Subarus are famous for their ruggedness. Early on, they became favorites of skiers and campers for their ability to get to where the action is in comfort and with economical and reliable service.

Our test vehicle, despite its compact proportions, swallowed up our luggage with ease. It shuttled us quickly and quietly out of town and over the Coronado Bridge to our hotel. Although I prefer manual transmissions in smaller cars, the optional four-speed automatic was well up to the task, although I heard more volume out of the engine during downshifts than I’d like to.

The new car has borrowed from the BMW stylebook, a common industry practice. The head and taillight units have sharply sliced shapes and a prominent ridge runs down each side, mimicking BMW’s flame treatment of convex and... // Castro Valley Forum

SanLeandroTimes.com (Enlarge photo)

I recently had the good fortune to spend several days in San Diego on vacation with my family. My trusty ride was a Lightning Red 2008 Subaru Impreza, and it was the perfect car for the job.

It’s easy to overlook the Impreza next to its more famous competitors — cars like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. But Imprezas, like all Subarus, come with standard all-wheel drive.

Subarus are famous for their ruggedness. Early on, they became favorites of skiers and campers for their ability to get to where the action is in comfort and with economical and reliable service.

Our test vehicle, despite its compact proportions, swallowed up our luggage with ease. It shuttled us quickly and quietly out of town and over the Coronado Bridge to our hotel. Although I prefer manual transmissions in... // SanLeandroTimes.com