Find out about the 2024 Subaru Impreza’s features and performance in this review
The Subaru Impreza, restyled for 2024, is offered only as a five-door hatchback.
When it comes to entry-level cars, there are plenty of choices, including the hot-selling Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, as well as the Mazda 3 Sport, Subaru Impreza, and Volkswagen Golf.
I recently test-drove the all-new Subaru Impreza for 2024. The Impreza name has been around since the 1990s, and now it is offered in just one body style: a five-door hatchback.
Pricing for the 2024 Subaru Impreza starts at $29,405 for the Convenience model. Next up is the Touring, at $32,606. My test model was the RS, at $34,405. The top trim level is the Sport-tech at $37,405.
 The interior of the 2024 Subaru Impreza feels sporty and luxurious. |
 The 2024 Subaru Impreza offers lots of hauling capacity. |
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The lower two models are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, while the top two trim levels, including the RS that I drove, have a 2.5-litre four-cylinder, which produces 182 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard, and the only transmission is an automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT). All Imprezas sit on a 2,670 mm (105 in) wheelbase and the overall length is 4,475 mm (176 in).
The RS adds some sporty styling touches, such as red interior stitching, black exterior accent trim, and badges.
The exterior styling is pleasing; it looks sporty and aggressive, but nothing too extreme. The inside is dressed up with some sporty trim, including aluminum alloy pedals, red trim on the seats, and red stitching on the doors. These touches make the otherwise black interior more inviting and interesting. The red accents are especially pleasing with the red exterior.
Like other Subarus, settling into the driver’s seat is a treat: It’s very comfortable and visibility is very good, even out the rear window. There are two large gauges directly in front of the driver: the tachometer and the speedometer. The large size makes them easy to read at a glance. In the centre of the dash is a vertically-mounted 11.6-inch touchscreen, which is also easy to read thanks to its size. There’s a premium 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with a subwoofer, so blasting out tunes on a road trip is wonderful. Thankfully, Subarus have actual buttons to adjust the volume and tuning (as well as the HVAC) rather than having to go through the touchscreen.
The RS test vehicle had plenty of luxury touches, including a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, carbon-look trim accents on the doors and dash, leather-wrapped gear selector and shift boot, heated front seats, heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The rear bench seat has a 60/40 split and folds flat, ideal when you don’t need room for three passengers in the back but need extra hauling room. Subaru says that, when the seats are folded down, it has a cargo volume area of 1,586 litres; with the rear seat up, the capacity is 578 litres.
These luxury and sporty touches sometimes make it hard to believe this is an entry-level model, although admittedly, it is a high-trimmed entry-level model. Still, it all seems like good value for the $34,405 price tag.
Out on the road, the 2024 Subaru Impreza delivers a smooth and quiet ride, which is surprising for a vehicle of this size and price.
The 2024 Subaru Impreza isn’t perfect. Although I found the throttle response to be adequate – Subaru says it can do zero to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds – it seemed like the RS should be faster, based on how it looks and how it feels sitting inside. Fuel economy is rated at 9.0 litres per 100 km in the city and 7.2 on the highway. While acceptable, it is not outstanding for a car like this. Some people may find the less-than-stellar performance and fuel economy entirely acceptable trade-offs for a car that looks great inside and out and provides a comfortable and luxurious ride at a very reasonable entry price.
Overall, with its sporty interior, smooth ride and reasonable price, I’m left with an impressive impression of the Impreza.
Dale Johnson is an award-winning author, broadcaster, and journalist who has worked in TV, radio, print, and online. While the manufacturer provided Dale with a vehicle to test drive, the manufacturer did not review or accept the content of this review.
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