Impreza in the Market

The improved Impreza stands to steal buyers away from brands that have taken their eyes off the ball. Its interior quality has jumped, right when some class leaders have foolishly allowed their interiors and feature sets to decay. By upping the mileage, Subaru has addressed one of the shortcomings of having standard all-wheel drive, but the Impreza doesn't improve much on the pricing. Say what you will of the dumbed-down Volkswagen Jetta; at least it came with a price decrease.

To truly excel in the compact-car market, the Impreza needs to convince buyers that the all-wheel drive for which they'll pay a premium has advantages beyond foul-weather traction. While all-wheel drive can provide this advantage in sporty cars, I fear the 2012's body roll and modest power keep it from doing so.

    See also:

    Air inlet selection button
    Air inlet selection button ON position (Recirculation): Interior air is recirculated inside the vehicle. Push the air inlet selection button to the ON position. The indicator light will illu ...

    Using the select lever
    Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly pushing the select lever toward the “+” end of the manual gate. Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pulling the select lever toward the “−” end of ...

    Determining compatibility of tire and vehicle load capacities
    The sum of four tires’ maximum load ratings must exceed the maximum loaded vehicle weight (“GVWR”). In addition, sum of the maximum load ratings of two front tires and of two rear tires must excee ...