My little sister has had two Impreza's over the past 5 years and she has loved both of them. I've driven both of them and they are a great little car for what you get. Nothing fancy, but definitely has a more rugged feeling and very solid option for our rough winters here in NB.
I'd like to see them offer a 6 speed manual on the next generation as I'm sure that will help a bit with fuel economy and high cruising RPM.