2012 Subaru Impreza Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Subaru Impreza review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Impreza, and includes Subaru Impreza safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Subaru loves to tout its customers’ brand loyalty, and the 2012 Subaru Impreza is an updated version of the company’s entry-level compact, available in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback varieties equipped with standard all-wheel drive. Competing with the Mazda 3, Honda Civic, and the Suzuki SX4, the Impreza also forms the basis of the sporty STI and WRX, although those models won’t get a makeover just yet, carrying over in current form.

For 2012, the Subaru Impreza has new styling inside and out, a new engine, new models, new technology, and improved fuel-economy. It also loses weight and gains in interior size. The base price is the same as the 2011 Subaru Impreza.

The 2012 Subaru Impreza is available in five trim levels: 2.0i, 2.0i Premium, 2.0i Sport Premium, 2.0i Limited, and 2.0i Sport Limited. The Sport trims are available only on 5-door models.

Standard features on 2.0i sedan models include 15-inch wheels, air conditioning, floor mats, a CD player, two 12-volt outlets, an Eco gauge, a trip computer, power door locks and mirrors, power windows with an automatic up/down feature, a rear window defroster, and a tilt/telescopic steering column. Five-door 2.0i models add cargo-area tie down and grocery-bag hooks, a rear window wiper, and a rear spoiler. The only option is a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

Premium models add 16-inch wheels, a sliding center-console armrest, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, a USB port, an auxiliary audio input jack, body-color exterior mirrors, cruise control, fog lamps, a rear stabilizer bar, steering-wheel switches for audio, cruise control, and Bluetooth; and a cargo cover for 5-door models. Optional equipment includes the CVT, equipped with a 6-speed manual mode and paddle shifters on the Limited; an All-Weather Package (heated front seats, heated mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer), an Alloy Wheel Package (17-inch alloy wheels, all-season tires, stainless steel exhaust tip on sedans, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter); and a navigation system with voice controls, satellite radio, HD radio, real-time traffic info, and text-message capability.

The Sport Premium model adds 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season rubber, Sport fabric upholstery, roof rails, a body-colored rocker panel, and an available two-tone paint finish. If you opt for the All-Weather Package on this model, you’ll get two-mode heated front seats in addition to other package contents.

The Limited comes standard with the CVT and paddle shifters, an uplevel audio system with a 4.3-inch LCD screen and iTunes tagging capability, automatic on/off headlamps, chrome exterior door handles and a grille with chrome accents. Inside, Limited models are decked out with automatic climate control, fog lamps, leather-trimmed upholstery, and a rear-seat armrest. A moonroof and navigation system are optional. The Sport Limited adds a silver-accented grille, the rest of the options and standard features lay out the same as the Limited.

The sole engine is an all-new, 2.0-liter, horizontally-opposed “boxer” four-cylinder that makes 148 horsepower. All-wheel-drive is standard on all models, and a five-speed manual transmission is standard on 2.0i and 2.0i Premium models. A continuously variable automatic transmission is optional on those versions of the Impreza and is standard on the Limited. An electric power-steering system is new for 2012. Fuel economy is listed at 25 mpg city and 34 mpg highway on manual-transmission models (25/33 on 5-door models) and 27/36 on all CVT models. According to Subaru, the fuel economy increase with the CVT is a gain of 30 percent.

Standard safety features include anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, stability control, and seven airbags, including side-curtain airbags and new-for-2012 driver’s knee airbag. Also new this year are a brake-override system and front seats that offer whiplash protection.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have yet to perform crash tests on the redesigned 2012 Subaru Impreza as of this writing.

Similarly, neither Consumer Reports nor J.D. Power and Associates are predicting how the 2012 Subaru Impreza may perform in terms of reliability. During the past five years, the Impreza has performed well in reliability studies conducted by Consumer Reports.

Cargo haulers will appreciate the Impreza 5-door for its 22.5 cubic-feet of space with the rear seats up and 52.4 cu-ft with the rear seats down. The maximum load-floor length is 32 inches with the rear seats up and 64.2 with the rear seats down. The 4-door’s trunk has a volume of 12 cu-ft.

Subaru has kept the Impreza’s price of entry unchanged from 2011, with the 2012 sedan selling for $17,495 plus a $750 destination charge. Adding the CVT costs an extra $1,000. Hatchback models cost slightly more.

The Impreza has long been the basis for the WRX and STI sports cars, but Subaru is mum on their future for now, saying that there will be updated versions before too long. Until then, the WRX and STI carry over in their current body style.

During a media event to launch the redesigned 2012 Impreza, we spent most of our time in a 5-door model equipped with the CVT. On the road, we found the Impreza to have decent punch off of the line, but downshifts were needed for back-road passing and highway merging, and we found ourselves frequently using the paddle-shifters to do so. The CVT displayed some weird engine-braking behavior when coasting, especially on descents, which created a lot of noise by keeping the engine high in the rpm range. When accelerating with a heavy foot, the CVT held on to high rpms for a long time, but the engine seemed a bit out of breath above 4,000 rpm.

A brief drive in the manual-transmission model provided a different experience. The stick-shift allowed for quick launches off the line by allowing the driver more control over the engine’s rpms. We found the clutch to be a bit grabby but the shifter’s throws were accurate and precise, even if the shifter angles a bit away from the driver.

The electric power steering unit feels nicely weighted and effort is just about perfect, neither too heavy nor too light, unlike with many cars equipped with electric steering. The car goes where it’s pointed with little understeer and an acceptable amount of body roll, making for some spirited driving in the corners. We couldn’t feel the presence of the all-wheel-drive system, but our testing was done in good weather.

Ride and handling strikes a nice balance between sport and comfort. There is no float or wallow on the highway, nor is there undue suspension stiffness. Wind noise creeps in but does not drown out conversation, even at highway speed, and tire noise is held at bay except for on coarse pavement. The brake pedal feels soft on initial application before biting more progressively.

Headroom and legroom are agreeable up front for taller drivers, and the rear seat should be adequate for most folks. The cabin is a bit dour, and while Subaru has placed soft-touch materials in key places – such as the dashboard and door armrests – cheap plastic is evident, especially around the shifter. The navigation/audio system integration into the car’s center stack looks a bit cheap, but the system itself works well. The gauges are easy to read but remarkably plain.

Small-item storage is good. Subaru has made an effort to create small storage areas for cell phones, and cargo space in the 5-door is large enough to accommodate three golf bags, according to the company.

The 2012 Subaru Impreza is an intriguing compact car. It doesn’t offer gee-whiz technology and it can’t quite match the 40-mpg promise of some its competitors. Still, 36 mpg with all-wheel-drive is nothing to sneeze at, and the standard all-wheel-drive will appeal to snow-belt commuters. The Impreza offers a sporty driving experience, the 5-door offers hatchback versatility, and the updated exterior styling is handsome even if it does blend into the scenery. We’d like a more-handsome cabin like the Ford Focus or Hyundai Elantra, but otherwise it’s easy to place the new Impreza towards the head of the pack on the compact shopper’s short list.

By Tim Healey