2022 Subaru Impreza

The 2022 Subaru Impreza will be available in two body styles sedan and hatchback. The 2022 Impreza sedan is offered in three trims this time namely Base, Premium, and Sport. While the Limited trim has been dropped for the Impreza sedan this year. The Impreza sedan starts at $19,600 when equipped with a manual transmission while the base trim with the CVT transmission starts at $20,095. The Premium and the Sport trims are only available with a CVT transmission and are priced at $22,195 and $23,595 respectively.

All the trims of Imprezza sedans are powered by the same 2.0-liter flat-4 engines with a full-time AWD. Apart from the standard features listed below in the table, there are a couple of optional features also available. The Base trim has an option of having Subaru's EyeSight driver aid suite that includes lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, rear automatic braking, and forward collision mitigation. While optional on the Premium and Sport trim is a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, Harman & Kardon sound system, navigation, and sunroof.

The 2022 Subaru Impreza comes with a sluggish 2.0-Liter naturally aspirated flat-4 engine that puts out 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. This engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox while AWD is standard on all the Imprezas. This engine lacks punch and is slow to build pace. In the segment, it is the most lethargic sedan to drive and one needs to work it up to coax out some decent performance from it. The transmission choices are a further let down with the CVT being sluggish and the manual being notchy. Although between the two we would prefer the CVT just for its smoothness.

When it comes to acceleration timing the 2022 Impreza does 0-60 MPH under nine seconds and takes another eight more seconds to cover a quarter-mile which is by far the slowest in the segment. Although all isn't bad with the Impreza, it does shine in terms of ride and handling. While the steering is quick and precise. Chucking Impreza around corners at high speed won't unsettle it too. The braking performance is another area where the Impreza shines, stopping at a much shorter distance compared to the other sedans in its class.

In this comparison, the Honda Civic emerges as the most powerful of the lot while the Corolla is at the other end of the spectrum putting out the least amount of power and torque figures. In terms of acceleration timing, the Corolla and the Kia Forte are the quickest while the Impreza took 0.4 seconds more than both to hit the 60 MPH mark.

The 2022 Subaru Impreza is not only the slowest sedan in the segment but also returns below-average fuel economy figures. The 2022 Impreza has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 23 MPG in the city, 31 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined. While with the CVT gearbox the number rises sharply to 28 MPG in the city, 36 MPG on the highway and 31 MPG combined.

The Honda Civic delivers impeccable mileage for the competition followed by the Toyota Corolla and Kia Forte while the Impreza is the least efficient of all even when had with the CVT gearbox. But one should bear in mind that they are all FWD cars which the Subaru Impreza comes with a full-time AWD which does take a hit on gas mileage.

The interior of the 2022 Subaru Impreza sees no changes and has been carried over. This means you get a very practical and well-put-together cabin with an ample amount of space and ergonomically laid-out controls. The interior looks inspired by the Legacy and Subaru strictly follows the design cues from it. On the dashboard and around the cabin there is a mix of soft-touch and hard touch plastic with the latter being in the majority. But in this segment and at this price point we won't complain about this. At the center, there is an infotainment screen flanked by AC vents, and to the left, there is a 4.2-inch driver's digital display along with analog dials.

The instrument cluster offers good readability and is visible even under direct sunlight. The seats are covered with good quality clothing and are well cushioned and supportive. Both rows offer a decent amount of legroom and headroom and additional storage spaces. Higher trims get leather-trimmed seats with a heating function for the front seats. Although, the cargo capacity on the Impreza is only 12.3 cubic feet which is on the lower side but can take your daily loads and a few carry-on suitcases if you plan for a weekend getaway.

As for the infotainment, the 2022 Impreza gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen unit as standard while an 8-inch touchscreen unit is standard only on Sport trim. Both the units are easy to read, have a crisp display, and are intuitive to use. The audio is played with a four-speaker stereo on the base trim while the Premium trim adds two more speakers. That said, other than the bigger touchscreen the Sport trim also offers the option of upgrading to Harman and Kardon sound system with navigation.  

The Impreza along with the other cars offer similar cabin space with adequate headroom and legroom. Although, the Honda Civic offers slightly better legroom at the rear which makes the rear quite comfortable for tall passengers. The Toyota Corolla offers the least spacious cabin overall. While the trunk capacity of the Kia Forte is the best in class cargo capacity followed by the Honda Civic.

Interior Features:

• Power windows and door locks
• 60/40-split folding rear seats
• Fabric-trimmed seats
• Available heated front seats
• Available leather-trimmed seats

The exterior design of the Subaru Impreza has been updated throughout the years with minor changes which are vaguely noticeable. Although the 2022 Impreza receives no changes to its exterior except for the addition of a new Sapphire Blue Pearl exterior color option. Change or no change the exterior looks of the Impreza is elegant and neutral in the segment.

The rear is also sans any drama or strange design and continues the understated design theme of the front fascia. The base model gets a 16-inch steel wheel while the higher trims offer 16- and 18-inch alloy wheels options. The 18-inch wheel seen on the Sport trim comes with wider rubber.

The 2021 Impreza is the heaviest compact sedan among the competition with a curb weight of 2976 pounds and the Kia Forte is the lightest in the segment. Apart from that, all four sedans share pretty much similar dimensions here. Except for the fact that the Civic is the longest sedan with the longest wheelbase on offer while the Impreza sedan is the tallest among all the sedans here.

Exterior Features:

• Automatic LED headlamps
• Heated side mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Foglights

The 2022 Subaru Impreza has received the top safety ratings from both federal agencies. The overall build quality and chassis make it safer along with the driver assistance features. The 2022 Impreza got the highest rating of "Good" from IIHS in all its six parameters while the NHTSA gave it a perfect 5-star overall safety score. The Impreza even went further and bagged the perfect 5-star rating in a frontal crash, side crash, and rollover mitigation from NHTSA.

Safety Features:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane-departure warning
• Lane-keeping assist
• Forward collision warning
• Blind-spot monitoring system
• Rear-cross traffic alert

2022 Subaru Impreza vs 2022 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is better in performance, fuel efficiency, cargo capacity, and offers a bit more rear legroom than the Impreza. However, the Impreza has an AWD system, advanced safety features, and overall sporty nature over the Civic. 

With the 2022 update on the Civic, it has gotten even better than before while the Impreza remains mostly unchanged. Thus between the two, we suggest picking the Civic over the Impreza.

2022 Subaru Impreza vs 2022 Toyota Corolla

The 2022 Toyota Corolla looks sharp from the outside but in competition with the Impreza, it lacks overall interior design, quality of materials inside the cabin, and the AWD capability the Impreza packs in. 

On the other hand, the Impreza can be highly customized and offers better ride and handling. Thus between the two, the Impreza is a better pick over the Corolla if you can live with the poor gas mileage.

2022 Subaru Impreza vs 2021 Kia Forte

The current-gen Kia Forte is very similar in appeal to the Toyota Corolla. The design has been kept minimal yet stylish on the outside while on the inside it is similar to other Kia cars in that price range. The Forte is ahead in delivering better mileage figures, and the overall cabin space than the Impreza. 

The Forte also performs better and has an overall better build quality. Except for the AWD and a well-put-together cabin, there is hardly anything that the Impreza does better over the Forte. Thus between the two, the Forte is a clear winner here.

The Subaru Impreza has always been a very reliable and sporty compact family sedan with all the modern touches you can expect. All that with a price that is strikingly lower than the competition. The 2022 Impreza also builds on the same fact and comes mostly unchanged. It is priced considerably lower than the rivals and still retains the stick-shifter on the base trim. For the money, the Subaru Impreza has always amazed with the tech and cabin quality it offers. But with time it has started to feel dated and updated rivals like the Civic sedan feels a much better choice in the segment at the moment. So if you are looking for a compact sedan we suggest first looking at other cars before coming to the Impreza.