#I read several stories featuring a larger cave system so I’m not too surprised

[factual-flittermouse]

DC confirms that the bat cave is just part of a really huge cave system, and that’s just how Batman gets around without people seeing him. Some people question how nobody else has discovered the batcave if this is true, but it /is/ Gotham - there’s a man eating pseudo crocodile and a zombie in the sewers. Would you risk it?

[adrenalineguide]

2018 Subaru Impreza Sport-tech

Text and Photos by Michael Hozjan

Somewhere in the annals of the business magazine publishing world there’s a picture of me blasting down a road in a first gen Subaru WRX Impreza, snow flying up from the fenders and over the hood and roof creating my own little weather system. If you look hard enough, or blow the picture up large enough I’m sure you’ll see me grinning ear to ear. That was my introduction to the world of Subies and the Impreza in particular.

To this day I look forward to getting my hands on the wheel of an Impreza every winter with hopes of reliving that day, so when I found out that I’d be spending two weeks over the holidays behind the wheel of a manually equipped Impreza sedan I was all smiles. Alas it was not to be, a scheduling error had me instead in the CRV (that’s continuously variable automatic transmission in case you’ve been living in a cave for the past decade) equipped five-door hatchback that I had a few weeks earlier. I wasn’t going to complain, as this time around mother nature was giving us her best (or is it worst), and you can only appreciate the car’s all-wheel-drive system when the weather turns nasty.

The car

Redesigned for the 2017 model year, the fifth generation Impreza rides on Subaru’s new global platform - a platform whose structural rigidity is up 70 percent thanks to the use of high-strength steel.

The 5-door is offers clean styling never before seen on an Impreza.

My designated ride for the Christmas break was the Sport-tech with the optional Eye-Sight package – Subaru’s top-of-the line compact that will set you back $30,995, a pittance for an all-wheel-drive sedan.

The Sport-tech augments its new chassis with 18-inch wheels, larger 294 mm front brake discs, torque vectoring and a sport-tuned suspension. However, despite its label, you don’t get any additional horses over the standard issue Impreza and the Sport is not a budget oriented WRX, in fact there’s a marked night and day difference between the civilian Impreza and the World Rallye Championship inspired WRX.

Under the hood you’ll find an all-new 2.0-litre boxer four with direct injection, bumping the ponies up by four to 152 from the previous 2.0-litre mill, while claiming a tiny improvement in fuel consumption – now at 8.3L/100 kilometres city and 6.4 highway. I averaged 7.8L through winter’s worst with mostly highway driving and plowing through the snow on secondary country roads.

Like yours truly, the Impreza’s dimensions have gotten bigger over the years and the latest rendition is without exception, gaining 2.5 centimetres of wheelbase, four centimetres longer, and 3.7 centimetres wider. I won’t tell you how much I’ve grown, but like me the fatter the cars get, there’s less ability to squeeze into small areas. The trade-off is, there’s some much needed elbow and shoulder room and rear seat passengers will be pleased to learn there’s almost 13 cm more legroom too.

While we’re talking interiors, the Impreza’s, to put it simply, works. It’s not overly done.

There are more opulent and sexier interiors, but if you get what you pay for, the Impreza’s is a bargain. The green house is quieter than the old model with far better fit and finish. Fresher materials bring the car up to date. The instruments are uncluttered and easy to read, featuring two large analogue gauges and a central display screen. The seats are comfortable, however, they're a bit firm, and can get tiring after a few hours. Speaking of getting tired after a few hours, the red lettering and images on the dash are hard to see at night and bring on premature fatigue, an sentiment expressed by several friends. I don’t know why manufacturers keep giving us red dials, maybe it works in aviation, doesn’t here. The only red I want to see are warning lights. By contrast VW turned to blue dials a few years ago and I find it extremely soothing. Take note Subaru.

With hatchback’s rear seats flattened, the cargo bay is beyond generous with over 60 inches of stowable length.

The verdict

While I would personally go for the manual version, if it were available in the Sport-tech and save the extra bucks for a vacation, during my time with the hatchback, it performed a myriad of errands and the CVT performed admirably in the snow, never missing a beat and surprising me more than once with its capability on ice and even in seven inches of powder. Yes I’m sure the Blizzak’s helped, but I’ll go against the CVT’s critics and stand by it.

The larger brakes alone might be worth the price of admission for the Sport, but again why no manual tranny in a model designated by Sport. Subie’s engineers have worked at keeping the car flat and composed – obviously lessons learned from the WRX files.

I hate to say this, but maybe it’s just as well that the Sport-tech is no WRX, it’s easier to keep out of trouble with the law. No I’m not getting older, just wiser. I’d still love to have a WRX or even better a WRX STI, in the garage for those days when the speed demons come calling. That’s a story for another day.

The entry level (Convenience trim) fifth-generation sedan is tagged at a mere $19,995 with the 5-door version at $20,895! Subaru’s most popular Impreza trim, and with the optional CVT ($1,300), it lists for $23,195. At the other end of the spectrum filled with gadgets like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, my Sport-tech with EyeSight topped off at $30,995.

The Impreza has always brought proven reliability and great value for its owners, and always at the ready when traction gets dicey. The 2018 is no exception.

Price as tested: $32,620*

* Includes dealer prep and transportation fees.