Family Car Review: 2024 Subaru Impreza

How big is the boot of the 2024 Subaru Impreza?

The Subaru Impreza's boot fits 10 shopping bags. This is comparable to the Mazda3, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, and Volkswagen Golf, which all hold ten shopping bags, too. The Kia Cerato holds eleven.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually measurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The 2024 Subaru Impreza's boot floor is flat and carpeted, great for transporting a small-sized family dog or doing an emergency nappy change.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…

…will fit in the 2024 Subaru Impreza's boot with two shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with two sibling seats…

…will fit in the boot of the Subaru Impreza with two shopping bags.

The Thule Urban Glide 3 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…

… with the back wheels off, it will fit in the Impreza's boot with two shopping bags.

The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…

… fits in the boot of the Subaru Impreza with six shopping bags.

The Subaru Impreza's boot can accommodate one 90L and two 70L Thule Chasm duffle bags.

How good is storage in the New 2024 Subaru Impreza?

Storage in the front of the Subaru Impreza is practical for families. There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold refillable or disposable coffee cups, and in front of the gear lever is a phone charging pad. There are also USB and USB-C sockets for charging.

The central console box is a generous size…

… and the glove box will hold an iPad with the manual.

The front door bins are a practical size and fit a refillable water bottle and iPad and have the same storage wells in the door handles.

Passengers in the back have minimal but practical storage, too. There are two cup holders in the fold-down armrest in the central seat back, which will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup, or a kids' drink cup.

There is a single map pocket on the back of the front passenger seat that will hold an iPad but not conceal it.

The door bins in the back will fit a refillable water bottle, and there is storage in the handle wells, too.

So… How noisy is the new 2024 Subaru Impreza?

Since I last drove one, the Subaru Impreza has had a comprehensive upgrade. It has a large portrait media screen in the central dash and a colourful media system that is easy to use and navigate.

The Impreza comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can access your phone's navigation, music, podcast and messaging apps while driving. The climate controls are located along the bottom of the screen, and the temperature controls are located along the side, so they are easy to locate and use while driving. 

The settings screen allows you to customise many aspects of the car, such as turning the driver monitoring systems or lane departure on or off.

You can also customise the sound, so those with noise-sensitive kids or just parental sensory overload can turn things down or off – including the warning beeps.

When you put the Impreza in reverse, the camera image is lovely and clear but it only fills half the screen and you can turn the parking sensors off with a button on the screen.

The indicator sound is not too loud in the Impreza and would not disturb any sleeping passengers. Neither are the windows and doors when you open and close them, which is great news for families whose kids sleep in the car!

The Impreza's tailgate opens manually and nice and quietly. It is silent to open and close, which is a great BabyDrive feature, so you can access the boot while Bub is asleep without waking them up!

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The road and engine noise were really good in the new Subaru Impreza, for such a fun car I found it relatively quiet to drive!

How many child seats can you fit in the new 2024 Subaru Impreza?

When it comes to installing child seats in the back of the Subaru Impreza there are ISOFix anchors in the two outer seats.

They are behind flaps of the seat fabric and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seatbacks. They are clearly labelled, within plastic guides and are easily accessible through the boot.

Three child seats will fit across the rear seats of the Subaru Impreza, which is impressive for a car of this size.

In keeping with the rest of the Subaru family, Legroom is really impressive in the Impreza. For tall families this can definitely go on your list.

With rear-facing child seats installed in the back a 180cm driver can sit in front. Or with forward-facing child seats in the back 186cm+ driver can sit in front.

Rear passengers do not have air vents in the Subaru Impreza's back, so they must use the central front vents to warm or cool down their rear passengers.

With only one child seat installed in the back, there is plenty of room to feed Bub. Posting Bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car was fine in the Impreza, too.

Australia being a country of weather extremes- blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

So… How comfy is the New 2024 Subaru Impreza?

The front seats in the Impreza are very comfortable.

I found I couldn't wear a ponytail in the front seats because the headrests are not fully adjustable.

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

I also found the rear seats comfortable. Although it was too tight for me to sit in the central seat between the two child seats, I could sit beside two child seats.

The central seatback is firmer due to the cup holders, and there is a hump in the footwell that you have to straddle with your feet.

The steering wheel is fully adjustable up/down and in/out and the cruise control buttons on the right on the steering wheel are simple and easy to use.

There are four air-conditioning vents across the front of the dashboard, one on either side of the large media screen and one at either end of the dashboard.

The air-con controls are on the bottom of the media screen, and the temperature control buttons are on the side. I found them nice and easy to locate and use while driving.

There are no air vents in the back for the rear passengers in the Impreza, so you have to share the vents from the front to keep them comfortable while driving along.

I found visibility very good out of all the windows when driving. Even with three child seats in the back, I could see out of the rear windscreen.

I found the Impreza a fantastic drive! It is just so much fun; it's really nippy and responsive, and you feel the driver/car connection with the road. Around town, it's nice and easy when manoeuvring and parking because it is compact and has a great turning circle and visibility.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually, I dread parking long cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Subaru Impreza hatch was super easy to reverse park!

The rear interior lights are in the ceiling which was great!

I have found Bub does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

There are handles above both back doors, which I found were well-located for hanging baby toys from.

So… How safe is the New 2024 Subaru Impreza?

The 2024 Subaru Impreza is yet to be given an ANCAP safety rating.

Seven airbags come as standard, including;

dual front, dual front side, dual curtain, driver's knee,

The 2024 Subaru Impreza comes with adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency steering, blind-spot monitoring (BSM), brake light recognition, distraction warning, drowsiness warning, EyeSight assist monitor, facial recognition, front pre-collision braking (AEB), high-beam assist, intelligent speed limiter, lane keep assist, lane centring assist, lane departure prevention, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, lead vehicle start alert, lane change assist, pre-collision braking system (AEB), pre-collision throttle management, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, reverse automatic braking (AEB), speed limiter and speed sign recognition as standard.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!