Look at a 2008 Subaru Impreza sitting next to last year's model, and you'd be hard pressed to identify them as the same car. Aside from the name, there is little about this year's Impreza that hasn't been redesigned, at least on the outside. The hatchback version has new tail lights that are reminiscent of the dotted lights on the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV, and both the hatchback and sedan - Imprezas come in either body type - now have a single frame around the grill, instead of the former three.

Other exterior features include fully-framed windows and a wider air dam, with the base Impreza (the 2.5i) rolling on 16-inch alloy wheels and the sportier WRX driving on larger 17-inchers.

Under the hood of the 2008 Subaru Impreza, there are not as many changes. The base model comes with a 2.5 liter 170 horsepower four-cylinder engine that provides 170 pounds/feet of torque and the WRX gets the the kickier turbocharged version with 224 horsepower and 226 pounds/feet of torque. Both the base 2.5i and the WRX come standard with a five-speed manual transmission but there is an optional four-speed automatic with manual-shifting functionality also available. As with all Subarus, all-wheel-drive is standard across the line.

While the electronic stability system is optional on the 2008 Subaru Impreza, four-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes are standard, as are a full appointment of air bags (six total), with active head restraints on all models except the WRX when it is equipped with the optional sport seats.

Inside the Impreza, there is more head-room and leg-room than previous models, and the steering wheel now sports audio control buttons. The standard AM/FM Radio/CD player combination has been upgraded to include an mp3 jack as well.

Fuel efficiency for the 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i is 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, while the numbers for the WRX vary from 19/20 (city) to 24/25 (highway) depending on the transmission.