The more things change in the motoring world, the more the Subaru Impreza stays the same.
Rivals have moved to downsized turbocharged engines or hybrid power, but the smallest Subaru has stuck staunchly by its formula.
Power still comes from a 2.0-litre boxer engine with no turbocharger, and it’s still all-wheel drive as standard. Although it’s more expensive than the car it replaces, it’s also reasonably affordable by 2024 standards.
The base model on test here is aligned with a top-end Toyota Yaris or a bottom-end Corolla, despite being bigger and better equipped. Do the old ways of doing business still stack up in 2024?
How much does the Subaru Impreza cost?
The 2024 Subaru Impreza is available in three trim levels locally. On test here is the entry-level 2.0L.
2024 Subaru Impreza pricing:
- 2024 Subaru Impreza 2.0L: $31,490
- 2024 Subaru Impreza 2.0R: $34,990
- 2024 Subaru Impreza 2.0S: $37,990
All prices exclude on-road costs
To see how the Impreza lines up against its rivals, check out our comparison tool.
What is the Subaru Impreza like on the inside?
If you’ve seen a modern Subaru interior, the Impreza won’t surprise you.
The driver and passenger sit in squidgy cloth seats, and the driving position is excellent. The Impreza gives the impression of being a bigger car from behind the wheel, aided by the direct links to the WRX and Outback in the broader interior design.
The only real nod to its cheapness is the urethane steering wheel, which would make us think long and hard about spending more on the mid-range Impreza 2.0R.
Subaru’s vertical touchscreen has big, blocky icons and lots of bright colours. It’s not as pretty to look at as the latest setup in the Hyundai Kona, for example, but it is very easy to use.
Wireless smartphone mirroring worked reliably during our time behind the wheel, which covers nicely for the fact this base model doesn’t have factory satellite navigation.
Subaru gets points for allowing you to put shortcuts to some of the key vehicle systems on the touchscreen’s home page – start/stop, and the driver monitoring system for example – to save you diving through menus.
The driver is faced with a pair of analogue dials, between which sits a trip computer capable of showing your speed, fuel consumption, and other driving data.
Storage space up front is excellent, given the Impreza’s relatively diminutive exterior.
The central bin is massive, the door pockets have space for litre drink bottles, and the slippery wireless phone charger at the base of the dashboard doesn’t do a great job at wirelessly charging an iPhone in place – but it’s a great place to dump your wallet, keys, and phone.
Rear seat space is better than what’s on offer in a hatch-bodied Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3, when it comes to both legroom and headroom.
You’ll get adults back there behind adults on shorter trips, although the sloping roofline does mean tall passengers will feel like the roof is eating into their personal space a bit.
Also annoying is the pronounced driveline hump in the middle, and the lack of rear air vents.
At least there are USB-A and USB-C ports. ISOFIX points feature on the outboard rear seats, and there’s a trio of top tethers for child seats.
Less impressive again is the boot area, which remains one of the smallest in class. Subaru quotes 291 litres with the rear seats up, and 883 litres with them folded.
What’s under the bonnet?
The entire Subaru Impreza range is powered by the same naturally aspirated flat-four engine.
| Model | Subaru Impreza AWD 2.0 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre 4cyl boxer |
| Power | 115kW (6000rpm) |
| Torque | 196Nm (4000rpm) |
| Transmission | CVT auto |
| Driven wheels | All-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1416-1458kg (tare) |
| Fuel economy (claim) | 7.5L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 7.7L/100km (highway skew) |
| Fuel tank size | 50L |
| Fuel requirement | 91 RON |
To see how the Impreza compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool.
How does the Subaru Impreza drive?
It’s still a Subaru.
2.0S pictured
Prod the start button and the engine bursts into life with a familiar sound, and sits at a high idle to warm up on cold mornings. There’s a hint of classic boxer wobble when you fire the car up, but it’s otherwise pretty well suppressed.
Unfortunately, the way it performs – or the lack of performance – will also be familiar to anyone who’s driven or owned an older Subaru.
The brand has done a great job tuning its continuously variable transmission (CVT), delivering a smooth take-off and quiet running when you’re sitting in low-speed traffic. It’s capable of simulating eight gears, but doesn’t really bother unless you’re in a hurry.
For the most part it slurs around, keeping the revs below 3000rpm. When you’re in a hurry though, the transmission needs to aggressively flare the revs to unlock the 115kW power and 196Nm of torque peaks.
Things get shouty quite quickly in the cabin, but the noise doesn’t bring about all that much of a shove in the back.
Performance is adequate, but nothing more with two adults on board. In an age dominated by effortlessly torquey turbocharged engines, the engine in the Impreza feels a generation old.
At least the engine isn’t mated to a super sporty chassis that encourages you to thrash it – this is a very comfortable car.
With sensible 17-inch wheels, chubby tyres, and soft suspension, the Impreza does a great job isolating occupants from speed bumps and potholes at city speeds. Throw in light, direct steering, and it’s an easy car to pilot in tight spaces.
The reversing camera and parking sensors are decent without being standout, which means there’s no real excuse for scraped wheels or dinged bumpers.
The Impreza settles down nicely at highway speeds, with a big-car feel that makes it more at home in rural Australia than most of its rivals.
That soft suspension does an admirable job dealing with big crests and dips, although it can occasionally feel a bit floaty, and Subaru’s active driver assists are some of the best.
Its EyeSight system allows for smooth, smart adaptive cruise control, and the lane-centring system strikes the right balance between being hands on, and not trying to rip the wheel out of your hands.
Wind and road noise are kept nicely at bay given the car’s size and price, and it’s very solid at 100km/h rather than getting buffeted or blown around by big trucks.
What do you get?
The 2024 Subaru Impreza is available in three different trim levels locally – the entry-level 2.0L is on test here.
Impreza 2.0L highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Space-saver spare
- Rear privacy glass
- Automatic LED headlights
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Black tricot cloth upholstery
- Keyless entry and start
- Dual-zone climate control
- Paddle shifters
- 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Wireless phone charger
- 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
- 1 x 12V outlet
- Front USB-A (x1) and USB-C (x1) charging ports
- 6-speaker sound system
Is the Subaru Impreza safe?
The new Subaru Impreza has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Standard safety equipment on all models includes:
- 9 airbags, incl. far-side airbag
- Driver monitoring system, incl. facial recognition, drowsiness warning
- EyeSight Driver Assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Autonomous emergency steering
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Lane-centring
- Lane-keep assist
- Leading vehicle departure alert
- Intelligent speed limiter
- Speed sign recognition
- Subaru Vision Assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- EyeSight Assist Monitor
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Reverse AEB
- Rear parking sensors
- Front side radar
How much does the Subaru Impreza cost to run?
Subaru backs the Impreza with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
It also offers five years or 75,000 kilometres of capped-price servicing, with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km.
The first five services are priced at $346.25, $473.47, $420.60, $771.74 and $361.13 respectively.
CarExpert’s Take on the Subaru Impreza
The new Impreza isn’t a class leader, but it’s a solid all-rounder that follows the formula laid down by its predecessors.
With that said, it’s improved in a few key ways. It rides better than before, handles well, and represents excellent value when you consider how much you can pay for some of its smaller rivals.
A few brands could also learn from how Subaru calibrates its active safety assists, which manage to be genuinely helpful without feeling overbearing – I wish Subaru had gone a bit further with the new Impreza, though.
We’ve been complaining about the breathless boxer in the Impreza for years, but it stands out even more when you consider most small hatches are now available with a hybrid, or a turbo, or a bigger naturally aspirated engine.
Come on Subaru, bring the Impreza Hybrid to Australia…
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