2012 Subaru Impreza

ctuswatleader

I have a 5-door base model with the CVT.

I've been getting 26-27 in the city and 36 or higher on the freeway.

Nowdays, I do probably 85-90% city driving, so my combined average is just over 27.

I live in Tennessee and temperatures have been in the 70s-high 80s.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the sport model is supposed to get the same gas mileage as any of the other trim levels.

ateixeira

Yep. The XV will get a little less, but then it's gas tank is bigger - 15.9 gallons instead of 14.5.

aknight3

I have 1100 miles on my new Impreza hatchback. I averaged 28 mpg on my first few fill ups, and my latest average is now 38 mpg. I do some town and most highway driving, and am very pleased to be getting what I am. I love my car so far, it has less clearance than my Forester which I'm wondering how I'll like come heavy snow, and there are not many compartments to stash things. However, I like how it handles and the gas mileage is so much better!

kellyb4

I have only 320 miles on mine, I am getting at least 27 around town and just over 40 on the freeway. Very happy with that! I still have a quarter tank of the first tank in the car.

ateixeira

Full review here:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef2c24d/25596#MSG25596

But I'll share thoughts here as well.

A lot of people compare these, and so did I. Funny thing is I wanted to drive a SkyActiv, to compare 2.0l vs. 2.0l, but the salesman brought the wrong car, and I ran out of time.

The Mazda3s was a little bit quicker, but not much. The design is more dated, with too many buttons and a tiny info screen a mile away from you. The seats were hard, though the SkyActiv's are a little better. It has much less room in the back seat.

The Impreza (CVT) felt peppy and responsive. I was really impressed. Never felt slow at all. It does get a bit loud if you floor it and keep it there, but it's quick enough that you never need to do that for very long. In normal use the CVT is simply smooth and unobtrusive.

Interior materials - close, but I'd give the nod to Subaru. Seats were much better, and you had more room front and back.

Steering tied, both good. Both seemed to have good brakes, no complaints.

Impreza wins in visibility by a mile. Love the mirrors on the doors. You see the curb much better. This sedan had a spoiler, which I would not get. They did not have any 5 doors to test drive. Again! 2nd time I went there.

I didn't get to push the handling much, but the ride in the Subaru was better, plus it was more quiet as well.

Manual mode in both seemed pointless to me. Mazda let me go up to 5, but not 6. Where's the manual control? I don't get it. I thought I'd love the paddles on the Subie but they seem totally un-necessary. Maybe in the hills?

It's funny. I have a Miata, and I really expected to like the Mazda3 better. Even with the handicap (S model instead of the I model), I would pick ... Impreza.

Perhaps what sealed the deal was an off-camber entrace ramp to a highway. It was uphill, sharp curve. I floored it and the Impreza was in its element, AWD gripping and keeping it neutral as it gained speed.

In the same spot the Mazda3s felt more twitchy, making you want to ease off the gas so you don't end up in the ditch.

Funny how you have a certain expectation from reading other reviews and such, but then drive them and surprise yourself. :shades:

photobug2

After calling Costco, I found that unfortunately the participating dealer for the 15% discount is not my dealer in Brooklyn, it's in somewhere in Queens, but the rep said she would have Subaru give me a call back about the gift card, since the dealer I bought the car from doesn't participate in the Costco buying program. So we'll see, but it can't hurt to ask..

dodman1

Great comparison of the two vehicles. I agree with your assessment completely. Concerning the paddles, I mainly use them to put the car in the highest gear when going down hill. Left in full auto mode the CVT attempts to maintain the same speed by using the engine to brake. I prefer to allow the car to speed up downhill. Has to help MPG and I am getting great mileage with the car. Without AWD the Subie competes well with the Mazda and Focus. With AWD it blows them away IMO.

rsholland

I would think the paddle shifters would be a benefit when you want to pull out and pass someone, and on windy mountain roads as well. Think you need to experience that feature a bit more, under different driving conditions. I know I'd rather have that feature, than not have it.

I would like to hear from other new Impreza CVT owners on this.

Sounds like you were at Fitz Gathersburg. Was the BRZ Limited still there?

Should head out to the dealer in Frederick, as there are hills nearby. I've driven several new Subarus from that dealer on those mountain roads. Hook up with your brother Jose, and do it together.

Bob

ateixeira

For sure I'd need a longer drive, preferably a hilly one, to truly experiment with the paddles. And I'd rather have them, vs. not having them, even if seldom used.

BRZ was long gone. They said right up front "no test drives". I'm sure they sell them before they even arrive in dealers, anyway. Subaru should give one tester to each dealer but then the supply problem would only get worse.

dfong87

paddle shifters is certainly better than no paddle shifters.

i've had my impreza for 2.5 months now and used them on occasion. coming from a manual transmission before this, the paddle shifters just aren't the same thing. but i have used them on occasion on a hilly road and also when trying to break in the car and vary RPMs.

i personally would have preferred a more traditional triptronic manual transmission on the shift lever toward the side like a lot of cars have. i'm used to having my hand down there, but i'm sure some people like the paddles better. i've heard one complaint about the paddles is not being able to shift mid turn because one's hands aren't in the right position relative to the shifters.

ateixeira

It may not be a good idea to shift in the middle of a turn anyway, so as not to upset the car's balance. Best to brake/shift just before the turn.

[Deleted User]

Over the weekend I performed the first oil change on my 2012 Impreza and confirmed that I cannot suction the oil through the dipstick tube. With the filter so conveniently located on top of the motor I was hoping to suction the oil out, but a sharp bend in the dipstick tube just before it enters the block makes it impossible to insert a metal reinforced suction hose past that point. I wound up draining the traditional way.

dcm61

I'm probably going to get a Fumoto valve w/ nipple to simplify the drain process.

Question ... when you remove the drain plug, does oil hit the plastic undercover or does it drain without obstruction?

The messiest part of past oil changes was cleaning up the oil that hit the undercover.

crlsto

I just changed the oil in mine this weekend too, first time in over 12 years since I've changed my own (synthetic is pricy, but with the filter on top, I figured I'd give it a shot and save some $$).

I did notice that there was some oil on the plastic surrounding the drain plug, but I think it may have been the splash from the plug falling into the pan (rookie move, lol). It seemed to drain pretty clean once the plug was off. I'm definitely going to consider the Fumoto valve at 7500 miles... Good luck!

[Deleted User]

There was a little splash on the side of the plastic shroud, but easily cleaned with a single swipe of my shop towel. The splash was from that initial moment when the plug was first pulled and I was trying to get my hand out of the flow path. I wasn't successful

I understand the appeal of Fumoto valves, but I'm personally not a fan. I prefer as few potential leak paths as possible, so I'll deal with a little splash and a new crush washer every 7,500 miles. That's just me.

Oh, I noticed the Subaru crush washers are a little different than the standard soft alloy washer. There's actually a little design to this one with a raise face designed to yield. The factory-installed washer was painted to the plug, making removal difficult and requiring a razor knife to separate the two.

dfong87

good to know about the need to use a razor blade to separate the original washer...

going to change my oil in a couple of weeks so this is all great info you guys have shared. did you jack up the car? i've decided i'm going to try to do it without my jack and jackstands.

how tight was the drain plug and filter? in my past few new cars, i found that they can sometimes be incredibly tight coming from the factory? (not sure what my leverage will be if i don't jack up the car and i'm not as strong as i used to be )

cherryfan

@rsholland:

I had the chance to pass cars in the same stretch of road recently, once with the Impreza/CVT and once with a 2012 Focus manual. I found that hitting the gas with the CVT, I accelerated quickly from 40 to 60 and rocketed past the annoying slowpoke. In the Focus, I had to downshift two gears to take off, and it still didn't feel as fast or powerful as the CVT.

When it comes to passing on a two-lane road, I now have complete confidence in the CVT. I have just over 3000 miles on the car, so perhaps the CVT has learned my habits and preferences. It seems to know that when I hit the pedal, I really mean it.

once_for_all

I use the drive up ramps for an oil change, fast and no jacking. AWD gets it up very easily.

John

dfong87

hoping to avoid buying ramps and after enough thought realized that my jackstands and jack will work if i really need them. (talked with another friend who jacks his car and has pinch welds and hasn't bent them with similar jack stands to mine) (my jack clears to jack up from the front jack point)

ateixeira

I have ramps, plus I used a fumoto valve on my Forester. Had changes down to just a few minutes. Awesome.

With the filter on top, it would be even less!

wimchatta

Couple of months ago there was some comment about the CVT downshifting too much to provide engine braking on downhills, and that paddle shifters could help with that.

Just realized that with reasonably steep downhills (e.g. the Sunol grade on 680N in CA) I've had no issues with this. Maybe Subaru optimized the software in time for cars delivered in late April?

wimchatta

Is the CVT really learning from driver behavior? Thought it would need a lot of smarts for a car to do that.

[Deleted User]

did you jack up the car?

Ramps. I think it's possible to do the job without, but you'll need a shallow pan and long arm. Worst case you can use the included jack to lighten the load on one wheel (and block it for safety) to create more space.

how tight was the drain plug and filter?

I found a spec that listed the torque as 31 ft/lbs, and I'd believe that figure given the break-out torque. Really, not bad. My wrench had a 2-foot handle and there was just a little resistance.

The filter, on the other hand, was fairly tight. My standard filter wrenches wouldn't fit the very small diameter of the filter housing, so I resorted to my strap wrench. The rubber strap had a hard time creating sufficient bite, but with a little muscle motivation the thing finally turned. The new filter says to turn one additional rotation after initial contact, and I made sure to lube the rubber seal well. If it's equally difficult to remove at 7,500 miles I'll find an appropriately sized cap so I can use a regular socket wrench.

ateixeira

I noticed a tiny bit of engine braking with the CVT, but I was looking for it.

dfong87

thanks for sharing...

- have a pretty long arm (enough to know that i can reach the drain plug by hand. i also think my drain plug is shallow enough. i figure if i can do my wife's prius which has a lot less clearance (although the plug is much further up front), i should be able to do this one.

- if i have problems, i'll resort to my floor jack and jackstands. again, the only problem i forsee is not having enough leverage with my standard socket wrench which isn't too long to break the initial factory seal.

- good to know what i might encounter with the filter. i'm assuming that after this first one, i'll have no problems. i've always found that by tightening by hand, i can get 7/8 a turn in and that can be tweaked with a standard strap wrench although by hand (as long as my hand is dry) is tight enough. i also lube the seal with some oil.

cherryfan

"Is the CVT really learning from driver behavior? Thought it would need a lot of smarts for a car to do that."

I don't know if it is or not. I've read that the CVT adapts to how the car is driven, but I don't believe everything I read.

What I do know is that the CVT seems well programmed for passing situations.

rsholland

http://www.leftlanenews.com/subaru-impreza-hatchback-review.html

Finally we starting to see Subaru reviews that don't harp on ugly styling.

Bob

ateixeira

Helps that theirs was the best color combo (IMHO) - Satin White Pearl with the gunmetal wheels. That's exactly what I would pick, I think.

Funny, they hint that it's derived from the BRZ engine, but we know it's the other way around. The FB existed first.

crlsto

I used my co-worker's ramps (I forget what brand). Worked like a charm, AWD gets up easily. The drain plug was a little tough to remove, but I didn't "razor" the paint off and got it loose pretty quickly... the plug is 17mm if that helps...

ateixeira

Rhino ramps are popular, and the low profile means they work even on my Miata.

dfong87

good info...

we'll see how it goes for me with or without jackstands.

probably next weekend and then i'll report back. after i crack it the first time, i really don't see it being a hard job without a jack or ramps given my experiences/struggles changing my wife's prius.

fracker

I put 2 by 4 boards on my old ramps. Worked good. The ground clearance on this car is too low. I live in mountains & have bottomed out a few times where even my old civic doesn't hit.

dcm61

The ground clearance on this car is too low. I live in mountains & have bottomed out a few times where even my old civic doesn't hit.

Bottomed out where? Front, rear, center?

The front overhang is much longer on the Impreza vs. Civic due to the Impreza engine being in front of the axle.

The rear overhang is pretty short (on the hatchback) and the muffler is fairly well tucked up behind the rear fascia.

dcm61

Anybody figure out where the .2" difference is?

* Sport and Limited (and Premium w/ Moonroof) have the same tires.
* Front/Rear fascias are the same.
* Suspension is suppose to be the same.
* Sport has lower sill cladding.

Are the Sport roof rails helium filled? :P

crlsto

Yes, those were the brand! 7" or 8" lift worked fine for me...

fracker

I bottomed out a couple times near the center of the car. Maybe a shorter wheelbase would help. Higher ground clearance would for sure. I find myself using my pickup truck where I'd planned on driving this Impreza. Not pleased.

ateixeira

There's the XV coming soon, for those who need more clearance.

kanjii

Yep. Used the Rhino on my SP without a problem.

impreza2012

I finally picked up my MBP Sport Limited w/MR & NAV & Remote Starter on 6/13. It is really fun to drive. My Father-in-law has a new Hyundai Veloster and the Impreza blows it away in a pure side by side driving comparison.

Nav/Bluetooth/Infotainment - I do thing the Veloster's infotainment system provides better sound, presentation, and bluetooth integration (but it has no Nav). I don't really need a Nav as I have been called the human GPS - but the wife needs to find her way around town. Looks like I can play DIVX videos on it if in park and parking brake engaged - will try that this weekend.

Extended Warranty - I found a dealer in MA that is offering the extended warranty hundreds cheaper than anywhere else. I plan to purchase it later this month via credit card using 10 pay periods.

Accessories - I only have the remote starter. Subaru has it start the car. But as soon as you unlock / open the car door, it turns off. You have to restart it with a key - which I guess is a good theft deterrent. Accessories on the wish list include
- a hitch (not recommended by Subaru) - for a hitch mounted bike rack
- Cross bars (Is there a difference between aero vs. normal other than looks?) - Do I have to buy Subie version or should I just go for Yakima / Thule?
- kayak carriers
- ski/snowboard
- cargo basket
- seat back protector
- all weather floor mats

Did anyone go for the leather fabric protector? Isn't Scotch guard the same thing?

ateixeira

Congrats. :shades:

crlsto

Thanks for the heads-up about this offer. I actually knew about it before I bought my DMG Limited 5-door, but I thought my dealership wasn't a "preferred" dealership. It actually doesn't matter where you buy from, as long as it's purchased within the time frame alotted (March 15, 2012 - June 15 2012) and you must have a valid Costco membership (not sure about the details about membership).

Here's the link again for anyone else who needs it: link title

I got my email about Subaru confirming my purchase, called the 800# to do the survey, got my email today stating my gift card is in the mail ... going to buy a few year's worth of toilet tissue with mine

kanjii

Loving my Subie alot. After looking at it a bit, I'm think the rear is a little short and needs an extension. Looking at a factory spoiler or aftermarket. Anyone add a spoiler or changes to their car yet? :shades:

techdude

I got the factory spoiler for that reason...it completes the look of the car i think. I got the all the windows tinted except for the driver and passengers side. The cops in my town love hassling anyone with tint...thinking of moving! I saw another hatchback with window film on the rear tail lights and i'm thinking of doing the same using Lamin-x

dcm61

After looking at it a bit, I'm think the rear is a little short and needs an extension.

Yup, it needs a cargo extension.

Shoulda had an XL version [same length as sedan] (i.e., a real sportwagon).

dfong87

i think if you dealer is one of the Costco dealers, you get this? the one i had issued to me is dealer specific, but its the dealer i bought from who happens to be one of the two (?) costco bay area dealers.

ateixeira

Psst - it's called Forester.

dcm61

Psst - it's called Forester.

That's what Subaru wants you to think.

But ... there are at least 5 people that don't want a CUV/SUV.

A new gen Impreza wagon would be ideal for satisfying those that still mourn the loss of the last gen Legacy wagon.

dcm61

I can confirm that it displays triple digits.

Displayed 100F on my commute home in the "desert" North East.

dfong87

saw 103 oF in CA this weekend.

anyone this past winter confirm i shows sub zero temps?

ateixeira

Killer heat wave here in DC too! Feels like 107 degrees with the humidity factored in. DC is a big swamp, basically!