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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2012 Subaru Impreza

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Subaru Impreza

Overview

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2012 Subaru Impreza Review

By KBB.com Editorial Staff

KBB Expert Rating: 6.8

For 2012, Subaru introduces an all-new version of its capable and dependable compact sedan and wagon. The 2012 Subaru Impreza is roomier and better-trimmed inside than many competitors, and continues as the only passenger car under $20K with standard Symmetrical all-wheel drive (AWD). Courtesy of reduced weight, a new, more-efficient 2.0-liter boxer engine and continuously variable automatic transmission, the 2012 Impreza offers the best EPA-estimated fuel economy of any gasoline-powered all-wheel-drive passenger car, better even than the base-engine/automatic-transmission mileage of front-drive compacts like Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Volkswagen Jetta and Nissan Sentra.

You'll Like This Car If...

The 2012 Impreza is the practical choice if you value the no-nonsense reliability, security and all-weather traction benefits of standard all-wheel drive combined with roomy comfort and top-notch fuel economy in its class.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If Subaru's traditionally excellent safety ratings or the Impreza's standard all-wheel drive traction isn't a big factor in your purchase decision, there are compact competitors that offer more features for less money.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

6.8
Driving Dynamics

6.7
Comfort & Convenience

6.7
Design: Interior & Exterior

6.3
Value

6.8
Safety

N/A

Awards & Honors

2011 Best Resale Value Awards: Category Winners

How It Ranks

#19

out of 25

MPG

#10

out of 24

Horsepower

View all rankings

Consumer Rating

8.1 out of 10

View all
consumer ratings

2012 Subaru Impreza Low/wide front photo

What's New for 2012

Subaru made the Impreza a comfortable, roomy, attractive place for customers downsizing from mid-size cars. The Impreza's safety credentials are bolstered by a standard driver's knee airbag for 2012. Last year's Outback Sport is discontinued, replaced by two range-topping 5-door wagon models: the 2.0i Sport Premium and 2.0i Sport Limited.

Driving the Impreza

2012 Subaru Impreza Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions Like comfortable sneakers, the 2012 Subaru Impreza offers surefooted all-wheel-drive traction under all road and weather conditions. It may lack the sharp steering response of a Focus or road feel...

of a Civic, but the Impreza imparts confidence and feels unflappable at all times. The all-new 2.0-liter boxer engine is 13 percent less powerful than last year's 2.5-liter, but acceleration is decent, especially with the available continuously variable transmission (CVT), which replaces 2011's 4-speed automatic. The CVT responds quickly to changing road grades and driver input without shift lag, although with the radio and fan turned off, a slight transmission whine is heard. New front seats offer more comfort and improved support. Outward visibility is among the best in the segment. The wagon's split rear seat folds completely flat and the rolled-up cargo cover stows under the cargo floor – two examples of Subaru's thoughtfulness.

Favorite Features

INCLINE START ASSIST
Called "Hill Hold" in popular parlance, this nifty feature keeps your Impreza from rolling back or forward as you release the clutch when starting out on an incline. It's standard on manual-transmission models.

ECO GAUGE
New for 2012, this dash-mounted analog gauge gives Impreza drivers bio-feedback on how fuel-efficient they are driving. It's simple, effective and if you keep the needle to the right, you're saving gas.

2012 Subaru Impreza Details

2012 Subaru Impreza Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

Although overall length is unchanged from 2011, the 2012 model is the roomiest Subaru Impreza ever. It has more rear-seat legroom than some mid-size cars thanks to a skillful wheelbase stretch and scalloped front seatbacks. Hip and shoulder room improve courtesy of carefully contoured door panels. Larger door openings make getting in and out easier than in many competitors. Raised seat heights, increased glass area and a lowered dash help give a command-of-the-road feel. Front seats get pressure-distributing bottom cushions, increased lumbar support and new tilt-adjustable headrests. Soft touch coverings adorn the dash, door panels and console.

Exterior

The 2012 Subaru Impreza gets all-new sheet metal. Both the more-formal 4-door sedan and sporty 5-door wagon feature more sharply sculpted, Legacy-derived styling with prominent wheel arches and hawkeye-shaped headlights. In silhouette, each has a light and airy greenhouse with large windows and slimmer-looking roof pillars for improved visibility, highlighted by a more rakish windshield. With blind spots reduced or eliminated, the new Impreza is one of the easiest cars in its class to maneuver and move through traffic.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The base Impreza 2.0i rolls on smallish 15-inch steel wheels, but otherwise is cheerfully equipped with standard all-wheel drive, A/C, remote keyless entry, 60/40 split folding rear seat, carpeted floormats, wagon cargo tie-downs, auto-off headlights, 4-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo, height-adjust driver's seat and tilt/telescoping steering column. The 2.0i Premium gains 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, wagon cargo cover, sliding center armrest, and a 6-speaker audio with Bluetooth streaming, iPod connectivity, hands-free phone capability, and a USB port. The 2.0i Limited adds leather trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, the CVT (automatic transmission), heated seats and HD radio with 4.3-inch display. Well-trimmed and wagon-only, the 2.0i Sport Premium and Sport Limited models lack only standard navigation and a moonroof.

Optional Equipment

The only option available on base 2.0i Imprezas is the CVT. With the Impreza 2.0i Premium, the optional CVT comes with shift paddles that allow the driver to manually select six ratios. Also available on 2.0i Premium models are an all-weather package with heated seats and outside mirrors plus wiper de-icers, and a 17-inch alloy-wheel package that adds stainless-steel exhaust tips and a leather-wrapped shifter and steering wheel. A power moonroof and 6.1-inch touch-screen navigation system with XM satellite radio is optional on all but the base model. Last year's removable Tom Tom nav unit is no longer offered. Neither are power seats.

Under the Hood

The 2012 Subaru Impreza sticks with its unique, compact boxer engine that's known for reliability and a low center of gravity that helps handling and safety. But while the 2011 2.5-liter Impreza had one of the larger, more powerful standard engines among compacts, the all-new 2012 2.0-liter version is among the most advanced and fuel-efficient with a 36-percent boost to its EPA combined city/highway rating. Subaru engineered the new engine for improved low- and mid-range torque, which improves around-town responsiveness. A switch to a new dual-overhead-cam configuration with variable valve control for both intake and exhaust boosts efficiency and performance. Adapted from the Legacy, the 2012 Impreza upgrades its automatic transmission to the Lineartronic CVT, which – unlike earlier CVTs that droned on – gives a more linear response to the gas pedal.

2.0-liter flat-4
148 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
145 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/34 mpg (manual), 27/36 mpg (automatic)

Pricing Notes

Despite all the improvements to fuel economy, roominess, comfort and infotainment technology, the base price (MSRP with destination charges) of the 2012 Subaru Impreza Sedan is the same as 2011, just over $18,000. Five-door Wagon models go for $500 more. Last year's top model, the Outback Sport, is replaced by a pair of loaded, wagon-only models (the Sport Premium and Sport Limited) that range from $21K to just above $23K. That puts the top Impreza models up against the better equipped VW Jetta, Mazda Mazda3, Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze models, but these competitors don't have all-wheel drive. The closest AWD rival is the Mitsubishi Lancer, with the tiny Suzuki SX4 and larger, more expensive Suzuki Kizashi and Ford Fusion rounding out the small field. As with other Subarus, we expect the 2012 Impreza to hold its resale value well. To get a better idea of what people in your area are paying for their 2012 Subaru Imprezas, check out Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price in the "What should I pay for a new car?" section on our homepage.

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2012 Subaru Impreza Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.1

Out of 10

Based on 15 Ratings for the 2012 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.7/10

Quality

9.0/10
Reliability

9.6/10

Performance

8.0/10
Comfort

8.2/10

Styling

7.7/10

An exceptional vehicle, lacking some niceties

By Rick E (VA) on Friday, January 11, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 500

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Reliable, safe, handling, mpg, practical, price"

Cons: "few ammenities, road noise"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Ok, so I have read most of the reviews, seen the pros and cons, and I have to say I think Subarus are WAY under-rated. My previous vehicle was a Toyota Supra turbo... beautiful vehicle with incredible handling and comfortable design. And costly, something I could not take out in inclement weather, terrible gas mileage and not practical for getting around town or carrying anything more than groceries or 1 other passenger. This is my first Subaru, but I have been around people who have owned them for decades. The warranty covers more than most (your 10yr/100k covers so little and is non-transferrable for example), extended warranties are very well priced, they are notoriously reliable, safe, practical and I already know I can trust my Impreza in a pinch in any situation. Some may say "AWD is fine for bad weather, but otherwise just more gas and more maintenance"... but they don't know what they're talking about. Subaru's get better gas mileage than anything in its class and comparable to most 2WD systems. The symmetrical AWD system of the Subaru takes less components and are proven to need less maintenance. And I have been in so many situations on dry road, in good conditions where I used to wish I had AWD, if only to better avoid bad drivers, road hazards, have more confidence on the road, etc. My Supra was great for that in optimal conditions. My Subaru is great in ALL conditions. My friend got a Hyundai Sonata with a bunch of features... I admit I wish the Subarus had a few more luxuries... but mostly I hear people talk about how they hardly use those features. And people ask "when do you really need AWD??" If you have to ask that question, then you really don't understand the value of a great AWD system, and probably won't until it is too late. It may be just that ONE time you need that makes it more than worth it. But likely its just the ability to drive confidently in any weather, go camping at REAL campsites, be more able to respond to unknowns, or simply knowing your loved ones are safer that makes it the right decision. So it does cost more to get the Symmetrical AWD and you lose a few features... from my experience driving just about eveything but the priciest vehicles, you get at least as good handling, reliability, and safey as an Audi, lose some luxury features, less quiet cabin, and save around $15k, more affordable upkeep, and great resale value. Don't get me wrong... I have driven the Sonata and Corolla and they are fine cars... I am just glad I don't have to drive them anymore. I liked some additional features in the Sonota and the Corolla runs well and is reliable. But maybe because my experience in cars has been sport cars previously, I felt afraid to drive them down the road , especially on the highway. When you know the difference, you can feel what these cars CAN'T do. If you've seen them in accidents, you know what you WANT them to do. That, to me, is more than worth a few more bucks for great AWD system and better safety. A lot folks I know who work overseas in various posts prefer Subarus as well, knowing wherever they go they'll have minimal vehicle issues and can get out of Dodge if need be!"

12 people out of 13 found this review helpful

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Great driving not so great mpg

By Shell (WA) on Saturday, December 01, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,300

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "great driving"

Cons: "terrible fuel mileage and stereo"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 7

"My 2013 Impreza 2.0i premium is a pretty great car. It handles great on gravel roads. I am only getting between 26 and 27 mpg. I really hope it will get better with a few more miles. Also the 6 speaker stereo is not anything to brag about. I love music and I can't hardly stand to turn it up. Maybe they should have put 2 quality speakers instead of 6 cheap ones."

6 people out of 10 found this review helpful

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