2007 Subaru Impreza Wagon [ 2008 ]
Subaru Impreza Wagon
Overall Score - 7.8 (Good)
The Impreza Wagon offers good power and sporty performance, but can't match the handsome exterior styling or overall refinement of others in its class.
Auto reviewers generally find the Subaru Impreza Wagon to be a sporty performer with good power and an impressive all-wheel-drive system, though only a few find it to be a complete package. BusinessWeek represents the consensus among the wagon's proponents, saying, "Imprezas are reliable, versatile, and relatively inexpensive, and they handle well for economy cars." Edmunds agrees that the Impreza Wagon is versatile, deeming it "perfectly suited for people with an active lifestyle. Hiking, rock climbing, biking, surfing -- pretty much any activity that requires more than a pair of shorts -- can all be accommodated." After calling the Impreza Wagon "ugly and noisy," the Washington Post writes, "If you can stomach that unpleasantness, you're in for a thrilling drive."
Noting that the Impreza Wagon is "generally priced above Honda Civic and into Volkswagen Jetta territory," Consumer Guide reports, "These Subarus lack the refinement and interior materials to match those compact car benchmarks." On the other hands, "Subaru has remade itself into a premium brand and nowhere is that more evident than in its expansive Impreza line of compact cars," says New Car Test Drive. "They're the least expensive all-wheel-drive sedan and wagon available in the United States."
The Subaru Impreza Wagon is available as a 2.5i Sport or a performance-oriented WRX Sport trim. For their predicted five-year total cost of ownership compared to other cars in their class, IntelliChoice gives the 2.5i Sport a rating of "worse than average," and the WRX Sport a rating of "poor."
Impreza-Wagon Performance - 8.8 (Very Good)
Reviewers find the 2007 Subaru Impreza Wagon to be a sporty, responsive performer with good power and handling, but a disappointing transmission. "Few economy cars on the planet are as visceral, as hard-wired to the driver's inputs," Car and Driver notes, however the "clutch take-up is slightly abrupt, making smooth launches tricky." continue
Impreza-Wagon Exterior - NA
A portion of reviewers find the exterior of the Impreza Wagon uninspired, despite its major makeover just a year ago. "Some reviewers have described the new Subaru look in unflattering terms. We're indifferent," says New Car Test Drive. "It certainly would not deter us from owning one of these cars." continue
Impreza-Wagon Interior - 8.4 (Very Good)
Most reviewers discuss the cargo- and passenger-hauling merits of the Impreza wagon in relation to the Impreza sedan. Like many reviewers, Edmunds calls the wagon's cabin "more versatile," as well as "roomier, with additional headroom given to both front and rear passengers." continue
Impreza-Wagon Safety - 9.2 (Excellent)
The 2007 Impreza Wagon has a standard all-wheel drive system to help avoid accidents. Also, it scores well in government crash tests, receiving four out of five and five out of five stars for driver and passenger protection, respectively, in front impact tests, and four out of five stars in side impact tests. continue
Impreza-Wagon Reliability - 6.0 (Mediocre)
The 2007 Subaru Impreza Wagon reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). Subaru offers warranty coverage on all its cars, including a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty. continue
