Faults:

Someone backed into it and busted the bumper.

Then an uninsured driver totaled it.

General Comments:

Plastic exterior breaks easy, but other than that, the car was pretty fun. I just wished I had longer to drive around with it.

AWD would have been nice for a Minnesota winter, and the wet rainy days.

Decent sound system, acceleration, and styling.

Faults:

Creaking sound coming from dashboard since new.

Rear cargo cover squeaks.

Driver's window lift starting to fail.

Rear passenger window lift failed at 18,000 miles.

Two wheels dinged on potholes.

Small pit in the windshield turned into a crack that goes clear across the glass.

General Comments:

Overall, for the money, a reasonably good value. However, be warned that most Subaru dealers treat non-WRX owners like second rate people.

The overall impression I get from this car is that the powertrain and other major systems are of high quality, but that the fasteners, bodywork and trim are of such utter rubbish quality that this car is quite literally going to start falling apart in a few years. For example:

The seat fabrics are already starting to stretch and come loose, the gear knob is becoming discoloured, the carpets are coming loose and the plastic clips holding them in break.

The windshield glass is at the minimum thickness allowable, so expect to be replacing windshields fairly often.

The steel body panels also appear to be rather thin, and in spite of covering up some small nicks in the paint with touch up paint, they are now starting to rust, and some small bubbles are forming around them.

Fuel economy is also not up to par, giving an average of 25.8 MPG. My previous Saturn would average close to 30MPG, even if I drove it like a maniac.

Rims are very fragile. I live in the Northeast, and it is often impossible to avoid potholes in the dark on the motorway. Rims should not dent in low speed impacts with potholes.

I've been very gentle with this car, attending to all maintenance, washing it as often as I can, and trying to keep it nice. I suppose it's been built to a price, and that buying the first year of production of this particular model was a mistake. Nonetheless, their dealer network has been very rude and unpleasant to deal with; servicing costs at the dealer are ridiculously high. I fear that this car may become increasingly expensive over the years, due to the low quality of many of its constituent parts.

Buyer beware.

Faults:

Squeaky cargo cover at 1000km.

Squeaky dashboard at 1500km.

Poor rear wiper (stock).

Squeaky brakes - still doing it.

Sub-par paint.

Horrible stereo system.

General Comments:

One word to describe this car is amazing. Everything about this car will surprise you.

The looks of the car makes it somewhat generic, yet still stands out from the pack. Am looking into getting the STI hood and spoiler to give it a unique look for a N/A Impreza. People either hate or love the look of the new Impreza. I for one love the look.

The steering is very responsive and tight at the same time. Acceleration is pretty good considering this car has 171hp. Although not as fast as the WRX, it is very practical. Stock tires are not very good in the snow, but it is drivable if you are careful.

If you are buying this car, get 3M protection on as much of the car as you can if you live in an area with a lot of stones (Calgary is known for it). The paint chips very easy.

Interior is very nice. Cheap plastic in some areas and leather and fabric in others, a perfect combination. Leather stitching on the wheel was coming apart, but the dealer fixed it when I requested it.

Stock stereo is very weak. Changed the head unit in mine and now I'm quite satisfied. The adapter to make the steering wheel controls with aftermarket radios is very expensive ($250).

Dealers are fairly expensive for simple things, but they get the job done right the majority of the time. I have a squeak in my back right brake and they said they can't find it no matter what they did. I can replicate the issue within 10 seconds. They inspected the brakes and wheels and found nothing. Nobody knows why, quite frustrating for a new vehicle. Make sure they don't charge you for windshield washer though!

All in all, this is a wonderful vehicle and I can't wait to get a STI in the future. Will be with Subaru the rest of my life now, I'm hooked!