2018 Subaru Impreza Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
- Standard all-wheel drive delivers secure handling and wet-weather traction
- The cabin is quiet, comfortable and surprisingly roomy for a compact car
- A healthy selection of advanced safety features is available on most trims
- Available manual transmission for those who want to row their own gears
- Slow acceleration, even with this generation's more powerful engine
- Transmission is loud under heavy loads
- Interior materials are of a lower quality than many rivals
- Hard to match fuel economy estimates in the real world
What’s new
Vehicle overview
First off, if you're in the market for a traditional compact car with the stable traction provided by all-wheel drive, you can end your search with the 2018 Subaru Impreza. It's the only car in its class to offer it. But you don't need to live in a climate with a lot of rain or snow to appreciate the Impreza. Redesigned just last year, the current-generation model's build quality and technology interface are vastly superior to its predecessor's. Compared to other models in this class, the Impreza is a standout for its stellar handling, roomy cabin, available hatchback body style, and a number of widely available advanced driver aids.
Still, shortcomings in a few key areas might give shoppers pause. The Impreza's most significant drawback is its lackluster powertrain. Though 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque look healthy on the spec sheet, we've found the Impreza is one of the slowest cars in its class. Matters aren't helped by the car's continuously variable automatic transmission. It isn't quick to react to driver inputs, and when it does finally rev the engine high enough for a speed burst, there's not enough power on tap to muster any meaningful acceleration. Constantly shoving the gas pedal just to keep up with traffic means the Impreza also has a hard time meeting its fuel economy estimates in the real world.
If you can overlook the Impreza's engine and transmission deficiencies, though, you'll find a capable small car with plenty of room, a comfortable ride and that enviable all-wheel-drive system.
Notably, we picked the 2018 Subaru Impreza as one of Edmunds' Best AWD Sedans for 2018.
What's it like to live with?
Edmunds owned a Subaru Impreza for one year and nearly 20,000 miles. To learn more about our experiences, visit the long-term page for our 2017 Subaru Impreza Limited. We cover everything from seat comfort to real-world fuel economy. All-wheel-drive performance was a staff favorite, but we were less impressed with its engine responsiveness and interior materials. If you have questions, chances are good we've answered them during our long-term test. There are no significant differences between the 2018 Subaru Impreza and our long-term car, so our observations still apply.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
7.4 / 10Trim tested
Scorecard
| Overall | 7.4 / 10 |
| Driving | 7.5 |
| Comfort | 7.5 |
| Interior | 8.5 |
| Utility | 7.0 |
| Technology | 8.0 |
Driving
7.5Comfort
7.5Interior
8.5Utility
7.0Technology
8.0Which Impreza does Edmunds recommend?
2018 Subaru Impreza models
Like many compacts, the 2018 Subaru Impreza is available as a sedan or a four-door hatchback. Features on the four available trims are identical between the two body styles. The base 2.0i is sparsely equipped, but it does have power windows and a touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay capability. The Premium counts alloy wheels and heated seats among its additions. Upgrade to the Sport and you get larger wheels, sporty suspension tuning, keyless entry and ignition, and a larger touchscreen. The Limited keeps some of the Sport's luxury features and adds leather and automatic climate control.