2024 Subaru Impreza RS Review: An Affordable AWD Puppy

Groupthink isn't necessarily a bad thing if you're following the crowd to some of the best new car options, though if it means shoppers overlook the 2024 Subaru Impreza RS, then they're undoubtedly missing out. A few heavyweights — I'm looking at you, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla — dominate the affordable hatchback segment, and with good reason: they're reliable and predictable. That's not to say there's no space for a more off-beat option, especially one which doesn't break the bank, and that's just what the 2024 Impreza RS represents.

Subaru has intentionally simplified its Impreza line-up, in what feels a lot like recognition that the non-SUV segment is progressively shrinking. For the 2024 model year, your choices boil down to a single body style — it's a hatchback or nothing — three trims, and two engines, both with CVTs.

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The styling has seen a massage, not a reinvention, too. It's not an ugly car, though I'd also say it's not tremendously memorable either. The grille is larger and the headlamps more squinting and angular, while the black contrast trim on this Impreza RS model looks good. It gets 18-inch dark gray finish alloy wheels, too, plus LED headlights and fog lamps.

A Subaru WRX will set you back at least $30,605 (plus destination). The 2024 Impreza RS, in contrast, kicks off at $27,885 (plus $1,090 destination). Even with options — a 10-way power driver's seat, Harmon Kardon 432-watt audio system, and power moonroof — on the Pure Red example you see here, you're still looking at $31,045 all-in.

The price difference does get you more power in the WRX, of course, though from a smaller engine. That car's 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer-4 musters 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, routed through either a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic (with eight pseudo-shift points to replicate "true" gears).

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In the 2024 Impreza RS, the 2.5-liter boxer-4 lacks the turbocharger. It delivers 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 178 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm. There's no stick shift option, either, only Subaru's Lineartronic CVT with its eight pretend ratios. Fuel economy drops a point across each category: 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined.

As with almost every new Subaru, all-wheel drive is standard. In fact, even the 2024 Impreza Base trim (from $22,995 with destination) gets AWD, albeit with a smaller, less-powerful 2.0-liter engine. Every trim gets dual-zone climate control, steering-responsive headlamps — that "tilt" as you turn — and Subaru's Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system. That finesses the brakes and engine output in cases of understeer, working with the brake-based active torque vectoring system.

Base trim gets a pair of 7-inch infotainment screens; Sport and RS trims swap those for a single 11.6-inch Starling Multimedia Plus touchscreen. It's a big, portrait-aspect display, flanked by physical controls for volume and HVAC adjustment, and with a persistent bar for more climate control settings along the bottom of the screen.

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Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported on the bigger infotainment screen, and there are both USB-A and USB-C ports for the first and second rows. A smaller, 4.2-inch display is sandwiched between the analog gauges for the driver.

Subaru's infotainment software can feel like a lot, at first glance. At the top you can have readouts for engine temperature and the trip computer, or flick across to the What's Playing view. Underneath are apps, multimedia, and settings screens. It takes a bit of time getting used to everything — Subaru's odd font doesn't help, even if it's traditional at this point — and rival UIs are definitely easier to navigate on the move.

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That said, Subaru clearly knows what drivers are going to want to play with when they're focused on the road ahead. The two drive modes — "Sharp" and "Intelligent" — are switched between with a dedicated pair of buttons on the steering wheel. The heated seats — standard on RS, and an All-Weather Package option on the Sport — are adjusted with big, easily pressed switches in the center console.

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Nothing feels especially premium to the touch (the plastic paddle shifters are underwhelming in the face of rivals' metal) but it all seems as sturdy and resilient as you'd expect from a Subaru. RS trim gets special red-accented cloth seating and aluminum pedal covers; there's no full leather option now, though the RS' steering wheel and shifter knob are leather-wrapped at least.

It's spacious and practical — bigger inside than a Toyota Corolla Hatchback or a Mazda3 hatchback, Subaru points out — with 20.4 cu-ft of cargo space with the rear seats up, and 56 cu-ft with them dropped down. They fold with a useful 60/40 split.

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As for safety, the RS trim gets blind-spot detection with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alerts as standard; that's an option on the Sport, but not offered on the Base trim. An upgraded version of Subaru's EyeSight driver assistance — which uses a set of stereo cameras at the top of the windshield — is standard across all three trims.

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It supports automatic emergency braking, while the RS adds automatic emergency steering, too. That can help with emergency maneuvers in the case of an imminent collision. Adaptive cruise control with lane-centering taps those cameras to help keep the Impreza in the middle of the lane on highways.

While the RS badge may call to mind Subaru's halcyon days of rally drifting through dense forests, this particular Impreza flavor isn't quite so wild. I'm minded to think that's no bad thing: after all, the WRX is within spitting distance for those chasing a little more mayhem.

What you get with the 2024 Impreza RS is a playful, tractable little slice of fun, that can also knuckle down and be your all-seasons companion when it needs to be. Subaru's commitment to all-wheel drive deserves praise, especially given the growing number of ostensibly crossover and SUV models that don't even offer AWD as an option. No, the Impreza's 5.1-inches of ground clearance isn't going to make it a mountain goat, but for those of us wanting reassurance in ice and snow months, Subaru's pitch here is a strong one.

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When the mood for whimsy does overtake you, the driver's seat of the Impreza RS is a pleasing place to be. The combination of grip, Subaru's effective torque vectoring system, and a surprisingly compliant suspension setup — which also makes the hatchback comfortable for more everyday jaunts — makes for more fun than the horsepower figures might suggest. The key is that you actually feel like you get to use that power, with minimal opportunity to get yourself into too much trouble along the way. The RS is arguably even more fun in gravel or mud, the comes-as-standard sure-footedness paying clear dividends.

It's certainly more fun there than a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic might be. A Civic Si will have the edge on asphalt, but can't hold up to the Subaru's all-wheel drive when road surfaces get raucous, nor match its practicality. The oft-forgotten Mazda3 definitely feels more premium inside, and its turbocharged engine option is a gem. Then, it comes down to refinement versus the more straightforward appeal of the Impreza RS.

You'll spend more than $38k for that turbo Mazda, mind, while both the Civic and the Corolla lack the AWD option. In fact, there's a very good argument to be made that the Impreza Base and Sport trims should be the go-to new options for anybody living in cold weather states and on a strict budget.

Sadly that would mean you miss out on the full array of the 2024 Impreza RS' charms. Subaru's decision to pare back its car range could've left the Impreza feeling barebones and forgotten. Instead, it has managed to distill what made the Impreza stand out in the first place, and while it may not be the first hatchback to spring to mind when you're shopping for a new vehicle, this RS feels like a wildcard in an otherwise predictable segment.