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.

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    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 ...

    Ashtray (if equipped)
    • Do not use ashtrays as waste receptacles or leave a lighted cigarette in an ashtray. This could cause a fire. • Always extinguish matches and cigarettes before putting them into the ashtray, an ...

    Engine oil
    NOTE • The engine oil consumption rate is not stabilized, and therefore cannot be determined until the vehicle has traveled at least several thousand miles (kilometers). Even after break-in, when the ...