Subaru Impreza review

Night and day stuff in here, when compared to what went before. The upswing in the quality of the materials used in the Impreza MkV is remarkable. Subaru still says some of the finishes are designed for durability, as owners tend to chuck muddy dogs into their cars without a care in the world, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any bits of scratchy plastic no matter how hard you search, even low down on the transmission tunnel. About the most objectionable bit of trim is the fake carbon-fibre around the door handles; everything else looks and feels good.

There’s also acres of space, although the car’s AWD system means the transmission tunnel is high in the centre rear footwell, limiting legroom for the unfortunate who doesn’t get to sit near one of the back doors. Never mind; four adults should be able to sit in the Impreza in total comfort, while the boot is five litres bigger than before and has a more usefully-shaped aperture, to make loading bulky items easier.