Station wagon with style
Despite its station-wagon looks, the Impreza is a high performance machine and very fun to drive.
Price: R139 900 (2007 model, 74 000 km)
New: No longer available (its last available retail price was R204 000).
How does it handle?
You don’t buy a Subaru just to get from A to B. With its lively boxer engine (like a Porsche’s) and permanent four-wheel drive, it only really comes into its own when you push the car to its limits.
Does the four-wheel drive impress?
It’ll take you further on a bad dirt road than a Golf or Corolla would, but you won’t make it to the top of Walvis Bay’s Dune 7. The Impreza has permanent power supply to all four wheels and clings to any road surface, wet or dry.
What we like: Its road handling is excellent and it is reliable (Subaru has many world rally championship titles under its belt), and thanks to the limp second-hand car market it’s now a tad cheaper. It is a smallish car, but because it is a station wagon it has as much boot space as a larger sedan – you can take it on holiday..
What we don’t like? The four-wheel drive makes the Impreza rather thirsty for a car with a 2.0-litre engine. Subaru says fuel consumption is about 9,1 ℓ / 100 km (city and open road). It’s not bad, but bear in mind that manufacturers tend to be optimistic with these claims.
Go! says: This Impreza is only a year old and still has two years left on its factory guarantee. It makes sense to buy such a “new” second-hand car.
(Note: Prices accurate in May 2008)
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