The 2024 Subaru Impreza is a practical alternative to a small crossover

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As with other manufacturers, Subaru now mostly sells crossovers. However, while the compact Crosstrek is the bestseller in the Subaru constellation, there’s still a need for a compact car in the lineup. The all-new 2024 Subaru Impreza provides a bookend for Subaru’s customers, being both an entry-level model, and also ideal for those looking to downsize.

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The Impreza is a more than thirty-year-old nameplate, introduced as a compact car rival to the likes of the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Available as both a sedan and hatchback, it offered Subaru’s standout all-wheel-drive traction, and became popular among the outdoorsy crowd. You can still see Imprezas (especially the hatchback versions) cluttering up trailhead parking lots all across Canada.

This new one is available as a hatchback only, and brings back the rally-inspired RS badge that first showed up on sportier Imprezas in the 1990s. Poke around a bit, and you can’t help but notice how similar the Impreza is to the also-new Crosstrek. Makes sense, as the two cars have always been closely related, riding on the same platform. But, if the Crosstrek used to be just a lifted Impreza, the Impreza now feels more like a lowered Crosstrek.

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Interior Practicality and Ergonomics

Learning pragmatic lessons from its crossover brother is no bad thing for the 2024 Subaru Impreza, as it is nearly identical in internal dimensions, which makes it roomy. The cargo volume is actually very slightly larger in the Impreza, at 578L behind the second row, or 1,586L with the seats folded. This is plenty of space for any weekend camping excursion, and the Impreza should again find favour with the hiking-boot crowd.

Also mirroring the Crosstrek, the Impreza’s four available trim levels each come with their own interior fabrics (you can tell each model apart on the outside too, as each gets its own design of wheels). The entry-level Convenience trim gets a fairly plain and basic-black layout, the RS a red-stitched fabric that should wear well, and the top-tier Sport-Tech trim gets leather. This last is an exclusive for Canada, and is intended to perhaps appeal to older buyers looking to step down in size while not giving up features.

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Overall, the Impreza’s interior is comfortable and sensible. The dashboard is dominated by the 11.6” touchscreen display standard on all but the base model. As commonly found throughout the Subaru range, this system is bound to please some and annoy others. Cons are that it’s large enough to be a bit distracting and can wash out in direct light; pros are that the software on this version makes for quicker, smoother operation than when the system debuted a few years ago. A huge screen does feel a little out of place in the Subaru Impreza’s function-first interior, but Subaru does still include volume and tuning knobs and proper buttons for controlling temperature.

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Compared to rivals like the Mazda3 hatchback or Corolla hatchback, the Subaru Impreza offers an entirely higher level of practicality, especially in terms of rear passenger space. It is also designed around owners strapping items to the roof, with wide step-up points on the door sills.

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Performance

Again taking a page from the Crosstrek playbook, two engine options are available in the new Subaru Impreza: a 2.0L four-cylinder good for 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, and a 2.5L four-cylinder that makes a healthier 182 hp and 178 lb-ft. Both engines are paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with the RS and Sport-Tech models getting the larger engine.

On the winding Duffey Lake road, one of my top three driving roads in B.C., the RS and its 2.5L flat-four engine told the same story as the Crosstrek does. Namely, that Subaru’s new platform is stiff and agile enough to handle considerably more power — which is why the WRX exists.

However, the 2.5L engine is not exactly underpowered. From past experience, the smaller 2.0L of the lower two trims rates as acceptable, but modestly powered when called on to accelerate for a pass. The 2.5L’s extra 30 hp is greatly appreciated, especially as a CVT really emphasizes how hard a less-powerful engine is working. Given that the fuel economy of the 2.5L is — at 9.0 L/100 km city and 7.2 L/100 km highway – only 0.2L and 0.3L worse than the 2.0L’s official ratings, spring for the larger engine if you can afford it.

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Subaru sold a 2.5 RS trim as far back as the 1990s in Canada, and it was the one you got because the WRX wasn’t yet sold here. It had a cosmetic hoodscoop and a big rear wing, and if you bought a set of gold wheels for it, it really looked infused with the World Rally Championship spirit. This new Subaru Impreza RS is similarly WRX Lite, complete with a steering rack borrowed from its turbocharged big brother.

Fitted with Yokohama Avid S34 tires in a 225mm wide application on 18” wheels, the Subaru Impreza RS proved capable of handling the curves of the mountain road without issue. It’s also much quieter, and has a more refined ride than previous Imprezas. This chassis is capable of carrying good speed through a corner, and though it is not as dynamically satisfying as a Mazda3, the Impreza RS felt genuinely fun. The one caveat is those Yokohamas, which tend to underperform in the wet. A proper set of performance all-season tires and winter-specific rubber and rims would help bring out the best the Impreza can offer.

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Being a mountain road, the Duffey Lake road is charmingly windy — but also gets beat up by snow and frost heaves. When the tarmac was smooth, the Impreza was unflappable. Hitting some of the larger bumps at speed, it was easy to see why the Crosstrek is so popular. The Impreza will outhandle the Crosstrek, with a lower centre of gravity, but the tradeoff is less-forgiving suspension when the road conditions get particularly bad.

Safety Features in the 2024 Subaru Impreza

Just as important as its outdoorsy ethos is Subaru’s image as a safety-first brand. The previous model Impreza scored very well in crash-testing, and this new model should as well. It is both stronger and stiffer, and it also gets an upgrade to Subaru’s Eyesight driver assist system.

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As with the Crosstrek, the 2024 Subaru Impreza gets a third “eye” for its camera-based system. The two standard cameras operate as before to assist with collision mitigation or avoidance. The third monocamera functions for even wider-angle detection when entering an intersection.

Fuel Consumption and Reliability

As mentioned, the 2024 Subaru Impreza’s official fuel economy ratings are 8.8 L/100 km city and 6.9 L/100 km highway for the smaller 2.0L engine, and 9.0 L/100 km city and 7.2 L/100 km highway for the larger 2.5L. Both these figures are less efficient than the previous model’s official ratings, but only very slightly. Real world evaluation over a mixed-use week is needed.

Overall, modern Subarus tend to be more reliable than average, especially judging by the number of early 2000s Imprezas parked on every street in Whistler. The new 2024 Subaru Impreza should be a faithful companion, especially as it is maintaining a conventional powertrain layout that Subaru has been refining for years.

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2024 Subaru Impreza Canadian Pricing and Competitors

One final lesson Subaru learned from the new Crosstrek and is applying to the Impreza, is perhaps a little less pleasing to shoppers: the car’s it’s more expensive. Pricing now begins at $26,795 for the base Convenience trim. The Impreza RS model tested costs $31,795 before freight and taxes.

Even with the increase comparing that pricing with rivals like the Mazda3 Sport or Honda Civic shows that Subaru is very competitive, especially with all-wheel-drive as a standard feature. Further, Subaru Canada has very carefully played the long game in terms of incentives and discounting, being very conservative with rates for financing. This strategy has created a situation where Subarus offer very strong value retention. The 2024 Subaru Impreza RS should likewise retain good resale, perhaps especially as it is unlikely to be as commonly available as the Crosstrek.

Summing up

From a company that made its name offering alternatives to SUV ownership, the 2024 Subaru Impreza RS isn’t just a strong offering in the hatchback segment, but also a creditable alternative to a small crossover. It’s got all-round practicality, a fun-to-drive personality, and feels rugged enough to put up with hard use. The 2024 Impreza might ride a little lower than Subaru’s best-selling Crosstrek, but as a compelling product, it’s clearly on the same high level.