2026 Subaru Impreza RS Review

Following a redesign two years ago, the 2026 Subaru Impreza underwent only minor changes — although the top Sport-tech trim has been retired.

It shared its more powerful engine with the RS, which is now the top rung. This being a Subaru, all trims feature full-time all-wheel drive (AWD).

The lower-powered trims are the Convenience at $30,390, including a non-negotiable delivery fee of $2,095; and the Touring at $33,720. The RS trim tested here is $35,850 before taxes.

Design: 8/10

The Impreza comes only as a hatchback. Wheel sizes increase by trim: the Convenience rides on 16-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, while the Touring gets 17-inch alloys, and the RS trim rides on 18-inch rims. All trims have cloth seats, but the RS adds red accents, along with aluminum pedals and faux-carbon fibre trim on the doors and dash.

Safety: 8/10

The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2026 Impreza its top five-star crash-test rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it the top “Good” in small overlap and side crash tests, but “Marginal” for the updated moderate front overlap, which now assesses potential injury to a rear-seat passenger, as well as to those in front. It got “Good” for its emergency front braking recognizing vehicles and pedestrians, and its headlight performance; and “Good+” for how easy it is to use its child-seat tether anchors.

All trims include emergency front braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and centring, and automatic high-beam control, plus the back-up camera that’s mandatory on all new vehicles.

Most of Subaru’s advanced safety and driver-assist systems use a pair of cameras behind the windshield dubbed EyeSight; and they look through the area cleared by the wipers, so snow and dirt don’t affect them, which can happen with external sensors. The Touring and RS add automatic emergency steering, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Equipment: 8/10

The Convenience trim includes such items as dual seven-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, steering-responsive headlights, heated front seats, 60/40 folding rear seats, and four-speaker audio. The Touring adds a single 11.6-inch touchscreen, fog lights, a heated steering wheel, push-button start, proximity key, and six speakers. The RS comes with a cargo privacy cover, power-adjustable driver’s seat, 10-speaker stereo, and power sunroof.

User-Friendliness: 8/10

The Impreza centralizes many of its functions within the centre touchscreen, but the menus are generally easy to figure out, and stereo volume and tuning are handled using dials. Most climate functions are always visible on the screen, and temperature is handled by hard buttons — not as good as dials, but better than icons on a screen. The steering-wheel controls are simple to use, and the gear selector is a conventional lever. The seats are bolstered but not too much, so it’s easy to get in and out.

Everyday Usability: 8/10

As a compact car, the Impreza has the ability to slip into tighter parking spots; and as a hatchback, it’s generally easier to load cargo in. At 578 L with the rear seats up, it doesn’t have as much space as hatchback versions of the Honda Civic or Kia K4, but it has more than the Mazda3, its only direct competitor available with AWD — and it was more than enough to get my groceries and some car parts home.

Comfort: 9/10

The seats are supportive, and I appreciated the RS’s power-adjustable driver’s seat to find the right position. Front-row legroom is impressive, while the rear seat has enough space to keep most occupants happy. The ride is comfortable, even with the top trim’s larger rims, and only the roughest pavement makes itself known.

Powertrain: 8/10

The two lower Impreza trims use a horizontally-opposed 2.0L four-cylinder that makes 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque; while the RS trades that for a 2.5L, upping it to 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque in the process. It’s definitely the better choice if the budget allows, as the smaller engine can tend to get wheezy when accelerating. Both use an automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) that has paddle shifters in the Touring and RS, allowing drivers to sequentially gear up or down through simulated shift points.

Driving Feel: 9/10

Subaru calls its AWD system “symmetrical,” which refers to the side-to-side layout of the driveline components, rather than sending equal torque to each wheel. It actually directs 60 per cent to the front and 40 per cent to the rear, and that’s part of why the Impreza handles well. Many AWD models primarily motivate the front wheels, adding the rear tires when needed for traction. That usually happens almost instantly, but Subaru’s always-on system tends to give it a more stable and buttoned-down feel.

The steering is quick and accurate, and it’s well-weighted; the brakes have good pedal feel; there’s almost no body roll around tight corners; and it’s simply a fun little car to drive.

Efficiency: 8/10

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) rates the 2.5L Impreza at 9.0 L/100 km in the city, 7.2 on the highway, and 8.2 combined — barely more than the 2.0L at 8.0 combined. In my week with it, I averaged 7.7, and it takes regular-grade gasoline. There’s a small penalty for AWD — the Honda Civic hatchback, which is only front-wheel drive (FWD), rates 7.0 combined — but many drivers will find it worth that little extra.

Value for Money: 8/10

At $35,850, the Impreza RS looks and feels in line with its price, including its comfortable interior and its performance. It really only has one direct competitor, the Mazda3 Sport hatchback, which with its AWD option runs from $34,155 to $39,955, and $40,555 as a 227-hp turbocharged version. (All prices include delivery.)

The Verdict

There’s still space in the market for small cars, and the 2026 Subaru Impreza fills it very well. You have to move up to the top trim to get the better engine, but many buyers may find it’s worth the extra cost over the Touring. And either way, the full-time AWD will be a bonus when you’re cross-shopping the compact segment.