Advertisement

2020 Subaru Impreza Costs $100 More, Gets 1 MPG Less

Photo credit: Subaru
Photo credit: Subaru

From Car and Driver

  • Subaru is pricing its entry-level car, the 2020 Impreza, at $100 above the 2019 model.

  • The new model makes its EyeSight active-safety technology standard on all Imprezas equipped with the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

  • For manual-transmission fans, there'll be a five-speed manual available on all three versions of the Impreza: hatchback, Sport hatchback, and sedan.

Subaru announced today that the 2020 Impreza will start at $19,595, which is $100 more than the 2019 model. For that small extra fee, the new all-wheel drive Impreza now comes with more safety equipment and with a refreshed front fascia, grille, and taillights, plus standard automatic door locks. There's also a new exterior color, Ocean Blue Pearl.

ADVERTISEMENT

The more important updates to the 2020 Impreza are available on the higher of the four trim levelsBase, Premium, Sport and Limited. For example, if you get a new Impreza with the CVT, which starts at $20,895 for the sedan ($21,395 for the hatchback), you'll also get Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist technology as standard. The EyeSight package includes automatic pre-collision braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure and sway warnings, and lead vehicle start alert, which buzzes at the driver when the car in front of the Impreza starts moving again. Think of it as a built-in service so the car behind you won't honk at you when the light turns green.

Subaru is also making a rear-seat reminder available in all new Imprezas. This mildly annoying technology warns the driver to look in the back seats for an occupant, such as a pet or a child, and is being implemented in other Subaru models as well. It's standard in the new Forester and Ascent, for example.

Power for the 2020 Impreza will continue to be provided by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that produces 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. The EPA says the 2020 Impreza gets 31 mpg combined, 28 city, and 36 highway in the non-Sport CVT trims. Subaru says the 2020 Impreza is "one of the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicles sold in the U.S.," but its fuel-economy number are a bit worse than the most efficient 2019 Impreza, which got an EPA 32 combined, 28 city, and 38 highway mpg in the CVT sedan.

Subaru is offering a five-speed manual transmission in three versions of the Impreza: the base sedan and hatchback as well as the Sport hatch. All others come with a CVT, and the MSRP can range up to $27,195 for the top Limited version of the hatchback. The two transmissions bring with them changes in how the all-wheel-drive system operates. For the manual, the Impreza uses a Continuous AWD version that nominally distributes torque 50:50 front to rear. The CVT, on the other hand, has Active AWD technology, which "adjusts torque distribution based on acceleration, deceleration, and available traction," Subaru says.

There are three optional packages for the 2020 Impreza that all include a power moonroof as well as various driver safety and convenience features. Prices for these packages range from $1970 to $2470.

You Might Also Like