2012 Subaru Impreza: Fuel Economy Update for February
March 4, 2013
We put just over 2,000 miles on our long-term 2012 Subaru Impreza during the month of February, including Phil Reed's road trip to Palm Springs.
Now as the calendar flips to March, our Subie has averaged 25.9 mpg during the life of our long-term test. Best tank stands at 31 mpg, while the worst tank is a low 21.2 mpg.
2012 Subaru Impreza: Cryptic
February 28, 2013
Really, tell me what's going on with this wiper stalk. Arrow pointing down, somewhat towards you, for a stream of wiper fluid. Three Morse code dashes for interval wipe. Fast-forward icons for constant wiper speed. This is some serious hieroglyphics just to keep water off the windshield.
Dan Frio, Automotive Editor @ 16,800 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza: Cold Air Companion
February 27, 2013
Still hoping we have a chance to put the Impreza through some snow-covered paces in our local mountains this year, which means hoping for some big activity in the Gulf of Alaska. Nothing but sun and seventies forecasted for the next ten days around here, though. Great if you're into dirt and water sports, but not if you're fiending for moguls.
Subaru long ago identified and decided to serve a wet weather customer. That's why it seems like Subaru and Jeep are the official cars of Colorado and Washington, while an all-wheel-drive Impreza in Southern California makes about as much sense as a planter's punch at a bar in Fairbanks.
2012 Subaru Impreza: Full of Cool Air
February 25, 2013
Some of the best weather I've ever seen happens in the winter months in Santa Monica. This morning it was 70 degrees only a few hours after the sun came up, so I found it necessary to drive around in our Subaru Impreza with all four windows down and the sunroof back. At 5'9" I'm no giant but even with the seat at a medium height setting, this Subaru felt vast on the inside.
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: Gutless?
February 22, 2013
So let me get this straight. It's both a PZEV and an Impreza "Sport"? It certainly lives up to its green label, getting 27 mpg city and 36 highway. But where does the "Sport" part of this Subie come in?
In a previous post, I referred to the fact that the CVT makes the engine feel "gutless." A reader took me to task on this issue.
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: Palm Springs Road Trip
February 21, 2013
Can four adults with two golf bags and luggage find happiness on the road to Palm Springs?
I was hoping to impress some out-of-town guests with a larger, more luxurious car for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs. Instead, I got the keys to the 2012 Subaru Impreza. After some mental reprogramming, I decided it would be an interesting test of the car's cargo space and interior comfort.
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: 15K Service Visit
February 20, 2013
If only all service visits were this quick and easy. We called for an early morning appointment and then dropped off our 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport at Subaru of Santa Monica. We told the service advisor we wanted an oil and filter change and a tire rotation. He wrote everything up and said he recommended adding a new air condition filter for a total of $240. We declined the filter since it wasn't called for on the scheduled maintenance. This dropped the price to $127.47.
2012 Subaru Impreza: 15k Milestone
February 13, 2013
Our long-term 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited reached the 15k milestone during its recent road trip to Scottsdale, Arizona. And wouldn't you know it? I wasn't paying attention to the odometer and completely missed taking a photo when it happened.
2012 Subaru Impreza: One Tin Radio
February 8, 2013
No matter how I adjust the audio settings in our 2012 Subaru Impreza, it still sounds oddly tinny to me. It's like the music is coming from underneath a cheap metal bowl.
I don't profess to be a stereo expert, but I feel the same way every time I drive the Impreza. After fooling around with it, I usually just turn the volume down to zero. I'd rather hear silence than feel even slightly annoyed.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 14,270 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza: Road Trip!
February 7, 2013
Don't get too excited. I'm just driving to Scottsdale, Arizona in our 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited. Should be about 760 miles round trip. Along the way there will be some of the most mind-numbingly boring desert landscape known to this country. And plenty of it.
Still, there's something about a road trip. Man and machine out on the open road. Good thinking time, good music-listening time, and maybe I'll play a book as well. Certainly good car evaluating time. And MAT (Mikey Alone Time).
2012 Subaru Impreza: Funny Vanity Plate
February 6, 2013
When I spotted this vanity plate on this Subaru Impreza WRX on the way in to work today, I couldn't help but guffaw. Team America: World Police has a special place in my heart ever since I had to play Kim Jong-Il for our 24 Hours of Lemons race. In any case, wondered if the owner of this Subie was a fan, too, or if this tied in to their Impreza somehow.
Subaru Impreza owners, do you have a vanity plate for your car? If so, what is it and did your Subie inspire it?
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor
2012 Subaru Impreza: Fuel Economy Update for January
February 4, 2013
During the month of January we packed about 2,100 trouble-free miles on our 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited, thanks largely to two road trips, one to Las Vegas, Nevada and another to Scottsdale, Arizona. We averaged 26.3 mpg for the month of January using 87 octane fuel.
The gas mileage we achieved for the month is actually just a smidge better than the 25.9 mpg we've averaged over the car's 14,752 miles. But it also means that, even though the Impreza is a fairly fuel efficient car, we continue to fall short of the EPA's 30 mpg combined rating.
Mike Monticello, Road Test Editor @ 14,752 miles
Worst Fill MPG: 21.2
Best Fill MPG: 31.0
Average Lifetime MPG: 25.9
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): 30.0
Best Range: 437.5 miles
Current Odometer: 14,752 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza: Twitchy Throttle
February 1, 2013
As an ex-Subaru employee, I have a soft spot for Subarus. I cheer for the company, my friends, and the all-wheel-drive heritage I've come to admire.
That being said, I don't like driving our long-term 2012 Impreza. I like the idea of it — sporty, capable, practical — but the twitchy throttle and numbing CVT kill my Subie buzz every time I leave the parking lot. It then takes me at least a day or two of driving it consistently to remember just how to modulate the rabbit-jerky gas pedal.
This weekend, my daughter's friend said from the backseat: "Don't worry, my mom doesn't know how to drive a stick very good either."
Between the non-linear power delivery and the long wind-up of the CVT, she actually thought I was driving a manual. Poorly.
As if.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 14,254 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: The Disappearing Handbrake
January 31, 2013
The sound of the handbrake was often the satisfying conclusion to many car trips. It was somehow cathartic to yank up on the brake, feel the ratchet gear clicking and hear the staccato grrrrickkk! You had arrived. The trip was over. Your work was done.
But lately, you accomplish the brake-setting ritual with the press of a button and all the work is done electrically, silently. Where's the fun in that? It's one more little thing taken away from people who like to drive cars. Perhaps the electric emergency brake is better. But I like the direct connection with the mechanical world like there is in the 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport.
Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 14,135 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: Fuel Sipper MPG Report
January 30, 2013
In our Fuel Sipper Smackdown the editors take several cars and drive three different routes: backroads, city and highway. It's a good test of a car's capability since some cars shine on the open road while others (mainly hybrids) do well around town.
I had a chance to follow the same route on a trip to Las Vegas recently. For my highway mileage I got 27.1 mpg over 361 miles of mainly highway driving cruising at about 75 mph. Oddly enough, over 178 miles of city driving, I got 30.5 mpg. And on the return trip, I got 27.2 mpg over 296 miles of winding road through Death Valley. Over the entire trip, 835 miles, my fuel economy was 27.8 mpg, less than the 30 mpg combined the EPA predicts.
2012 Subaru Impreza: Rainy Day AWD
January 29, 2013
It's raining in Los Angeles today and the morning news is full of jackknifed truck trailers and hydroplane warnings. Even before I get out of bed, I sigh with relief at the thought of our long-term 2012 Subaru Impreza parked downstairs in my garage.
I recently read that 75 percent of all weather-related crashes occur on wet pavement during, or just after a rainstorm. (No, I don't remember where I read that, so feel free to argue against my "fact.")
Until the arrival of the rear-wheel-drive BRZ, all Subarus sold in the U.S. came standard with all-wheel drive, and our Impreza is no exception. Powering the wheels with the best traction, AWD is obviously a set-up that's ideal for wet and slippery conditions.
As I entertain the giggly all-girl school carpool by splashing the Impreza through the new rivers running across the streets of our small beach town, I give them a brief speech about the differences between front-, rear- and all-wheel drive cars.
They, of course, completely ignore me.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 14,140 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport: Las Vegas Road Trip
January 25, 2013
I met my father and two brothers in Las Vegas and they were impressed that I showed up in this 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport. During the two days I spent squiring them around the Strip, and then a side-trip to Hoover Dam, they kept asking me what I thought of the sport hatchback. To tell you the truth, I didn't have a lot of strong opinions; on the 380-mile trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas only two things struck me: the oft-cited weak feeling produced by the CVT and a pleasingly composed ride at highway speeds.
But then, after a few more days behind the wheel, more opinions began to form.
2012 Subaru Impreza: 2012 Subaru Impreza: Return of the Outback Sport
January 17, 2013
Up until 2012, Subaru offered an Outback Sport version of the Impreza hatchback. Sort of an Outback Junior, it essentially consisted of an Impreza hatch with a raised suspension, available contrasting lower body paint/moldings, a few other unique styling tweaks and bigger wheels.
Now, with the debut of the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek, it's déjà vu all over again. Although there's no "Impreza" in its name, the Crosstrek is obviously one with essentially the same tweaks that the old Outback Sport sported. So you have the requisite beefed-up suspension (it rides a full three inches higher), black wheel arch/rocker moldings and unique wheels. Although I'm not a fan of the standard Impreza's styling (too busy), for some reason it works for me much better with the Crosstrek.
I'm from New England, where Subaru's have been popular for ages thanks to their all-wheel-drive traction, solid reliability and (compared to SUVs) good fuel economy. I imagine a Crosstrek with the manual gearbox would make a fine winter/ski car back there...
You can find out more on the Impreza's tough brother here: http://www.edmunds.com/subaru/xv-crosstrek/2013/options.html?sub=suv
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 13,124 miles
2012 Subaru Impeza Sport: No Desire for Dark Wheels
January 16, 2013
A lot of car enthusiasts dig dark wheels. I'm not one of them. Although I like the style of the Impreza Sport Limited's 17-inch alloys, can't say I feel the same about the dark gray finish. It has the effect of making them look like they're always coated with brake dust. That not only makes them look dirty, but also makes it hard to appreciate the style of the wheel, as it's hard to discern among all that darkness.
So I virtually cruised on over to tirerack.com and saw what I'd get, if I were to change out the Suby's wheels. Multi- and double-spoke styles are my faves so I picked these: http://bit.ly/WYQ2dB.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 12,929 miles
2012 Subaru Impreza: Actual vs. Estimated Fuel Usage
January 15, 2013
It's not exactly a secret. It's a story we've covered in the "Tips and Advice" section of our site. We're talking about the fact that the fuel economy gauges in many models tend to paint an optimistic picture when it comes to gas mileage.
Even our otherwise quite trustworthy Impreza is guilty of this small deception. Of course, the discrepancy between actual and estimated numbers isn't (always) huge, and the Impreza certainly isn't the worst offender. But as we point out in our article, if you're using the fuel economy gauge as your sole source of mileage information, over the years, this error in reporting can add up to hundreds of gallons of unreported fuel use.
Here are the differences noted between actual and estimated numbers over the last couple of Impreza fill-ups:
1/7/13
Actual fuel economy: 24.6 mpg
Estimated fuel economy: 25.8 mpg
Discrepancy: 5%
1/2/13
Actual fuel economy: 23.1 mpg
Estimated fuel economy: 28.0 mpg
Discrepancy: 21%
12/12/13
Actual fuel economy: 21.1
Estimated fuel economy: 23.4
Discrepancy: 11%
We'll check out a couple of other cars in our fleet going forward to see how they fare on this front.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor
2012 Subaru Impreza: December Fuel Economy
January 9, 2013
It's time to take a look at how our Impreza fared at the pump during the month of December. Our little Subie did its fair share of schlepping and hauling in maddening stop-and-go holiday traffic, so we were curious to see what kind of impact this had on overall fuel economy.
Here's what the numbers look like:
Best mpg: 31.0
Worst mpg: 21.2
Overall mpg: 25.8
The EPA gives the Impreza a combined fuel economy rating of 30 mpg.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor@ 12,929 miles
