I, and everyone I questioned, walked away from the 2012 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback impressed.
More Coverage of the 2011 New York Auto Show
The styling is mature without being too conservative, and that goes for the sedan as well as the four-door hatch. With the usual disclaimer that aesthetic reactions are personal, I submit that the Impreza has found a sweet spot, somewhere between the somewhat-bland Chevrolet Cruze and the daring Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. I expect its appeal to be very broad.
Just as important in the compact class is interior quality, and the Impreza is a jump forward in this regard, too. The materials in the Limited and Sport trim levels at the show were good across the board. Silvery plastic is sparse. The center control panel bezel and steering-wheel spokes are a higher-quality gray material. The headliner isn’t woven fabric, but it’s not as cheap looking as traditional mouse fur. Likewise, the sun visors are vinyl, but gone are the sharp seams and general cheapness of the past. The ventilation controls are a little clunky — you can feel louvers opening and closing as you can in the Toyota Corolla — but it’s always possible the production cars will be smoother.
The front seats are reasonably roomy and comfortable, and the armrests are padded. It’s the backseat that really stands out, though. Even with the front seats fully back, I was able to fit pretty comfortably. Credit goes to the shape and softness of the front seatbacks. My knees pushed into them, but I didn’t feel squeezed. There’s no center armrest, however, and the backrest angle isn’t adjustable, even in the hatchback version.
The sedan’s trunk is still on the small size, but the hatch’s cargo area is wide, low and easy to load. Overall, this looks like a really nice package.
