It’s the most tired clichéd predictable storied matchup in recent automotive journalism history: All-wheel-drive Japanese sport compacts with 300-hp turbocharged engines battle it out for supremacy on the track. Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder gets behind the wheel of both in this video and explains which is better for track days and every day.
Usually when end-of-month incentives sales are announced, they come with some pretty inflated rhetoric: The Year-End Event, The Tent Sale to End All Others, The Event of a Lifetime (that’s our favorite), and so on. The hyperbole can get a little tiring.
Kudos to Subaru for avoiding that, calling its modest, 10-day incentives boost what it really is: kind of small or at least short. The Small Tent Big Event begins today, and until March 31 Subaru will offers customers 0.0% financing plus $1,500 cash back on the 2008 Outback, or 0.0% and $2,000 back on the outgoing 2008 Forester. Customers can also get 0.0% financing on a lease deal ($179 a month for 36 months) on the 2008 Impreza. The financing teamed with cash back is impressive, especially on these two models. The Forester is a Cars.com Best Bet and the Outback was our 2008 pick as Best Car for Weekend Athletes.
Subaru Small Tent Event (Subaru.com)
What happens when I get to take the 2008 Subaru WRX STI for a few days of high-performance frolicking? Snow. Snow and cold. Snow, cold, ice and an assignment to shoot a video about this amazing new hatchback. Check out the video to the left and shoot any questions my way in the comments below.
The Subaru Impreza received a complete redesign for 2008, six years after its last update. Boy, did it need it. The four-door hatchback — there’s also a sedan version — has finally shed its ghastly oblong rear windows and rounded rear end, replacing it with a more angled, aggressive hatch. The front has followed the design cues of its big brother, the Subaru Tribeca, and rid itself of the split grille, replacing it with a nice curved façade. A single hard body line moves from the corner of the headlight across the top of the front fender, past both door handles and finishing at the flared corner of the rear taillight. The STI model I shot has a few exterior features that are quite impressive, including multiple LED brake lights and a generous yet subtle spoiler. The engine in this car still revs at rally levels, but for the first time the exterior wants to live in the city. More photos below.
Yesterday, we detailed our scheme to document the real-world mileage of four 2008 models — a Nissan Rogue, Subaru Impreza, Dodge Grand Caravan and Hyundai Sonata. All the cars except the Rogue had trip computers with mileage readouts, so we were able to easily track our mileage along the way. The results are in:
As the price for a gallon of regular gas hovers above $3 a gallon — $3.40 in California — it’s high time we investigate what sort of mileage our cars achieve in the real world. In October, the EPA released its 2008 Fuel Economy Guide, which rates mileage using stricter standards for acceleration, air-conditioning use, cold weather and top speeds than were used in the past. The new measures purportedly reflect real-world driving better than before; MPG ratings dropped some 5 to 15 percent per car using the new standards.
Still, the EPA tests are done in laboratories, not on the road. To test real-world mileage, we took four cars across interstates and rural roads between Chicago and Madison, Wis., in October. Nine hours, two pit stops and one greasy lunch later, we had logged some 300 miles.
We just saw the new 2008 Subaru WRX STI for the first time in the U.S. a few hours ago, and now we have a price. The rally-inspired hatchback will start at $34,995. There wasn’t much more detail in the press release we were given, but we’ll follow when we can with news on when the car will officially go on sale. If you really want one, though, you can get on a waiting list today.
It’s rare when two classically opposed models debut at the same time. The Subaru WRX STI hits the show floor at the same time as its archrival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. That’s like debuting the new Camaro alongside the new Mustang. The differences between the two, however, have never been more clear: The Subaru is a hatchback, while the Mitsubishi is a sedan.
Obviously there’s a lot more to distinguish the two, but like the Evo the STI is a turbocharged-four-cylinder all-wheel-drive sports car. It puts out more horsepower — 305 versus the Evo’s 291 — but has less torque, with 290 pounds-feet versus 300 pounds-feet in the Evo. Still, the STI should be an impressive ride.
While we get hard at work on the full review of the new Subaru Impreza WRX, we figured there was enough interest out there to warrant a video. After you watch the staffers hit the highlights, don’t forget to read our first impressions of the redesigned sedan. If you’re a member of the Mitsubishi Lancer camp — it’s like a Hatfield vs. McCoy thing — you can check out our expert review of the new GTS, along with a video of its own, here.
Whenever we get a consumer review of a hot new model before we even get a stab at the car ourselves, we’re impressed. One Seattle-based WRX driver gives a really well-done take on his new purchase. He relates it to the outgoing model and talks quite a bit about its style. We always like to think we know what’s what on the style fronts, but hearing what a shopper who plunked down the cash on the car feels is always intriguing. Especially when he doesn’t like the way it looks! Find out why he bought it anyway below.
We sift through a lot of information when a new model comes out, but sometimes a reader astutely uncovers a tidbit here and there. This time, an Ask.cars.com reader wanted to know why a moonroof isn’t available on the redesigned 2008 Subaru Impreza. Our Ask.cars.com research staff dutifully dug up the answer, which you can find below.
Why can't I get a moonroof on a 2008 Subaru Impreza? (Ask.cars.com)
One of the more controversial new cars from last year’s auto show season was the redesigned Subaru Impreza and WRX. Even after months of digesting the new design, it’s hard to tell how people will react to it. The prices announced recently seem to be right on target with what the car delivers. The new models will start showing up at dealers in August, and in anticipation Subaru has released some new photos for the press. We’ve put them together with the photos that were released when the new model debuted in April. Check out the gallery here and tell us what you think of the new look.
Subaru debuted its radically restyled 2008 Impreza in April at the New York auto show, and now prices have been announced just before it goes on sale in August. The Impreza comes in two body styles: sedan and four-door hatchback, with the sedan starting at $16,995 not including a $645 destination charge. The higher-powered Impreza WRX will start at $24,350, and an Outback Sport version will start at $19,995. There are a variety of option packages as well, which Subaru has also provided pricing for, including navigation packages.
For a full list of prices, keep reading.
A little earlier, we dispensed full details on the redesigned Subaru Impreza 2.5i and its turbocharged WRX twin. Both cars were on display last night at a Subaru reception a few blocks from the auto show, and I had a chance to poke around inside.
The seats are a big step forward. I only wish there were a way to get the sporty seats in the WRX with the fabric from the 2.5i. The latter model has rich, well-cushioned upholstery that could satisfy me for the long haul. Not the case with the WRX; its high bolsters are sure to keep drivers fastened in tight corners, but the woven texture isn’t the sort of stuff I’d escape to the parking garage to take a lunchtime snooze on. (Not that I’ve ever done that…)
The intrepid web surfers out there might have already seen images of the all new Subaru Impreza WRX sedan and wagon elsewhere on the internet. Today, we’re bringing you everything we have on the highly anticipated — and somewhat controversial — new model.
Car enthusiasts loved the WRX’s turbocharged 224-hp boxer engine powering all four wheels; the look of the vehicle was something of an afterthought. Now Subaru has delivered a dramatic new look, especially in wagon form, for the totally redesigned model. The signature hood scoop is much more subtle, the grille flows into the headlights and the beltline is quite high. Unfortunately, the engine and transmission setup remains exactly the same as the old model.
We’d guess the overhaul to the chassis, body and interior were more important for Subaru at this time and that improvements to the engine and transmission can be dropped in as the design ages a bit. That would be a wise move. Even more importantly, the interior looks vastly improved. The base Impreza 2.5i’s 170-hp engine remains as well, but the important model is the WRX.
We'll have more on the WRX tomorrow from the New York auto show, but for now click below for more photos.
Cars.com LinksCategoriesReal-Life Car Reviews
Recent PostsFind an Automaker
|
|
Cars.com Home |
About Cars.com | Employment Opportunities | Become a Cars.com Dealer
|
|
By using this site, you agree to our terms of service ©2008 Cars.com | Privacy Statement |
| Visit our partners: Apartments.com | RentalHomesPlus.com | Homescape.com | CareerBuilder.com |
Recent Comments