To a footballer it's a piece of jewellery, to a taxi driver it's his
office, to a mum it's her school bus and so ad infinitum.

But the one thing that struck me about the Subaru Impreza 2.0-litre RX
Sportwagon is that it is a tool.

Don't for one minute go thinking along the lines of laser spirit level or high-speed drill. This thing is nothing more than a hammer.

Simple, reliable and gets the job done with the minimum of fuss. In many
ways it reminds me of John Steinbeck's Lenny character from Of Mice and Men – a heart of gold, will do anything for you, and strong as an ox.

It looks good too since the frog-eyed headlamps were poked out in favour of a more hawk-eyed front end.

The added boot space from the estate-style bodyshape won't be to everyone's taste but it will turn your Subaru into your site labourer on a Saturday morning trip to the hardware store.

A set of unassuming 16-inch alloy wheels ensure the Impreza maintains
some of the street cred carved out for the marque by the turbo incarnations.

I say street cred, of course the stereotypical image of a Subaru Impreza
driver is that of a greased up yob with an adjustable spanner in his mit.

The fact is, this car will appeal more to captain sensible.

Inside the RX the theme remains much the same. Plain old function over form.

Simple buttons, knobs and switches without any unnecessary fuss.
It's what you might call an honest John. A steak and kidney pie.

In fact, it's a Dr Marten – given its all-wheel-drive transmission system, it's certainly as sure-footed as the hippy's chosen beetlecrusher.

When you actually start to examine the engineering that has gone into this car, you begin to realise that underneath her grey dress, plain Jane has got plenty going for her.

MacPherson independent suspension, adjustable high and low range drive
converter, and of course the Subaru's ever reliable Boxer engine.

This particular version will generate 160PS. That will take you to 60mph in under nine seconds and on to 126mph.

And because the engine is horizontally opposed (the pistons fire
fore and aft as opposed to up and down) the car is blessed with a lower centre of gravity in and around the front end.

To you and me, that means you're in safe hands on a twisty stretch.
One thing I would have liked to do with this car is stick a load on the back.

A heavily laiden trailor or a caravan. This, I suspect, is where this car will come into its own and I would strongly recommend anyone in the market for a tow car to stop and take a look at this particular Subaru.

Because it is naturally aspirated it will not put too big a drain on your wallet. Subaru suggest a return of 31mpg.

This car is by no means a headturner but its modesty is ensuring it is beginning to pick up a few friends along the way.