2009 Subaru Impreza WRX Premium Hatchback

If you need to haul lots of cargo quickly, and wouldn’t think to sacrifice luxury for that privilege, the WRX Premium Hatchback was made for you. A turbocharged, 265-hp 2.5-liter engine sits beneath the hood, delivering power to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission with hill-holder clutch. Standard traction control governs power delivery to the 17-inch alloys, and a sport suspension keeps things manageable in the turns. Foglights are found up front, and a spoiler out back. Inside, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel is leather wrapped and houses radio controls for the AM/FM/6-CD/MP3 player, which gets a digital-media connection. Heated front bucket seats are covered in cloth, as is the split-folding rear, and the driver’s seat gets height adjustability. A center console and cargo cover keep the privacy levels up, and the variable-intermittent front wipers get a de-icer and are joined by a rear intermittent wiper and washer, as well as a rear defogger. Power heated mirrors, a power sunroof, power windows, door locks, and remote keyless entry are all standard. Additional comfort and convenience features include automatic climate control, a trip computer, tachometer, cruise control, an outside-temperature indicator, and floormats.

Safety features for the WRX Premium Hatchback include dual front, front side, and curtain-side airbags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake assist and anti-skid, front-seat active head restraints, daytime running lights, a tire pressure monitor, and a theft-deterrent system.

By Michael Perkins