The 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-Door is a sedan with wagon capabilities. It’s the base car in the Impreza lineup, and there is a four-door Impreza sedan, but given the choice of a trunk or another door, which would you choose? That’s our point. Call it a 5-Door or call it a hatch, the 2009 Impreza 2.5i 5-Door should be called impressive!
In Subaru’s new order, you’ll find Forester wagons and Impreza sedans. The Impreza line could not include a wagon, so Subaru made sure it had the equivalent - the Impreza 2.5i 5-Door, a sleek hatchback with more utility than many compact SUVs.
Speaking of sleek, take a look at the 5-Door from the rear quarter view, and you’d be right if you thought the car looked like the potent WRX. Move forward and you’ll realize that 
this car looks nothing like any Impreza before it. The sheet metal now has style, curves and lines.
The new Impreza rides on a longer wheelbase. Subaru has devoted much of the added length to improving backseat legroom. Longer rear doors make getting in and out much easier, especially if you are wrangling with a child safety seat or bulky cargo. Of course, the fifth door, call it a hatch, makes loading quite easy. The cargo area itself will accept 19.0 cubic feet of stuff with the rear seats upright and 44.4 cubic feet if they're folded flat.
Moving forward to the new Impreza cockpit, you’ll find high quality materials with moldings that look and feel substantial and attractive. The instruments and controls have gone upscale, too. This is a very practical and livable cabin with new cupholders in the doors and blue ambient light to set the mood. Seating has been redesigned for comfort, support and less fatigue on longer trips. The center stack is nicely done with an “eyebrow” trip computer with an integrated clock and outside temperature gauge on top. Just below, you have the audio system slot. The base CD/radio sounds great and comes complete with an auxiliary plug (located for convenience under the center armrest) with XM Satellite Radio capability. At the base of the stack, the three-dial HVAC controls are intuitive and easy to operate. For audiophiles, Subaru offers a high-end system bundled into the Premium or Navigation Packages.
The Impreza 5-Door’s cabin is much quieter due to the use of fully framed side windows in the new design. That means better sealing and less road and wind noise. It’s also a safer arrangement. Speaking of safety, Subaru has made the new Impreza better equipped for passenger protection than most cars in the compact sedan class. With front dual-stage airbags, front-seat side-impact thorax bags, side-curtain airbags for outside passengers, active headrests and a new cross-section frame to better absorb energy in a collision, Subaru says the Impreza 5-Door has been designed to ensure the highest IIHS ratings for crash safety.
Under the Impreza’s hood, the 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed “boxer” engine displaces 2.5-liters and produces 170 hp and a potent 170 lb/ft of torque. This is an improvement you will feel in the seat of your pants when taking off from a stop or passing on the highway. Credit goes to a new intake manifold and valve timing to make that torque available in the middle of the power band. Despite having more power, overall fuel consumption of 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway (with the manual transmission) is competitive in this class. The standard five-speed stick shift is one of the easiest to use in any car with light and consistent clutch take-up and precise, short-throw shifts. A four-speed automatic is available for the “shiftless.”
Those familiar with the previous Impreza generation will find the ride in the 2009 5-Door is buttery smooth. Handling is still good with Subaru favoring a softer ride. Of course, Subaru’s standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive gives the Impreza 2.5i both a performance and safety advantage over its rivals. It also contributes to handling and to driver confidence.
The Impreza 2.5i 5-Door starts at $17,495 for the base model. It’s well equipped and a great value. Add the Premium Package for around $1,500 more and you get traction and stability control, must-have safety aids that are proven to reduce accidents by helping the driver maneuver out of danger. The package also upgrades the brakes to discs all around with even larger front discs. In addition, the package gives you a better Radio Data System (RDS)-capable audio system including a six-CD changer, an auxiliary jack for your portable music player and redundant steering wheel controls plus 3D sound and standard SIRIUS Satellite Radio capability. But wait, there’s more! The package also adds a leather-covered steering wheel and shiftknob, foglights, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, brake assist (BA), a “hill-holder” system and a nifty rear roof spoiler that adds a cool touch to the 5-Door.
The 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-Door is an economical car with more value than any other sub-$20,000 car we can think of. Don’t take our word for it. Try it out and see for yourself. Give us a call today!
