Is the 2024 Subaru Impreza a Good Car? 5 Pros, 4 Cons

Redesigned for 2024, the Subaru Impreza gets additional tech and safety features, along with a new top RS trim offering more power and cosmetic upgrades. But the core appeal of this subcompact hatchback remains: solid value and utility in an excellent all-around package with standard all-wheel drive for under $30,000.

Related: 2024 Subaru Impreza Review: Safe, Practical and a Dash of Fun

While perhaps not the best choice for driving thrills, the Impreza delivers a comfortable ride and good passenger room for its size, all wrapped up with   the practicality of a four-door hatchback layout. The sedan version of the Impreza has been dropped from the lineup, as has the availability of a manual transmission.

Cars.com Managing Editor Joe Bruzek tested a new Impreza in the RS trim to see how the redesigned model stacks up against the competition. Tap the link above to read his expert review; for a quicker look, read on for five things we like about the 2024 Subaru Impreza and four things we don’t.

Things We Like

1. Peppier Powerplant

The most notable difference between the RS and lesser Impreza trims is under the hood, where there’s a 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine giving a 30-hp boost over the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Acceleration is lively, and a choice of Sport or Intelligent drive modes allows drivers to tailor engine response to their preference. The choice of a manual transmission is gone, but the continuously variable automatic does have a manual-shift mode.

2. Decent MPG

Stepping up to the added power of the RS and its larger engine brings a minimal 1 mpg penalty in fuel economy versus the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder, according to EPA combined ratings. The RS is rated at 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined, compared to 27/34/30 mpg for the 2.0-liter Impreza. The fuel tank has also been enlarged for 2024, giving the hatch an additional 102 miles of cruising range versus the 2023 Impreza Sport hatchback.

3. Welcoming Cabin

A spacious and airy cabin makes the Impreza’s interior a nice place to be, with comfortable seats and plenty of room for adults front and rear. Better still, the rear seat has sufficient room for child-safety seats. The six-way, manually adjustable driver’s seat has been redesigned and is notably accommodating for a subcompact. Forward visibility is terrific thanks to large windows, thin roof pillars and a low hood.

4. Comfortable Cruiser

Even with its sport suspension and larger 18-inch wheels and tires, the RS rides well and has a sophisticated, well-balanced feel. It may not be as sporty as competitors like the Mazda3 hatchback, but the RS offers a more accommodating cabin while still delivering spirited response and controlled body motions in corners.

5. Improved Infotainment

Subaru uses an unusual layout for the Impreza’s standard multimedia system and controls, with one 7-inch touchscreen for multimedia functions and another 7-inch screen underneath it for climate and other controls. The RS gets a single 11.6-inch vertically oriented touchscreen supplemented with physical controls, and it’s one of the better executions of this layout we’ve seen. Vivid graphics and simple menus make the system easy to use.

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Things We Don’t Like

1. Sluggish Response

The RS’s added power is welcome, but it doesn’t turn the Impreza into a hot hatch. The accelerator requires a big push to deliver maximum acceleration, making the Subaru feel more lethargic off the line. The CVT doesn’t help, either, and seems reluctant and slow to respond. If you’re looking for a more engaging driving experience, the Mazda3 hatch provides similar packaging with more fun behind the wheel.

2. Cabin Noise

Subaru took steps to reduce cabin noise with the Impreza’s redesign, but both wind and engine noise are still more noticeable than in some competitors. Road noise is not as prevalent, and the Impreza is generally quiet at lower vehicle and engine speeds. However, things quickly get louder on the highway or under hard acceleration.

3. Pairing Problems

The RS’ multimedia system includes wireless Apple CarPlay, which generally works well and is easy to use. But we experienced an annoying tendency for the system not to automatically connect to a previously paired phone even when it was chosen as a favorite and no other phones were paired. This meant going into the menu and manually selecting the phone every time we fired the car up.

4. No Spare

With 13.3 cubic feet of cargo room, according to our measurements, the Impreza has an advantage over its Crosstrek stablemate and its 12.7 cubic feet. This is because the Impreza uses a tire repair kit and air compressor instead of the spare tire found with the Crosstrek. Worse, the Impreza doesn’t use run-flat tires, which increases the likelihood of having to use the kit.

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