2008 Subaru Impreza review

The Subaru Impreza WRX is the rare type of car that combines year-round drivability, day-to-day livability and reasonable comfort with versatility — and is, all the while, a blast to drive. Along with a change in exterior styling, the 2008 has a better drivetrain, chassis and interior, and they make the WRX more tempting than ever.

Available as a sedan or a four-door hatchback, the WRX is basically the middle between the regular Impreza and the WRX STi, the latter of which is an uncompromising fire-breather that's modeled after Subaru's championship rally car. To see what's changed for 2008, check out a side-by-side comparison. There's also an Impreza Outback Sport, which is like the better-known Outback, a larger model.

See also:

Engine Changes
Complete redesigns tend to bring the most dramatic changes, from the styling to the mechanics. A few things have changed in the WRX drivetrain, but I fear it's not enough. The 2008 model seems exa ...

Manual transmission – 5 speeds (except STI)
The manual transmission is a fully synchromeshed, 5-forward-speed and 1-reverse- speed transmission. The shift pattern is shown on the shift lever knob. When shifting from 5th gear to reverse gear, ...

Select lever
: Shifting is possible with the brake pedal depressed. : Shifting is possible whether the brake pedal is depressed or not. However, while the ignition switch is in the “LOCK” or “Acc” positio ...