FEATURES | 8 out of 10
The 2012 Subaru Impreza comes in three basic trim levels. The base 2.0i starts at $17,995 for the sedan—the hatchback adds $500 to every price level—which is unchanged from last year’s model. Then there’s the intermediate 2.0i Premium, at $18,975; and new for this year, a high-end 2.0i Limited model as well.
Last year’s Impreza-based Outback Sport model, with contrasting wheel-arch paint and a few other trim differences, is gone. Instead, an Impreza Sport model offers a more tuner-friendly Impreza, with platinum-gray wheels and other trim variations. The top of the range is the 2.0i Sport Limited, starting at $22,595. Subaru adds a mandatory delivery charge of $745 to all prices.
The 2.0i Premium model adds 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a six-speaker single-CD radio with Bluetooth streaming, hands-free mobile phone integration, a USB port, and iPod integration, along with steering wheel switches for audio and phone control. Other upgrades include fog lights, cruise control, a rear-suspension stabilizer bar, and a cargo cover for the load bay in the hatchback.
Options include the Lineartronic CVT, the Navigation package, a power moonroof, a 17-inch alloy wheel package, and an all-weather package with heated front seats and exterior mirrors and a wiper de-icer.
The Limited trim level adds 17-inch alloy wheels and the CVT with 6-speed manual mode and paddle shifters as standard, plus leather seat upholstery, automatic climate control, auto on/off headlights, an AM/FM/CD stereo with HD radio, and some trim options.
Four sound systems are available across the various models: standard, premium, a Display Radio with a 4.3-inch screen, and a Navigation Radio that neatly packages a navigation system that displays on a 6.1-inch LCD screen.
Starting price may be a hair under $18,000, but a five-door 2.0i Sport Limited with the CVT we tested stickered above $25,000, including the $745 destination charge and a flat $2,000 for a moonroof and Navigation package.
For 2013, Subaru will launch an as-yet unnamed model with higher ride height and more distinct styling, based on the XV model just introduced in Europe.
Conclusion
The 2012 Subaru Impreza offers new Limited and Sport models along with less expensive alternatives.
