THE Impreza TS sport sedan is new for 1999. All-wheel-:
standard equipment. The TS starts at $21,995.

rdabl

An aff

IR you’re looking for an
all-wheel-drive pzssen-
ger car under $30,000,
you won’t have to do a

iot of comparison shop-
ping.

At the moment, the
Subaru Impreza and Legacy
are the only two all-whee!
drive cars available in the
$17,000 to $35,000 price
range. Audi, Volkswagen,
Volvo, Porsche and Mercede
Benz do offer all-wheel-dri
passenger cars and wagons,

- bur they’re all in the $32,000
to $75,000 range.

The Subaru Impreza, while
not as well-known as the
Legacy Outback, is the least
expensive all-wheel-drive car
sold in Canada, and the only
one starting under $26,000.

$24,995 for the Outback
Sport Wagon, $26,395 for
sporty RS Coupe.

New for 1999, the TS
sedan replaces the L sedan,
and is available in Canada
only. Impreza TS sedans are
better equipped than the L
was, yet are only a few hun-
dred dollars more in price.

The sporty TS sedan
includes standard alloy wheels,

Friday, March 5, 1999 — North Shore News — 29

'-weather sport sedan

Outback Sport has. It looks
better without it. In fact, of
the three Impreza body styles,
T think the four-door sedan is
the handsomest.

a base price of
$25,295, the TS is well-
equipped. Other standard fea-
tures include air-conditioning,
power windows with a one-
touch down driver’s window,
power door locks, 80 watt
AM/FM/cassette stereo with
four speakers, tilt stee

el, power mirrors, inter-
miittent wipers, dual airbags,
and 12 volt outl
unique interior feature is a
covered storage compartment
on the dashtop for sunglasses

and other knick-knacks.

The only options are CD
player, remote Keyless ent
with anti-theft system, cruise
control, and a smoker’s kit.

I really liked the Recaro-
type front sport seats which
have body-hugging thigh and
body bolsters that provide
excellent lateral support dur-
ing cornering. Both front and
rear seats are finished in a
sturdy black weave cloth with
a contrastir
insert which looks very

room is generous for
both front and rear passengers
while rear passengers have
adequate, if not gencrous

Technica! data

legroom. I had nwo minor
criticisms: the stereo docs not
have a seck function, and the
single, pull-out cupholder
obscures the ventilation con-
trol:

: Impreza’s trunk is
very spacious and the bumper-
level liftover height is low
enough to load groceries easi-
ty. However, a fold-down rear
seatback is not available on
the Impreza TS. This is a
major oversight.

The only powertrain
offered is the same horizontal-
Iv-opposed 2.2-litre SOHC
four-cylinder in the base
Legacy, now with 142 horse-
power, up from 137 last year.

This is a surprisingly pe;
responsive engine, that
out a muted sperty growl on
acceleration, but serties down
to near-whisper quietness ar
highway speeds (2,500 r.p.m.
at 100 km-h in fourth gear}.
The Impreza’s newly-
improved four-speed automat-
ic transmission ofters smooth,
well-timed shifts, and the
engine/transmission packagr:
works very well together. A
standard five-speed manual
transmission is also available.
Ride and handling are
above-average for a compact
car, I’ve always liked Subaru’s
four-wheel independent
MacPherson strut suspension
because it provides agility and
excellent damping characteris-
tics at the same ime. Some of
the Impreza’s competitors
have multi-link suspensions

=

Transmission: four-speed automatic

Curb weight: 1,290 kg (2,844 ib.)
Wheelbase: 2,520 mm (99.2 in.)

Length: 4,375 mm (172.2 in.)

Width: 1,705 mm (67.1 in.)

Height: 1,410 mm (55.5 in.)

Fuel consumption: City — 10.7 1/100 km (26
m.p.g.); Hwy — 7.5 1/100 km (38 m.p.g.)
Warranty: Basic — three years/60,000 kms;
Powertrain — five years/100,000 kms

Base price: $21,995

Price as tested: $22,995 (TS model)

Type: four-door, five-passenger compact
sedan

Layout: longitudinal front engine /all-wheel-
drive

Engine: 2.2-litrre SOHC  horizonially-
opposed four-cylinder

Horsepower: 142 @ 5,600 r.

Torque: 149 @ 3,600 r.p.m.

First introduced in 1993, 15-inch tires, front air dam,
the Impreza is a fuel-efficient, _ front fog lights, rear spoiler,
four-cylinder compact car leather-wrapped stecring
about the size of a Honda wheel and shift lever with con-
Civic. Like the Civic, it comes _trasting stitching, contoured
in three body styles: a four- front sport seats, and a stylish
door hatchback, two-door checkered-flag seat pattern.
coupe and a four-door sedan. I was happy to see that the
Prices start at $17,795 forthe | TS doesn’t have the same
base Brighton Wagon, oversized, non-functional
$21,995 for the TS Sedan, hood scoop that the Impreza

which are harsher over rough
surfaces.

The Impreza’s full-time
four-wheel-drive system has
been refined for 1999. To the
passengers, it’s basically imper-
ceptible, but in poor weather

itions, it’s what you don’t

See Impreza page 30

9-3 Turbo

The Saab 9-3 offers you performance in the broadest sense of the term.
For us at Saab, performance is more than simply having a powerful, free-
revving engine up front. Every detail which can sharpen your control
behind the wheel is related to performance. We've designed the Saab 9-3
to provide a close, intuitive link between driver, car and road — to
enhance your perception of all that is happening. You can drive more by
instinct, leaving you free to concentrate even more on the traffic.

OR LEASE §
FRO
Month
36 mos with
$6,110 Dn + taxes;
total paid $20,474

294-1831

www. morreyautogrou| p.com

>) MORREY SATURN SAAB ISUZU

4451 Lougheed Hwy at Willingdon, Burnaby

_