Subaru Impreza, 2o6 Review

[2o6]

I flew out to Portland, OR for a job interview. I decided to explore, and considering I don't really like using public transit (also the job I applied for is in the suburbs of Vancouver, WA) I decided to rent a car. Dollar via Hotwire.com had an exceptional deal of a "managers special" for $18.35 a day. I happily booked it.

I fully expected to get a Mirage or Spark or Versa et al. When I got there, I was pleasantly suprised with a new Impreza hatchback.


For the first day, I liked the car. By the next day, I was ready for my own car back.




Positives:

+ This is the best riding non-premium small car I've ever driven. It even beats out cars like the MB CLA and probably Luxury variants of the BMW 2 series.

+ The plastics are pretty nice feeling, and ergonomically the car is pretty logical and comfortable.

+ It's really spacious

+ The good ride isn't at the expense of confident handling (See Toyota and Nissan)

+ Forward collision detection/smart cruise control was actually really nifty in traffic. Set the cruise control and the car will accelerate and brake on its own. And if you signal and change lanes to get around someone, it'll accelerate as well. It was kind of cool.

Negatives

- 155HP isn't a hell of a lot, but I feel like the car should have more to show for itself. The 2.0L isn't very torque-y and there seems to be a dead spot at the very bottom of the rev range. The car is slow.

- The CVT people laud as "good" but I hate CVT's that fake shift. Subaru's does this. I feel like this lowers longevity. Also, it makes the car slower....just as the car starts making power, it "shifts". WHY. Just leave it where it is.

- Eyesight went from being nifty and cool, to fucking frustrating. I see why lane keep assist was turned off when I first got into the car. The Impreza's alignment is set up for a kind of floaty/wandery straight line tracking, and I found myself constantly making adjustments to keep the car fucking going straight. I asked Rags if his Crosstrek does the same thing, and he says it does.

- Because the car is so wander-y, the lane keep assist does a lot of uncomfortable movements and adjustments when the steering wheel is in your hands. Couple of times it's snatched itself almost out of lane.

- Eyesight lane keep assist got crosswalks confused with lane markers. It'd beep at me and shut off if I drove over them.

- Forward collision detection seems like it didn't always detect the car in front. One time it got a speed bump confused for a car and beeped at me.

- Portland speed limits are low. And I never really drove faster than 70MPH. I still only averaged 27MPG.

- The whole center stack needs to come about an inch forward to the driver. Not that it's broken or bad, but the top of the windshield is right on the stereo, and there's hella sun glare.

- Subaru STARLINK has apple carplay and android auto, but the unit itself is pretty slow and not great.



With that said, if you really want a small car with AWD, I guess this car would be OK. But honestly, I feel like the MPG penalty isn't worth it, and the lack of performance for the economy level is irritating.

[12,000 RPM]

Peak compact remains Civic 1.5T

I feel like an AWD CR-V 1.5T gets better gas mileage

[AutobahnSHO]

Great review. Sounds like it's just a new version of ours. Wife comments how much power the Odyssey has after being in her car for a while lol.

I love subies but I won't super look at them in the future unless I need the weather advantage. It is nice to just punch it, in the rain or snow or whatever and not worry about traction. I beat everyone in the 1/8th mile in foul weather.

[cawimmer430]

Does this thing have Start-Stop?

Also, what are the benefits of a CVT transmission over a DSG/DCT/PDK/SMG or regular Automatic. CVTs seem to be only used by Japanese manufacturers, particularly Nissan (?).

[MX793]

Does this thing have Start-Stop?

Also, what are the benefits of a CVT transmission over a DSG/DCT/PDK/SMG or regular Automatic. CVTs seem to be only used by Japanese manufacturers, particularly Nissan (?).

Audi was actually one of the earlier adopters of CVTs in cars with their multitronic transmission.  They were among the first (along with Nissan) to figure out how to "reliably" build a CVT that could handle larger amounts of torque.  They were previously limited to cars with smaller engines and <200 lb-ft of torque.

Technically, infinite ratios is more efficient than fixed ratios.  You can always be in the most optimal ratio for both acceleration and economy.  F1 went so far as to ban them in the 90s because they feared it would be too dominant if someone figured out how to build one that could handle power an F1 generates.

[r0tor]

A cvt's chief duty is to annoy the crap out of you

[12,000 RPM]

Honda and Nissan CVTs are not bad, especially with adequate HP.

[cawimmer430]

Audi was actually one of the earlier adopters of CVTs in cars with their multitronic transmission.  They were among the first (along with Nissan) to figure out how to "reliably" build a CVT that could handle larger amounts of torque.  They were previously limited to cars with smaller engines and <200 lb-ft of torque.

Technically, infinite ratios is more efficient than fixed ratios.  You can always be in the most optimal ratio for both acceleration and economy.  F1 went so far as to ban them in the 90s because they feared it would be too dominant if someone figured out how to build one that could handle power an F1 generates.

[cawimmer430]

Honda and Nissan CVTs are not bad, especially with adequate HP.

My experience with CVTs is limited to the Mercedes-Benz Autotronic found in the W169 (second generation A-Class) and W245 (first generation B-Class) cars.

An acceptable transmission with all the torquey diesel engines and the gasoline A/B200 Turbo.

An annoying dog of a transmission with all [non A/B200 Turbo] gasoline engines. Almost undriveable.

[2o6]

CVT's are fine; I think complaining that they "drone" or because engine speed doesn't match road speed is a dumb thing to complain about.


Where CVT's fall on their face is when they don't adjust the ratio quickly or slowly enough on the road. Or they sort of search up and down for a correct ratio, which is also not good. I've driven a couple CVT Dodge Calibers that didn't seem to know where they hell they were.

[AutobahnSHO]

I think it's fun watching the speed go up but tach stay the same....

[MX793]

I hate that RPM and vehicle speed are completely disconnected.  I often use engine note to estimate how fast I'm travelling.

[12,000 RPM]

You don't need to estimate

I want to drive a hybrid and see if I could live with the complete disconnection of engine and road speed. With pedestrian 4 bangers engine notes are garbage anyway.

[veeman]

I have a Crosstrek which is mostly just a raised Impreza with some more robust hardware for light offroading.  I have a base model with none of the driving aid junk and also a 5 speed manual so none of the CVT issues.  I don't feel like I have to course correct on the highway; it tracks straight.  I know Rags has a manual transmission too (not that the transmission is related to wandery feeling) but he also has his car lifted, has more offroad oriented tires,  and has a carrier on top of his roof so that might make his car feel wandery, I don't know.

My car is slow, but with manual it doesn't feel that slow and pushing the pedal to the metal is kinda fun.  I'm mostly annoyed with engine drone at highway speeds because it's a 5 speed and mostly geared too low for highway travel.  I'm at 3500 RPM at 80 mph and the engine note plus poorly insulated cabin get's annoying.  Fuel mileage sucks at 23 mpg for me.  Overall I like the car though, especially over crappy pot holed roads in the winter. 

[12,000 RPM]

veeman I think you might have just touched on another reason why crossovers are gaining steam. American roads are awful. Big baja tires are needed to traverse the moonscape of the Belt Pkwy and the like.

[Xer0]

CVT's are fine; I think complaining that they "drone" or because engine speed doesn't match road speed is a dumb thing to complain about.


Where CVT's fall on their face is when they don't adjust the ratio quickly or slowly enough on the road. Or they sort of search up and down for a correct ratio, which is also not good. I've driven a couple CVT Dodge Calibers that didn't seem to know where they hell they were.

My main experience with CVT's come from Nissan Versa's and Sentra's driven as Ubers where you take an underpowered engine that sounds like crap and force it to maintain a 25mph speed.  All you hear is constant droning and thrashing, yuck.  As it goes up the power hierarchy it becomes better with the Maxima actually being okay, but lower powered cars are hot garbage.

[CaminoRacer]

veeman I think you might have just touched on another reason why crossovers are gaining steam. American roads are awful. Big baja tires are needed to traverse the moonscape of the Belt Pkwy and the like.

That'll be one of my biggest criteria for my next car. Utah roads are sucky in a lot of places and they don't know how to build entrances to parking lots. They always have nasty curb lips and stupid angles or even super tall crests. It's one thing if my lowered El Camino scrapes it's long tube headers on something. It's another thing if when my brother's stock Focus scrapes a rocker panel while pulling out of a parking lot. I shouldn't have to worry about high-centering a short wheelbase car

[2o6]

I have a Crosstrek which is mostly just a raised Impreza with some more robust hardware for light offroading.  I have a base model with none of the driving aid junk and also a 5 speed manual so none of the CVT issues.  I don't feel like I have to course correct on the highway; it tracks straight.  I know Rags has a manual transmission too (not that the transmission is related to wandery feeling) but he also has his car lifted, has more offroad oriented tires,  and has a carrier on top of his roof so that might make his car feel wandery, I don't know.

My car is slow, but with manual it doesn't feel that slow and pushing the pedal to the metal is kinda fun.  I'm mostly annoyed with engine drone at highway speeds because it's a 5 speed and mostly geared too low for highway travel.  I'm at 3500 RPM at 80 mph and the engine note plus poorly insulated cabin get's annoying.  Fuel mileage sucks at 23 mpg for me.  Overall I like the car though, especially over crappy pot holed roads in the winter.

The new Impreza and the old one aren't the same, despite them looking very similar. New platform, other new stuff.

My main experience with CVT's come from Nissan Versa's and Sentra's driven as Ubers where you take an underpowered engine that sounds like crap and force it to maintain a 25mph speed.  All you hear is constant droning and thrashing, yuck.  As it goes up the power hierarchy it becomes better with the Maxima actually being okay, but lower powered cars are hot garbage.

I don't mind the CVT on the smaller engines. Besides, when you're maintaining speed it's like any old automatic transmission. It just seems like a fucking weird thing to complain about; that's just how these things work. IMO it's like complaining that DCT's don't creep, or that hybrids and electrics are silent.

You don't need to estimate

I want to drive a hybrid and see if I could live with the complete disconnection of engine and road speed. With pedestrian 4 bangers engine notes are garbage anyway.

They're not that disconnected though! Why do y'all keep saying it's totally disconnected!?

[giant_mtb]

Besides, when you're maintaining speed it's like any old automatic transmission. It just seems like a fucking weird thing to complain about; that's just how these things work. IMO it's like complaining that DCT's don't creep, or that hybrids and electrics are silent.

Pretty much agreed.  I've driven a fair number of vehicles with CVTs - Subarus and Nissans - and while they seemed weird at first, it's really not that big of a deal now that I'm expecting it/used to it.  Yeah, it's different, but not really anything to complain about, IMO.  Can it be a dealbreaker in a purchase?  Absolutely, just like a manual vs. traditional automatic can be a dealbreaker.  Would I personally want a vehicle with one?  Not really, but my needs/preferences are different.

[Xer0]

I don't mind the CVT on the smaller engines. Besides, when you're maintaining speed it's like any old automatic transmission. It just seems like a fucking weird thing to complain about; that's just how these things work. IMO it's like complaining that DCT's don't creep, or that hybrids and electrics are silent.

How is it weird to complain about something that you find objectionable  ?  The CVT is an alternative to any other type of transmission and that means that anything that it does different, if its worse, is absolutely worth complaining about.  You may be okay with dealing with it cause "that's how it works" but you do know that there are alternatives out there, right? 

[CaminoRacer]

I love the idea of CVTs.

[Soup DeVille]

I love the idea of CVTs.

The idea is great; the execution is another story.

[veeman]

The new Impreza and the old one aren't the same, despite them looking very similar. New platform, other new stuff.

I have the older model Crosstrek, the one based on the older model Impreza.  Rags has the newer model Crosstrek." 

[veeman]

veeman I think you might have just touched on another reason why crossovers are gaining steam. American roads are awful. Big baja tires are needed to traverse the moonscape of the Belt Pkwy and the like.

My old TDI diesel Beetle felt like it would fall apart whenever I hit a small pothole.  The engine was too heavy for the stock shocks, etc.  Crosstrek really shines in bad weather/bad roads. Engine less likely to get flooded in standing water than lower cars too. 

[2o6]

I have the older model Crosstrek, the one based on the older model Impreza.  Rags has the newer model Crosstrek."

Yeah...and I have a new Impreza? 

[MX793]

You don't need to estimate

I want to drive a hybrid and see if I could live with the complete disconnection of engine and road speed. With pedestrian 4 bangers engine notes are garbage anyway.

I don't need to, but I do out of habit.  Bear in mind that I learned the fundamentals of motor vehicle operation starting when I was 8 on dirtbikes, which have no instrumentation whatsoever.  Speed is heavily gauged by knowing what gear you're in and having a reasonably accurate sense of where in the RPM band the engine is operating based on the engine note.  Failure to approximate speed accurately enough could be the difference between landing smoothly on the downramp of a jump and a trip to the emergency room.  It's just ingrained into me now.  Fact is, I can estimate my speed in a car I'm somewhat familiar with to within 5 mph based just on knowing what gear I'm in and what the engine note is.  I consciously tried it driving home from work today.  I'd accelerate until I thought I'd reached the speed limit and then look down at my gauges to check myself.  I was well within 5 mph of the speed I thought I was traveling every time.

FWIW, I also had extensive experience with CVTs as a kid as well, by way of snowmobiles.  I vastly preferred the characteristics of fixed ratios in a dirtbike or ATV to the CVTs in snowmobiles as a kid for pretty much the same reasons I prefer the characteristics of fixed ratios in cars.  Obviously, a CVT makes more sense than a "regular" ratio box in a sled just based on the environment they operate in, but I still never loved that, or felt as comfortable with the characteristic that, speed and acceleration weren't directly tied to engine RPM in the same way as with a set of fixed ratios.

[giant_mtb]

WEEEEEEEEENG, WEEEEEEENG, WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq_aa8nkigI&t=54s

[r0tor]

CVTs in cars remind me on indoor go-kart racing... Except removing all the fun aspects and leaving the only annoying one

[AutobahnSHO]

CVTs in cars remind me on indoor go-kart racing... Except removing all the fun aspects and leaving the only annoying one

Pretty much.

[Speed_Racer]

I've driven a handful of CVT vehicles (though none in the several most recent model years). I have yet to find one that is not a frustrating experience