Posted Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 11:01pm
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the regional treasure trove of Subarus shaped my early experiences with cars. Just about everyone I knew had a Subaru, with models dating back to the Subaru GL station wagon or as new as the full-size Subaru Ascent. In fact, the first car I ever drove was a 1996 Subaru Impreza L, trundling down a gravel road in The Dalles, Oregon.
Despite its 2.2-liter engine, rear drum brakes, and no-frills interior, the Hunter Green Metallic GC-generation Impreza that started my driving career was a sibling to one of the first true-performance cars that North America received from Subaru. With a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four and semi-functional hood scoop and wing, the first generation of Subaru’s Impreza 2.5RS started a legacy of compact, all-wheel-drive performance cars that has yet to shake its enthusiast popularity over two decades later.
