I pulled the trigger today and bought a new vehicle. I went with a 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i 5-door.
This is a picture I found on the internet because I don't pick it up until tuesday. Same colour and trim level.
![[Image: Mxvx29r.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/Mxvx29r.jpg)
I gave up looking for a Jeep with manual transmission, 4WD, and A/C. They are so rare that they don't exist. I went to a bunch of other dealers looking at other vehicles with just those options, and they don't exist either. In most cases, A/C and 4WD means moving up a trim package which usually means no manual transmission available.
I went to a Subaru dealer today, and took a base model Impreza 5-door for a test. I loved it right away. The Impreza comes really well-equipped as a base model, with AWD, A/C, power windows/locks, heated side mirrors, bluetooth, USB ports, ABS, and eleventy billion airbags. A lot of those things I don't care too much about, but more is better I guess.
What I really loved was how it felt during my test drive. The clutch and shifter have really short throws, and the engine sound is fantastic (2.0L boxer engine). The suspension is much stiffer than my spongy Alero's, which I like. It just felt fun to drive, and I can't wait until the snow starts flying.
edit: I just checked the fuel economy of my new Impreza versus my old Alero, and just for kicks I also added in my wife's Suzuki Swift+ (rebadged Chevrolet Aveo in Canada - literally the same car)
![[Image: jOXUU2O.png]](http://i.imgur.com/jOXUU2O.png)
I had no idea that my wife's Suzuki was that bad for fuel economy. I always thought that with the really tiny 1.6L engine and liberal usage of lightweight plastic it would have been closer to 40 MPG on average. Boy was I wrong. I also looked up the economy on the Jeep Wrangler and it's terrible. The Patriot is a lot better, but still worse than the Impreza.
This is a picture I found on the internet because I don't pick it up until tuesday. Same colour and trim level.
I gave up looking for a Jeep with manual transmission, 4WD, and A/C. They are so rare that they don't exist. I went to a bunch of other dealers looking at other vehicles with just those options, and they don't exist either. In most cases, A/C and 4WD means moving up a trim package which usually means no manual transmission available.
I went to a Subaru dealer today, and took a base model Impreza 5-door for a test. I loved it right away. The Impreza comes really well-equipped as a base model, with AWD, A/C, power windows/locks, heated side mirrors, bluetooth, USB ports, ABS, and eleventy billion airbags. A lot of those things I don't care too much about, but more is better I guess.
What I really loved was how it felt during my test drive. The clutch and shifter have really short throws, and the engine sound is fantastic (2.0L boxer engine). The suspension is much stiffer than my spongy Alero's, which I like. It just felt fun to drive, and I can't wait until the snow starts flying.
edit: I just checked the fuel economy of my new Impreza versus my old Alero, and just for kicks I also added in my wife's Suzuki Swift+ (rebadged Chevrolet Aveo in Canada - literally the same car)
I had no idea that my wife's Suzuki was that bad for fuel economy. I always thought that with the really tiny 1.6L engine and liberal usage of lightweight plastic it would have been closer to 40 MPG on average. Boy was I wrong. I also looked up the economy on the Jeep Wrangler and it's terrible. The Patriot is a lot better, but still worse than the Impreza.