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In our eagerness to report on the mechanical changes to the Subaru line for ‘06, we failed to convey what gives us pause when considering the actual purchase of one (aside from the unavailability of stability control). In this write-up, Autocar’s Jaime Corstophine reminded us of one vintage Subaru characteristic that’s been lost:

something’s missing from the typical Impreza experience. The signature off-beat engine rumble is noticeably muted; a casualty of new equal-length manifolds fitted for better economy and emissions.

and the one that remains and keeps us from seeing the Impreza (or the Saab 9-2x for that matter) as a long-term satisfier…

when the driving is done cracks soon appear in its appeal… despite this latest update, the rest of the car is dated and outclassed. The cabin design, packaging, materials and finish are simply not good enough for a car at this price. The Impreza architecture is now five years old and the game has moved on. For Subaru, 2007 – when the all-new model is expected – can’t come soon enough.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 21st, 2005 at 3:12 am and is filed under , Saab, Subaru.