Has anyone driven an Impreza diesel?
Discussion
I just took my 2004 Impreza WRX in for a service at the local Subaru dealer and they loaned me a new Impreza for the day. I wasn't expecting much as Subaru seem to have alienated the traditional Impreza buyer but I know that with this car they wanted to compete with more mainstream rivals and in this context I quite liked it. The one I drove was a 2.0 petrol which still had a unique character but was a bit gutless. It felt a bit wallowy compared to mine but it was much lighter to drive, the gearbox was easier to use, it was comfortable, roomy and well-equipped and although no oil painting, at least looks a bit different. I wouldn't buy the 2.0 petrol as it's a lot slower than mine and not much more economical but a diesel version would be quite an interesting prospect. The performance figures are better for the diesel, it has more torque than my WRX and has the obligatory air scoop (which the petrol doesn't). I've heard good reports on the diesel engine and a 4WD diesel hatchback that will do about 50mpg and isn't an Audi would be quite appealing. The only other car in this class that I would consider is a Golf which probably has a nicer interior but is more ubiquitous and expensive spec-for-spec.
I asked the dealer and for some reason they only produced diesel Imprezas for a short amount of time and no longer produce them. I thought that this would be just the kind of car that Subaru would need to compete with the more mainstream opposition. Was there some kind of problem with them and why have I not heard or read anything about them. We are hoping to have children soon and my wife is very reluctant to drive my Impreza WRX Estate (she says that it is too heavy and too big, altough she had no problem driving my old Golf which was wider and only about a foot shorter). An Impreza diesel would seem like a good value replacement with lower running costs as although we both like my wife's Fiat 500, it would be a pretty useless baby wagon!
So, has anyone driven an Impreza diesel, was it any good and why is it such a rare car?
I asked the dealer and for some reason they only produced diesel Imprezas for a short amount of time and no longer produce them. I thought that this would be just the kind of car that Subaru would need to compete with the more mainstream opposition. Was there some kind of problem with them and why have I not heard or read anything about them. We are hoping to have children soon and my wife is very reluctant to drive my Impreza WRX Estate (she says that it is too heavy and too big, altough she had no problem driving my old Golf which was wider and only about a foot shorter). An Impreza diesel would seem like a good value replacement with lower running costs as although we both like my wife's Fiat 500, it would be a pretty useless baby wagon!
So, has anyone driven an Impreza diesel, was it any good and why is it such a rare car?
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