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I just wanted to update you all on my journey or lack thereof with the car. Tomorrow I am going to the dealership to test drive and I'm sure that will determine a multitude of things....
I love the looks of the Impreza. Everytime I see one, I think they are just awesome looking. However, even though I love cars and am not the biggest fan of SUVs, etc (not that any Subie is THAT big) I am leaning towards the Crosstrek....possibly would even look at the Forester.
I have to remind myself that this vehicle will not be used for city driving, but primarily country driving, back roads, 3 mile dirt and rock road to get to my house, etc.
So - now that I've completely, completely, completely ruined myself with the Impreza....I am hoping the test drive will settle a lot of 'issues'.
Vermonter, did you do the test drive? What do you think?
So, I'm going to buy (well, I'm pretty certain I'm going to buy) a Subaru Impreza in the next month or two. I have to do some more research and I certainly have to test drive the vehicle (which I plan to do next weekend). In looking at some of the various dealer's inventories online, I haven't been able to find a car that I'm looking for that has what I want. But - I also don't know exactly what I want so I'm making a list. At first I thought I could get away with the basic model of Impreza....but I really want the all weather package (this car will eventually have a home in extreme northern Vermont)....I really want fog lights (I really don't want the hassle of installing them afterwards)...and I must have cruise control (as I make long drives north and that is simply a must)...intermittent windshield wipers - gotta have them....have had a car for 7 years where I only have two speeds and it drives me absolutely bonkers when I use them.
So - my dilemma....it seems that you have to get a package to get these and at first glance, it seemed that the intermittent wipers only came with the sport package (which I don't really need). Also - satellite ready radio? Doesn't appear to have that option unless you get the sport package as well so it looks like I'll have to be installing that myself.
Those of you who are Impreza owners out there - what do you like on your car, what package did you get (not that there are a lot of options out there....). Any advice?
Thanks very much.
Just out of curiosity, have you test driven an Outback? I just test drove a 2013 yesterday and I am very impressed with the results. It has a lot of similarities with the Impreza but with more room and still decent gas mileage (24/30 with the CVT, which is actually very good).
I did test drive and came away with a Crosstrek the day after the test drive. It's the impreza but lifted a bit. My neighbor came with me on Saturday and drove away with an Outback! Can't believe it.
The Outback was a bit big for my tastes though it is a cruising machine with lots of room and very comfy. I also test drove a Forester and I loved the engine power on that and it was zippy, and the cargo space was awesome but I couldn't find my comfort zone in the seat. The Impreza actually sat too low for my liking - who'd have thunk it. The Crosstrek fit the bill. It gives me some cargo space and is versatile, drove nice, didn't have the power of the Forester or Outback but it was still fun to drive.
To top it off - we got snow so I really got to test it out - loved it.
All in all....surprised I didn't walk away with an Impreza after ALL that! But, I did walk away with a nice blue Crosstrek.
Vermonter - Cool! Sounds like you're enjoying the Crosstrek. My line of thought were the same as yours so I'm glad to hear what you ended up with. Which trim/options did you get? What type of deal did you get on the price. Wondering how much negotiation room there is on the Crosstrek nowadays.
My relative actually got one recently as well.... I couldn't get good info since I think they inflated the price they paid to make their purchase sound more impressive.... you know those people, right?
mmyk72 - I just went with the auto/premium model. I'm not into leather and as much as some of the 'premium' options appealed to me, I just stayed with the basic. You have some room for negotiation. What you really want to do is go to the www.subaruforumxv.com and that will give you all the info of people's experiences, prices paid in the USA, etc. I believe my car was $23984 and I got it for $21652. I shopped around to several dealers online and through texting. Most didn't want to come below $22500 and no one could do better than the price I got - believe me, I tried. You may be able to do better or not depending on the demand. I'm happy with what I paid. I'm sure with more options and the higher the price, the more you can negotiate. I did have to walk away from the car though. It was a fluke that I was back in the dealership the next day with my neighbor who was dropping off her title. I got a different sales guy and told him the deal, told him how much I wanted to pay and he really made it a quick turnaround. Maybe it helped that my neighbor bought a $29k Outback....who knows.
I feel like I'm in a cockpit when I'm driving the Crosstrek. The armrest is at the perfect height (it slides forward) and it seems to be all around comfortable. I literally test drove all day back and forth, back and forth. The Crosstrek is super cool looking and although I'm approaching 40....I still want a 'cool' car. That's not what did it though - it was the comfort level for sure. I was actually trying to convince myself to get a Forester but I just could not get to a relaxed position in that car. I make long road trips and I could see that would be an issue. I did take the vehicles to empty parking lots and zig zagged them at decent speeds just to experience the handling and all vehicles did well. The Crosstrek is fun. It doesn't have super power - but I certainly can't say it is lacking power at all. The standard heated seats are fantastic. The radio leaves a bit to be desired and I will be replacing the headunit and speakers myself (as I do on all my vehicles). I'm going to have to wait for warmer weather though - it's too cold to do it now.I am missing my satellite radio immensely. I am almost contemplating taking it to Best Buy and having them install it but I hate to do that when I can do it myself...plus not sure I trust them. Maybe I'll look around at other audio install places.
Hi Vermonter - thanks for your thoughts! Looks like you got a great price, I'd be sure to read up on that forum when I'm ready to buy. I'm in the same boat that I don't need all the leather and fancy options. Having the heated seat already makes me happy. It sounds like the Crosstrek fits you perfectly.... finding a car that feels right is hard so good for you. I rent cars a lot during business trips and I have never found one that fits me like a glove the way my current car does - BTW I've an Acura Integra. When I test drove the Impreza, it came close... so I have high hopes for the Crosstrek as well.
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