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2017 Subaru Impreza starts at $19,215 and comes with a five-speed manual

Subaru released pricing for the all-new 2017 Impreza sedan and hatchback, which were unveiled at this year's New York Auto Show. With the $820 destination and delivery fee, the 2.0i Impreza sedan with a five-speed manual starts at $19,215 (the CVT is an extra $1,000 on both body styles) while the hatchback costs $19,715 – $500 extra regardless of trim. Both the four- and five-door Imprezas represent a price increase of about $100 over the previous model. The range-topping Limited trims, though, are an additional $1,500 from the previous year. The Impreza sedan and hatchback are available in four different trims including 2.0i, 2.0i Premium, 2.0i Sport, and 2.0i Limited. The 2017 Impreza rides on Subaru's new Global Platform, a modular platform that will underpin all of the automaker's future vehicles. Besides the new platform, the new Impreza gets a host of standard features, which include: a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, power windows, power door locks, and a tilt and telescoping steering column. Subaru's faithful Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system returns, as does the 2.0-liter Boxer engine. The motor, though, produces 152 horsepower, up from 148 horsepower, thanks to direct injection and other unnamed enhancements. With the release of the Impreza's pricing, Subaru also confirmed a five-speed manual transmission will be offered on the base 2.0i models, as well as the 2.0i Sport trims. The 2.0i Premium and top-of-the-line 2.0i Limited models only come with a CVT. The 2.0i Sport trim, which sounds like the most enthusiast-oriented option, adds sportier suspension tuning, Active Torque Vectoring, and 18-inch wheels. The 2.0i Limited trims, while carrying a substantial increase over last year's model, are much more opulent with LED headlights, a leather-trimmed interior with contrast stitching, automatic climate control, and an optional Harman/Kardon audio system. The 2.0i Sedan with the CVT is the most fuel-efficient model with an EPA-estimated 28 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. Those figures are a one-mile per gallon increase over the previous 2.0i model. Imprezas with a CVT will be available later this year, while vehicles with the five-speed manual transmission will go on sale early next year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Subaru Impreza Pricing Subaru Car Buying Hatchback Sedan pricing

Toyota, Mazda drop Takata as Mitsubishi, Subaru weigh options

It's not a very good time to be Takata right now. Fresh on the heels of longtime partner Honda ditching them, Toyota and Mazda have both come out and said they will not use the company's airbag inflators if they continue to rely on ammonium nitrate. Bloomberg reports that Subaru and Mitsubishi are also contemplating a divorce. "The inflator using ammonium nitrate produced by Takata will not be adopted by Toyota," President Akio Toyoda said during a briefing today. "What's most important above anything else is the safety and peace of mind of customers." Mazda echoed that position, simply saying it "will not use Takata airbag inflators which contain ammonium nitrate in our new cars." When you lose three huge OEM accounts in as many days, it's certainly going to have a deleterious effect on your fortunes. In Takata's case, that's meant a staggering 39-percent drop in their share price over the last three days. Yesterday alone, the company saw a 6.2-percent fall, Bloomberg reports. As the business publication reports, though, Takata isn't going down without a fight. The company is "considering some plans to survive," including a fundraising plan that will see it potentially offer up additional shares for sale. Still, at least one analyst doesn't see whatever company survives staying involved in the airbag inflator business. "I really don't see how they're going to be able to survive as an inflator manufacturer," Valient Market Research founder Scott Upham told Bloomberg. "When your major clients publicly come out and say that they're not going to use your products anymore, it makes this very difficult to sustain your business." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Carlos Osorio / AP Honda Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Toyota Safety supplier

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Subaru XT

Back in the 1980s, Subaru decided that the futuristic-looking, gadget-packed Alcyone would go over well in North America, and so the XT became available for the 1985 through model years. They were reasonably popular in California, and I saw this discarded example awaiting its fate in a Los Angeles wrecking yard. Because the boxer engine in the XT was so low, the car could have an extreme wedge-shaped body and a very low coefficient of drag. Inside, an asymmetrical steering wheel, gearshift that looked like it had been torn from the cockpit of a Mitsubishi F2, and Mars Base-style controls made Toyotas and Hondas of the era look staid and sensible. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. When you adjusted the tilt steering wheel, the instrument cluster moved with it. If you were really serious, you could get an XT with a video-game-style digital instrument cluster. You could get an XT Turbo (with 115 horsepower), or an XT6 (with six cylinders and 145 horsepower). Four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems were available on some models for some years. This car here is an ordinary front-wheel-drive XT with naturally-aspirated 90-horse four-cylinder. Not a speck of rust, pretty straight, but nobody was willing to save it. Next stop: the crusher! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Subaru XT View 10 Photos Auto News Subaru