There’s as much to like as dislike in the Impreza. Hill starts are a doddle, with the electronic parking brake holding car and caravan still and four-wheel drive putting the engine’s power to the road with no drama.
At motorway speeds, it is well controlled, and even at 70mph, movements are slight. But it struggled with the lane-change test, and acceleration was accompanied by a lot of noise from the 2.0-litre petrol engine.
The price is quite high, and running costs will be, too: 4WD might be a benefit in towing, but it hurts fuel economy.