[securityguy]

Any easy way to fix this? Bugs the $%*& out of me.

Go back to your dealer

 

[Suba Cool]

hate how stubby the sun visors on the base model are. They don't even pull out, so using them on the side window is useless.

 

[dcfreak]

Dislikes

Previously owned:

2007 Impreza Base

2010 Wrx Hatchback

2013 Legacy Premium

2018 Impreza Base

The only thing I really dislike about the new Impreza (BASE MODEL), is that it feels very loose and soft. The suspension is no where near as tight as it used to be. The seats also are no where near as aggressive as they have been in the past. I'm 6'3" and don't sit as deep as I used to at all. I also have noticed the speakers are straight trash compared to my Legacy before.

I've spoke to some friends and they stated it may not handle as well because of the 16" steelies with bigger sidewalls. Anyone else with an extensive background in the Subaru family notice this?

Other than that I love the car.

 

[LordHypnos]

From a Sport 5dr CVT owner...

Hate:
Engine Stutter at low speeds: apparently this goes away after the break in, but it's really annoying. It happens when the car is between 15-25mph.

Daytime Running Lights: I'd rather the Sport have fog lights as a standard option instead of DRL's. Yes, I know with a bit of work they can be changed, but I'd prefer a standard option for something like this.


Love:
Lithium Red Pearl Paint: I told myself to stay away from another red car...yeah that didn't last long.

HK Audio: The bass is pretty good with the music I listen to.

Cargo Room: Coming from a '13 Corolla S this can hold a good bit more room.

Driving: This car handles well on curvy roads and is a lot of fun to drive.

Coletrain, have you noticed any improvement with the low speed engine stutter yet? My '18 Sport 4D is at 6700 miles, and it's still doing it.

 

[coletrain]

Coletrain, have you noticed any improvement with the low speed engine stutter yet? My '18 Sport 4D is at 6700 miles, and it's still doing it.

Pretty much gone for me. The only time I notice it is in the morning, usually after I let the car sit for 2 days.

 

[CSC]

2018 Impreza is my first Subaru so I can only compare it with the Honda Civic and Toyota Venza that I have owned.
I like:
1. the bright orange light next to window for blind spot notification
2. the button to lock the car in the back next to trunk button.
3. backup camera turns on very fast
4. adaptive cruise control
5. the knobs for climate (the Civic I test drove had digital climate control and had to tap a few times while looking at the screen to turn down the fan)
6. nice dashboard lights at night

I do not like:
1. It came with 2017 manuals, I emailed Subaru Canada why it did not come with 2018 manuals but they did not bother to respond
2. It feels they are cutting corners on the assembly line to save money. Here are a few facts proving it:
a) The windshield cracked after 6 days when it encountered the first chip (in contrast my 2000 Civic and 2010 Venza do not have any cracks, with Civic having over 100 chip "events", but no crack)
b) carpet in the trunk does not cover the entire area
c) the bench in the back has plastic instead of cloth towards the sides
d)one day I tried to close the trunk looking on the opposite side and the tip of my fingers went between metal and the lining plastic; there is a gap in the middle as the plastic is fastened only on the sides
e) similarly after opening the back door I tried to push it out more and my fingers pulled out some rubber next to the window that is secured only on one side; i checked the other back door and it is the same, hopefully the kids won't notice this as they might rip it off
f) the plastic covering the dashboard does not reach the end on the passenger side and I can see the material underneath when I look from outside under strong light (windshield is black there)
g) the engine hood is not sealed. Next to the windshield the weather stripping does not go all the way to the sides, leaving large spaces on the sides; they are big enough to slip my hand inside through there; after washing my car I popped up the hood and checked the engine. The sides had lots of water and soap and the battery had many water droplets on it. Leaves would easily go into the engine if parked under trees.
3. It has very low ground clearance, I already hit the shield twice, once when I hit a pothole and second time when I went from the street into a driveway.
4. the radio keeps clicking when on AM; FM is fine. I have an appointment in 2 weeks hopefully dealership can fix it; they said they need to run an update.
5. the visors are thick and hard. The sunglass clips and garage door opener clip that I use in Civic and Venza cannot be used on these visors; luckily they have a plastic extension so I attached the clips there. The problem is that the extensions are too thin and the clips rattle all the time and even fall sometimes.
6. the useless or duplicated information on board. Someone else talked about this. What annoys me the most is the space taken by the classic speedometer as probably nobody uses it because of the electronic display showing the speed.
7. the rubber mats I moved from the Civic to Impreza did not fit in the back making me wonder how much less leg room is in Impreza; also only half of the stuff I had in the Civic's glove box went into Impreza's glove box, so less storage space.

I have some issues with CVT. I am new to it and I cannot say that i like it or dislike it. I guess I need to get used to it. At the moment I do not like that when I back up from the parking lot and switch to drive the engine revs but car does not move; it takes 1-2 sec to start moving. Secondly the car shakes sometimes when I accelerate from a full stop then take the foot off the pedal.

 

[C J]

Lately I have really been enjoying how low and "flat" this car rides on back country roads, you can really toss it into turns and it just rides like a go kart.

 

[GHP1]

2018 Impreza is my first Subaru so I can only compare it with the Honda Civic and Toyota Venza that I have owned.
I like:
1. the bright orange light next to window for blind spot notification
2. the button to lock the car in the back next to trunk button.
3. backup camera turns on very fast
4. adaptive cruise control
5. the knobs for climate (the Civic I test drove had digital climate control and had to tap a few times while looking at the screen to turn down the fan)
6. nice dashboard lights at night

I do not like:
1. It came with 2017 manuals, I emailed Subaru Canada why it did not come with 2018 manuals but they did not bother to respond
2. It feels they are cutting corners on the assembly line to save money. Here are a few facts proving it:
a) The windshield cracked after 6 days when it encountered the first chip (in contrast my 2000 Civic and 2010 Venza do not have any cracks, with Civic having over 100 chip "events", but no crack)
b) carpet in the trunk does not cover the entire area
c) the bench in the back has plastic instead of cloth towards the sides
d)one day I tried to close the trunk looking on the opposite side and the tip of my fingers went between metal and the lining plastic; there is a gap in the middle as the plastic is fastened only on the sides
e) similarly after opening the back door I tried to push it out more and my fingers pulled out some rubber next to the window that is secured only on one side; i checked the other back door and it is the same, hopefully the kids won't notice this as they might rip it off
f) the plastic covering the dashboard does not reach the end on the passenger side and I can see the material underneath when I look from outside under strong light (windshield is black there)
g) the engine hood is not sealed. Next to the windshield the weather stripping does not go all the way to the sides, leaving large spaces on the sides; they are big enough to slip my hand inside through there; after washing my car I popped up the hood and checked the engine. The sides had lots of water and soap and the battery had many water droplets on it. Leaves would easily go into the engine if parked under trees.
3. It has very low ground clearance, I already hit the shield twice, once when I hit a pothole and second time when I went from the street into a driveway.
4. the radio keeps clicking when on AM; FM is fine. I have an appointment in 2 weeks hopefully dealership can fix it; they said they need to run an update.
5. the visors are thick and hard. The sunglass clips and garage door opener clip that I use in Civic and Venza cannot be used on these visors; luckily they have a plastic extension so I attached the clips there. The problem is that the extensions are too thin and the clips rattle all the time and even fall sometimes.
6. the useless or duplicated information on board. Someone else talked about this. What annoys me the most is the space taken by the classic speedometer as probably nobody uses it because of the electronic display showing the speed.
7. the rubber mats I moved from the Civic to Impreza did not fit in the back making me wonder how much less leg room is in Impreza; also only half of the stuff I had in the Civic's glove box went into Impreza's glove box, so less storage space.

I have some issues with CVT. I am new to it and I cannot say that i like it or dislike it. I guess I need to get used to it. At the moment I do not like that when I back up from the parking lot and switch to drive the engine revs but car does not move; it takes 1-2 sec to start moving. Secondly the car shakes sometimes when I accelerate from a full stop then take the foot off the pedal.

The Venza was a real dud for Toyota thats why they dropped it. The dash was made of the cheapest plastic I have seen in a car. That year Civic was very reliable and had a quality interior but had a flimsy body structure. My point -IMO the Impreza is on a different planet than those cars

 

[JamesS]

Pros:

Car is fun around corners
Cost is cheaper than most other cars
Easy to take apart
That new free CVT warranty (probably. doesn't count)
Brakes very well
Parts are cheap (if you don't buy from subaru of course)



Cons:
Hazard lights are in a very unintuitive place
Automatic braking needs to be turned off every time I turn the car on, along with all other "settings"
Paint is super delicate and any amount of dust or tiny rocks will chip the paint
Metal bends to anything
Back side fenders bend with the tiniest amount of pressure (don't lean on the car!!!!)
The frame feels super flimsy
Dash picks up dust quicker than my computer.
Wheels are super delicate, rims get scratched by anything
Condensation builds up behind the brake light in the back window and behind the instrument panel.

 

[GHP1]

The frame (SGP) is one of the stiffest and strongest in the car industry

 

[kooda]

Lately I have really been enjoying how low and "flat" this car rides on back country roads, you can really toss it into turns and it just rides like a go kart.

I agree. You would have to be way out of my comfort zone speed wise to "out drive" the chassis on the Sport. We recently went to Asheville, NC. US 40 is nothing but hills and curves for about 25 miles going through the Smokeys. It was a blast driving that road in the Impreza. It's not a Vette, but there were few others that would stay with me in the curves. They would pass me on a straight run, and then I eat them up in the corners. VIdeo game-ish. Wife wasn't as enthused as I was.

 

[Jeffrey1087]

Lately I have really been enjoying how low and "flat" this car rides on back country roads, you can really toss it into turns and it just rides like a go kart.

I agree. You would have to be way out of my comfort zone speed wise to "out drive" the chassis on the Sport. We recently went to Asheville, NC. US 40 is nothing but hills and curves for about 25 miles going through the Smokeys. It was a blast driving that road in the Impreza. It's not a Vette, but there were few others that would stay with me in the curves. They would pass me on a straight run, and then I eat them up in the corners. VIdeo game-ish. Wife wasn't as enthused as I was.

Agree love my sport in the corners as well. I have a pretty long hard curve by me rated at 40mph ill take the imp through it at 80mph comfortably with no tire roll/screech our other car i wont go over 60mph

 

[JamesS]

I agree. You would have to be way out of my comfort zone speed wise to "out drive" the chassis on the Sport. We recently went to Asheville, NC. US 40 is nothing but hills and curves for about 25 miles going through the Smokeys. It was a blast driving that road in the Impreza. It's not a Vette, but there were few others that would stay with me in the curves. They would pass me on a straight run, and then I eat them up in the corners. VIdeo game-ish. Wife wasn't as enthused as I was.

Around here we have the Lick Observatory and Old La Honda road. 1.5 car roads. If it wasn't for the sheer drop off and no guard rails, I probably would've been going a little faster than 25, the rated speed. Takes those corners like a champ.

 

[Truclmanson78]

Dislikes: had a handling issue from new, after a alignment and two new wheel bearings it has improved vastly, obviously having to replace 2 wheel bearings in the first 10 months, a slight lack of power and fuel efficiency ( only mentioned because driving the same way on the same roads a 2018 forester and 2019 Outback get the same or slightly better mpg, attributable I think to the little more horsepower and torque allowing it to move the vehicle easier at a lower rpm, possibly they also may be more efficient at Idle), the only other thing I dislike is I wish the front lower bumper/splitter was angled up about a 3/4" higher or that it didn't stick out quite so much, in many driveways I have had it hit harder then any pothole I have hit, and lastly I have noticed regardless of the outside weather if I don't have either ac or defrost on in some manner then the windshield will begin fogging up.
Likes: The paddle shifters can be fun, the radio once updated seems to be pretty decent, the dealer experience and support is great, if going along at a cruising speed never having to slow down or stop for any reason you can get 37 to 39 mpg (but only in a near perfect situation in my experience), the car has a surprisingly large amount of room if you need to haul things, visibility outside the windows is awesome, and of course the price point for what you get is awesome.

 

[msriotdoll69]

This is my first Subaru owned. I came from a Scion Xa RS 3.0 Release Model and before that Saturn SL2.

Likes-
Corning and how flat the car feels on twisty roads. ( Live in Asheville NC lots of fun mountain roads)
1-3rd gear torque pull.
Ride quality.
Interior color scheme and gauges.
Lithium Red color is beautiful. (never thought I'd own a red car)

Dislikes-
No auto locks on the car when it starts driving.
When you go open the car door is the lock is engaged it doesn't just unlock you have to manually do it. My 11 year old Scion did both of these.
Center Console design is terrible. The armrest is so far back. If you are short like me its useless. The cupholders are also in an awkward spot as well. Wish the cupholders where in front of the stick shifter so the shifter and armrest are closer together.
Milage- I really thought I'd get better gas milage on the highway. So far city/hwy milage is holding at 30mpg. Hopefully it will get better. Care has 600mpg as of this writing.
Apple carplay is buggy at times.

 

[Gosubie65]

I've now had my car 2-3 months and I just completed 2000 miles so here is my input below. I've got the premium version:

LIKES:
- Corning and handling feels great. Very little body roll. Definitely will respond to emergency maneuvers well.
- Highway fuel economy is great.
- Pretty quiet on the highway.
- I'm 6' 2" tall and the car fits me great. I don't fit into the new Foresters. My head hits the roof.
- It's has a very sturdy roof rack. Same as the Forester.
- Low roof height relative to the Forester and other SUV's makes loading things on the roof rack super easy.
- Easily handles 14' and 16' kayak. Low roof again helps with loading kayaks.
- Dash layout and controls is pretty good.
- Subaru has come a long way on their CVT transmission. It doesn't hunt all over. They've tuned it like a multi-speed auto transmission.
- I didn't buy this car thinking it's a sport car. I think the acceleration, braking, and corning is more than adequate.
- Pretty good overall visibility.
- I've been impressed with the lane assist, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitor, and rear cross traffic monitoring. EyeSight system is pretty impressive.
- Head lights at night a pretty good.
- Apple CarPlay when it works.
- Rear space is great for our 2 dogs. Put the seats down and there is plenty of room. Great interior volume.

DISLIKES:
- Buggy and super slow infotainment system. Really disappointed Subaru would release electronics this poor. Restarts, delays when you touch the screen.
- At 2000 miles it just developed a very loud creaking noise coming from the right passenger side at the front.
- Agree the cup holder placement and center console/arm rest is terrible.
- Poor interior fit and finish. My fake carbon fiber trim that blends from the dash to the door is misaligned by nearly ¼" on the drivers side. Perfect on passenger side.
- City MPG is way worse than advertised. My Highlander with a V6 is within 1 MPG of the Impreza. This is measured not using the cars calculated MPG.
- Calculated City MPG is 2-3 MPG optimistic.
- Annoying NVH/engine growl. For a spark ignition car it almost sounds like a diesel engine.
- Subaru genuine "aero" cross bars have enough noise to notice. I've never had aero bars make noise. I now take them off when not in use. 70-80 MPH is loud.
- The doors almost feel like they are designed not to close. It's odd how they seem to bounce off the stop and you have to close them just right to close.
- Why did they design some things to be set through the steering wheel controls and others through the radio controls?
- The items that are set through the steering wheel controls are not intuitive. More complex than it needs to be.
- Rear wiper that has a rest stop that is several degrees off of pure horizontal. Sweep angle feels short by a few inches of travel. Wiping quality is poor.
- Why on earth does Subaru offer "all weather floor mats" that don't have coverage under the throttle or the left foot rest?
- Buffeting with the windows down. I've not found any option to stop the wind buffeting with the windows down.
- 6000 mile oil drain interval is not very competitive. Most are at 10,000 miles.

 

[PDawg]

Cons
1-Garage door opener should still work even after you turn off the motor.
2- Should get much more than 1 mpg more than a Forester city since it's a smaller car with smaller wheels and a smaller engine. To be fair I'm getting 3 more and I'm not done breaking in yet
3-AWD works so well it can be a bit boring in the snow
Pros-
1-Great ride and handling
2- CVT works so well you wouldn't know it only has 148 horsepower
3- Quick steering ratio makes it easy to toss around.
4- Seats are very comfortable
5- AWD works so well in snow it made my 2015 and 2016 Jeep Wranglers feel like a outdated joke.

 

[NoSlushbox4Me]

Pro- the garage door opener has awesome range.

 

[Sukup11]

I agree. You would have to be way out of my comfort zone speed wise to "out drive" the chassis on the Sport. We recently went to Asheville, NC. US 40 is nothing but hills and curves for about 25 miles going through the Smokeys. It was a blast driving that road in the Impreza. It's not a Vette, but there were few others that would stay with me in the curves. They would pass me on a straight run, and then I eat them up in the corners. VIdeo game-ish. Wife wasn't as enthused as I was.

I guess I’ll have to disagree a little on all the praise heap on the handling of the Sport model. Up to 8/10ths the car handles well and the steering is responsive, much better than other cars in it’s class except maybe the Golf, but once you get past that the car shows off it enconobox roots and gets a bit floppy. It’s always a revelation on how good a car can handle when I get into my Miata every spring. There’s just no comparison in regard to road feel and grip. Yeah, I’m sure cars like Vettes and Porsches are even on another level.

With that said the car’s a hoot in the snow with 4 snow tires, it’s Rally time:smile2:

 

[GHP1]

Agree, since the SGP is so stiff they tuned the suspension for ride comfort instead of high speed handling. That's what the next WRX will be about