Subaru Impreza

2007-11

Quick Summary
Nice to drive, but performance models aren't
especially reliable and non-performance
models aren't especially fun.

How Reliable?
• Non-performance models: okay, but
see 'What goes wrong?' below ☛

How Safe?
\

Excellent. See our safety summary below ☛

ALSO CONSIDER: Mitsubishi Lancer, Honda Civic, Ford

Focus, or if you just want transport, something from Toyota.

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 $18,000­–$45,000
$10,000–$40,000
$8000–$35,000
(for used car dealers add around 30%, incl. GST)

$17,000­–$55,000
$14,000–$40,000
(for used car dealers add around 30%, incl. GST)

£5000­–£16,000
£4000–£14,000
£3000–£11,000
(for used car dealers add around 20-30%, incl. GST)

SUB-MODELS: The Impreza was available as a four-door

sedan and a five-door hatchback, with four main engine
sizes and four gearbox options. The range was roughly
divided in half, with the bottom half being relatively
conventional cars and the top half being specialist
performance models with
a more radical appearance
inside and out.

2 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
 • Some of this wording is shared with other reviews.

M ention the Subaru Impreza to any schoolboy and

he’ll immediately think of one of the racing versions.
Like many other people, schoolboys forget that most Imp-
rezas are not actually racing machines: they’re everyday cars
like the Ford Focus or Honda Civic.
The Impreza of this era was an awkward beast. It couldn’t
quite decide whether it was a shiny new model or a trust-
worthy classic. As a result the Impreza hovered uneasily in
between. The styling looks like it was done on the cheap in
China, yet this was not a cheap car when new.

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 When this car range was first released, Subaru’s press hand-
outs were full of impressive specifications, showing how the
engines were putting out more power etc, etc, but the fine
print was that, underneath the new body, the Impreza’s me-
chanical bits stayed pretty much the same as the previous
model.
The main reason for this was money: Subaru has been limp-
ing from crisis to crisis for decades. Although investment by
Toyota staved off bankruptcy, Subaru simply didn’t have the
funds to design much that was new.

Compared to the model it replaced, there were plenty of

nice features on this model: the interior space was larger. It
was noticeably quieter inside.

However, it would be wrong to describe the Impreza’s in-

terior as stylish. It feels like most of the Japanese interiors of
the time: functional, but lacking much in the way of style.
Subarus of this era were particularly bad for this type of dreary
interior design: you get the impression that the company was
too broke to hire a proper interior designer, so one of the
engineers designed the interior after hours.

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 On the positive side, most of the controls are no-nonsense
& practical, with cruise control standard and various levels
of buttons on your steering wheel, depending on how much
you paid. There’s a 10-speaker stereo. The steering wheel
adjusts for both height and reach.
For those who like to know such things, one way that the
interior space was improved on this model was by the instal-
lation of a shiny new double-wishbone suspension, which
both allowed more interior space and improved the road
handling.
The seats are comfortable and supportive. There’s reason-
able space in the front and adequate in the rear.

Compared to the model it replaced, this Impreza was easier

to get into, especially for rear passengers. It’s easy, however,
for the driver to bump his head on the unexpected edge of
the window.
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 The upmarket/sporty versions like the WRX received a
rather more upmarket interior.

The rear seats on hatchback versions split and fold for in-
creased luggage storage.

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 Under the bonnet, depending on where you live, is one of
four engines: a 1.5-litre petrol (sold mostly in Japan and Eu-
rope), a 2-litre petrol (sold most countries except America),
and a 2.5-litre petrol. The high-performance versions of the
Impreza – the WRX and WRX STI – were fitted with turbo-
charged versions of the 2-litre and 2.5-litre petrol engines.
There was also a 2-litre diesel available on some later models
(sold mostly in Europe).
The governments in Japan and Europe fiercely tax vehicles
with large engines, which is the only reason the 1.5-litre
petrol engine was ever on sale. It’s simply too small for the
vehicle.
The 2-litre, non-turbocharged petrol is adequate without
setting pulses racing. It gives reasonable fuel economy. The
2.5 non-turbocharged engine is a quick and pleasant drive.
The turbocharged petrol engines – fitted to the perfor-
mance models – are seriously quick and seriously thirsty.

Some buyers are still attracted to diesels as a way of saving

fuel, and therefore, money. Sadly, the opposite is often the
case. Diesel vehicles usually cost more than petrol vehicles
because diesel engines are more costly to build.

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 Various studies comparing the running costs of a petrol-
powered small vehicle versus a diesel-powered small vehicle
have concluded that the average driver would take several
years, at least, merely to get back the extra cost of the diesel
engine.
Even in England, where petrol prices are ruinously high,
diesel vehicles are often false economy.
Analysis by car valuation firm Glass’s Guide, showed that
buying a secondhand diesel only makes sense if you are driv-
ing at least 10,000 miles or 16,000km per year.
According to Glass’s Guide: “The majority of owners of die-
sel cars in the UK are throwing money down the drain”.
This sad truth applies to most low-mileage diesel owners
around the world.
Servicing costs for diesels are also generally far higher than
for the equivalent petrol engine.
However, there’s a bigger fear with diesels: many modern
diesels have lost the sturdy reliability that you could take
for granted on diesels thirty years ago. As a general rule, the
smaller and the higher tech the engine, the more problems
it gives.
Subaru’s 2-litre diesel engine is no rocket ship, but it offers
both speed and power. It’s quieter than many diesels and yet
has loads of power at low speeds, combined with great fuel
economy. Like most turbodiesels, it’s not great from a stand-
ing start, but it makes up for this with a decent amount of
oomph once it gets going.

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 All Impreza versions have four-wheel drive, which gives
safer handling and better grip in slippery conditions.
Buyers of standard, petrol-powered Impreza models had
the option of a five-speed manual or four-speed Sportshift
automatic transmission. Performance models came with ei-
ther a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The diesel
version was also offered with a six-speed manual, which is
better suited to the diesel’s brief rushes of power.
The four-speed Sportshift automatic will change the gears
for you or you can select them manually. In theory, the Sport-
shift automatic also thinks for you and takes into account
cornering, braking and acceleration rate in choosing both
gear selection and deciding which of the four wheels should
get the most power.
In the real world, the four-speed automatic is rather slow
and clumsy by modern standards. Four speeds are simply not
enough: as a general rule, the more gears you have, the bet-
ter performance you get, along with improved handling and
fuel economy. To do its job properly, this transmission would
have needed at least one more gear. Because the transmission’s
options are restricted to four gears, it’s often in the wrong
gear at the wrong time and downshifts are often abrupt.

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 The five-speed manual gearbox does its job without
much fuss.
Around town, the six-speed manual gearbox’s multiple
gears make for hard work, especially as the gearshift isn’t
particularly smooth in operation. On the open road,
however, the manual comes into its own: it’s noticeably
quicker and it allows you effortless control.

All versions of the Impreza offer great handling. The major

difference between the performance versions and the standard
versions is one of comfort.
The handling on the standard Imprezas has been set up to
make cornering safe and easy. These cars may not be racing
machines, but they offer a really pleasant ride and are a nice
place in which to spend your motoring day.

The performance versions offer a ride that’s firm-to-hard,

which tends to mean a jittery ride when the road surfaces
aren’t smooth. The payoff for the harder ride is a handling
that’s really impressive. The suspension has an astounding
ability to absorb bumps in the road without blinking.

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 However, both the steering and the handling are bit imper-
sonal; the Impreza’s lost the edgy crispness of its ancestors.

Rear visibility on all versions is not great. Few versions

have a reversing camera, but all versions need it. Reversing
cameras are a vital safety feature that should have been fitted
across the range, but weren’t. Our advice, if you end up own-
ing one of these cars, is to simply fit your own aftermarket
reversing camera. You might save a child’s life.

To its credit, the Impreza achieved a maximum five-star

crashtest rating by the New Car Assessment Program and
the highest-possible four-star pedestrian rating. Electronic
Stability Control – which applies the brakes selectively to
rescue you from a skid –­ is standard, which is just as well.
+

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 When this model of the Impreza first came out, the petrol-
head magazines moaned about the loss of the Impreza’s pure
racing lineage. However, Subaru was painfully aware that it
couldn’t survive by merely building racing cars for enthusi-
asts. Therefore, the vast majority of Imprezas were sold to
ordinary people who might otherwise have bought a Toyota
Corolla.
Petrolheads often view Toyota owners with derision. To
many petrolheads, owning a vehicle like the Toyota Corolla
would be a form of slow death.
However, Toyota owners have the edge when it comes to
durability: the reliability of this version of the Impreza fell
far short of the sort of reliablity that you can usually take for
granted on a Toyota.
Many owners suffered problems while their vehicles were
still under warranty. God help you if you buy one of these
cars that’s done a high mileage.
Let us make this clear: performance versions of this model
were never particularly reliable; many ended up having total
engine rebuilds at very low mileages.
Non-performance versions gave reasonable reliability, but
they tended not to last very well as they grow old. If we were
spending our own money, we’d be cautious about buying one
of these cars that’s done over 100,000km. We’d never buy
one with more than 150,000km on the speedo. You have
been warned...

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 Last but not least, if you do buy one of these cars, for
God’s sake make sure that it’s been serviced properly (ask
for receipts). Please note that each service from new cost
more than the last, so many later owners skipped some or
all of the recommended services. We suggest you avoid any
vehicle that hasn’t been regularly serviced, and, (unless you
get a substantial discount) don’t buy a vehicle that will need
an expensive service as soon as you buy it.
See also our general comments on ‘Turbochargers’ in the links
page that follows this review and on Subaru at the end of this
review.

Engine problems
• On the 2.5 (WRX) engine, early piston failure is common.
The symptom is heavy oil use and piston slap – a deep-
seated ticking/rumbling/knocking sound that appears
between 1000-2000 rpm then disappears as the revs rise
above 3000rpm. If this slap is present, a full engine overhaul
is required. This will be hugely expensive if the engine is
outside of warranty. If the pistons are not replaced, they will
crack and then fail, destroying the engine in the process.
• On the 2.5 (WRX) engine, early main bearing failure is also
common.
• Timing belts require replacement at regular intervals (along
with all accompanying parts, including tensioners and
water pump) to avoid major engine damage. Timing belt
replacement is not cheap.

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 On the 1.5 and 2-litre petrol engines, the replacement
interval is 95,000km /60,000 miles. On the 2.5 (WRX)
engine, the replacement interval is 80,000km /50,000 miles.
Be aware also that the timing belts on the WRX are prone to
fraying against the timing cover, raising the risk of premature
failure.
• See our article ‘A Question of Timing’ in the links page that
follows this review.
• All engines have a nasty tendency to leak oil from the
camshaft covers. This results in oil dripping on the exhaust
pipes, resulting in acrid smoke and a potential for fire. This
can be an expensive problem to fix, so don’t simply assume
that tightening a bolt or two is going to solve the problem.
• The oxygen sensor (also called the AYF sensor) is prone to
early failure on all engines. The symptom is uneven running,
coupled with a ‘check engine’ light that goes on and off
intermittently. In addition, you should check that the ‘check
engine’ light actually works: it should go on when you first
turn the key, then immediately go off once the engine starts.
If the ‘check engine’ light doesn’t go on at all, some bastard
has probably disconnected it to hide this problem.
• The alternators are set up to charge only when the engine is
hot. Therefore, when the engine is started during winter and
driven only a short distance, the battery may not charge at all.
This may lead to a flat battery. In winter, wise owners turn
on the parking lights in order to create a drain on the battery
and force the alternator to turn on.
+

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 2007MY - 2008MY Liberty GT, Liberty GT Spec. B
and Liberty GT Spec. B tuned by STI. 2008MY Impreza
WRX (Not including STI models). 2009MY Forester XT
(early models only).
• The turbocharger oil supply pipe may be deformed due
to misalignment during the assembly process. If the pipe
is deformed, vibration experienced during normal driving
could result in a crack developing in the pipe over time,
causing an engine oil leak.
VIN numbers: not supplied.
Details: Click here

Gearbox & drivetrain problems

• Clutches aren’t very long-lived on cars that are driven spiritedly.
Especially be wary of clutches that smell, shudder or slip.
• The standard five-speed transmission is reliable if treated gently
(however, many have been abused). Signs of impending doom
include a crunching between gears and a difficulty engaging
gears, although these symptoms may also indicate a clutch
problem. A whining from the transmission as you accelerate is
a sure sign of major problems ahead.
• See our general automatic transmission warning at the end
of this review.
• Constant velocity (CV) joints are prone to wear. Drive the car
in a tight left, then right-hand circle and listen for the telltale
knock-knock-knock sound.
+

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 Steering & suspension problems
• It’s common to get a clunk from the rear if you take off
suddenly on a manual car. This issue should be checked by
your mechanic, but isn’t always a sign of something wrong.
Many cars were like this from the factory. However, a clonking
from either end of the car when the vehicle goes over bumps is
probably worn antiroll-bar bushes.
• Wheel bearings have a limited life. Aside from play in the
wheels, the symptom is a rumbling from the wheels as you go
around corners.

Brake & safety problems

• The brake rotors die young, especially if the vehicle is regularly
braked hard. The symptom is shuddering brakes, a pulsing
through the pedal and uneven braking.
• See our general airbag and ABS warning at the end of this
review.

Body problems
• The front spoiler is prone to speedbump damage. Often,
badly damaged spoilers will need to be replaced entirely,
which won’t be cheap. You need to look underneath for
obvious damage. Also, check how well the spoiler lines up
with the surrounding panelwork. Gaps and misalignment are
bad; a loose spoiler probably has serious issues.
+

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 Impreza (2008-2009) models sold up to 28 February
2009
• The tow ball mount may have been inadequately welded.
VIN numbers:
• sedan: 002001–006088,
part number L101AFG100;
• hatch: 002001–028403,
part number L101SFG000.
Details: Click here

ANCAP crashtests, Australia

In real life accidents larger vehicles usually do far better than
smaller vehicles. (A classic 1960s Mini weighs about 700kg
and a recent Range Rover weighs about 2169kg. This vehicle
weighs about 1380kg, depending on the model). See also
our comments on safety in the links page that follows this
review.

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 VIN PLATE LOCATION: Right inner guard behind wheel arch

ENGINE TYPE & SIZE: (petrol)

• 1.5 EL15 1498cc DOHC VVT MPI
• 2.0 EJ20 1994cc SOHC MPI
• 2.5 EJ253 2457cc SOHC MPI
• 2.5T EJ255 2457cc DOHC VVT MPI turbo

(diesel)
• 2.0 EE20Z 1998cc DOHC MPI turbo

RECOMMENDED FUEL/S: (petrol)

• Non-turbo Regular.
• Non-turbo Premium.

HOW MUCH FUEL?: Typcial urban averages: (petrol)

• 1.5 9.8 litres/100km • 10.2 km/litre • 28.8 mpg
• 2.0 11.8 litres/100km • 8.5 km/litre • 24 mpg
• 2.5 13.5 litres/100km • 7.4 km/litre • 21 mpg
• 2.5T 16 litres/100km • 6.4 km/litre •18 mpg

(diesel)
• 2.0 7 litres/100km • 14.3 km/litre • 40.4 mpg

HOW GREEN? (petrol)

• 1.5 K • Typical CO2 emissions (g/km) 177
• 2.0 K • Typical CO2 emissions (g/km) 194-210
• 2.5 Information not supplied by agents
• 2.5T L • Typical CO2 emissions (g/km) 243-246

(diesel)
• 2.0 K • Meets Euro Standard IV

• See our article ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’ in the links page that follows this re-
view.

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 Safety
PROPER SEATBELTS THROUGHOUT: Yes
PROPER SPARE TYRE: No, spacesaver only.
ANTI–SKID BRAKING (ABS): standard
AIRBAGS: Dual front, side and headcurtain
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC): Yes
REVERSING CAMERA: No
SUITABLE FOR TOWING? Yes
TOWING CApacity: (typical) unbraked 650kg, braked 1200kg

19 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
 making sense
of this review
•Note: this PDF review is designed to be read on your computer. Obviously, the online links within this
review will only work if you’re viewing this PDF onscreen with your computer hooked up to the internet.

1) We suggest you read this page carefully if you’re having trouble

understanding the review. If you’re frantic and need a quick
confirmation that you’re making the right car-buying decision, go
straight to the ‘Quick Summary’ section on the front page of your
review.

Here’s the ‘Quick Summary’ section on the

front page of your review.

2) The rest of the review is there to explain why we make our recommendation in the
‘Quick Summary’ section. Don’t be surprised if we make a negative recommendation: we
try and steer buyers away from vehicle purchases that are likely to end in tears.

3) Buying a car is a complex and confusing process. For this reason we recommend that
you calm down and read our supporting articles as well as the review itself, so that
you can see where we’re coming from.

4) We especially recommend you click on the blue link below to read our article:
‘How to Use These Reviews’.

5) If you’re buying secondhand, we recommend you watch our free video:

‘The Five Minute Car Check’.

6) There are a number of really useful supporting articles available free from our website.
You can access these by simply clicking on the name of the article on the ‘links’ page that
follows the review.

7) If you’re still horribly confused:

contact us, but please have some compassion for our overworked support staff: most of
the answers you need are already supplied within this review and the free articles on our
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Enjoy!

20 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
Official name: Subaru Division, Fuji Heavy Industries
Ltd

Owned by: Mainly Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd and Toyota

(16.5%).

Formerly owned by: General Motors (20%).

Current situation: On the positive side, Subaru

vehicles have an excellent reputation for performance,
handling, reliability and safety. However, like the giant
Panda, Subaru has become too specialised and is
endangered by a changing environment. Although
Subaru is currently profitable, it has a limited model
range and is a small fish in a hostile and overpopulated
sea.

Chances of survival: okay. Subaru’s alliance with

Toyota will improve its chances considerably. In the
end, Subaru may end up like Daihatsu – simply one of
Toyota’s specialist brands •
 A brief commentary on
Subaru

S
UBARU is the car
division of Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd. Fuji
also manufactures, among
other things, aircraft, trains
& ships.
Fo u n d by C h i k u h e i
Nakajima in 1917 as the
Nakajima Aircraft Company,
the company changed
its name to Fuji Sangyo
Ltd in 1945, when the
American occupying forces
A former lieutenant in the Japanese split the group into twelve
Imperial Navy, Chikuhei Nakajima was
probably a bad guy to mess with. independent companies.
Six of these later regrouped
as Fuji Heavy industries Ltd. and gradually diversified
into manufacturing such things as motor-scooters, bus
bodywork & gasoline engines.
The name Subaru (correct Japanese pronunciation is Soo
bar roo, not soo - ber - ROO) means ‘unite’ - but it’s also a
term for a cluster of six stars in the Taurus constellation,
named ‘Pleiades’ by the Ancient Greeks. It’s also a reference
to the six companies of the Fuji group.

22 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
 Subaru produced its first car in 1958.
Called the 360, it was a copy of the Italian
Fiat 500.
More conventional cars started with the The Subaru 360

FF1 of 1966, formed after a cooperation

agreement with Nissan.
Subaru’s first big break came with the four-wheel drive
Leone in 1972, which suddenly made four-wheel drive
available for the everyday motorist.

Subaru also did well with small cars & vans and its
performance models. There were hiccups along the way:
early ’80s Subarus had bad rust problems, and Subaru
small cars and vans were deathtraps.
In the early ’90s Subaru really got its act together on
both fronts. Most modern Subarus give excellent crashtest
results and rarely rust.

23 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
 Subaru’s rally cars like the WRX have made the brand
famous among petrolheads. Much of the technology that
goes into Subaru’s racing vehicles is also present in its
everyday cars.

Subarus do not age as gracefully as their Toyota equivalent;

a ten-year-old Toyota may still be at its prime; a ten-year-
old Subaru is at, or nearing the end of its trouble-free life.
While they’re new, Subarus are
generally among the most
trustworthy cars
available •

24 All content © The Dog & Lemon Guide 2013. All rights reserved
online links
Dozens of useful additional articles for free!
Just click on the name of an article from the list below
(you need to be viewing this page on your computer and be connected to the internet for this to work).

Before You Buy • Making Sense of Crashtests

• Bargain Hunting • Cars 1970-88
• How To Use These Reviews • Vans & Safety
• The Five Minute Car Check • Four-wheel Drives & Safety
• Finance • Classic Cars & Safety
• Buying New • A Tragic Lack of Restraint – seatbelts
• Depreciation in Australia • The Seven Deadly Sins - the causes
• Depreciation in New Zealand of road crashes
• Depreciation in the UK • A Comedy of Errors – road safety ads
• Insurance don’t work
• Types of Vehicles • A Fine Mess – why fines don’t work
• Japanese Secondhand Imports • Calming the Madness – good road
• Cabriolets & Convertibles design can save lives
• Yuppie Four-wheel Drives • That Sleep of Death – driver fatigue
• Hybrids • Victims of Circumstance – how you
• British Cars live affects how you die
• European Cars • When a Phone Box Pulls Out In Front
• German Cars of You
• Classic Cars
• Luxury Cars Cars & The World We Live In
• A Long Way From Paradise
Ownership Issues • The Dream Merchants
• Automatics & CVT Transmissions • Women & Cars
• A Question of Timing - timing belts • Cars & Other Dysfunctional
• Keeping It Cool Relationships - by Germaine Greer
• Know Your Battery • The Chinese Bubble
• Tyresome Foolishness • Cars & Nazis
• Diesels • It’s Not Easy Being Green
• CNG & LPG • The Emperor’s New World
• Turbochargers & Superchargers • The Emperor’s New Car

Safety The Meaning of Life

• Playing it Safe - vehicle safety features • Dictionary of Car Terms
Blown head gasket
warning
Modern engines work hard. Because of this, they tend to
get hot and frequently ‘blow their top’, especially if the engine
has been overheated or run without fresh antifreeze. Head
gaskets may be very expensive to fix and if left unfixed you’ll
probably end up broken down at the side of the road. Worse,
blown head gaskets sometimes lead to total engine failure.
The symptoms of a blown head gasket are mysterious
coolant loss, sometimes accompanied by rough running and
overheating, clouds of white steam coming from the exhaust,
oil in the water, water in the oil, and/or white goo under the
oil filler cap (see picture opposite). You should also lift out
the oil dipstick. If the oil is the colour of the white goo in the
middle of the oil filler cap in the picture, you have a cracked
cylinder head and/or blown head gasket. You should also be
suspicious about any vehicle with a heater that leaks coolant
into the interior of the car. A leaking heater is sometimes a
symptom of a head gasket problem. So is a blown or leaking
radiator or its hoses.

ABS & airbag warning

• Both the ABS (anti-skid braking) and airbag
warning lights should go on and then off
when you first start the vehicle. If this does
not happen, the vehicle may require a major,
extremely expensive repair immediately (if
either the ABS or airbag warning lights do not
go on at all, someone’s probably disconnected
them to hide the fact that the ABS or airbag
system is faulty). If either warning light comes
on while you are driving, this may mean a
serious malfunction in the vehicle’s safety
systems, and the vehicle should not be driven,
let alone purchased.

Automatic transmission warning

• Automatic transmissions that do not shift smoothly during a test drive are probably
not long of this earth. Also, with the vehicle at normal operating temperature (so
that the engine is not idling too fast) put the handbrake on and try switching the gear
selector between forward and reverse – this should happen quickly and smoothly
without any clunk – if not, suspect big repair bills in the near future.

Note: the advice below may not apply on some modern cars, because there may
be no dipstick to check. For further information, see our articles on automatic trans-
missions and CVT transmissions in the links page (one page back).

With the transmission in neutral and the engine running at normal operating
temperature, lift out the transmission dipstick, wipe it clean, put it back in and then
remove it again. The automatic transmission fluid should be a happy cherry red colour
& should be within the marked area on the transmission dipstick – if it’s not, abuse
and/or neglect is pretty likely and the vehicle should be avoided!