2016 Subaru Impreza review

What We Like 

• Fuel economy: According to the EPA, the 2016 Subaru Impreza with the automatic transmission gets up to an estimated 31 mpg in combined city and highway driving, while the five-speed manual gearbox is estimated to get up to 28 mpg combined.

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  These figures made the Impreza the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive model (non-electrified) in the United States at the time. 

• Driver aids: Subaru’s EyeSight^® driver-assist system, which is standard on higher trim levels, features adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, and vehicle lane departure warning. Also included are steering-responsive foglights, which activate individually and  provide additional illumination in the direction of the turn.  

• Interior: While the Subaru Impreza’s interior styling could be considered conservative, the design is clean and simple, with clear and intuitive controls. The build quality is solid, and the materials have a premium feel with soft touch points. The front seats are comfortable for long road trips, and the rear seat is one of the most spacious in the segment, with excellent legroom and headroom. The sedan offers up to 12 cubic feet of storage in its trunk, while the hatchback can fit 22.5 cubes of stuff.  

What Needs Improvement 

• Performance: With its 2.0-liter engine putting out just 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque, the Impreza is not very quick off the line. In Edmunds’ road test, the Impreza sedan with the CVT took 9.6 seconds to reach 60 mph, a rather long time for a compact sedan. Engine noise can be annoying during hard acceleration.