2011 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
Bought this car new in Feb 2011. Loved the looks and wanted that legendary Subaru reliability. Boy, we were sorely mistaken. We just traded it in after the last straw--and it's January, 2013. We had to have the engine REPLACED at 18K. REPLACED. This is a dealer-serviced car, driven gently back and forth to work and to the grocery store, etc. Engine knocked, we took it in, and it spent the next MONTH and change in the shop. After they replaced the engine, we thought everything was okay--until a few weeks ago, when it began knocking AGAIN. We took it back in. For the last time. We traded that heap and haven't looked back. This car was probably a lemon, but still disappointed.
Manual transmission is responsive, with tight gears. Holds the road well. Very little sliding or skidding on slick, icy roads.
An engine that doesn't completely flake out at 18K miles. I guess I would like the interior to be a little less plastic-y and cheap, but it's a cheap car, so that's probably pressing my luck. The in-dash Tom-Tom needs something to protect it from glare, needs to work ALL THE TIME (voice cuts out from time to time for no reason, then will return several hundred miles later, after I've forgotten it's supposed to talk to me. First time this happened the sudden, loud command scared the crap out of me), and needs to not become unresponsive when hot (won't respond to touch). We won't be purchasing another Subaru after this experience.