2008 Subaru Impreza - Expert Reviews
Expert Reviews from Around the Web
We have scoured the web for expert reviews of this car and found the best ones for you to read. Found 14 reviews. This list is displayed in ranked order based the reviews we think are the best.| Ranking | Details |
|---|---|
| #1 |
2008 subaru impreza Professional Edmunds ReviewSource: Edmunds...Satellite radio and the navigation system are also available on the WRX, but not on the Outback Sport. The WRX STI ups the ante with even more power, unique body styling, upgraded suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, a CD changer, aggressive sport seats and Alcantara upholstery. The STI also includes SI-drive, a three-mode setup for the engine and electronic throttle maps. Optional for the WRX STI is a pair of packages. The BBS Package adds BBS wheels and foglights while the BBS and Navigation Package includes the former items plus a navigation system (which replaces the CD... |
| #2 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...All-wheel drive is of course standard, as is an electronic stability system with traction control for added protection. More on the all-wheel drive in the next section. Ride & Handling In the 1990s, Subaru's SVX was a quirky but compelling all-wheel-drive sport coupe, but it wasn't well-known. It's the WRX that woke Americans up to the idea of a Subaru performance car — and of all-wheel drive as more than a feature for tackling foul weather and unpaved roads. All-wheel drive is good on dry pavement for the same reason it excels on the slick stuff: It prevents the wheels from spinning... |
| #3 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Meanwhile, the front-end follies continue with the Impreza, which now does a passable impression of Mazda. And by the way, the WRX's hood scoop looks like a bizarre experiment in trepanation. I spent a week in an up-spec Impreza WRX five-door ($29,833) and came away wondering why Subaru would dilute one of its core products in hopes of attracting a mainstream audience that will never, ever materialize. Come on, Subaru, follow the GOP model: Pander to your base. To be sure, there are good things here. The interior is vastly improved, with the organic twin-scallop dash design reminiscent of the... |
| #4 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The Impreza's interior design emphasizes comfort and space. Sweeping trim pieces of brushed aluminum flow into the center console. The large LCD screen for the optional satellite radio and navigation system is placed up high where it is easy to read. Input jacks accommodate MP3 players or portable gaming devices that can be played on the navigation screen when the car is not in motion. The shape of the center console adds to the cabin's feeling of spaciousness. The door panels, sculpted to give additional width, have holders for large water bottles. Shoulder width is up by 2 inches. Subaru... |
| #5 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Rough pavement could make the car skitter phonograph style but only if the car is well and truly heeled over. The steering is heavy (really heavy, when the center-diff is fully locked; more about that in a moment) but tightfisted and accurate. The brakes have got major authority. And you can't fault the driving position: The sport seats are terrific and the pedal position perfect for heel-and-toe driving. As a canyon-killer, the STI offers major game, and is one of the few cars in this price range that can induce passenger car-sickness like a Ferrari. Oddly, though, in the straight-ahead of... |
| #6 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...As I zipped around Detroit, I found myself longing for a few inches of snow to test her. The car's light weight -- some of that is due to the high-performance design, the aluminum hood and other stiffer chassis -- makes it easy to flog the WRX STI. The engine purrs that high-pitched hum over 5,000 rpm, clicking through each gear with precision and acumen. The steering is exact and the brakes offer immediate response. During the first 100 miles, I tested Subaru's Driver Controlled Center Differential various settings. A simple knob on the center console allows you to select three preprogrammed... |
| #7 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The adjustable center differential also works in concert with the car's vehicle stability and traction-control systems. Dive into a turn and hit the accelerator pedal, and the fat, 18-inch tires grip the road tightly. The STi squirts out of a corner like a watermelon seed that is pinched between your fingers. The steering is very communicative, and that enhances road feel and driver confidence. In the past, the WRX STi's styling has always been a bit gaudy. The new car still has a huge air scoop in the middle of the hood to feed cool air to the intercooler, and the front fascia is dominated... |
| #8 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The base Impreza has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 170 hp and 170 pounds-feet of torque. The WRX gets a turbocharged version with 224 hp and 226 pounds-feet of torque; Subaru says the torque is now available across a wider rpm range, which means the engine won't need quite as much revving to make its power. A five-speed manual transmission is standard. A four-speed automatic with a manual-shift mode is optional. Safety All Imprezas include an impressive array of safety features. Six airbags and active head restraints are standard on all but the WRX with optional sport seats. An electronic... |
| #9 |
2008 Subaru Impreza Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...And it's easy to develop affection for a thing designed and built with love and consideration, as is the case with the Impreza. We felt we had a friend, a guardian in all of that rain. The Impreza's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system was impressive, continuously sending power to all four wheels, pulling us over swamped roads and occasionally through muddy patches. But readers should not construe our experience to mean it is wise to attempt traversing inundated roads simply because a vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive. We, my wife Mary Anne and I, stayed away from roads under deep water... |
| #10 |
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi OverviewSource: CarGurus...All of the Impreza models get a longer wheelbase this year, to improve on interior room, but the hatchback's will be just under 1.7 inches shorter than the sedan, which adds 4.9 inches to its wheelbase.The same 2.5-liter turbo charged boxer 4 engine hits 300-hp in the 2008 Impreza WRX STi, matched to a 6-speed manual. The suspension and chassis are made firmer this year and the engine placed lower in all WRX models to improve stability and performance. The new STi hatch gets the airplane-style front grille Subaru recently introduced. AWD is still standard in this sports car, with a 35/65 bias... |
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2012 Subaru Impreza: Same Price, More Gas Mileage, Still AWD
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Advice: Downsizing From A Subaru Wagon, Seeking Better MPGs
We tend to get a lot of "What car should we buy?" questions at GreenCarReports, and we'll usually respond with a list of questions to narrow down the choices. Recently... May 6, 2011 by John Voelcker 9
AWD 2012 Subaru Impreza: 36 MPG Highway--NY Auto Show Preview
All-wheel-drive is an increasingly popular option in new vehicles, especially in areas of the country that get snow. But the security of having all four wheels powered in... April 7, 2011 by John Voelcker
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