Practicality Is A Virtue: The 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium

The 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium.

With hundreds of different vehicles currently available in the USA, it's staggering to realize that one car could probably fit the needs of a majority of drivers.  And even more staggering to realize that the car comes from what most people would consider a niche manufacturer.

But the truth is that for the way most people use their cars most of the time, the 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium is pretty much what they need.

2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium.

The fundamentals are all there: Seating for five, 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats are folded down, solid fuel economy (EPA estimate 28 city/37 highway), all-weather safety thanks to Subaru's standard all-wheel drive and a strong set of standard features for a low price.

Let's talk features first: A Starlink six-speaker multimedia system with a 6.5-inch color touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as integrated Aha and Pandora, Bluetooth for phone and music streaming.  A continuously variable transmission with a seven-speed manual shift mode, tire pressure monitoring, two-stage heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer.  Illuminated power window switches, keyless entry, a rear suspension stabilizer bar, roof rails, the Starlink Safety Plus package and a sound insulation windshield.

The price?  $21,695. 

2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium interior.

Our tester had optional EyeSight driver assist technology (adaptive cruise control, automatic pre-collision braking, lane departure and sway warning, lane keep assist, blind spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert) as well as a power moonroof and steering-responsive fog lights.  So add $2,395.

Fold in $820 destination and delivery charges and the bottom line came to a cheap-these-days, reasonable-by-any-standard, screaming-deal-for-what-you-get $24,910.   And what you get is a  full-featured, nice-driving, everythingyouneedmobile. 

That's the kind of formula that back in the day, would have sold millions of cars.