Just ordered this car, year 2022. Lack of eyesight, auto start stop, and superfluous driver "aids" are what sold me. I hate pointless electronics in my ride. I want to drive without being told what to do.
Nailed it. I have a 19 base hatch 5 speed in white. Its like a 90s base model compact that has a reverse camera and apple car play. No frills, no thrills just simple reliable transportation
Good job suburu Manual parking brake Manual transmission And it's not riddled with safety features so glad cars like this still exist if my 2015 mazda 3 Manual hatchback ever dies im getting a sube.
I upgraded from my 2010 Mazda 3 6speed to a 2013 outback 6speed. Mazda was zoom-zoom as advertised. I like the off road/moderate trail capability of my slower Subaru Outback. Next one will be a turbo model if I can get a 6 speed with it.
Just discovered your channel, but I can say you definitely have what it takes to be a top dog in the video auto journalism industry~ Keep the videos coming!
Honestly love that they still give people something this raw, I hate new cars with the assist technology, just makes for drivers that are paying less attention to the road. I may pick one up to drive in the Winter time so my WRX doesn't get all the salt corrosion.
I am off the same mind regarding the extra tech they add nowadays. Certain things like better headlights as standard equipment across all models should be a thing. It's 2022 there shouldn't be any halogen headlights anymore.
Just bought mine tonight first manual car drove it home and only stalled it a couple times lol, coming from a 2018 IS 300 the Subaru feels so good and fun to drive
I like the slow speed driving shots in the parking lot. A unique angle, different from all other car reviewers, and a good way to see how the car behaves in its stance. Good points and descriptive language, I subscribed based upon the quality of video, editing and communication style. Good luck entering this very crowded RU-vid niche! I’m rooting for you.
I agree...adding a bit of fun to the video makes it interesting. This will sound weird coming from a guy, but you have a nice smile and very good manner if speaking. Content is important ...and presentation keeps us coming back...your personality thrown into the mix makes us love you!
You summed up this car perfectly, I have the 2020, and fortunately in Canada, it's all trims save for the top trim (sport tech) are available in manual (assuming you can find them, mine was the only one on the lot). Have mine in the touring trim, which I think is the perfect medium between base and sport, you get slightly nicer gauges, that additional top screen, 17 alloy wheels and heated seats, without too big a price jump. You put it perfectly with it not being a drivers car, but having lots of communication, that's how I knew I wanted it vs the other manuals I had test drove. I had driven it first and was disappointed, because it just felt like how a car should be, but then after test driving all the competition and going back, I realized how much better the impreza felt. Great review, expecting to see more of your videos in the future!
I appreciate that you did a video on both the cvt and the manual. They’re much different in driving dynamics and most tests and comparisons inly focus on the cvt. I have a 2020 5MT Impreza and while it’s been a great driving car the quality has been rather poor. Not only was it affected by the infotainment Harmon Kardon disaster but it’s had parts falling off suspension parts failing etc. Hopefully they can start putting them together a bit better the constant repairs are costing them a ton of money
Thank you, and wow, i'm sorry to hear that, they have usually been pretty dependable outside of the infotainment stuff, I hope it gets sorted out soon under warranty and doesn't come back
@@Realistick Subaru of America has been good about the major stuff and my rather lengthy 7 year warranty(came from the infotainment situation as with the rest of those effected). It’s just disappointing is all. It’s going in tomorrow to have the mudflaps reattached as they’ve been falling off hah. Regardless I look forward to more of your reviews for sure and please keep finding the quirky base models with a manual they’re few and far between these days.
@@djkenny1202 they’ve been great about fixing everything even though it took a few trips sometimes for the electrical stuff. Always have a nice loaner for me as well. They compensated me fairly as well in a few ways which was appreciated and added peace of mind. It’s just unfortunate that it’s been semi regular occurrences because I worry about longevity/the annoyance of having to need to be in a loaner, during COVID, multiple times a year.
Thanks for a great and honest review of the 5 speed. There are so many CVT model reviews but not many of manual tranny cars. Given that the car is generally underpowered the 5 speed is the only model that can make up for the deficiency, if only a bit, allowing for more direct control of the engine. I found out in the comments section that rev-hang can be eliminated, which is of great interest to me. Thanks.
Great video. If you're someone who doesn't care much about what's in your car or your a newer car buyer this is a great value car. Upgrading the speakers, custom seat covers, interior accenting, and light upgrades(white light) make this car feel and look noticeably better. I've put just under $1000 into my older base im
@@sjnavaid They tend to be conservative, but especially so with manuals, which is unfortunate, it penalizes automakers more for producing more stick cars
@@SimulatorsStudio Not really, it sits at just over 3k rpm at 70 mph. its something that you can notice, but doesn't bother me too much. A 6th gear would've been nice, but I don't think that it's a necessity.
The Impreza is victim of the Crosstrek massive success. The Crosstrek with the 2.5 is crazy fun to drive! Most people buying the Crosstrek not the Impreza. Had a 2018 Trek and now I bought the 2022 Crosstrek Outdoor trim with heated steering wheel, front camera, 8’’ head unit, center colour display. Here I have 6 months of snow per year, put on winter tires on and the Crosstrek is extremely impressive in the snow.
Re Rev Hang, you can totally remove it for a bout $350 with a Tactrix 2 and SubaruEdit by setting the overrun air tables. Then the revs drop instantly. I also made adjustments to the closed loop to open loop transition and maps to get more consistent power throughout the RPM range. Subaru actually has a few decent tables in there but the stock ECU doesn't use them. Pulls much better now especially 2-4k range. By the way, the final ratio is the same in the 5 speed and 6 speed. Same RPM at highway speed.
@@usereddie215 I can't remember on the top of my head. I set the rpm value very low 100-200 so that it's always disabled delay based on rpm then throttle % to 30, any lower and you lose closed loop efficiency.
@@Josh.Davidson my previous post disappeared somehow. I am reposting the link to the discussion, maybe this is why, links not allowed or something? Thanks Josh. www.impreza5.com/threads/guide-fixing-rev-hang.13920/page-4
It's a bit late since this car has been discountinued. It's a very unique car on the market gives a 90s car few that would not be found on any new cars these days. I don't mind the low HP, it's not a race car and the street is not a race track.
I had to wait a few weeks to get a manual Impreza, and it was worth the wait. I'm getting 6.6 litres/100km (35.6MPG) in the highway and 8.7 litres/100km (27MPG) in the city, not much difference with the CVT
It's basically a brand new 6th generation Honda Accord LX with AWD and current crash safety precautions at the same price 20 years later. Pretty sweet dude and in 20 years it'll still be worth $5,000.
I have the 2020 Hatch sport 5 speed. And for anyone interested in buying but don’t like the mpg for commuting. I average 30.4 mpg at 70-72mph. 1hr drive, 57 miles to work one way. During the commute there are long hills. (Altamont pass in Ca). The 5 speed has a better ratio than the 6spd. The only drawback is the hatchback has 13gal tank and crosstrek has the 16gal. So you find yourself at the pump sooner than the crosstrek counterpart.
Personally, I've been considering one for myself, I liked it that much! Most cars have their tradeoffs, I have to critique them where I think others in the class do better and vice versa so take no offense.
As a lifetime driver of manual transmission I can tell automakers that 6 speed is a killer of demand for manual. $ speed was fine, 5 speed we got used to but 6 speed is just one to many. I hated both of my 6 speed manuals and made a jump to automatic
just ordered a 2022 model one today. ocean blue pearl base trim no features 5 speed stick hatchback. $21700 total including tax and dealer fees. 4 months wait........
@@Realistick is it really? I felt like I can get one of the dealers around me to make it even lower if I waited, but I shopped around for like a month and I ran out of patience.
@@numathesaint872Definitely, I used to work at a Subaru dealer and they wouldn't even discount a car below MSRP for family. I was looking for a car too and it was going to be MSRP from then. Which to be fair, they are one of the only Subaru dealers around here that list their cars at MSRP. We used to list everything at invoice before shortages! But now if someone asked for a discount, we would politely refuse. If they left, we would sell the car immediately anyway. So the buyer has zero leverage right now, so you're very lucky to get it for under msrp.
@@Realistick i wouldn't say zero leverage. not in my case anyways. I have 6 subaru dealers around me and I just pitted their prices against each other and then I used the lowest one to ask for price match. It worked. this time....
I do a lot of cross-country highway driving at 70 mph or higher. I'd like to know how the Impreza's 5th gear compares to the Crosstrek's 6th gear in terms of RPMs at 65 to 70 mph... Will the Crosstrek maintain lower RPMs? (I also have a Honda Fit, and at 65 MPH it's like driving a juice blender.) Will the Impreza run at annoyingly high RPMs?
@@Realistick Thanks for your reply! I saw your comment in the video, but was looking for a bit more data to make a direct comparison of the Crosstrek's 6th gear and the Impreza's 5th gear. You mentioned the Crosstrek RPMs, but not the Impreza's. It's not clear to me that the Crosstrek's 6th gear is actually taller than the Impreza's 5th, and I don't understand the mechanics well enough to figure it out (gear rratios and final drive, etc.) Maybe I should ask over at Engineering Explained....
@@DavidMichaelKalman No problem! I mentioned where it was on the impreza at the time stamp I sent you (you can see the tach in the shot too) , 65 was a bit over 2600 rpm. The crosstrek was not close to that, I did a review on the manual version of that as well, which is why I mentioned that part of the video. I don't have the specific RPM for the crosstrek but I made the video with a gopro shot so you should be able to see the rpms in that shot and deduce it for yourself if you want specifics. You can find gear ratios, tire sizes, and final drive ratios too but that would be more up the alley of ... engineering explained.
@@Realistick Thanks again. I have a '17 Impreza Limited 5-door (CVT) coming up on 60K miles that I like a lot, but thinking about trading it in for the manual Crosstrek (or a manual Impreza). The Impreza would be fine as I don't need off-road capability, but a high-revving 5th gear would be a deal breaker. I also happen to have a 2019 Honda Fit 6 speed, and its 6th gear is just absurd, over 3000 rpm at 65 mph. Plenty of torque and passing speed, but an insane amount of noise. It desperately needs an overdrive/cruising gear. Of course, I need to test drive.... (if I can find anybody who has those manuals in stock?!)
I love how the video shows him repeatedly blowing through stop signs. That's a baller move. Did they do something to fuck with the gas mileage? Mine is the 2014 Impreza manual and it gets a consistent 7.6L/100km in city driving (about 31mpg). Not sure about the highway because I don't do highway driving.
So for a first time manual driver, which would you recommend? The Impreza or the Crosstrek? Does the sedan vs the hatchback in the Impreza have any impact on the manual transmission driving feel?
Had a manual forester with the 6 speed and I couldn’t feel anything through that clutch pedal - I’ll bet it’s similar to that of the crosstrek you referenced Ultimately the seats are what ruined the car for me, I’d never been so uncomfortable.
Take my advice. I own 2 late model imprezas. Subarus CVT is the best CVT on the market. Do NOT purchase the base trim. Trust me on this one. Get the Premium trim. The biggest difference is you get aluminum wheels. The base, you get steel wheels with wheel covers. In 63,000 miles, we have lost 11 wheel covers. Other than that, the Impreza is a great car for the money. We now own 3 late model Subarus.
So in order to get a clutch and awd but not be bare bones, I’m looking at $23k for the hatch. What else is there in that price point with those options?
Corolla Hatch SE if you're in the states, and the Civic Hatch Sport (might be a little more). If you're looking for awd, this is it if you're under 30k
It can do it, it just won't be all that happy, cvt rpms at 65 were below 2k, this was above 2600 at like 65 (I think, I talk about this and show it in the video). If all you mostly do is highway driving, and you want a mt Subaru, consider a crosstrek or 2018 and older forester, both will be a little better in terms of engine rpm.
@@Realistick gotcha my brother just picked up a 22 base Impreza a week ago but we can't figure out if it's possible or not. Maybe if it was a few trim levels up. Thanks for the info.
@@joshr.5199 thanks! And I know that it does it on the upper trims (this is the separate multi function display above the main unit), I just can't recall if it shows it on the base. I'll check the next time I'm in one or do a review on a base Subaru impreza or forester
The 2021 Impreza is the end of this lifecycle. New generation coming in 2022 but the rumours is it will get the 1.5 liter turbo with 148 hp only so that will be a big disappointment in my opinion if they go that way.
Why doesn't Subaru discontinue the 2.0 engine? It is,so weak. It won't get out of its own way. Replace it with the 2.5 and get 30.more hp. And get the same mpg
I talked about the same thing in my crosstrek video and my only guess is cost per unit! Also, both are getting replaced by a turbo 1.5 or something in the next gen coming soon (allegedly).
This is classic subaru behavior. They kept the EJ25 for 30+ years. At the end of it’s production run, the EJ was outdated, bad on fuel, and low on power in comparison to it’s competitors, even within Subaru’s own lineup. This 2 liter is in the same boat, but with fewer years under it’s belt. Just because it’s old, though, doesn’t mean it’s bad. Producing the same engine over and over again taught subaru how to maximize reliability and dependability. Plus, not refreshing the lineup allows subaru to sneak in some older tech under newer EPA rules. It keeps the older school feel in an age much later than when it was conceived. This, is as close to Corolla reliability as you can get in Subaru’s lineup. Maybe it isn’t fast or glamorous, but it will serve it’s owners well. As for moving up to 2.5 Liters? It’s a good idea but there’s no way to know for sure if the mileage will be retained, unless it actually happens. Maybe it’s more modern, but it’s still larger. Really, this Impreza’s mileage is hampered by it’s gearbox, not the engine, anyway. Turning over 2.5k at 65 mph is acceptable but shorter gearing than what you could get from an auto, and will cause the engine to sip more fuel than necessary. Frankly most drivers will find 30 MPG to be acceptable, anyone who is looking for more should go to Toyota/Honda. And they won’t offer rugged AWD at the same price, or in a vehicle this small.
Shifter is more notchy but still feels a little old-school and has longer throws, the clutch is more vague and bites quicker or has a shorter friction zone. The impreza manual is more relaxing to drive overall. I also made a whole review on the manual crosstrek!
Crappy stereo, no proper gauges just dummy lights, that is about it for complaints. My 2022 got 31 mpg mixed, could have been geared a little taller for better mpg. Steering is fine, shifting is fine, better than fine. I like it and the warranty. Oh, zip tie the hub caps. This will likely be the last year for a manual.
I love older cars but if i ever bought a new one it would be this, there's something of value to me in a quality built but simple and basic car in a time where everyone wants crossovers with swoopy, aggressive, and over complicated designs with alloy wheels that still look like plastic
