the new 2013 Subaru Impreza release with A roomy interior, a commendable ride/handling balance and all-wheel drive make the 2013 Subaru Impreza a solid choice for an all-season compact sedan or best hatchback. After a Subaru Impreza full redesign last year, the 2013 Subaru Impreza now comes standard with Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, an auxiliary audio jack and steering wheel controls. A rearview camera is now included with the navigation system. with subaru’s affinity for active, outdoorsy people, 2013 Subaru Impreza is a car that makes sense, with its rugged edge over most other compacts small car on the market today.
Before redesign, the Subaru Impreza offered little more than alternative appeal. Below-average fuel economy and substandard interior materials left the Impreza with one selling point: standard all-wheel drive. The latest car is more well-rounded, however, and the 2013 Subaru Impreza further capitalizes on its newfound acceptance with a few improvements. Bluetooth now comes standard on all models, along with iPod connectivity and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. The optional navigation system package now also includes a rearview camera.
As part of those changes, Subaru introduced less polarizing styling, considerably better fuel economy, and more competitive pricing with a strong feature set. And of course, all-wheel drive remains standard on every 2013 Subaru Impreza.
The 2013 Subaru Impreza is closer to the most popular compacts than it used to be (the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze), but it’s more often cross-shopped with the Mazda3, Volkswagen Jetta or Volkswagen Golf, or other affordable all-wheel-drive cars like the Suzuki SX4.
2013 Subaru Impreza Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2013 Subaru Impreza is available as a sedan or hatchback in 2.0i, 2.0i Premium and 2.0i Limited trim levels. The hatchback adds 2.0i Sport Premium and 2.0i Sport Limited trims. The WRX and STI trim levels are high-performance versions of the previous-generation Impreza and are covered in a separate review.
The 2013 Subaru Impreza 2.0i comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels, full power accessories, keyless entry, air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, a trip computer, Bluetooth (phone and audio streaming) and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, iPod connectivity and auxiliary audio input.
The 2013 subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium adds 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, an adjustable front center armrest, a cargo cover (hatchback) and a six-speaker sound system. The Alloy Wheel package adds 17-inch wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. The All-Weather package adds heated mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer and heated front seats.
The 2.0i Limited includes both of the Premium’s packages and adds automatic headlights, foglights, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, a rear center armrest, a touchscreen audio interface and HD radio.
The 2.0i Sport Premium adds standard roof rails to the regular Premium equipment list and includes the Alloy Wheel and All-Weather packages, while the 2.0i Sport Limited bundles these additional features to the extras included on the 2.0i Limited.
The Premium, Limited and Sport Limited can be equipped with a sunroof and a navigation system package, the latter including a touchscreen interface, a rearview camera, voice controls, HD radio, satellite radio and real-time traffic.
Interior of 2013 Subaru Impreza
Last year Subaru gave the Impreza a full makeover, keeping essentially the same dimensions but producing a much better-looking vehicle with a sleeker profile, helped by a more steeply raked windshield, a higher seating position, and a lower waistline. For 2013, the Impreza continues virtually unchanged inside and out from a design standpoint.
The 2013 Subaru Impreza is hardly fashion-forward, but it is no longer dowdy or awkward. Subaru has returned to its traditional trapezoidal grille after recent flirtations with a variety of inconsistent grille shapes and styles. Along with “hawkeye” headlights, the Impreza now has a face that’s recognizably related to the better-known Outback crossover utility.
Along the sides, exaggerated wheel arches nod to the Outback, but also serve to break up the height of the flanks. The only disappointing area of the Impreza is the side view of the front fenders, where the wheels appear a size too small for the tall cowl and substantial front overhang.
To our eyes the four-door sedan isn’t quite as good-looking; it can come off as tall and stubby from some angles, but the five-door hatchback is quite neatly styled at the rear. A number of Impreza details echo other cars—the front hood line has a touch of Chevrolet Cruze, the taillights a hint of the latest Honda Civic, the sharply defined bumper edges recall the Chevy Volt. And overall, the form is far crisper and more coherent than the 2007-2011 Impreza it replaces.
Straightforward and functional would be a good way to describe the cabin design. The 2013 Subaru Impreza has neither the fashion-forward shape of the Ford Focus hatchback nor the interior panache of the Chevrolet Cruze’s twin-cockpit dashboard. But it’s also no longer the wallflower at the ball, and it’s lost the gawkiness of the last generation.
A half-oval cowl in front of the driver covers the speedometer and tachometer, with a square digital display screen between them. At the top of the center of the dash, an eyebrow cowl shades a wide multifunction display where less mission-critical data is displayed in larger and easier-to-read type. Modest matte silver accents divide the top dash and door surfaces from the vertical lower portions.
Overall, the 2013 Subaru Impreza offers a sensible, no-nonsense cabin with few extraneous frills or electronic distractions. Only in a few places does the design come off as cut-rate; the plain, flat silver gear-shift surround is one, the plain black radio surround is another.
2013 Subaru Impreza Engine, Power and Performance
In all standard 2013 subaru Impreza models (the higher-performance WRX and STI models are covered by a separate review), a 2.0-liter horizontally opposed (‘flat’) four-cylinder engine makes 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, transmitting it to all four wheels through either a five-speed manual gearbox or, for better gas mileage, the second generation of Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission.
The CVT is electronically controlled to keep the engine operating at maximal efficiency regardless of what the driver asks the car to do. For the most part it’s quite responsive, and the company has mostly avoided the usual downside of CVTs; the engine rarely races up to peak revs without a corresponding increase in road speed. Although the one thing we’d like to see changed is its very slow ramp-up of revs when a quick burst of power is needed.
All models except the base Impreza 2.0i offer paddle shifters behind the wheel (they’re optional on Premium models, standard on the Limited trim level), and that helps when you anticipate needing that extra spurt. They let drivers “shift down” one or two simulated ratios in a “six-speed manual mode”
The five-speed comes standard in lower-end models, but it’s largely our preference between the two; the CVT is offered in all trims and standard in the high-end Impreza Limited.
Handling is responsive and drama-free, but it doesn’t quite win in the fun-to-drive category (that would go to the Mazda3 or Ford Focus). Despite new electric power steering, the Impreza retains decent feedback at the wheel, though it’s not quite as eager and agile as the Mazda3. Brakes are progressive, as is typical for Subarus, but haul the car down from speed without fuss. The boxer engine also gives all Subarus a low center of gravity, and the Impreza is flat in cornering, accelerating neutrally out of corners with little discernible understeer—unlike virtually all of its front-wheel drive competitors.
2013 Subaru Impreza Safety and Reliability
The federal government still hasn’t tested the current Impreza, but in IIHS testing the 2012 model earned the group’s Top Safety Pick accolade—with top ‘good’ ratings in every category—and we expect the 2013 model to do the same.
Subaru models from recent years have, with few exceptions, achieved top-tier safety ratings. The roster of safety features is good, too; in addition to the usual set of airbags, Subaru has added a seventh airbag to protect the driver’s knees. A brake-override system is also included.
Subaru also improved outward visibility last year, by slimming the pillars; and with a relatively high front seating position and somewhat low shoulder line, there’s now good visibility in most directions. The side-mirror design introduced last year is also 20 percent larger, providing a full field of rear view.
2013 Subaru Impreza MPG / Fuel Economy
The 2013 Subaru Impreza is expected to be the highest-mileage gasoline all-wheel-drive vehicle in the U.S. market, reprising its 30-mpg EPA Combined rating and a highway rating of up to 36 mpg.
With the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), the 2013 Impreza sedan and hatchback get 27 mpg city, 36 highway, while are expected to earn EPA ratings of 27 city, 36 mpg highway, for a combined 30-mpg rating, a 30-percent improvement over last year’s figures. Manual numbers are somewhat lower, at 25/34 mpg. And that 36-mpg highway rating enables an impressive cruising range of up to 523 miles.
The Impreza is clean enough to earn the designation of Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle, or P-ZEV—the label for vehicles that follow California’s stricter emissions standards; and Subaru has decided to offer it in all 50 states, not just where it’s required.
2013 Subaru Impreza Driving Impressions
The CVT works as intended, but its touchy throttle response can increase engine speed unnecessarily and exacerbate noise coming into the cabin from the engine bay. If possible, go with the manual transmission.
The 2013 Subaru Impreza 2.0i offers secure handling, firm steering and braking, and a compliant ride that feels substantial even over substandard pavement. The four-cylinder returns excellent fuel economy for a car with all-wheel drive, but acceleration suffers; this is one of the slower cars in its class. Folks living in the snow and rain belts, however, may not mind trading speed for traction and all-wheel-drive stability. to see more detail take a look on our 2013 Subaru Impreza Picture galler bellow
2013 Subaru Impreza a solid choice for an all season best hatchback
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