2024 Subaru Impreza Review: Driving Impressions
Independent Expert Opinion: Design, Comfort, and Utility - Find the best Subaru deals!
Photo: Beverly Braga
The all-new Impreza receives an all-new look, but don't expect anything polarizing here. The Impreza isn't a canvas for excessive plastic body cladding or rough-and-tumble styling. Leave that to, you know, the crossovers and SUVs. In fact, the roughest thing about the Impreza is any attempt to appear low-key when wearing Oasis Blue Pearl Paint—an RS-only color option. Besides that, the overall exterior design is sleek and attractive, but not in that sultry, mouth-agape sort of way.
Changes to the headlights, grille, lower fascia, and fog light surround are subtle but give the Impreza a modern and slightly muscular appearance. Proportionately, the new Impreza is nearly identical in size to the old model. This is a rare surprise considering most new cars, regardless of segment, tend to suffer bloating from year to year. In the case of the 2024 Impreza, it's grown an inch and gained about 100 pounds since last year. That's about it. Interior dimensions vary by a half-inch here and there, none noticeable without a measuring tape.
Being a hatchback, having room to carry stuff is essential. With the rear seats up, the 2024 Impreza cargo capacity measures 20.4 cubic feet. This is down 0.4 cubic feet from the previous model. However, with the seats down, the area increases to 56 cubic feet—0.7 cubic feet more than the 2023 model.
A similar story befits the Impreza interior passenger volume. The new model lists 100.5 cubic feet—a year-over-year loss of 0.4 cubic ft. But add a moonroof, and the 2024 hatchback measures 99.0 cubic feet compared with 97.5 cubic feet for the 2023 model.
Subaru's focus was no doubt the Impreza interior. With its high-quality materials and impressive fit and finish, the Impreza cabin feels more premium than some luxury cars but with a sub-$30,000 price tag. The design team also paid exhaustive attention to granular details that barely warrant a spec sheet mention. But, in the grand scheme of comfort and convenience, this is why customers will be happy in the long run.
For example, Subaru redesigned the front seats not only for added comfort but for minimal fatigue. The automaker also reinforced the seats, mounting them directly to the floor rather than on a rack above it. Subaru says this improves stability and driving feel. Other points include hotter seat heaters, expanded rear wiper coverage, quieter power window operation, and larger door handle pockets. Also, Subaru lowered the hatch's interior handle to make closing it less of a stretch.
Another obsessive attention-to-detail item is the cupholders. Meeting a demographic and human need, the Impreza has enough cubbies to hold what amounts to 35 cups of hydration by volume. The center console can accommodate 32-ounce bottles, while pockets in the doors and the rear cargo area can hold 24-ounce-sized containers. Unfortunately, the new Impreza does not come with a travel-size toilet.
Independent Expert Opinion: Infotainment, Technology, and Safety - Find the best Subaru deals!
Photo: Beverly Braga
The redesigned Impreza packs a healthy amount of technology. Starting with infotainment, the base model features a new dual-screen 7-inch Subaru Starlink multimedia system that replaces the previously standard 6.5-inch version.
Managed within the larger main screen are features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, HD Radio, and SiriusXM (SXM) satellite radio. The lower screen handles climate and vehicle settings. The center console also features a USB-A port and auxiliary jack.
Sport and RS models upgrade to an 11.6-inch display with an enhanced operating system that adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (a Subaru first), over-the-air updates, USB-C ports, access to subscription-based connected services, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Impreza is not devoid of physical controls, however. There are still knobs for the audio and buttons for the climate. Other features, like (de)activating auto stop/start, require tapping through menus.
Subaru is known as much for its safety ratings as it is for its AWD. The new Impreza is no exception, thanks to standard EyeSight driver-assist technology—the automaker's suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The 2024 Impreza comes with the latest EyeSight version, which has a faster operating system and a wider field of view.
Subaru says EyeSight can detect cyclists and pedestrians faster than previous iterations. The enhanced system includes advanced adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking.
On the Impreza Sport, the available option package adds blind-spot warning with lane-change assistance, rear cross-traffic warning, and automatic emergency steering. This ADAS feature utilizes EyeSight and blind-spot detection to adjust steering to avoid collisions when traveling less than 50 mph. The Impreza RS includes all the safety systems mentioned above.
On the road, the intelligent cruise control took some trial and error to initiate. Still, it didn't require looking at the owner's manual. The system performed as designed. The Impreza RS test car slowed down and accelerated as needed without startling the driver or passengers. There was no unexpected braking or oddball lunging. It's a semi-autonomous driving feature, but hands must always be on the steering wheel.
Visibility from the Impreza's driver's seat is also fantastic. Even with a sloping hatch, the rear windows are large and easy to see out of. Up front, small triangle windows increase sightlines around the outside mirrors. And rear passenger windows also feature window cutouts instead of thicker molding.
Additional safety and security features are available through SXM and Subaru Starlink. Impreza buyers receive a four-month complimentary Platinum Plan to SXM Travel Link and a three-year Subaru Starlink Connected Services trial. Subaru included access to roadside assistance, first-responder requests, vehicle diagnostics, maintenance notifications, and more. Still, some may require an opt-in, like Safety Plus and Security Plus features.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released the 2024 Subaru Impreza crash-test ratings.
Independent Expert Opinion: Driving the 2024 Subaru Impreza - Find the best Subaru deals!
Photo: Beverly Braga
Subaru offers the new Impreza with two engine choices, both of which pair with a CVT. The standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder carries over from the previous generation. Its output is 152 hp and 145 pound-feet of torque. Subaru estimates the 2024 Impreza's fuel economy to be 27 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined. Highway mpg is actually down compared to the previous Impreza 5-door (35 mpg for the Sport trim and 36 mpg for all others). For 2024, Subaru equips Impreza Base and Sport trims with the 2.0-liter engine.
Subaru outfits the new Impreza RS with an updated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder—the same one that powers the Subaru Crosstrek. In the Impreza, the 2.5-liter engine produces 182 hp and 178 pound-feet of torque. Subaru estimates fuel economy at 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined.
Photo: Beverly Braga
Minding the minutiae, the 2024 Impreza has impressive road manners. As part of a Subaru-hosted media event, the Impreza test-drive route meandered through California's Central Coast wine country. Due to recent storms, the normally dullish-green hills and vineyards of San Luis Obispo County were flush in high-contrast shades of emerald. And true to Subaru's pitch, my Impreza RS test car provided a sturdy, well-tuned ride that matched the pleasing scenery.
There was body stiffness where needed, and the braking was on point. The bolted-down seats offered a noticeable connection to the driving feel. Seats have bolstering but not aggressively so, and ergonomics from the driver's seat were just right. With the steering-wheel-mounted controls and multi-function digital cluster, I sparingly utilized the Impreza's touchscreen. I did so only when looking for the auto start/stop setting (buried within the vehicle settings menu) and adjusting the air conditioning (before my driving partner pointed out the physical buttons).
Unfortunately, all the thoughtful tuning cannot hide how much of a drag the CVT is. California has excellent mountain roads with plenty of elevation changes and blind corners. And they are fun to drive, but not in the Impreza. The CVT plays a constant guessing game with the gearing, which robs the Impreza and the driver of any spirited driving.
For example, the Impreza is a solid performer when it comes to hugging the turns on those curvy canyon roads. But the acceleration is not there when completing the corner and opening the throttle. It's like driving with a rubber band attached. By the time the power catches up, oh, look, it's another corner.
The paddle shifters and manual shift modes did not improve the experience, either. Even though I was selecting the shift points, the CVT somehow felt more imprecise and lethargic. Would the discontinued Impreza 5-speed manual transmission have paired better with the 2.5-liter engine? That is difficult to say because it, too, suffered from indecision. The engine note is also on the unsatisfactory side of meh.
The opinions expressed in this review are the author’s own, not J.D. Power’s.
No portion of these reviews may be reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, or used for a derivative work without J.D. Power’s written permission. © 2024 J.D. Power
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