2012 Subaru Impreza Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2012 Subaru Impreza Long-Term Road Test

Our long-term test of the 2012 Subaru Impreza is complete after one year and 18,674 miles. The Subaru proved itself to be both practical and reliable.

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fordson1

You spent under $10 for the DIY oil change? Looks to me like you spent around $63.

emajor

A weaker engine, a controversial CVT, and still the very best tank fell 14% below the EPA highway estimate. Bummer, fuel economy has been a Subaru weakness, and that 36 mpg highway looked promising. Unless you really need that AWD, I don't see much to recommend this car.

duck87

The CVT and still-poor fuel economy would be the biggest turnoff for anyone looking into this car, to the point where I would actually consider it a dealbreaker when looking at market competitors. It's disappointing especially considering that the AWD CX-5s and CR-Vs in the long term tests managed pretty similar fuel economy even though they are taller vehicles, and their powertrains do not suffer from the same lack of response from the Impreza.

tatermctatums

You guys spent $63 for the DIY oil change. It was $10.05 for just the filter and drain plug gasket and then $8.99/quart for the 5.3 (6) quarts of oil.

nh6

I'm really interested in this car and for sure the only thing holding me back was the lack of power from that 2 liter.
Subaru displayed a 1.6 liter direct injected turbo H4 at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2011. If that engine became standard with for the Sport trims and had between 180-210hp It'd be the ideal car and would get it in a heartbeat.

xiaolingqhd

a nice car fuel economy and practical

markrt06

I have a 2012 impreza limited sedan, so my experience & evaluation should be close to that of Edmunds. Yes, road noise can be an issue, unless you are on perfectly smooth blacktop at highway speeds. I've had zero issues with the vehicle after 10k miles & impressed with the build quality & the interior useability & comfort; the backseat area is a great place to be btw. I have virtually no qualms with the CVT & also drive at a moderate pace to maximize economy. I am an engineer & validate mileage numbers with obsession taking odometer accuracy into account as measured against the GPS. The trip computer on the upper segment of the has overstated mileage with regularity, but I obtain right at EPA estimates now that the vehicle is broke in. 26mpg is the lowest I've gotten around town with the highway number pegged between 32 to 37 mpg. Those values were obtained with odometer correction; the Impreza understates distance traveled by 2-3%, but of course this value will change/normalize as the tires wear, but that trip computer calculates its own inflated value, which many do. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the new Impreza, despite the road noise shortcomings.

Mark...mechanical engineer

markrt06

Forgot to mention that I drive moderately on the highway at around 63-67 mph & you can also validate odometer error by gauging against mileage markers on long stretches of interstate. The-2-3% error of mileage travelled closely corresponds to GPS signal. For example, after traveling for ten miles according mileage markers, my odo will state 9.7-9.8 miles; leading to the 2-3% calculated error. This value is probably within manufacturer's tolerance & considers tire wear over the long run.

Mark