Start with what the 2000-2007 Subaru Impreza is: a 4-door sedan (GD) / 5-door wagon (GG) with 1.5 , built from 2000 to 2007, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Hidefumi Kato (1998) / Peter Stevens (2001) (2003 Facelift) / Andreas Zapatinas (2004) (2005 Facelift).
The background
The second generation of the Subaru Impreza compact car was introduced in 2000 and manufactured up to 2007 by Subaru in Ōta, Gunma, Japan, in both sedan (GD series) and five-door Hatchback (GG series) bodystyles, as well as two intermediate facelifts throughout its lifespan.
The Impreza received naturally aspirated 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, or 2.5 liter flat-four engines, with the performance oriented WRX and WRX STI models upgraded to turbocharged versions of the two latter options. Export models typically received all-wheel drive, with front-wheel drive also available in the Japanese domestic market.
The engineering
The engine is 1.5 other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. On the scales it comes to 1360 kg. Drive goes through a 4-speed automatic / 5-speed manual / 6-speed manual (STI). The layout matters: drive goes to all four wheels, which is what lets the power be used on a wet road. The wheelbase is 2525 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
In the Subaru line-up the 2000-2007 Subaru Impreza has a clear place: it replaced the Subaru Impreza (first generation); it handed the line to the Subaru Impreza (third generation) / Subaru Levorg (Station Wagon models); the factory was Ōta, Gunma. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Toyota Yaris, the Škoda Auto Škoda Fabia. Its Subaru stablemates include the Subaru Chiffon and the Subaru Lucra.
Owning one today
EPA combined economy is 31 mpg, about $2,800 a year in fuel at the EPA's assumptions. Condition, mileage and specification move any single car a long way from a headline figure.