2024 Subaru Impreza: Making Affordability Look Good

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

The 2024 Subaru Impreza debuted in L.A., and after wandering over to the brand's floor stand -- and nearly getting sick due to the psychedelic floors -- I gotta say, Subie's little inexpensive hatch looks good up close.

The on-paper specs look pretty good, too.


The sixth-gen car is five-door hatchback-only and has a 10-percent stiffer chassis, and offers a new RS performance trim. The RS has a 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder that makes 182 horsepower, and it also has 18-inch wheels and exterior and interior aesthetics that are unique to the trim.

Subaru is making its Starlink infotainment system available in the Impreza for the first time, the EyeSight safety system is "improved", and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available.

Subaru fans and/or those with long memories will note that the very first Impreza debuted in 1992 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

There are three trims -- base, Sport, and the aforementioned RS. All-wheel drive is standard across the board, as befits Subaru. The two lower trims have a 2.0-liter boxer four making 152 ponies and 145 lb-ft of torque, while the RS delivers 178 lb-ft of twist. No manuals here -- a CVT does the transmission duties, with Sport and RS models getting an 8-speed "manual mode" with paddle shifters. Yes, we're rolling our eyes, too.

The Impreza has long served as a base for the WRX, and the sportier sedan returns the favor, as the Impreza gets a version of the WRX's dual-pinion electronic power steering.

Sport and RS trims get the SI drive-management system and a sport suspension.

Subaru claims it has focused on making the cabin quieter and the seats more supportive.

The claimed improvements to EyeSight include the ability to work under a larger range of conditions, and Automatic Emergency Steering is included on models that have blind-spot detection with lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert. Updated software and an added electric brake booster are part of the updates, as well.

Other standard or available features include fog lamps, Bluetooth, a rear-view camera, satellite radio, LED lighting, heated front seats, Harmon Kardon audio, and a power moonroof.

[Images © 2022 Tim Healey/TTAC]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • Kukala J. Machus Kukala J. Machus on Nov 18, 2022

    Inexpensive? TTAC must pay well. Coupes have 2 doors Tim.


    • Tim Healey Tim Healey on Nov 18, 2022

      You're right -- I meant to type hatch and had a brain fart. I will fix.



  • Teewuggle Teewuggle on Nov 18, 2022

    Rephrased: 2024 Subaru Impreza; Making Affordable look affordable. Honestly, It doesn't look bad; but compared to its competitor, the Chevrolet Trax; it looks 10 years dated.

  • Fred Do what GM wants, cut costs. Pull out of racing hyper cars, defund the F1 program. Finally make more SUVs.
  • Cprescott I would do the following for Cadihack:[list=1][*] Make the V-Series as the base model and then add hybrid to the upgrade;[/*][*]Can the hideous Arts and Scientology (!) design disaster and bring out smoother yet crisp and sleek styling - no more boxes or tacky lighting. Let the body sculpturing win the day. I'd say take Audi and cross it with Genesis to give the vehicles stance and easily identifiable brand cues.[/*][*]Come up with interiors that are unique with quality materials and not something that looks like you ripped off Hyundai and Kia. The car must have four bucket seats that are all adjustable. [/*][*]Build to order. Get rid of this buying a Cadihack off the lot and sell at retail for a car built specifically for the client. Nothing makes a premium statement than a car built specifically for the customer - dealer will like because car will be sold at sticker.[/*][*]Expand exterior and interior colors and combinations.[/*][*]Share nothing with any other GM product. Each car / vehicle has to be a standout model even if the basis is common platform - if Hyundai/Kia/Genesis can pull this off, GM must be able to do.[/*][*]Do not mistake sticker price for luxury. The car's design and material integration will do that for you. If it does not feel, look, and smell premium, it is a Chevrolet.[/*][*]Special customer service - at the time of delivery, client gets to meet the service team that will deliver five years of complimentary service PLUS free tires for the first 50k. Special appointments and pick up car from customer and then bring it back. [/*][*]Loaner car delivered if vehicle is in the shop more than routine maintenance and picked up free of charge for first five years.[/*][*]Thoughtful design trumps technology. Vehicle should be intuitive to use and built to coddle the customer beyond his/her expectations. Vehicle must have "Wow!" - not just good enough.[/*][/list=1]
  • KOKing Kinda hate to say this but they need to be an American Land Rover sans the offroad image (and capability). Leave the Escalade alone and do a shrunken Escalade-esque lineup (the first time I saw a Hyundai Palisade I thought that was the XT6 that Cadillac shoulda made) and dump the alphabet soup models and trims.
  • Theflyersfan How to fix Cadillac? Blackwing.Now I know (because I've asked) dealers are still thinking they are selling Demons with the kinds of markups on Blackwings, but for enthusiast drivers in the know, those cars are legit. They get lost in the shuffle of M-this and AMG-that, but they hold their own. However, with rising CAFE standards and upcoming emissions requirements, along with European CO2 limits, they all can't be turbo V8s with no hybrid propulsion. So at least mild hybrid them to try to eke out another 8-10 mpg average. That's a good start. Do something with the Escalade. These aren't the early 2000s when they had the hip hop image and every corner had a jet black Escalade with chrome rims. In my area, you just don't see them any longer as money has moved to the Germans. If they want to compete with the Germans, they have to downsize it and crank the engine up to 11. It's still way too truckish to compete with the Q8, X7, and GLS. Even though they probably don't want to, keep the sedans. Don't give those up to the Germans, Japanese, and Koreans as well. And with all that, go all in with performance. Become what BMW was over 15 years ago. They tried that before and half assed it, but they have the tools to make it happen now. Try to appeal to the audience that BMW and Mercedes left behind and that Genesis and Acura are trying to claim (or reclaim). Good luck Cadillac...you'll need it.
  • SCE to AUX Introduce a modern V-16 and put it into a Celestiq-like vehicle instead of electric.
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