Topic: Road Trip: 2015 Subaru Impreza 5-door

[Autos_Editor]

Rocky mountain high.
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[quadzilla]

Nice article but did I miss the fuel economy from the trip.

I really like the latest look of the Impreza hatch. Wish Subaru would just give a 2.5L or light turbo option.

Please don't tell me this is how the west makes poutine.

[Kris78]

Highways with intermittent passing lanes are the worst when you are driving something that is, ummm, dynamically challenged. The few times I've had the "pleasure" of driving those types of highways it seems like the same thing happens each time. If it is a 90 limit, you'll be stuck behind someone doing 75-80. Once it gets to the passing lane? Everyone pulls to the left and goes 120. And passes absolutely no one. At the end of the passing lane, time to hop on the brakes and continue the slow crawl to madness.

Seeing as the 5-door is roughly a $1k jump over the sedan, it means that a fictional WRX 5-door would start at $30,995 or so. I wonder if Brendan would have given up all the bits and pieces of the $30,295 Limited Tech version for a manual, base WRX wagon... I don't think I need to ask!!!!

Also, that poutine looks sad.

[redman]

"..... it takes its sweet time about it. Power is adequate, but not much more than that."

The new Impreza is more of a medium size car then a small entry hatch and would warrant the 2.5L engine which would decrease the passing on highway time, improve safety doing so and if at all only use marginally more fuel. As with larger and heavier vehicles decreasing engine displacement can be less efficient and a drag. (to say the least)

[Sir Osis of Liver]

When I drove the XV to the East coast earlier this year I got 6.8L/100km for an average. Given the nature of the traffic around the American side of the great lakes and Massachusetts, that wasn't bad at all for a CUV thingy with bad aerodynamics.

I didn't feel the need for more power at any point in the 4400km trip.

[WRX_Pilot]

If they put the 2.5 in it, everyone would be complaining about the mileage.. We know that one drinks gas.

[Noto]

If they put the 2.5 in it, everyone would be complaining about the mileage.. We know that one drinks gas.

The EJ with the CVT used to...but the FB25 doesn't at all in the Forester, which is a larger, boxier vehicle.

Fuel economy (CVT-equipped - from www.subaru.ca)
Impreza 2.slow: 8.5/6.4
Crosstrek 2.slow: 9.1 / 7.0
Forester 2.5: 9.6/7.5

The suggestion is that, at worst, the 2.5L would up the Impreza/Crosstrek's by 1L/100km; however, given their smaller dimensions and lower weights, it would likely be less than that, closer to 0.5L/100km, if that.

Correct, the Impreza 2.5L wouldn't be able to match the Corolla LE Eco's 4.7L/100km highway rating...but it can't now any way.  Nor could it be comparable given the AWD vs FWD caveat.  Subaru, BRING US THE  BIGGER ENGINES NOW, DAGNABBIT!

Getting up earlier than everyone else is a given, but getting out the door before the masses descend is not: I have two daughters now – one just a couple of months old, the other nearly three – and morning time is basically the exact opposite of those slow-mo Folger’s commercials. It’s a bit like D-Day at Normandy, except with more poo.

Man, you're hilarious!!   Congrats on the new addition to the family, by the way!

Subaru’s gotten a bit tricksy to make this engine seem peppier by programming in a very aggressive throttle tip-in,

LOTR references are always appreciated

Please don't tell me this is how the west makes poutine.

It looks good to me


 
AMAZING find, Brendan!!  You should have knocked on the guy's door and compared your Impreza Hatch


Sir, what is your daughter's bear doing...

That is an imprezzively filled trunk, by the way.

Nice article - agree that you should post the fuel economy, and I'd also like a map route of your trip so that I can copy it some day!!  It looks beautiful (along with that poutine and pulled pork!)

[redman]

If they put the 2.5 in it, everyone would be complaining about the mileage.. We know that one drinks gas.

According to listed specs the 2015 2.0L Impreza gets 2.5L better per 100Km vs the 2016 2.5L Legacy (both auto CVT) but consider that the Legacy is 253Kg (557.77lbs) heavier than the Impreza.

Subaru dropped the 2.5L when they introduced the CVT transmission in the 2012 Impreza here. I'd bet the difference would have be negligible 2.0L vs 2.5L engine in the current Impreza with the more efficient CVT transmission vs the previous old 4spd auto.

[JRM]

The Golf with the TSI engine is the better way to go, if one can live without AWD.

[Snowman]

Its an awd economy car, what did people expect FFS.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Imprezza CVT

8.4 city, 6.4 hwy, 7.6 combined

Golf TSI, Auto

9.4 city, 6.5 hwy, 8.1 combined.

Depends on what a person wants. That extra hp results in city consumption equal to what I used to get in my 2008 2.5L Outback with manual transmission.

[Car Guy]

I would gladly pay the very slight k/100k penalty to get the increase in power.  The current version of this vehicle is considerably underpowered.  Too bad that Subaru caved back in 2012.

And I would definitely be interested in a WRX with a DSG gearbox or even a quality "normal" automatic.  Please Subaru, get rid of that ridiculous CVT in the WRX.  You can keep it in the base Impreza, but the WRX deserves better.

[Noto]

According to listed specs the 2015 2.0L Impreza gets 2.5L better per 100Km vs the 2016 2.5L Legacy (both auto CVT) but consider that the Legacy is 253Kg (557.77lbs) heavier than the Impreza.

Model:                              City/Highway in L/100km
2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i:   9.0 / 6.5
2015 Subaru Impreza 2.0i:  8.5 / 6.4

Not sure where you get 2.5L/100km better...

[Minou]

If I desperately wanted a 30K Subaru, I'd choose a mid-trim Legacy and get more room and power in the deal with similar FE.

[Noto]

If I desperately wanted a 30K Subaru, I'd choose a mid-trim Legacy and get more room and power in the deal with similar FE.

I agree.

[Kris78]

Its an awd economy car, what did people expect FFS.

Maybe in a lower trim its an economy car, but the MSRP on this one is on the wrong side of $30k... A base WRX is very slightly cheaper. Yes, you give up the baubles, but who cares? WRX!

If I desperately wanted a 30K Subaru, I'd choose a mid-trim Legacy and get more room and power in the deal with similar FE.

I agree.

What these guys said.

[S. Aureus]

I. WANT. XV. XT. 

[dirtyjeffer]

I. WANT. XV. XT. 

i've been saying that for a while to...surely the powertrain in the Forester XT would fit in there...come on Subaru, do it.

[valuator]

To me, this car only makes sense in lower trim levels. But I say that about every car.  And we drive a loaded Outback...so yeah.

If I needed a new car today for myself though, it would be between the Impreza hatch in Touring trim or the Crosstrek.

[Brendan McAleer]

I. WANT. XV. XT. 

i've been saying that for a while to...surely the powertrain in the Forester XT would fit in there...come on Subaru, do it.

Having spoken to Subaru about this *repeatedly* don't hold your breath. Like I said, it's adequate as-is, and the manual transmission would wake things up a bit. Due props to Subaru for actually making a manual transmission available in all their vehicles, even if not always paired to the turbo engines.

Fuel economy averaged ~7L/100kms, which isn't bad considering hills and load.

The poutine was lacklustre, but the BBQ was good. We do have one or two places you can get decent poutine around here.