Used 2012 Subaru Impreza Consumer Reviews
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Updated: Four Year Ownership Review
i4collin, 03/25/2014
updated 09/25/2017
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium PZEV 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
Editing my 2 year review of this vehicle, I've had to lower the rating from 4 stars to 3, mostly due to reliability scares. While proving to be rather comfortable, great in all seasons, decently economical, and safe, after only 35000 miles the vehicle has begun to burn oil at an alarming rate. We are currently waiting for the dealer to do a compression test on the engine to see if they need to replace it. This is the second Subaru in the family that has had engine issues, despite regular oil changes. It is a nice little car, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you absolutely need the all-wheel drive. There are much better options in the compact car class nowadays. Update: car sold after numerous issues at 5 years and 53,000 miles
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Big Disappointment
jbv1105, 05/02/2015
updated 05/04/2017
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium PZEV 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
This car, with only 26,000 miles on it, did not live up to my expectations for build quality and reliability. The car burned oil at an alarming rate. One dealer claimed there was nothing wrong, then a second finally agreed there was an issue after the car failed an oil consumption test. They replaced the entire engine under warranty. Also I had an ignition problem, which had to be addressed due to the car not starting. Additionally, the car's battery was defective and had to be replaced. The Bluetooth on this vehicle was terrible, wouldn't connect and the whole radio system had to be replaced. There were unsettling rattles in the dashboard and excessive wind and road noise. The final straw was the climate control system stopped working. I believe this car's issues may be related to the Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster. The car was produced at a factory not far away from there sometime in 2011 for the 2012 model year. I know many manufacturers had issues with suppliers. Subaru refused to buy the car back, which was a big disappointment, but they gave me a $1500 credit towards a new vehicle. I ended up replacing it with a 2015 Forester 6 speed manual which , with the one exception of a defective battery that was replaced under warranty, has had no issues.
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2012 Subaru Impreza for sale near you
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- 2.0i Premium 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,4509 mi away
- 2.0i Sport Premium 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,2503 mi away
- 2.0i Sport Limited 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,9003 mi away
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Oil Burner, Sits Too Low
knahs39, 06/23/2014
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i PZEV 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
I bought the 2012 Impreza hatchback new in July 2012. Since about 12,000 miles, I can't go more than 2,500-3,000 miles without needing a quarter of oil. Dealer says that is typical usage but manual says 7,500 miles between changes. The car does not have the pep my 2004 Impreza had and yet, gets the same gas mileage as the 2004. It also sits too low so you hit every curb or concrete parking barrier. I'm looking to get rid of it and based on this, my third Subaru, will never get another Subaru again.
I Hate This Car
Stephanie, 05/05/2016
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Premium PZEV 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I had a used 2005 Subaru Legacy that I LOVED but it died (I put a lot of miles of cars quickly because of my commute.) I thought I'd be replacing it with something of similar quality when I bought the 2012 Subaru Impreza slightly used with 25k miles. I decided to spend the money on a newer car because of this. First of all, I got into a slowww speed fender bender where the front of my car has all kinds of damage and cracks--the other persons car didn't have even a slight dent or scratch. You'd never know their car was hit and they drove away without my info after surveying the damage-- I think it was a Honda. Also, I drove over a small piece of loose metal laying on the highway which I didn't recognize as something solid until it was too late and it tore up my back bumper as it exited. I realize things like this happen but the amount of damage is way out of proportion. Most vehicles I see have a plate in that area to protect the underside. This Subaru back bumper is nothing but curved under, thin, cheap plastic. Second, this thing burns oil. Imagine my surprise when I was something like 4k miles away from the recommended oil change and my oil light came on. Thirdly, I have never gotten anywhere close to the estimated MPG. I drive at constant highway speeds. My legacy got the same, if not better, gas mileage and the engine had a lot more strength. Fourth, at 73k miles the engine is now making a low, stressed whining sound with acceleration. I had my transmission serviced at the recommended 60k miles. But now I'm wondering if it's going out. I am fixing the damage to the front and getting rid of this thing before it falls apart completely.
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Best Subaru Yet!
jcricket, 07/02/2012
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Premium PZEV 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
This is my third Sooby. It is the most fun. For a car with small dimensions on the outside, it is huge on the inside. I like the ergonomics of the interior - the dash and steering column controls are easy to use; intuitive. Lots of pep, very spirited off the line. With winter tires on (see suggested improvement below) this car can go places my 4x4 pick-up can not go. Good gas mileage too. It started off getting 30 in town and after breaking in for 13,000 miles I get over 40 on highway/country driving trips. This from an AWD! Its a great car to take to the beach or to the mountains with friends. Two of my friends bought Imprezas this year.