Subaru of America, Inc. announced today that Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com has named the 2009 Subaru Impreza one of its 2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000. The list features kbb.com editors’ picks of vehicles that are fun, fuel efficient, practical and with more amenities than ever before.

“It is once again an honor to have the Subaru Impreza named to the Top 10 Coolest New Cars list,” said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Subaru of America, Inc. “The 2009 Subaru Impreza is a fun, sporty car that has garnered a great deal of recognition this year and we are very proud of that. It was also named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a “Best Bets for Sports Cars” by Cars.com and “Best in Class” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

In choosing the 2009 list of Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000, the kbb.com editors used the same set of criteria that many consumers use in examining this category: safety, fuel economy, interior size, comfort, technology, the vehicle’s fun-to-drive-factor, as well as the subjective “cool” factor.

“The Subaru Impreza is an excellent choice for car buyers with cool, active lifestyles but not a lot of cash,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. “The Impreza’s shape recalls Subaru’s rally-car dominance while its standard all-wheel drive system makes it easy to get you and your gear to wherever the action is happening.”

The Subaru Impreza set a sales record in 2008 and has a starting price of $17,495.