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2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
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| So fun, it may be illegal |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:00:00 |
| Rating |
 1624 ( 50 +3.07% ) | | Author | Brian Chee |
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Description:
2002 Subaru Impreza RS 2.5
So fun, it might be illegal
Writer's Notes
MSRP:
2.5 RS MT5 (2.5L) AWD $19,495
2.5 RS 4EAT (2.5L) AWD $20,295
2002 Impreza model lineup:
RS Sedan
WRX Sedan
WRX Wagon
RS Wagon
TS Wagon.
Standard equipment includes:
60/40 split fold down rear seatback (wagons)
80-Watt AM/FM stereo with single-disc CD player (in-dash six-disc CD changer plus cassette player for WRX)
Air conditioning
Cruise control (except 2.5 TS)
Embroidered floor mats (optional on 2.5 TS)
Fold-down rear center armrest with trunk pass-through (sedans)
Height-adjustable driver's seat
Power door locks
Power windows with driver's auto-down
Tilt-adjustable steering column
All-wheel drive means exactly that ---all wheels drive, all the time, and an on-board electronic system makes sure that the drive is evenly distributed to all four wheels.
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xxx
It had been many years since someone had given me the look, so long that I almost forgot how amusing the mixture of surprise, embarrassment and flat-out disbelief could be, especially if viewed from the rear view mirror.
The look. I used to get the look quite often, when I was wild and young, driving around in a beat-up old Mazda RX-2. Most people didn't realize that beneath the RX-2's unassuming appearance was the spirited heart of a warrior who would cream just about any sporty-lookin bag of bolts off the line and into shame.
Yeah.
Imagine my surprise when I got the Look driving around town in the Impreza 2.5 RS, otherwise known as the other Impreza.
I didn't mean to embarrass the guy. It's just so much fun to drive I couldn't help myself.
Like a kid who suffers from the fate of a celebrity sibling, the 2.5 RS is thought of as that car that was cool before Subaru started shipping WRXs.
Driving
Guess what: it's still cool. In fact, that may be the best way to describe the 2.5. It looks so normal, just another car in the crowd --- until you sit on it and realize that it's not at all like any other car. Think the Protege is cool? Wave goodbye. The Impreza's 165 horse power is too much for the Protege's 130 horses. Not that the Protege isn't a very nice car...I know for a fact that it looks quite stylish fading into the horizon.
Granted, the Impreza may not look as good. It's a bit like the sensitive high school nerd who hangs out at the library and wears long skirts. There's just so much more going on under the hood than the bouncy head cheerleader girl...
After a week of flinging the car around corners and down straight-aways, the Impreza --- WRX or not --- gives you more crazy fun per dollar than just about anything else on the road.
Like all-wheel drive. Try finding all-wheel drive in a like-priced competitor. The Impreza, like every other Subaru, comes equipped with all-wheel drive, a driving system that is fast proving to be the safest way to drive. All-wheel drive means exactly that ---all wheels drive, all the time, and an on-board electronic system makes sure that the drive is evenly distributed to all four wheels.
All-wheel drive doesn't mean you can take the Impreza off roading. Well, you could, but then people would laugh at you for ruining such a fine automobile. All-wheel drive is a safety and perofrmance system that gauges road and weather conditions and doles out power accordingly. As with all Subarus, the Impreza RS 2.5 comes with an AWD system matched to a boxer engine. A boxer engine is a horizontially-opposed cylinder layout which gives the Impreza a low center of gravity, improving the vehicle's cornering ability and overall performance.
What all this means to normal people is simple: After a week of flinging the car around corners and down straight-aways, the Impreza --- WRX or not --- gives you more crazy fun per dollar than just about anything else on the road.
Safety
And it's safe, at least according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Impreza's Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame body structure achieved the highest rating (good) in a recent series of frontal offset crash tests performed by the Institute, and also earned the Institute's coveted "Best Pick" designation. The frame body is a hydro-formed front subframe, along with tailored-blank welded B-pillars and side sills that provide a structure stiffer than the previous Impreza.
Now that's cool on a whole different level. Other safety features include three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, a four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brake system (ABS) and dual front airbags.
Looks
The refreshed look of the '02 Impreza line comes straight from the Impreza World Rally Championship car. Most notable are the oval headlights, which give the Impreza its signature element. The rear of the cars has also been redesigned, with a lower trunk line --- a move that also makes it easier to lift packages in and out of the compartment.
Comfort
The Impreza interior has also been redesigned to fit with the new look and performance nature of the car. Black and silver abounds, including aluminum pedals with rubber grips. The changes make the Impreza look and feel more like a sport compact than a basic compact car; and though it's not leather and wood trim, it's not intended to be --- the Impreza's interior build fits the car: A sporty feel for a sporty car, with enough flair to get looks without having to break any speed laws.
--Story by Brian Chee |
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