2008 Impreza 2.5i; basically echoing what most other's have said already. Solid ride. great in the winter with winter tires and competent driving; Paint chips easily.
I do remember Terry B. from Calgary Subaru to be a super pleasant guy to deal with. No pressure, no BS.
I have an '07 BMW 335xi and I love it. It handles great, has extreme power for a sedan (310 hp) and gives me the torque I need to pull out of tight spots. The only downside is pricey repairs, but don't drive it like a jackass and its definitely manageable.
I've got AWD with winter tires and sometimes I get a little surprised stopping because I didn't realize it was slippery because taking off was no problem at all.
AWD DOES NOT compensate for crappy tires.
[/Winter Tire Facism]
Yep. All cars on the road have brakes on all 4 wheels, having your engine powering them won't do anything to help slow you down.
__________________
"Correction, it's not your leg son. It's Liverpool's leg" - Shankly
I have been shopping a new car for 2 years now, can never pull the trigger. My 04 RalliArt has just been too good to get a new car. I drive almost 5000 kms a month.
I will be looking into the new Impreza; AWD, lots of standard features, and great fuel economy.
Agreed. I am not a horsepower snob at all *cough*Sliver*cough* but 148hp for a fill time all wheel drive car doesn't seem like enough. My Mazda 3 has a couple more ponies than that. It will be better on gas than the other models, but I bet it will feel pretty sluggish. I can see why Subaru is doing it though, fuel mileage is probably the main reason people are buying the competition.
2008 Impreza 2.5i; basically echoing what most other's have said already. Solid ride. great in the winter with winter tires and competent driving; Paint chips easily.
I do remember Terry B. from Calgary Subaru to be a super pleasant guy to deal with. No pressure, no BS.
This is still a problem with the Imprezas? Mine is an 04, and its almost time to take it to Chippy or somewhere that fixes this stuff up. I have seen other models that look much better for their age.
What about Audi parts and repair? Any cause for concern here?
They're going to cost more to repair like any European car, and their build quality and reliability aren't top of the industry but they aren't at the bottom either.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
I've heard a lot of good things about the Ford Edge. Hard to beat price wise.
I drive a VW Touareg tdi, and if you can afford it I'd highly recommend taking a look at them. The electrical is "touchy" (lots of sensors) but as far as winter driving goes it's incredible. I do a lot of backcountry skiing/sledding, so I speak from experience in crap conditions. I also tow 2 sleds with it in the winter, and a 21' boat in the summer with no problems. Fuel economy is excellent (700k to a tank). It's also small enough and has enough power that it drives like a champ in the city.
Agreed. I am not a horsepower snob at all *cough*Sliver*cough* but 148hp for a fill time all wheel drive car doesn't seem like enough. My Mazda 3 has a couple more ponies than that. It will be better on gas than the other models, but I bet it will feel pretty sluggish. I can see why Subaru is doing it though, fuel mileage is probably the main reason people are buying the competition.
For what it's worth I've driven an Audi TT, BMW X5 and now I'm riding in a Subaru Outback. Surprising the Outback is my favourite of the bunch and it's easily the cheapest of the 3. I'm amazed at how well Subaru's run and how reliable they are. I don't think I'll ever own anything but a Subaru in my life.
Oh, one note: The Subuar's with the turbo's in them have a lot more problems than the stardard engines......at least according to consumer reports.
