History/Overview
The Subaru Impreza is the Japanese company's compact sedan and hatchback model. Since the early 1990s, it's been the only compact car to come standard with AWD in all configurations.
What's New / Key Changes from Last Year
For 2020, Subaru makes its EyeSight active safety suite standard in any Impreza with the optional automatic transmission. Also new is a Starlink connected services package that's included in most Impreza trims. Both sedan and hatchback get revised front-end styling.
Available Trims
Subaru offers the Impreza in Convenience, Touring, Sport, and Sport-tech trims. All share a 2.0L engine, which comes with a five-speed manual transmission in Convenience, Touring and Sport configurations. Sport-tech is standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that is optional in the other three packages. AWD is standard regardless of transmission choice.
Standard Features
Impreza Convenience comes with auto-off headlights, LED taillights, 16-inch steel wheels with covers, variable intermittent wipers, a four-speaker stereo with 6.5-inch infotainment display, air conditioning, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, manual front seat adjustments, power locks with keyless entry, power windows, and heated/power-adjustable side mirrors.
Touring trim adds LED fog lights, automatic on/off headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, a front wiper de-icer, a six-speaker stereo, Starlink connected services, dual USB inputs, automatic climate control, a 4.2-inch gauge cluster display, chrome interior door handles, heated front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and passive keyless entry.
Sport models gain a stainless steel exhaust finisher, LED daytime running lights, steering-responsive LED headlights, a sunroof, 17-inch wheels, an 8.0-inch infotainment display, two additional USB ports, lighted visor mirrors, a leather-trimmed shift lever, premium cloth upholstery, a six-way power driver's seat, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.
Equipping any of the above trims with the automatic transmission adds the EyeSight suite, which comprises forward collision detection with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane sway and departure with lane keep assist.
Finally, the Impreza Sport-tech package brings automatic high beams, reverse automatic braking, chrome exterior trim, 18-inch wheels, navigation, an eight-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, and red interior accent stitching.
Fuel Economy
Subaru's fuel consumption estimates for the Impreza are 10.1/7.6 L/100 km (city/highway) with the manual transmission, and 8.3/6.4 L/100 km when optioned with the automatic.
Competition
Among compact cars, only the Mazda3 and Mini Clubman offer AWD to create direct competitors to the Impreza, but the Mini's position as a premium model makes it a stretch as a comparison to the Subaru.
The compact car field also comprises big names like the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte, Volkswagen's Jetta and Golf, and Nissan's Sentra.
