2023 Subaru Impreza Sedan

Next year will see the arrival of a brand-new Subaru Impreza, but the sedan we review here will be history, with only a hatchback on the menu from 2024. The 2023 Subaru Impreza sedan will be the last model year; the car is now starting to get really old and uncompetitive after seven years on the market in the USA. Besides it marking the end of a long run of Impreza sedans, it also signals the final year you'll be able to buy one with a manual transmission, as the sixth-generation car will be offered with a CVT only. That car will also get a more powerful new 2.5-liter engine option, but sadly, the current one will see out the rest of its days with an underpowered 152-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine under the hood, coupled to a choice of two equally unsatisfactory transmission options. With the sedan market waning and world-class rivals such as the Honda Civic Sedan and Mazda 3 Sedan leading the charge, the thoroughly outdated Impreza's replacement cannot come soon enough. It's still unique among these rivals by offering an all-AWD lineup, and it starts at a high-value price of under $20k, but it may not be enough to recommend it.

With a $19,795 MSRP, the price of the 2023 Subaru Impreza Sedan base trim with the five-speed manual gearbox is up by just $500 over that of the 2022 base model. Upgrading the base trim to the CVT automatic will cost you $1,300. The other trims are CVT only, and next in line is the Premium at $23,195, followed by the Sport at $24,595. These prices do not include Subaru's destination fee of $1,020.

The chink in the Impreza's armor is its powertrain - and we mean all of it. The engine develops only 152 hp and struggles to get the car going, so you'll be rowing it along by the gear lever to get anywhere in a hurry. And while we applaud the availability of the manual gearbox, you'll derive no satisfaction from such gear rowing, because the shifter is imprecise - and there are only five gears, with the ratios too widely spaced to make the most of the engine power. You're not much better off with the CVT, and while it's one of the better ones out there, the lack of power means the car suffers from the dreaded CVT drone when you hoof it. These shortcomings are all the more disappointing in view of the Impreza's excellent ride and handling. It feels securely strapped down, with well-weighted steering, responsive brakes, an absorbent ride, and sure-footed handling with AWD grip in the best Subaru tradition. But it all comes to naught due to the frustrating powertrain.

The Impreza must be given its dues for being at the forefront of the class in terms of ride, handling, and safety, even now, at the end of its production run. It's genuinely comfortable and seems to be immune to bad roads, bad weather, and bad drivers. So it's sad that it's undone due to that unsatisfactory engine and transmission - whichever one you choose. It's slow to accelerate and buzzy when extended. It spoils what is otherwise still a competitive car. We await next year's 182-hp 2.5-liter Impreza with bated breath. But if you want a sedan, you're out of luck because the new car with be a hatchback only. Since we cannot recommend the current Impreza sedan, you're probably better off with a Mazda or Honda.

The Premium offers the best combination of features. The base looks dreary on its steel wheels, but the Premium not only comes with 16-inch alloys, but also adds heated front seats, foglights, Wi-Fi, a six-speaker audio system, and heated front seats, among other features. It only comes with the CVT, but that means the EyeSight driver assists are standard, and it's not like the base car's manual gearbox is particularly pleasant to use. The Sport adds sport touches to a car that's not sporty at all and asks too much for too little, so the Premium is the sweet spot.