Experience with XV or 2017+ Impreza?

Experience with XV or 2017+ Impreza?

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Discussion

Jamp

Original Poster:

200 posts

136 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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Anyone have experience with the new shape Impreza or XV?

My dear old mum is still running a 1998 Impreza GL owned from new, and whilst it's been a great car and owes her nothing, it's knocking on now and becoming less reliable so I'm considering its replacement. She is very keen to have AWD (what she actually 'needs' is all-season tyres, but I'll just get her both for a quiet life...) and Subarus have been great for her so the obvious choice is a direct replacement. Imprezas are no longer officially imported and XVs are serious money for what they are, but a few years old might be viable (will consider the Levorg too - Outbacks too big and Foresters too SUV). My concern is that the majority are 1.6 115ish bhp which with the CVT gives pretty pedestrian 0-60 of 12-13s+ Whilst she doesn't care about performance, in my experience cars that slow are frustrating to drive and could be a potential danger emerging at roundabouts and so on when she's used to the old 2.0 Impreza (also 115bhp, but much lighter and sub10 to 60). Anyone driven one able to say if they really are as slow in the real world as the 0-60 suggests? One would think that the CVT would flatter the 0-60 time given it can fix in the power band and not slow for up-changes...?

rosejem

176 posts

113 months

Sunday 1st May 2022
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I have not driven the current xv or 2017 impreza , but used to have a 96 impreza sport same engine as you're mums & had go in 2015 impreza 1.6 it felt under powered on the hills in Devon. The old 2.0 dispute similar bhp felt much more powerful.

Drummer_DL

58 posts

141 months

Thursday 5th May 2022
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A bit older than you're looking for, but would the old hatchback Impreza RX's be worth a look? In 2.0 form they give out 146bhp and just under 10s 0-60 time, and they seem to go up to around 2011ish. Reasonably priced too given the age, though you may have to look around to find a lower mileage example so you don't just pay the difference in wear & tear repairs.