Agatha, not Linford; PETER KEENAN found the Impreza 1.5 R AWD five-door handled like a dream but lacked power

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 16, 2008

Byline: By PETER KEENAN

MY SON and his pal count themselves as car aficionados. Most motors I test are subject to their scrutiny - especially during the football season, when they are ferried to and from training sessions and matches in the latest automobiles.

They are not easily impressed, so when they remarked on the smoothness of the ride in the Subaru Impreza I took notice.

This was because the 1.5R had done anything but impress me up to that point. The Impreza rightly has a reputation for hair-raising heroics, but Subaru decided the range needed a more conservative version. The reasoning is that, while Mach 2 with your hair on fire may be OK for Tom Cruise in Top Gun, for some, 0-60mph in less time than it takes to say Scooby Doo is scary. So for them Subaru decided to offer a "lite" version of its legendary motor.

But it may have gone a bit too far in toning down the performance because the 1.5R has about as much punch as a butterfly.

Thanks to the boys in the back, however, I also realised that yes, the car is beautifully balanced and yes, it does handle like a dream with steering and cornering to die for. The four-wheel drive also provides all the grip you will ever need.

But sadly the fact remains that the 106bhp petrol engine fails to provide enough power to make full use of any of these attributes.

Despite making a noise that threatens searing pace, its sprint time of 14 seconds from 0-62mph is more Agatha Christie than Lin ford

It seems to take an age to get anywhere leaving you longing for the top-of-the-range, rip-snorting WRX model.

The latest Impreza's looks have also been toned down from the old car.

Gaudy and in-your-face it may have been but at least the former version left a visual impression. The latest Impreza looks like most other cars of its class and for that to be said about a Subaru surely indicates something has gone wrong at the design stage.

As a value-for-money option the Impreza tends to take two steps forward and then one backwards.

The price tag is cheaper than the classleaders and you should be able to haggle a few more quid off with amenable dealers. But it's not the most cost-effective car to run, with an average fuel consumption figure on the thirsty side of 38mpg and carbon dioxide emissions ensuring an unfriendly company car tax bill.

On the plus side the cabin offers comfortable space for four adults - especially in the rear, where there's loads of leg and headroom.

Try to fit a third passenger in the back, though, and it will be a bit of a squeeze as the middle seat is narrow and there's a transmission tunnel to straddle.

The boot is nothing to write home about as it's a shallow affair with rear wheel arches further reducing the limited space on offer. A fabric cover is employed to hide valuables from prying eyes rather than the traditional and more useful parcel shelf.

The driver's seat and steering wheel have extensive two-way adjustment to allow a comfortable position to be found.

The quality of materials used in the interior could be better - especially when compared with others in the highly competitive small family car sector.

The CD/stereo controls are a bit fiddly but most of the other controls are easy to use and well placed. As well as the music system, the 1.5R entry model also gets climate control, alloy wheels, powered windows, fog lamps and six airbags.

CAPTION(S):

TONED DOWN - the Subaru Impreza 1.5R now looks like most other cars; SMOOTH RIDE - the Impreza is beautifully balanced and handles like a dream, but has the punch of a butterfly