2007 Subaru Impreza Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Expert review
The Subaru Impreza provides nimble, efficient handling and the confidence of standard all-wheel drive.
The Subaru Impreza does things a bit different from the typical compact car. A boxer engine and standard all-wheel drive are items you won’t find in the rest of the segment. This allows the Impreza to combine all-weather traction with responsive handling and solid fuel economy. Designed for an active lifestyle, the Impreza has no problem getting dirty, inside or out! This is the second generation of the Impreza, which was introduced for the 2002 model year, and carried over to 2007.
out of 10 expert review
Look & feel
The Impreza underwent two facelifts during its second generation, the second of which came in 2006 and continues to 2007. It features busy styling, highlighted by angular headlights, and an odd central “snout” in the grille. The Impreza is available in sedan and wagon variants. The wagon can also be had as the Outback Sport, a nod to its larger Legacy-based Outback Wagon. The Outback Sport features roof rails and an adventurous two-tone paint theme with added body cladding.
Inside, the Impreza features a clean and straightforward design. The dial gauges and three-spoke steering wheel provide the Impreza with an almost sports-car-like dash setup. The Impreza uses some plastics and the seats can feel a bit rough, but it is all in service of the Impreza’s active nature. These are seats and dash panels that can take a beating.
Trims are 2.5i and the previously noted Outback Sport. The base 2.5i comes standard with cruise control, remote keyless entry, a CD player, and air conditioning. The Outback Sport adds features like roof rails and a split folding rear seat.
Performance
As you might have guessed from the 2.5i trim designation, the Impreza comes standard with a 2.5-liter Boxer 4-cylinder engine. These engines feature two banks of two cylinders set parallel to the ground and pointed at each other. The cylinders “punch” towards one another, with the crankshaft at the center-point, hence the name “Boxer.” This engine provides a low center of gravity, which allows for improved handling dynamics.
In this application, the 2.5-liter Boxer makes 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque, sent through either a 5-speed manual or available 4-speed automatic transmission. Power is routed to Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive (AWD). This provides enhanced traction in both good and bad road conditions. In all, the Impreza’s acceleration is nothing exciting, but the cornering abilities provided by the car’s unique driveline should impress.
Form & function
The Impreza sedan provides 11 cubic feet of trunk space. It falls behind the Corolla, which has 13.6 cubic feet, and the Honda Civic, which has 12 cubic feet. This can be expanded by opening the split-fold rear bench.
The Wagon and Outback Sport provide 27.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Folding down the backseat grows this number to 61.6 cubic feet. This makes the Impreza Wagon and Outback Sport one of the more spacious compact cars on the market.
Technology
The Impreza comes standard with a meager 80-watt AM/FM stereo, but it does come with a standard CD player. Subaru offers a Special Edition of the Impreza that upgrades the stereo to a 240-watt sound system with a 6-disc CD changer.
The Impreza also has a helpful trip computer located in the center of the dash. It can provide status updates for fuel economy, distance to empty, and the outside temperature.
Safety
Standard safety features include seatbelt pre-tensioners, antilock brakes, and electronic brake-force distribution. The Impreza also provides dual front airbags and front side-impact airbags.
In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Impreza earns four out of five stars in front driver’s side testing and a perfect 5-star rating for front passenger side testing.
Cost-effectiveness
The most efficient version of the Impreza is the 2.5-liter with the 4-speed automatic. It returns 20 mpg city, 25 highway, 22 combined. With the 5-speed manual, this engine returns 19 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined.
Base MSRP for the 2006 Subaru Impreza is $17,995 for the 2.5i, in both sedan or wagon form. Adding an automatic transmission brings the price of the 2.5i (sedan or wagon) to $18,795. A Special Edition sedan starts at $18,995. The Outback Sport variant of the wagon starts at $19,195, and an Outback Sport Special Edition starts at $19,695. There are other, less expensive compact cars. But few offer both sedan and wagon body styles. Certainly, none of them offer standard AWD. This makes the Impreza a solid value, any way you cut it.
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 2007 Subaru Impreza express a strong affection for the car's handling, all-wheel drive (AWD) capabilities, and reliability, especially in winter conditions. Many drivers appreciate the car's sporty appearance and fun driving experience. However, some feel it lacks power compared to turbo models and are disappointed with the paint durability."
I love this car. Looks great drives great. It performs very well and I hope to keep for a long while. The all-wheel drive makes all the difference in its performance and even though its not turbo it still has a decent amount of power, 173hp to the wheel. bottom line is its fun.
February 19, 2011An awesome car, a non turbo basic model of the WRX. Pretty fast and never gets stuck in the snow, its also a 5 speed which makes driving off road fun. this is also the safest ive ever felt in a car.
December 10, 2009This is a great little car. It's lightweight, fuel efficient and handles incredibly well thanks to the all wheel drive. Living in Connecticut the ability to have a reliable way to get around in the snow is critical! Just realize that it's not invincible!
October 18, 2009What owners say
I love this car. Looks great drives great. It performs very well and I hope to keep for a long while. The all-wheel drive makes all the difference in its performance and even though its not turbo it still has a decent amount of power, 173hp to the wheel. bottom line is its fun.
February 19, 2011An awesome car, a non turbo basic model of the WRX. Pretty fast and never gets stuck in the snow, its also a 5 speed which makes driving off road fun. this is also the safest ive ever felt in a car.
December 10, 2009This is a great little car. It's lightweight, fuel efficient and handles incredibly well thanks to the all wheel drive. Living in Connecticut the ability to have a reliable way to get around in the snow is critical! Just realize that it's not invincible!
October 18, 2009Taking a turn in an impreza is an event you will never forget, I have taken steep S shaped turns at 100 KM/H and on the highway taken turns at 190 KM/H, steering performance is a dream. The car is as stable as they come, I have reached the magic number of 200 Km/h and left the steering wheel and the car kept going in a straight line. Acceleration is it's best feature it has to be said, the car is pretty heavy (1.3 tons) and the engine is a 1.6 liter 100 bhp boxer engine, not very much horse power but very tourqey, going up a hill is like going down one, you don't feel the difference, with A/C is like without ... Sound isolation is quite good, it's no Merc. but it isolates the exterior sound to a great extent, also isolation from the road is nice, the suspension system works well to deal with all the bumps and ditches of the lovely Cairo roads. The sound the car makes is one of my favorite things about it, a melody of power and engineering, not too loud but loud enough to stand out in the crowd. Some people don't like it's looks, personally I think it is one of the most gorgeous cars out, very appealing to me, aggressive and yet streamline. Fuel consumption is not that great though, because the car is so heavy and only 1.6 liter it consumes alot of fuel and I guess the fact that it is an automatic adds to that. It does about 34 KM to the gallon or 170 KM / 20 KM (Safi7a) or 21 MPG which ever you wanna know :) When you drive this car aggressively for the fun of it then you really start understanding what a scooby is all about, the car responds to your every move instantly and always has enough torque when you need it .. It's always a good sign when you miss your car when you don't drive it too often, sometimes you just feel like going for a drive, not going anywhere, just for the passion of it (Of course no traffic would help alot!)
August 7, 2008It's fun and versatile. There's plenty of interior space and features to please any one. Heated seats. Amazing sound system. The overall performance really kicks, you become one with the horses (approx 173 hp if you can). AWD in the winter is a dream. The sport suspension is an added bonus and handles well even during most demanding driving conditions ie. Montreal roads all year round.
January 30, 2008All Wheel Drive is impressive. The inline 4 is ok. Very fast through 40mph. Very crunchy in high rpms. Strong Brakes. Handles great for a base model car. Built solid. Minor problems with smaller parts. Nothing major. Sport Appearance. Wide aggressive stance. Fun in bad weather.
February 1, 2011For living in the middle of New England, also known as Subaru Country, this car really holds its own. The base model Impreza isn't known for it's road gripping performance, as it's known for being a solid, take on anything, go forever type of car. It still makes great use of Subaru's Symmetrical AWD system, getting it through even the worst weather New England has to offer. I've had the car almost 2 years and haven't had any mechanical issues. In fact, I haven't had any issues at all. It's a well-built car that I'm sure will last for many years.
April 14, 2009Brakes and handles well, Acceleration is not great. Reasonably well built for a lightweight car. Looks similar to its bigger WRX brother Cheap to run so far. Car is less fun than a Boxster, but a lot better than the Daewoos, Kia's and Hyundais its competing with in Singapore
December 2, 2010I finally had to give up my trucks and go for something with 4 doors and allot more fun to drive, much better fuel economy, cannot haul as much but still allot more then a typical sedan. I wish the automatic had a bit more power, and the paint did not chip as easily , but hey I would still buy another Subaru given the chance.
August 2, 2008awesome car love the AWD the only disappointing thing about the 5i is that it is a little underpowered if this Subaru came with stock 210 hp this car would be amazing 40 extra hp would really make this car a above and beyond all the other performance cars in its class such as the Mazda series or Mitsubishi lancer
July 2, 2008Trims & specs
Base MSRP $17,995 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.5L 170 hp H4 | Cargo Capacity N/A |
Combined MPG 23 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $19,695 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.5L 173 hp H4 | Cargo Capacity N/A |
Combined MPG 22 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $17,995 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.5L 173 hp H4 | Cargo Capacity 11.0 cu ft |
Combined MPG 22 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $18,995 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.5L 173 hp H4 | Cargo Capacity 11.0 cu ft |
Combined MPG 22 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $19,195 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.5L 173 hp H4 | Cargo Capacity 11.0 cu ft |
Combined MPG 22 | Drivetrain AWD |
