AWD and a car!!!!!

The biggest problem for me is where to start. AWD, the engine, the seat, the safetly, the cost are all great. this will include performance, interoir, problems (scatter thoughout), overall stuff and safety
If you have every driving a SUV and felt the scary swaying well it is gravity pulling you over. Subaru's Impreza is an engineering master piece, and droves like a piece of gold. It has SUV abilitu and true car feel.
I love driving it. it is fast, quick entertaining, and feels very safe. the horizantal engine and AWD give this car incredible handling. Take it for a test drive and take a quick right at ~35mph and you will feel safe and secure as the car splings its way around. may want to warn the passangers ahead of time. I have driven it on road atlanta and kept up with a Z3 most of the time. I would circle right behind him. Gaining time on every curve.
On the other hand i have driven it over dirty roads at speeds an SUV would have died at. It will get you around off road as easily as most SUV. Its AWD provides off road performance and power. But after driving it on dirty find the neariest kid in a rear wheel sports car and let it rain and beat him off the line.
This car is a sports car engineering hiden in a small japanesse car body. it will fly and it will handle like you are driving one a rail. Take a free way curve and it ask for more speed, pick a line in your lane and take it extactly and switch the line at anytime in the curve.
the best test of the handling/performance is find a curve near your dealer and work your way up to high speed for it, and then go back with a normal car, and you will go back to take home the Impreza. While letting your wife/husband drive home the old car. (and yes i have the Impreza 2.2L 5 speed 4 door not an faster RS)

-The interoir is what you expect in this range. The controls are all very straight forward. the knob that selects the fan location is a little confusing when trying to use it w/o looking. it lacks a trunk light :( (lost to cut costs along with the folding back seats). seats are very comfortable to me, and have drive a mercedes e class for a while and like the impreza seats better. soft yet firm enough. the carpeting is kind of sad, but floor mats take care of that. review mirrors are different. i thought they were just small at first but then realized they just took some adjustment to see everything. the horn is really nice set up. no little buttons to find, the whole wheel is the horn. Auto off/on lights which is a wonderful idea so very convenient.
-gas mileage is a little low in the city, but not bad, about normal, on the free i can get very good gas mileage. doing 300+ miles on my 3/4 of a tank at 80+.
relatively quit till 68-72 where it is a little rantly, but it stops above that speed. very quit in city traffic. engine noise is nill, tire noise is the problem, but it is quit within reason.
headlights are quite powerful. dark roads can be well seen.
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servicing it can be a bit difficult. subaru dealerships are not very common, but they will pay towing for warrenty work (work is very uncommon) minus oil changes, and the such.
and yes cheaper then an EX civic, about LX price.
good room, the front is very comfortable, but the back is a little crowded. head and hip room at great. (4door L 1999)
excellent safety standards for small cars. but you have AWD to protect you, no hydroplaning, dont spin out of control, gives you a chance to avoid the accident. However if worse comes to worse you have side impact bars and air bags.
sorry i am rabbling but i really like this car and i am trying to rememeber everything.
--overall
if you wont a orignial, quick, aggresive car, for not a lot of money this is it. It has SUV performance in many ways, w/o the size and gas mileage and performance problems. However, it is really a small car, with all of it's ablitlies.
excellent car, look forward to driving it. smaller curvy the road more fun i have.
don_paolo@hotmail.com if you have any questions.