for the outback trim lines and a digital thermometer, but end up paying 50% more insurance. If you have an extra $3000, go for the Forester: you get a bigger vehicle with the same mileage (well, it's heavier too)

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None

Handling, versatility, reasonably strong engine for the small car, snow perfomance.

1. BEWARE: insurance cost for the outback sport is ~50% higher than for a regular Impreza since it's considered a sports car. Insurance for the outback sport is the same as for a full outback/Forester. 2. poor mileage. 3. several minor nuisances, e.g. fuel tank lid would not open, cup holder is positioned stupidly above the stereo (AFAIK Subaru did nothing about this in the 2004 model - hello?) 4. More noisy than regular sedans, sonething that takes time to get accustomed to.

I wanted a manual, realiable (read: Japanese) AWD vehicle priced under $20000, and this pritty much left me with the Impreza (Rav4 and the Matrix had weaker engines, and looked wimpy overall). My Otback Sport handles great. It feels like it's on rails. At the same time, it's not as stiff as roadsters, i.e. the car can be used for long trips, and daily commutes. Handling in snow is very good: I've helped to pull out many huge SUVs during a recent snowstorm here in Long Island. A perfect vehicle for an single outdoorsman/a family of two active people. No problems at 25000, but will see. Overall, the greatest all-around vehicle if you are on a budget. HOWEVER, avoid the Outback Sport version and go for the regular Impreza. You overpay $1000 for the outback trim lines and a digital thermometer, but end up paying 50% more insurance. If you have an extra $3000, go for the Forester: you get a bigger vehicle with the same mileage (well, it's heavier too)

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None

clutch brakes roominess mpg sturdiness

catalytic converter may have started dying at 90K is it really burning oil meaning major engine problems? not enough horse!

I bought the car used and wanted it for the AWD (says it on invoice). I had to get it quickly (totalled my cheapo Geo Prizm). I took it to my mechanic who said it was a good deal. Found out later the car was actually FWD not an AWD car. Liberty Subaru wouldn't put anything in writing or help with the situation with any viable option. Lawyers said it wasn't worth pursuing. However... the car... It has 158K on it. I replaced the rear brakes (@$300), part of the catalytic converter this year (@$400) and done regular maintenance. It now needs rear struts (@400). Time to get rid of it. But, it has the original front brakes/struts and still gets me around without a hitch. I've been getting @30mpg or more (highway driving). I may have a more expensive problem now which is why I'm getting rid of it. People say Subarus are expensive compared to Civics, Toyotas, and other cars. Well, those other cars don't come standard with ABS and AWD (my 2004 sport really will have AWD). Yes, they are more expensive to maintain but they last. I have the same clutch, same front brakes, same front struts and no rust! I compared the Impreza TS Sport Wagon, the "baby" back, and the Legacy Wagon. Engine's the same in all, wheel size varies, standard features INCLUDING interior room is all about the same! I know the seats will be awful but I'll deal with it (why hasn't Subaru fixed that yet... they're infamous for their lousy seats and lumbar ONLY comes in the Legacy Outback). I'm hoping for a long, healthy life with my next Subaru. Oh YEAH - IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL PROBLEM, Subaru will give you up to $300 free to fix the car to meet your needs. That's cool and unheard of.

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Geo Prizm ('93) crap Chevy/Toyota venture Dodge Challenger (Mitsubishi engine) - ok - now the Eclipse

4 Wheel drive, temperature gauge, hoursepower, flat torque curve, big and bright fog lights, utilitarian features (great for outdoors activities), and comfortable seats.

Gas mileage suffers a bit from the 4 wheel drive (I have a manual trans with the full time non-electronic 4wdr) and the roof rack. Interior is starting to creak and squeak a little.

Overall the car is an excellent value. It has more than adequate power and braking. The interior is also pretty good, although the cup holders could be a little better. The ABS system isn't the greatest either. I absolutely love the rubber matt in the hatch area and the cargo net. All of my toys fit in it nicely (bike/skis...). No problems at all yet with 46000 miles (2.5 years). I would buy it again. One negative is the noisy engine. There is quite a lot of lifter noise as well as some gear whine (center differential maybe). The additional ground clearance in the Outback version is great, but it does deteriorate the handling a bit.

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Toyota Corolla Wagon, Corolla Sedan, Dodge Stealth, Mazda Miata, Nissan Sentra Wagon

Great looking inside and out. Improvements over past years in terms of exterior looks. Sets keep driver and front passenger in place. I waited until the WRX came out with some of the creature comforts - i.e., sunroof, heated seats, side mirrors and windshield. MOMO steering wheel adds a classy touch.

Paint seems a bit thin. Carpeting cheap looking. Reception of radio has a lot to be desired.

This car is amazing to drive. Immediate response when you need accelerate and handling to fantastic. I looked at a number of cars around the same price range and nothing compared.

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VW GTI 1.8T

Despite the mechanical problems, it kept on trucking. OK to drive in the snow, its not fancy so good for throwing a dirty bike into the back of it or all your wet snow gear.

Terrible Mileage, poor stereo, rattling in doors and fittings, noisy car to drive, expensive car to maintain, the stereotypes associated with Subaru owners;

Wanted to get an Impreza for a while. Liked the looks and at the time, exclusiveness of owing this car. Its great for driving in the mountains, snow, mud. Clearence is not great. Had problems with noisy doors and wheelcovers that never stayed on from the first day. After 65000 miles i had to replace both axles and bearings on back and clutch all for $3300. Very expensive to service at Subaru dealers. Replaced the crappy stereo but the poor quality of the plastic doors limits the quality of the sound. Cup holders are ridiculous. Nice driving position yet the car always feels a little heavy. For a small car it is still abnormally long which is a pain parking on the street in San Francisco. the factory roof rack has those silly useless bent oval bars. The turning radius is very large also, much more so than an Audi A4 or Jeep Cherokee.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee, audi A4 quattro.

There is tubo lag on a turbo charged vehicle,that is the time frame when acceleration to a specified rpm is reached the the turbo delivers boost, if boowt is deliverd to quickly engine damage may occur, turbo lag is the technical term for such a drivability concern..