Used 2021 Subaru Impreza

Winner: 2021 Best Resale Value Award
#9 in Best Small Cars for 2021

The 2021 Subaru Impreza comes as a roomy compact sedan or compact hatchback. Despite being the least expensive brand-new Subaru, it comes with all-wheel drive as standard, which makes it different from every rival and a definite asset for drivers who deal with slippery roads and foul weather on a regular basis.

It also has top safety scores, while some driver aids become standard as soon as buyers choose the automatic transmission over the standard 5-speed manual. Not everything about the Impreza is impressive, though.

Compared with most rivals, the Impreza’s 152-horsepower non-turbocharged engine is on the lukewarm side. And the automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) is never the stuff of an enthusiast’s dreams.

Still, the Impreza compensates for its performance deficits with an overall user-friendliness, excellent reliability, and robust resale values.

There’s only so much 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque can do, especially when drive is going to all four wheels. So the Subaru Impreza is no thrill machine.

Nor does the automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) help matters. Under hard acceleration, it feels and sounds overworked.

Putting tepid performance aside, the Impreza is still a solid car. It feels planted because its boxer engine keeps the center of gravity advantageously low.

And thanks to Subaru’s superb all-wheel-drive system, the Impreza outgrips the competition. When roads turn slippery, the Impreza is the compact car to be in. For further confirmation, look at the number of Subarus in places like Colorado and the Pacific Northwest.

RELATED: Best Small Cars for 2021

With the seating for up to five, the cabin of the 2021 Impreza is pleasant and user-friendly. Adjusting volume levels, side mirrors, or temperatures, all the controls are within reach and easy to distinguish

The lower two trims have a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen; Sport and Limited enjoy a crisp 8-inch display. Cloth upholstery is standard in all but the top Limited trim, where leather comes in.

Rear legroom is generous for a compact car, and it’s the same in either body style. Behind the hatchback’s rear seats is 20.8 cubic feet of luggage area, opening up to 55 cubic feet when they’re folded down. The sedan’s trunk measures 12.3 cubic feet, which is still reasonable for the class, but the hatchback is far more versatile.

One of the main choices when buying a 2021 Impreza is whether to go for the sedan or the hatchback. The wheelbase (the distance between axles) is the same in both. At 182.1 inches, the sedan is slightly longer overall. Yet, at 175.6 inches long, the hatchback has more interior space.

Wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches, and the base model has lowly steel rims. This year, Sport trim has a black rear spoiler with end panels finished in Crystal Black Silica.

Ground clearance is a modest 5.1 inches, which is worth thinking about when the snow gets deep and/or the driveway is steep. For more, check out the Subaru Crosstrek.

STANDARD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
Subaru and all-wheel drive go hand in hand. Through sharp curves or down snow-covered roads, drivers may wonder how they ever lived without it. Best of all, the system doesn’t have an adverse effect on the 2021 Impreza’s fuel economy or price.

EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSIST
Standard in every 2021 Impreza with the automatic transmission, Subaru’s EyeSight system employs twin windshield-mounted cameras as digital “eyes” to monitor driving conditions constantly. The system can maintain a safe distance from the car ahead, emit a warning when the Impreza is drifting out of its lane, and even slow or stop the car if a collision is imminent.

In sedan or hatchback form, the 2021 Impreza comes in base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims. Even the base has all-wheel drive as standard, plus an infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40 split/folding rear seats, and keyless entry.

A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, but most buyers will choose the CVT automatic accompanied by the highly recommendable EyeSight system (see Favorite Features).

We recommend stretching to Premium trim for the automatic transmission (a $1,300 option in the base car), the EyeSight assist system, alloy wheels, upgraded 6-speaker audio system with CD player, heated front seats, dual rear USB ports, 4.2-inch LCD instrument display, halogen fog lights, heated side mirrors, and a wiper de-icer.

New for 2021, this trim gains Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) selectable engine modes, with controls on the steering wheel. Driving enthusiasts might also want to consider the Impreza’s short-throw shifter that comes standard in Sport models with the manual transmission.

Higher up the trim levels, Sport has 18-inch alloy wheels, active torque vectoring, rocker panels, a sport-tuned suspension, an upgraded infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, and red seat stitching in the seats.

Limited comes with a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and blind-spot monitoring (both of which are available in Premium and Sport trims), plus leather upholstery, reverse automatic braking, keyless entry/ignition, and LED headlights.

Other options include a moonroof, navigation, and an 8-speaker/432-watt Harman Kardon audio system.

The Impreza has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. That’s unimpressive, but the engine is easy on gas, especially when paired with the CVT automatic.

The base and Sport models have a 5-speed manual transmission as standard, which gives drivers greater control for passing and merging, although there’s a penalty in fuel consumption.

Other compact cars have similar engine outputs for their base models. It’s just that the added weight of the standard all-wheel-drive hardware can make the Impreza feel like it’s struggling to keep up.

By design, the horizontally opposed (aka flat-4 and boxer) unit sits quite far down in the engine bay. This brings a lower center of gravity compared with a regular inline-4, enhancing stability.

2.0-liter flat-4
152 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
145 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/31 mpg (manual, sedan), 24/31 mpg (manual, hatchback), 28/36 mpg (automatic, sedan/hatchback), 27/36 mpg (Sport sedan, automatic), 22/30 mpg (Sport hatchback, manual), 27/35 mpg (Sport hatchback, automatic)