By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Comfortable and quick! That’s how we found the 2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5 GT compact hatchback after several days behind the wheel.

And for good measure, it comes with built in bad-weather prowess because all Subaru vehicles have been for many years outfitted with all-wheel drive as standard equipment.

By Ted Biederman and Jim Meachen

Our first stop in the 2009 Subaru Forester was the liquor store.

No, we didn’t need a pint of gin to whip up a martini.

We needed boxes. And through the years we’ve found that the liquor store is a grand place to find boxes just the right size for moving books, clothes and other small objects.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Month in and month out for more than a year there have been new and depressing automotive sales statistics, for one brand or another. While the government’s Clunker's program had a positive impact and things now appear to be stabilizing few carmakers have been as fortunate as Subaru, which has been in the black every month of 2009 showing gains in month over month comparisons to 2008.