I was just
having a conversation with a friend the other day about four-door versus
five-door cars. It all started with a common friend of us who recently bought a
hatchback. Five-door cars are referred to as either hatchbacks or wagons,
essentially sedans but with a bigger, rounded rear.
The older
generation, like my parents, doesn’t seem to like five-doors too much, saying
that a car “shouldn’t have too much of a rear end”. That’s also the reason why
we have never had a hatchback or a wagon as our family car. As far as I
remember, it has always been a sedan, with the exception of a Sport Utility
Vehicle once because they wanted to give it a try.
My friend
feels that a car is a symbol of status and is meant to “make one look cool”.
For some strange reason he thinks the extra door at the back eradicates some of
the cool factor.
In the sea of economy
cars, the Impreza 5dr is ready to fight the fairly appetising competition
These
five-doors have become increasingly popular in recent times, especially as more
and more buyers are seeking added utility in these cars. Referred to as a
five-door car, the “boot lid” is replaced with a fifth door.
I feel that
five-door cars are more suited for families, as it does have more storage space
compared to a four-door equivalent. I do agree with the benefits and advantages
of a five-door car, especially if it is a hot hatch. A hot hatch is a high
performance sporty car of either three- or five-door body style.
The Subaru Impreza has its four- and five-door models sold side by
side, with a $3,000 price tag difference. I took the five-door one out for a
review here and in the conversation, I was telling my friend about the test
drive and trying to convince him that a five-door is not any less cool than a
four-door equivalent. A strong point of five-door cars lies in its versatility.
Simplistic design with
a touch of quality blends well with the car's theme - 'Smart and Classy'
In the case
of this five-door Impreza, I would refer to it as a
wagon rather than a hatchback because of its size. Housing the Subaru 1.6-litre
BOXER engine, the Impreza wagon gets you a maximum of
114bhp at 5,600rpm and 150Nm at 4,000rpm. It is no hot hatch, no pocket rocket,
but that’s not what it was built for. It makes a decent daily driver, getting
up to speed smoothly with its Linear-tronic CVT
gearbox.
On the
road, the Impreza wagon is actually quite responsive
in its drive, giving good steering feedback and displaying assured control when
taken into a corner quite enthusiastically. These can be attributed to the
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, which improves traction, aids balance and enhances
stability.
The
interior of the Impreza wagon is a tad plain with not
much colours, but it remains functional. Standard
features include a push-start engine button, cruise control and reverse sensors.
We only managed to
achieve a fuel economy of 10km/L versus the manufacturer's figure of 14.3km/L
I would get
a five-door car if I have to transport goods around often or have to ferry
people frequently. Then again there are people who just like having abundance
of space in the car, hence opting for the five-door over the four-door option.
A five- door also makes loading of goods easier with a lower boot height.
Simply put,
a five-door car is really just a four-door with an added bump in the rear for
increased versatility and convenience. In fact, from the front you probably may
not even be able to tell if it’s the sedan or the wagon variant.
