Subaru doesn't make changes to its cars lightly.

It sometimes seems like years to us auto journalists before we ever see an all-new car from Subaru. So when Subaru does decide to do something, it's likely to be something big. And that's the case this year, as the company unveils its 2008 Subaru Impreza family of cars.

The Impreza always had a Jekyl-and-Hyde kind of personality. Its lower end models were pretty tame, styling was rather nondescript, and they certainly didn't sell in enough numbers to overtake the compact car sales leaders. But they were tough as the dickens, lasted forever and had an enviable reputation for quality and dependability, much as all Subarus do.

And then came the WRX-- a family of Impreza high-performance sedans that have become legendary cult cars among the young and not so young -- and Impreza's image was burnished, thanks to the hot little compacts.

One thing's for sure: You can't call the styling nondescript any more. It's become edgy, and in some quarters, rather controversial, as some journalists have criticized it as being too abrupt a change from the old model.

Overall there's a lot more curves than ever on the Impreza as the car seems rounder from stem to stern. That's especially true for the five-door model. On the new five door, you'll notice that the profile is marked by a single curve roofline that flows into an aerodynamic rear spoiler. And up front, there's an all-new front end design that pays homage to Subaru's aircraft heritage with a wing logo design at the top of the grille.

Both the five-door and the four-door models focus on things such as the clear lenses in the rear on the five door, along with distinctive curved fog lamps and an inward sweeping chrome embellishment that flows the grille design into the bumper. An aggressive lower spoiler adds to the sporting character of the design.

The five-door also features a distinctive character line that sweeps upward at the rear, giving the car an agile look. The short rear overhang, new clear rear taillamp lenses and a vertical chrome bar combine to integrate the side character line into tail.

The design of the four-door models creates an improved road presence, with a wider and sharper front design giving way to a crisp side body crease. The rear of the four-door Impreza is set apart by red lamp lenses and a chrome strip below the trunk line that visually widens the tail.

On WRX models, a new available aero kit denotes the WRX rally car heritage. The five-door WRX features a rear under body diffuser and single chrome exhaust pipe. The four-door WRX features dual chrome exhaust tips and a rear trunk spoiler.

Inside, you'll find more space in this year's Imprezas. There's a new twin cockpit, trimmed nicely with brushed aluminum, that flows into the center stack. The navigation screen is at the top of the dashboard so it can be seen more easily, The door panels of the Impreza can accommodate 24-ounce soft drink bottles as well as loose items.

Impreza features an interior with two inches more front shoulder room than before. An available navigation and information center is the focal point of the center console. In addition, you'll see a lot of double-stitched fabrics -- a feature found usually only on much more expensive cars.

In terms of driving and performance features, you'll find that Vehicle Dynamics Control is now available on both the Impreza 2.5i and the Impreza WRX. Power comes from a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter flat four cylinder engine for the 2.5i, or for the WRX, a 2.5-liter four with 224 horsepower.

Prices start at $16,995 for the four door sedan and $17,495 for the five door model. No fuel mileage figures are available.

The all-new Impreza isn't the only news from Subaru for 2008.

There's also an all-new Tribeca which hit the showrooms a couple of months ago, and it's quite the performance SUV -- a big surprise, at least to me.

You might recall that the earlier Tribeca was known as the B9 Tribeca and its looks were, well, odd.

That's all been changed as Subaru has smoothed out the styling, designed a new front end and gotten rid of the "B-9" designation.

But the most welcome change is just how sporty the new Tribeca is on the road. If you are moving from a sports sedan to the Tribeca, I doubt if you'll miss much in terms of handling. It's just that good.

You can drive aggressively in this car, and it still minds its manners. I would certainly rank it at the top with Acura's MDX for sporty feel and quality.

The new engine, a 3.6-liter "Boxer" six-cylinder, puts out 256 horsepower, a big increase from the former 245. Subaru also gave the engine more torque punch at the low end range where you really feel it when you are launching from a standing start.

Other improvements made to the engine increased cooling efficiency and made it possible to run on regular, instead of premium gasoline. And it gets better fuel mileage, too.

Visibility has improved with larger rear windows and larger side-view mirrors.

Outside, the car looks more aggressive with bigger wheel flares and a grille that features a new chrome spread-wing design that looks more conventional.

Getting in and out of third-row seats is no picnic, but Subaru has the perfect solution. It's a new one-step "tilt and slide" system. You engage one lever, the second seat folds forward, and in you go.

Prices start at $29,995 and top out at $38,440. Fuel economy figures are unavailable.