Thank you to Acura of Berlin for providing this 2016 Subaru Impreza 2.0i!
Subarus always seem to be high on the list for shoppers no matter the vehicle type, and they still offer a handful of manual options. This one is certainly eye-catching in Jasmine Green Metallic, but this paint color would not be my first choice. Other than the paint, it's a pretty unassuming little compact sedan.
Opening up the door and testing out the back seat, I've got some decent legroom, with the front seat set for me as well at 5'7". The cloth seats are a very ugly tan. To be fair, I have yet to meet a tan interior that isn't ugly. As far as comfort goes, I'd rate it as perfectly adequate.
Up front in the driver's seat, the terrible tan continues along with the cheap plastic that plagues much of the non-luxury segment.
As I look around the cabin, I note that the gauge cluster is simple with the tach and speedometer flanking the odometer and fuel gauge. There's also a handy-looking MPG gauge for real-time feedback about your fuel economy. That fuel-gauge is great in theory, but ultimately fairly useless in practice. But I appreciate the simplicity in the gauge cluster, so all is well here.
The infotainment screen is on the smaller side and looks fairly simple with only a handful of options. It has a few real buttons (yay!) around it, along with standard audio knobs, and some user-friendly-looking temperature control knobs underneath it. All good things.
Foot down on the clutch, other foot on the brake, I turn the key to start it up. The clutch feels a bit rubbery – so that's not my favorite – but here we go. I move the five-speed gearshift into first, and note that the shift knob is on the cheap side, but it does feel solid. The gearbox is a little sloppy and pretty rubbery. I'm hoping this isn't what they feel like new, but this one only has 30k miles on it so that's a bit concerning.
Off we go onto the road catching the very high bite point as I get into gear. Driving around town the car handles okay and the power is okay. It's nothing to write home about in a good way or a bad way. The rubbery clutch continues to bug me in this otherwise very average car.
More of a side note, but I've heard a number of people claim that five gears is the best number, and I'm more and more convinced of this as I'm driving this one around. The gear ratios feel better, as though they have more purpose. When I'm cruising around in a six-speed, I move into sixth just because it's there. I know it's all about fuel-savings, but it often-times feels unnecessary. I haven't driven any three, four, or seven-speeds yet though, so that conclusion is drawn between the options of five and six gears. If you've got three, four, or seven-speed around in central CT, I'd love to give it a drive!
Overall, this car has average in spades. It's not going to wow anybody, but it's going to get the job done just fine. The one advantage it has over other compact sedans in its class is Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which is certainly an advantage if you find yourself off-roading or in heavy snow often. But for the price-bump that accompanies the Subaru badge, I think I'd rather find something with a little more character and spend the extra money on snow tires.
