The Subaru Justy has a few issues - not least its price tag, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor
LET'S GET one thing clear from the start: "twin cam" is not something that warrants great motoring plaudits these days. It's a bit like telling everyone you've got a washing machine. Evidently useful, but not something that earns much kudos in modern society.
Highlighting the fact that your car features technology that has been around since the 1920s is hardly something to shout about. So why do Subaru reckon it's worth writing up the side of the car? Admittedly you can see why they did it on the Justy: keen as they are to garner some crossover between this little supermini and the rally stars within the brand. After all, for those who don't know better, it might just suggest that the car is a little rocket, what with the optional spoiler and stripes.
Truth is, it's the same car from tyre to top as the regular version, save for that spoiler which, I would suspect, actually slows the car down more in terms of aerodynamics. I would expect in these more straitened financial times, very few buyers will fork out an extra €2,000 on top of the starting price for these racing fripperies. If they do, then it says a lot about their personality; none of it flattering.
But what of the basic fare? Well the Justy may carry the Subaru badge and add a small car to its fleet, but its parentage is rather loose to say the least. This latest Justy - there have been earlier incarnations sold elsewhere - is the progeny of Subaru's most recent business liaisons. The company has had more partners than Mae West and the latest firms to emerge from Subaru's boudoir are Daihatsu and Toyota. Admittedly the latter already controls Daihatsu so it was really only playing matchmaker this time.
That's not to put off any potential buyers. The simple fact is that all of the partners are very worthy Japanese car producers in their own right. Each and every one has a reputation for build quality and reliability that is the envy of several small car European brands.
So what are we getting in this Justy? Well you get the 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine developed by Toyota for the Aygo and already featuring in the Yaris, along with the Sirion, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107. It may be small but it is tried and tested. We've driven this engine in virtually every guise, and in all of them it offers the same positives and negatives. It's quite a plucky little block that cannot be criticised for its enthusiasm but it's really noisy as it thrashes out its 68bhp.
Anything above 2,000rpm and the engine whine starts to echo in the cabin. It's annoying and would certainly put you off any long cross-country journeys in the car. Even after a day scurrying around the city, we were starting to loathe its gruff tones.
It's not just the noise; you have to work the gearbox to get the most out of the engine and throughout this process there's a constant engine vibration in the accelerator pedal.
Thankfully the engine is happy to be revved hard, but take it out on the main national routes or even on the motorway and you'll have to bury your right foot to the floor and work the five-speed gearbox hard to keep up with the traffic flow. Sadly, this is the only engine on offer in the Justy, so either like it or look elsewhere.
It's not just the engine that's been sourced outside the firm. Several of the other elements come from the Daihatsu Sirion.
The ride quality is quite choppy on our less than perfect roads, and though the car remains as nimble as one would expect for its size, it's not very good at soaking up the bumps.
The Justy parentage would challenge any daytime talk show DNA test.
Perhaps that's why Subaru has opted for two separate badges on the front: the traditional Subaru six-star constellation logo along with a rather obscure J-badge. It's just a little differentiation that may signal even Subaru is not going to claim complete parentage of the Justy.
While the engine was not to our taste, and the styling takes its cue from virtually every other small boxy supermini on the market, it's inside where the Justy starts to win some points.
The plastics are sturdy and functional, if lacking in any aesthetic or tactile appeal, but there's no doubting the car is spacious. For a little supermini, the Justy can swallow four adults without any problems, access is easy even if you are no longer the most limber motorist, and the seats, while firm and not too cosseting, seem to be supportive.
There are also plenty of useful storage wells at virtually every inch of the dashboard. While the glovebox barely copes with the owner's manual, there are plenty of shelf spaces and a second glovebox in the centre of the dash.
We would, however, have preferred at least one decent sized storage box in the cabin where you could keep larger valuables away from prying eyes. Boot space is decent for a car of its size and the rear seats pop down easily, offering up to 630 litres of loading space. That's decent for a city car, if not quite a regular supermini.
While the Justy has not been tested yet by EuroNCAP, the Sirion, upon which it is based, managed a decent four-star rating for adult occupants. That's not as good as the recent five-star rating for the Fiat 500, but is in line with its other competitors.
So all in all, this wouldn't seem a bad offering: and if you were driving mainly around town you could probably put up with the engine racket for the sake of saving money on fuel and road tax, given that the Justy falls into the lowest band for tax rating in CO2.
That is, it wouldn't be too bad if the price was €11,000. When you learn that the starting price for a Justy is €13,995, any warmth you might have had for the "plucky little Scooby" quickly dissipates. This car simply isn't worth that sort of money.
The engine is too noisy and intrusive even for city driving, the ride is too choppy, and the interior is too sparse when compared to similarly priced rivals. It might have the extra interior space but at this price you can pick up several equally spacious competitors.
As for the idea of dressing the car up with a spoiler and some racy livery, it seems a tad ridiculous when you actually put the car into action. It's a world away from the Impreza lineage.
The price is just too high. Starting at €13,995, it's well above several competent rivals and encroaching into the likes of Fiat 500 prices. Add the rear spoiler and the side stickers and the price goes up to €15,995, pitting it against the likes of the Opel Corsa, the Mazda2 and even the somewhat related 1-litre Toyota Yaris. All of these cars are streets ahead of the Subaru, both in finish and driving fun, while sacrificing none of the practicality.
For a while, when we ignored the price, the Justy seemed a rather practical little motor, if not as well polished as we would have hoped and altogether too similar to a host of other boxy Asian superminis that are difficult to differentiate between in a multistorey car park.
When the tax changes kick in, the Justy should be significantly lower in price as the Vehicle Registration Tax falls from 22.5 per cent to just 14 per cent. Hopefully Subaru will pass on those savings to customers. In the meantime, with its current price, the Justy is just not in the running for consideration.
Engine: A 998cc in-line three cylinder 4-stroke petrol engine with twin-cam overhead camshaft putting out 68bhp @ 6,000rpm and 94Nm @ 3,600rpm
Specification: Front and front side airbags (curtain airbags optional); ABS with brake assist; power steering; remote entry and alarm; radio/CD with two speakers; 13" steel wheels (14" alloys optional). Optional extras include side markings and rear spoiler for €2,000
Factfile
L/100km (mpg): urban: 6.1 (46.3); extra-urban: 4.4 (64.2); combined: 5.0 (56.5).
CO2 emissions: 118g/km
Tax bands from July 1st: VRT - 14 per cent; annual road tax - €100
Price: €13,995 (€15,995 with options pack)