1996 Subaru Impreza Brighton review from North America

Radiator hose cracked ($30 to fix)

Idle throttle control unit malfunction (replacing chip would be $400, decided not to fix)

Oil leak when engine is hot and has been running for a long time. Probably from oil pump; I was told it's not a big deal, as long as I keep refilling the oil every once in a while (like half a quart every 500-1000 miles). And it has been fine so far.

Fuel tank leak at 169k miles, replaced for $450 (labor was expensive because they had to remove the rear suspension to get to the fuel tank - because of the AWD)

This is a superbly engineered car. One can see how they've thought about everything, especially with the design of the body. The engine has been running really well for a 170k mile engine.

Acceleration is decent, even with this 1.8L engine. Not as good as some other cars, but still pretty good. Switching to a lower gear is necessary for quick passing. Power dwindles with the air conditioning on (as in all cars). The AWD is good in snow, but makes it feel less "jumpy" when starting on a dry surface (e.g. you can't spin the wheels).

There seems to be a small water leak in the trunk when it rains, but it's somehow underneath the cover at the bottom of the trunk.

Side view is not very good, the side bars on the front windshield kind of block your view when making a turn. Also, on this model (Brighton) there's no right-side rear view mirror on the door, which is kind of annoying.

Overall the car has been reliable and a lot of fun to drive. It's definitely a much higher-class car than something like a Ford Escort (a friend has one and it feels like you're driving a wooden box!). Comfort is great with the bucket seats and the controls are well-positioned on the dashboard. The trunk is not very big, but can fit pretty much anything that I've wanted to transport (except a fridge, which I put on the front seat).