|
|
|
Previous car I drove was a Hyundai Avante. I must admit that the Impreza had very excellent handling however it engine is greatly under powered. Kinda expect it from a 1.6 AWD, petrol wise quite a drinker as well. At best I can get is 9km per L and that is taking it slow and easy. Lastly the 15 inch wheels that came with it is a total joke. Too small and I changed it to 17 inch on day 1 of collection. I suppose Subaru is quite reliable cannot comment on that as I've only owned it for 2 months. Free 5 years servicing and the superb handling is what made me decide the Impreza over the other 1600cc cars
|
| Read
More » |
|
|
Review from a First-time Subaru Owner `
|
|
|
Just got the car in April. I was attracted by the comparatively lower price, its country of manufacture, 3-year free servicing and 5-year warranty. With no CEVS rebate, its PARF value is also based on the full OMV.
Interior
Things are of reasonable quality and functional. The layout is straightforward and neat; as I don't fancy lots of curves, this suits me well. The top of the dashboard has a soft-feel which is nice. The buttons and knobs have a firm feel when pressed or turned. They are quite well-positioned on the central panel and on the steering wheel.
The centre storage compartment which can be accessed by lifting the arm rest is too far back – I have to twist quite a bit to reach the stuff in it. I also wish that there is an overhead compartment for sunglasses.
At the back, the legroom for rear passengers is quite good but the centre storage extends too far back. This makes it hard for rear passengers to move from one side of the car to the other.
Safety
The car is fussy about safety. If the driver or front passenger does not put on the safety belt after the car picks up speed, there will be a rather irritating and loud tone. If the driver opens the door when reversing to check the parking line, another tone will be sounded.
The Drive
The car moves off smoothly from rest. Subaru will credit this to their Lineartronic CVT technology. There is some drag when it is pushed hard. I suppose this is not unexpected from a non-turbo charged mid-size sedans.
After the car picks up speed to around 90 km/h, the drive is steady with engine RPM around 2000. Likely due to the heavy weight of the car, the car is stable. The front and rear suspensions are firm and holds the car well.
The handling of the car is good. The car grips the road well – it gives the driver a confident and fully-in-control feeling when making bends and turns. The car salesman credited this to the AWD and low CG of the engine. I think the heavy weight of the car plays a role too. Anyway, it is a sensation that makes the car quite fun to drive.
Fuel Consumption
Based on the first two tanks of petrol, I got 11.5 km/l based on the use of RON95 petrol, 50 high way and 50 normal road. This is quite a relief as I have read about older models doing 8-9 km/l at best.
In conclusion, this is a car that is fun to drive and offer good value for money.
|
| Read
More » |
|
|
|
Test drove the 4 door Impreza a while ago. Showroom unit showed a beige colour leather interior coupled with the pearl white exterior which I felt added class to the interior.
<< Interior >>
Plastics used are definitely miles ahead of previous model, Soft touch dashboard, upper door panels, and all armrests. But the panels sounded quite hallow when given a light knock. Roof lining feels cheap in material.
Legroom is good for front and rear. Rear seatback is shorter in height. 3 points seatbelts are installed for a 3 rear passengers. There is no rear center armrest. But rear doors do come with cup holders. Seat position in front is low, driver's side is height adjustable.
<< The Drive >>
Press the startup button, the engine cranks into life. Feels stable upon firing up and the cranking noise is soft. As with the boxer engine, idling is seriously smooth, vibration is non existent and very quiet.
Moving off, the throttle response is good despite it is a CVT transmission. The transmission responds according to the throttle input when drive normally. Step a little more, the rev rise up abit and let the speed catch up. Stepped more than half of the throttle, the rpm is controlled within the 3k to 4k range instead of some CVTs just let the engine rev to before redline. I felt this CVT response is good as the rubberband effect usually encountered on CVTs are kept to a minimum low.
On the move, power is never lacking, it felt adequate for daily driving. But comes to overtaking, CVTs show their weakest. During the drive below 3k rpm, the engine noise is very low, only the CVT whine is heard. Above 3k rpm, the boxer noise is heard but it is not at all loud.
<< Brakes, Steering and Ride >>
Brakes are powerful, felt over-assisted which makes braking very effortless. But upon releasing the pedal slightly to creep forward mode, the brakes are noisy. Steering is well weighted. Ride wise, it's not too firm or too soft, just nice. But the bump and thump over road works repairs are abit on the intrusive side.
|
| Read
More » |
|
|
A noteworthy sedan to consider in the 1.5/1.6L category `
|
|
|
After owning a 2005 Vios 1.5 for the last 7 years, was out in the market for a new car. While not on my mind initially, I eventually settled for this Impreza, which was the cheapest among the preferred models within my budget (Vios 1.5G, Mazda 3 or Honda City).
The car looks very much more handsome in real than on photos. Interior is roomy and well appointed (NOTE: considering I was on Vios 1.5 & toyota's interior are usually more plain). Features like keyless entry and ignition, cruise control and driving info panel etc came default in the package.
The winning factor for me were the vastly improved pick up speed compared to the previous model PLUS reduction in weight of the car. The car moves off decently unlike the previous model I test drove, which hardly moves even when I floor the accelerator.
Have completed 700KM on it with average fuel consumption of 13.5km/L on ron95 (70-hi-way & 30-city) typically with 1 other passenger + 1 toddler. Car can maintain 1900RPM when cruising between 100-105km/h speed, which I think is quite efficient. I'm light-footed on the accelerator.
Is not all perfect, but overall I would recommend it as a family friendly sedan with a tinge of sportiness.
|
| Read
More » |
|
|
Pricelist
Share your thoughts on Telegram
