Compact Hatchback Comparison: two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza 5-Door

The grown-up of the group

Above Average: Rail convenience, roominess, all-weather confidence

Below Average: Acceleration, athleticism

Consensus: A brainy, practical, responsible choice

Like your outdoorsy friend with all the right gear and practice, the Subaru Impreza has long been the level-headed adventurer of the compact car segment. Standard all-wheel drive is its signature chunk of equipment, while a proven reputation for safety and reliability serves as its confidence-inspiring track record. Exceptional passenger and cargo room only reinforce the Impreza’s concentrate on practicality.

And while the Impreza’s unique mix of strengths has long made it effortless (or necessary) for some buyers to forgive its relatively superficial shortcomings, a total redesign for two thousand seventeen means still fewer compromises. As it demonstrated during our 350-mile comparison test, Subaru’s compact car is now quieter on the highway and boasts a much more refined interior, two demonstrable areas of chance in its predecessor. The Impreza was one of the very first cars in the segment to suggest advanced driver assist and safety features like adaptive cruise control and automatic collision mitigation braking, and we’re glad to see the tech suggesting grow to include a much improved infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

The freshly redesigned two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza still isn’t among the most stylish or most fun-to-drive options in the more youthful compact car segment, but that lower profile is actually a large part of its appeal for many buyers. Of course, standard all-wheel drive, proven longevity and excellent resale value remain its key strengths.

two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza

Slightly stronger and more softly sprung than the others, the Impreza soaked up the rough patches on our route better than any other car in the group. Combined with comfy front seats and improved interior noise levels, the Subaru demonstrated awesome long-range convenience.

Getting up to highway speed takes some patience, however. Not only was the Subaru the most powerful car in this group, it was also the least powerful. Pulling into fast-moving traffic and passing on two-lane roads undoubtedly required a bit more care and planning than in the Mazda3 and Honda Civic, especially.

Our test vehicle was tooled with Subaru’s EyeSight safety and driver-assist technologies. We took utter advantage of the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, letting the Subaru do some of the throttle and steering work on the highway. Fortunately, we never tested the pre-collision braking.

Whether on muddy backroads or slick city streets, the Impreza is at its best relative to the competition when faced with challenging conditions. When skies are sunny and roads are dry, the Impreza drives like an average compact car. It accelerates, brakes and turns just fine, but not with the same levels of refinement found in the other cars in the test. In slow-and-go driving we noted a slight hiccup on deceleration, seemingly related to the Impreza’s continuously variable automatic transmission. It’s not a big thing, but it was hard to overlook once we noticed it. Excellent outward visibility and a taut turning radius make the Impreza a particularly skilled parking-lot shuttle.

While the WRX and WRX STI variants of the Impreza are spectacle legends, the more mainstream Impreza in our comparison neither inspired nor rewarded the kind of vigorous driving that made the Mazda3 and Civic so much joy. The aforementioned power and weight issues are a factor, but it’s mostly a function of personality. The Subaru feels like the adult here, and that’s exactly what many buyers are looking for.

The Impreza’s freshly refined interior is among its most welcome improvements. And while it isn’t as visually arousing or contemporary as the other cabins in the test, the materials, design and layout combine in a space that’s cozily familiar and functional — a flawless reflection of the brand itself. The front seats sit higher in the Subaru, which aids visibility, enhances the feeling of control and supports lighter vehicle entry and exit.

Like any infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, the Impreza’s Starlink system starts with an advantage. But those systems don’t substitute all the functionality of a vehicle’s infotainment capabilities, so you still want a system that’s comprehensive, effortless and reliable. Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system has proven to be all of the above in our practice. And in addition to a multitude of useful built-in apps, the Impreza’s suite of Starlink Connected Services (think GM’s OnStar) includes features like automatic crash notification and remote vehicle lock/unlock services.

The Impreza and Civic had the roomiest back seats in our test, both of them roomy and comfy enough to accommodate full-size adults on lengthy road trips.

While the Civic Hatchback scored a ideal ten in our cargo area evaluation, the Impreza followed right behind in a close 2nd place on the strength of astounding room behind the rear seats. But one of the key strengths of hatchbacks is that they turn into cavernous little cargo vans with the rear seats folded down, and the Subaru doesn’t disappoint there, either.

All-wheel-drive systems are more efficient than ever, but there’s nevertheless more friction and more weight involved. As a result, the Subaru Impreza is both less powerful and less efficient than the Honda Civic in our test. But using the EPA ratings, we’re looking at a difference of about five dollars per month. As noted in the Highway Driving section of this review, it’s the power deficiency that’s the thicker issue.

The two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza isn’t just a good value, it’s our two thousand seventeen Best Resale Value Awards champ in the Compact Car category. Combined with competitive pricing and low ownership costs, the fresh Impreza is also among the category’s 5-Year Cost to Own standouts.

Photo Gallery: two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza 5-Door

Compact Hatchback Comparison: two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza 5-Door – Kelley Blue Book

Compact Hatchback Comparison: two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza 5-Door

The grown-up of the group

Above Average: Rail convenience, roominess, all-weather confidence

Below Average: Acceleration, athleticism

Consensus: A brainy, practical, responsible choice

Like your outdoorsy friend with all the right gear and practice, the Subaru Impreza has long been the level-headed adventurer of the compact car segment. Standard all-wheel drive is its signature chunk of equipment, while a proven reputation for safety and reliability serves as its confidence-inspiring track record. Exceptional passenger and cargo room only reinforce the Impreza’s concentrate on practicality.

And while the Impreza’s unique mix of strengths has long made it effortless (or necessary) for some buyers to forgive its relatively superficial shortcomings, a total redesign for two thousand seventeen means still fewer compromises. As it demonstrated during our 350-mile comparison test, Subaru’s compact car is now quieter on the highway and boasts a much more refined interior, two evident areas of chance in its predecessor. The Impreza was one of the very first cars in the segment to suggest advanced driver assist and safety features like adaptive cruise control and automatic collision mitigation braking, and we’re glad to see the tech suggesting grow to include a much improved infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

The freshly redesigned two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza still isn’t among the most stylish or most fun-to-drive options in the more youthful compact car segment, but that lower profile is actually a large part of its appeal for many buyers. Of course, standard all-wheel drive, proven longevity and excellent resale value remain its key strengths.

two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza

Slightly stronger and more softly sprung than the others, the Impreza soaked up the rough patches on our route better than any other car in the group. Combined with convenient front seats and improved interior noise levels, the Subaru demonstrated amazing long-range convenience.

Getting up to highway speed takes some patience, however. Not only was the Subaru the most intense car in this group, it was also the least powerful. Pulling into fast-moving traffic and passing on two-lane roads certainly required a bit more care and planning than in the Mazda3 and Honda Civic, especially.

Our test vehicle was tooled with Subaru’s EyeSight safety and driver-assist technologies. We took total advantage of the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, letting the Subaru do some of the throttle and steering work on the highway. Fortunately, we never tested the pre-collision braking.

Whether on muddy backroads or slick city streets, the Impreza is at its best relative to the competition when faced with challenging conditions. When skies are sunny and roads are dry, the Impreza drives like an average compact car. It accelerates, brakes and turns just fine, but not with the same levels of refinement found in the other cars in the test. In slow-and-go driving we noted a slight hiccup on deceleration, seemingly related to the Impreza’s continuously variable automatic transmission. It’s not a big thing, but it was hard to disregard once we noticed it. Excellent outward visibility and a taut turning radius make the Impreza a particularly versed parking-lot shuttle.

While the WRX and WRX STI variants of the Impreza are spectacle legends, the more mainstream Impreza in our comparison neither inspired nor rewarded the kind of vigorous driving that made the Mazda3 and Civic so much joy. The aforementioned power and weight issues are a factor, but it’s mostly a function of personality. The Subaru feels like the adult here, and that’s exactly what many buyers are looking for.

The Impreza’s freshly refined interior is among its most welcome improvements. And while it isn’t as visually titillating or contemporary as the other cabins in the test, the materials, design and layout combine in a space that’s conveniently familiar and functional — a ideal reflection of the brand itself. The front seats sit higher in the Subaru, which aids visibility, enhances the feeling of control and supports lighter vehicle entry and exit.

Like any infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, the Impreza’s Starlink system starts with an advantage. But those systems don’t substitute all the functionality of a vehicle’s infotainment capabilities, so you still want a system that’s comprehensive, effortless and reliable. Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system has proven to be all of the above in our practice. And in addition to a diversity of useful built-in apps, the Impreza’s suite of Starlink Connected Services (think GM’s OnStar) includes features like automatic crash notification and remote vehicle lock/unlock services.

The Impreza and Civic had the roomiest back seats in our test, both of them roomy and convenient enough to accommodate full-size adults on lengthy road trips.

While the Civic Hatchback scored a flawless ten in our cargo area evaluation, the Impreza followed right behind in a close 2nd place on the strength of epic room behind the rear seats. But one of the key strengths of hatchbacks is that they turn into cavernous little cargo vans with the rear seats folded down, and the Subaru doesn’t disappoint there, either.

All-wheel-drive systems are more efficient than ever, but there’s nevertheless more friction and more weight involved. As a result, the Subaru Impreza is both less powerful and less efficient than the Honda Civic in our test. But using the EPA ratings, we’re looking at a difference of about five dollars per month. As noted in the Highway Driving section of this review, it’s the power deficiency that’s the fatter issue.

The two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza isn’t just a good value, it’s our two thousand seventeen Best Resale Value Awards champ in the Compact Car category. Combined with competitive pricing and low ownership costs, the fresh Impreza is also among the category’s 5-Year Cost to Own standouts.

Photo Gallery: two thousand seventeen Subaru Impreza 5-Door

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