nipper Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/03/2012-subaru-impreza-first-drive-review/#continued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 With a 2" lift, and 2" more room in the back to sleep in, it's great MPG would make it better than a Loyale. So basically, Subaru still hasn't managed to build as good a vehicle as the one they stopped making in 1994. Not that anyone else has, either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Thats ok i lament the loss of the 1979 civic. Funny what passes for a small car these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yes! Roomy, economical, reliable and easy to work on. Pretty peppy and fun to drive as well. The wagons had tons of room. Rust prone in my part of the world, and the engines were not as long-lived as Subarus, but good, inexpensive transportation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rverdoold Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Can't wait the introduction in Europe with the 1.6 FD. The 1.6 XV has very good MPGs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 112 HP and 111ft/lb torq at 4000 rpm i personally couldnt drive that too under powered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Nipper wrote: "112 HP and 111ft/lb torq at 4000 rpm i personally couldnt drive that too under powered. " This from someone who laments the passing of the 1979 Civic, with a whopping 63 HP from the optional 1488 cc engine! Mind you, that car weighed at least 1000 lbs less, and a sports car in those days did 0 - 60 slower than a minivan today. I just had a look at the specs on that XV. 220 mm ground clearance, 2.0 l diesel. I am not sure about the CVT, time will tell if this transmission will go 300,000 miles. If it is not plagued with horrific blindspots, and I can sleep in the back, this may be the modern day Loyale. Edited January 12, 2012 by robm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Key thing is 1000 lbs less. If you do the HP per lb it had much more power, and I had both of those engines. Also keep in mind everything else back then was a lot slower too, so it wasnt that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 That's is kind of what I was thinking, when I noted it's lighter weight and the fact that sports cars were slower than minivans. Even if the power to weight is the same, a light car is more fun to throw around and more direct, without power steering or brakes. It feels peppier. It looks like North America is getting the XV next fall. We will be getting only the 2.0 l gas engine with CVT or 5 speed, no diesel. And it seems the body is pretty much the same as a 2012 Impreza, so sleeping in the back will be tight, but it is essentially what I wished for: a 2012 Imp with a 2" lift kit. Maybe they do know what they are doing at Subaru. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 I have been told it is the same size as Blu which doesnt bother me one bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rverdoold Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) Well I now drive a 1.6 with 70 KW and 143 NM (105 foot/lb) @ 3600 rpm. Trust me when fuel prices get that high in USA as over here you only want something small and efficient. I agree it is underpowered and far from fast but it works. I do get where I want. and for the towing and off-roading I have a dual range Edited January 13, 2012 by rverdoold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Well I now drive a 1.6 with 70 KW and 143 NM (105 foot/lb) @ 3600 rpm. Trust me when fuel prices get that high in USA as over here you only want something small and efficient. I agree it is underpowered and far from fast but it works. I do get where I want. and for the towing and off-roading I have a dual range In the US there is only a very small tiny percentage of the population who would buy and drive a small light car, even if gas doubles in price (which it could). The large percentage of the population who will only drive a large heavy beast are the ones who simply complain gas is too high, but they do nothing about trying to conserve. That is the reason small cars don't sell here, further proof of the dumbing of the population. Most people don't even consider mpg when they buy.. They want fast, power, and something the size of a yacht. The new impreza has TONS of rear seat legroom. But the overall length of the car is far too long for my taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afterbang Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I will be buying a new 2012 impreza probably within the next 6 months. the sport limited model. the wife said she was fine with me wanting a wrx wagon but I can't digest passing on 36mpg hwy for 25. it will be my first automatic and I'm kind of excited about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rverdoold Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) I really would like some more space behind the driver seat. I have my seat adjusted to the back and no real person can sit there for long time. So then I have to move the seat forwards, getting myself in little trouble. Cars have grown dramatically the last 30 years. Easiest to compare is with the VW golf or Polo. The looks have not changed that much but the wheelbase grew from 94.5 inch to 101 inch but in total the car got about 2 feet cm longer. Also the impreza frew about 5 inches that is a lot in just 16 years or so. I found the subaru usually way behind the competition in Europe short wheelbase and little space in the back but they are improving now. Although for europe the 1st gen legacy wagon was really big. I loved it. Sometimes still longing back to a bigger car. Edited January 14, 2012 by rverdoold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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