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01/09/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Impreza is a fully imported Japanese car from a company that makes its own way in the automotive field. Not for Subaru are variations on everyone else’s designs, it prefers to make its own decisions on how cars should be engineered.
The result are features such as unusual body styles, boxer engines and all-wheel drive (AWD). However, though all-wheel drive has been on offer since 1995, not all older Imprezas have it, some of the lower cost variants only have front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive has real advantages on wet sealed roads, as well as on country bush surfaces. Offering greater stability and traction.
 Australian car buyers love their Subarus for their well-deserved reputation for long life and reliability. So it comes as no surprise that the Impreza has one of the highest of all resale ratings according to industry pricing expert Glass’s Guide.
The Impreza sedan is relatively conventional in its looks, but the hatchback variant of the initial model took a path of its own, falling somewhere between a conventional wagon and a hatchback in appearance and practicality. It was controversial in its shape in the latter years of the 20th century. The styling was toned down a little and works particularly well from the 2001 model onwards.
If you want a full-on station wagon you may care to look at the Subaru Forester, which shares many out of sight components with Impreza but is fitted with an SUV-style wagon body.
Impreza interior space is good and the seats are comfortable. You can carry four adults without too much need for compromise. As a parents and three kids proposition it works nicely.
The Impreza range used a 1.6 or 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine until March 1996, with the bigger unit being installed in the dearer models. Engine size then went up to 2.0 litres after these dates. Though the bigger engines are probably the more pleasant to sit behind, the smaller units have good torque characteristics and shouldn't be discounted.
Particularly impressive are the 2.5-litre models introduced in 2001. However the 2.5 was discontinued for the 2006 model year with the introduction of a new twin-cam 2.0-litre unit. The latter is an impressive powerplant that provides good power and torque. This new 2.0 is almost indistinguishable from the larger older engine in performance, and uses significantly less fuel.
 Spare parts and servicing are readily available. Subaru's popularity in country regions means that there are dealers in many out of the way areas, something that can’t be said about all Japanese brands. Subarus have proven particularly popular in the snowfields. Parts prices are about average for a Japanese car in this class.
Access to most mechanical components is reasonably good and the home mechanic can do a lot of their own work - it's best to leave safety related items to the experts, though. And have a workshop manual close handy before you start to pull things apart…
Insurance premiums on the standard models are usually moderate, but beware the cost of covering an Impreza WRX.
The high-performance Impreza WRX is a huge seller in the range. Contrarily, we won’t cover it in this Used Car feature, because it appeals to a quite different buyer type. It deserves a full article in its own right.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Be sure the engine starts easily and idles reasonably smoothly even when cold. Earlier units had an uneven beat due to the boxer layout, but this is normal and nothing of concern. The beat was calmed down in later models.
 Look for exhaust smoke when accelerating hard after the engine has been idling for a while. Check for oily fumes from the oil filler hole when the cap is removed.
Make sure the manual gearbox changes gears smoothly and quietly.
Feel and listen for an automatic transmission that is slow to go into gear from Neutral or Park. This could mean an overhaul is looming.
Drive the car with the steering on full lock in one direction, then the other at slow speed and listen for creaks or clunks from the transmission. These probably indicate expensive wear.
Look for crash repairs: the simplest signs are uneven paint matching, paint overspray on glass and other non-painted surfaces, and ripples in the panels, the latter are most easily noticed when viewed along their length.
Interiors are usually tough but beware the car that’s had a hard life in the hands of uncaring kids in the back seat.
Check the condition of the boot or load area for signs of damage due to sliding and/or sharp objects.
HOW MUCH?
Expect to pay from $2500 to $5500 for a 1993 LX 1.6-litre; $4000 to $7500 for a 1996 GX 2.0-litre; $6500 to $10,000 for a 1998 RX 2.0-litre; $11,000 to $16,000 for a 2001 RS 2.5-litre; $14,000 to $20,000 for a 2004 RX 2.0-litre; $17,000 to $24,000 for a 2006 2.0i Luxury 2.0-litre; and $19,000 to $27,000 for a 2007 RS 2.0-litre.
CAR BUYING TIP
Though cars frequently used in the country generally have lots of kays on the clock, they are almost invariably working in easy conditions. Hence have less wear and tear.
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