2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i sport limited

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Leave it to a black Subaru Impreza interior with Vinyleather upholstery and all-weather floor mats to redefine the word inexpensive. Add a raucous engine note amplified by the dreaded continuously variable transmission, and you have a recipe for Japanese Econobox Flashback, 1988-style. Justy, anyone? OK, so comparing our 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited to the three-pot Scooby scooter is probably a bit harsh. In Subaru's defense, I probably wouldn't be so hard on the Impreza if it weren't for the fact that I was in two Kias earlier in the week, each of which had interior appointments far surpassing that of our Subaru. These weren't $30,000 Optimas, either: They were both Kia Rios, and both came in at less than $21,000. On the road, once the CVT had stopped adjusting its belts and pulleys, things definitely improved. Noisy though the cabin was, the 2.0-liter flat-four proved adequate for pushing the Impreza along. The driving position was good, with much better seat-bottom bolstering than I'm used to in small Asian products, and the Impreza had that hunkered-down Subaru on-road stability that seems to be a hallmark of every example of the brand. Whether it's because of the AWD or the low center of gravity, or perhaps just suspension tuning, the Impreza drives like a larger, heavier car than it is--in a good way. Of the multitude of small cars that I've driven lately, only the Ford Focus approximates the same planted feel. I'm confident that Subaru aficionados will be fine with the Impreza. After all, it carries the brand's DNA while improving things perhaps a half-step over the previous model--about the cadence Subaru seems to follow. Conquests will come harder, however: The average Joe with $26,000 to spend on a compact will find much more compelling packages from a variety of manufacturers. EDITOR WES RAYNAL: For a grand or so more I can get a Volkswagen GTI or a Mazda Mazdaspeed 3, both of which I'd take in a heartbeat over the Impreza if I wanted a hatchback. Or a Ford Focus. That said, this is a heck of an improvement over the old Impreza. So if Subarus are your thing, the car is worth a test drive. The new interior is especially better. The materials are way better than those on the last small Subaru that I remember driving, and the seats are comfortable. I do not like the radio/navigation system in this car--the buttons are too small. It could sure use more sound insulation, though. The exterior reminds me of the Dodge Caliber-it's dead for a reason, RIP. Driving the Impreza, the CVT's elasticity is annoying (as it is in most CVT-equipped cars that I have sampled), but there's decent power from the four. Subaru's flat-four still sounds like a Briggs & Stratton to me, but I think Subaru fans don't mind it. They might even expect and like it. Ride and handling are spritely, and the all-wheel drive affords more grip than you'd need nine months of the year, and it's the right amount for January, February and March in Michigan. NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I had an enjoyable weekend in this cute hatch, which has tons of grip, steers well and has a mediocre interior. That's this car in a nutshell: It looks good and drives pretty well, but the cabin is the definition of middling. All of the dark plastics look OK, feel so-so and aren't offensive. They just don't keep pace with what you see in Fords, Hyundais and plenty of other products. Oh, and it's pretty loud in there. The four-banger whining, the road noise and the tire noise, the wind-it's a symphony of sound that most cars manage to filter out these days. The audio system, with the small touch screen, is hard to use, especially while the car is in motion. Conversely, the gauges look great. The driving dynamics are solid, and this Subaru is grippy, sticky and planted. The operator feels confident in turns, the steering has a nice weight into maneuvers and even the paddles are quite a bit of fun to play with. The chassis is sporty though not abusive, and there's little roll or lean even when banking through quick expressway on-ramps. I like the looks, too. Hatches generally catch my eye, and with the right styling cues and shapes, they can look sharp. The Impreza passes the eye test for me. In sum, this is a decent car that's partially sandbagged by its interior. EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: There's a dark interior and a motorboating CVT here, and I'd save $2,000 on option package 3, but otherwise I like everything about this little Subie. The car is quick, and if you run it via the steering-wheel-mounted paddles, it acts much like a traditional stepped automatic. I found the car exceedingly nimble and fun to toss around in the corners. It's no wonder the STI brethren are so good, with this base upon which to build. So saving that $2,000, and adding AWD, I think the Impreza makes a strong case for itself against the aforementioned GTIs and Mazdaspeed 3s, etc., all of which will be wishing for traction when this little Subie buggy cruises by, blowing through the drifts during the winter. Though the interior is all dark materials, most of it is high-quality stuff, from the stitched seats to the soft-touch dash covering. At $23,000 (again, sans the navigation-and-sunroof package), this car makes a lot of sense, especially for anyone worried about driving in wintry weather. EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I didn't think Subaru could build a car that I didn't like, but here is Exhibit A. The CVT in this is a deal breaker. It takes what is normally a lovely boxer engine, with its unique exhaust note, and turns it into the mechanical equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. The sound is horrible. I know the CVT is used for mpg purposes, but if I'm going to drive something that sounds this horrible, it better return a whole lot more than 25 mpg, which is what I saw in about 140 miles of driving. That is nowhere close to the EPA figures. Coupling the noise issues with an interior that in calling it "Spartan" is being kind, you have a vehicle that falls into a segment in which other players are offering a whole lot more creature comforts, better performance and, ultimately, more fun. Granted, you get the Subie AWD system that many others in this segment do not offer, but for me, that's not enough to choose this Impreza over a spending a few more bucks to get a Focus or a GTI. 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited Base Price: $23,645 As-Tested Price: $25,714 Drivetrain: 2.0-liter H4; AWD, continuously variable transmission Output: 148 hp @ 6,200 rpm, 145 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm Curb Weight: 3,086 lb Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 30/26.9 mpg Options: Option package 63 including power moonroof, navigation system, GPS navigation with LCD touch screen ($2,000); all-weather floor mats ($69)