Subaru Impreza

The growth in popularity of SUVs over the past few years suggests that most people buying AWD cars these days have a mindset of “bigger is better.”  

Which is fine, except for the fact that it means the humble hatchback is sometimes unfairly overlooked, left to sit on the reserves bench while the bigger players get to shine in the spotlight. 

The benefits of hatchbacks, for those who may have previously dismissed them, are plentiful: they’re zippy and sporty in terms of handling and, best of all, they’re a hell of a lot easier to park than all-wheel drive SUVs.  

AWD cars: the advantages  

There’s a good reason why all-wheel-drive vehicles of all types – AWD sports cars, AWD sedans, AWD performance cars – have also become increasingly popular over the past few years.  

For those not familiar with AWD cars, the big advantage they hold over standard cars are that all four wheels have power directed to them instead of just the front two.  

This means double the grip as you’ll have added traction on slippery roads or tricky terrain like mud, sand or snow.  

Subaru’s Impreza hatchback comes standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, giving it the same kind of ability to grip the road like its bigger siblings, the XV, Forester and Outback. So smaller, yes, but no less safe.  

In fact, the focus on safety doesn’t just stop with the all-wheel drive. The Impreza is kitted out with numerous airbags, as well as EyeSight^® Driver Assist on certain variants, where two forward-facing cameras constantly scan the road ahead to detect any possible signs of danger.  

On selected variants, there’s also Vision Assist, another safety system that comes with a Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Reverse Automatic Braking, to warn you if you’re about to back into something you really shouldn’t be backing into.  

Getting more for less 

AWD cars are often on the pricey side, but the Impreza manages to pack in all of the above features into a compact hatch for under $36,000, making it the best value all-wheel-drive hatchback on the market.  

Sure AWD SUVs are bigger and AWD sports cars and AWD performance cars may look slick on the road – and this Impreza also benefits from the sporty grip that all-wheel drive also gives those cars – but there’s no denying that the Impreza hatchback is the kind of perfect little package you don’t want to overlook.  

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Some cars are just built to go a little further than the average model – like, say, James Bond’s Lotus Esprit that from The Spy Who Loved Me that turned into a submarine, or Doc Brown’s time-skipping DeLorean in the Back to the Future series.  

While it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get a car that has the ability to safely scrape the bottom of the Atlantic or one that can defy the laws of space-time, you can acquire yourself a ride that can go places that your standard model can only dream about.  

How, you might ask? 

All-wheel drive – the key to going further 

The difference between a car that is completely useless on muddy or icy surfaces and one that can charge ahead with superior traction and confidence is simple: All-wheel drive – made famous particularly in this country by Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive range of cars and SUVs.  

AWD cars come in several different shapes – there are a number of AWD sports cars, AWD performance cars and AWD sedans available on the Australian market – but they all share one unifying trait: the ability to go further on difficult surfaces like snow, sand, mud and wet grass, thanks to all-wheel drive.  

Your typical consumer car is usually two-wheel drive, meaning the front wheels (or sometimes the rear two) are powered up while the other tyres are just along for the ride.  

And while all-wheel drive is more of a standard feature in SUVs, it can also be found in smaller AWD cars, including AWD sedans, like Subaru’s impressive Impreza.  

Why the Impreza can go further than the rest  

AWD sedans like the Subaru Impreza, much like other AWD cars, outshine the competition by boasting the ability to take on rougher and tougher terrain that can leave other cars grounded.  

Because all four wheels are powered up, the Impreza has twice the on-power grip and thus twice the ability to plough through areas other small cars couldn’t dream of getting through.  

While it’s not fair to expect the Impreza to scale Mount Kosciusko, the extra grip does bring peace of mind when it comes to encountering wet roads or some pesky sand or mud on an out-of-town adventure.  

The Impreza is also the perfect solution for those who are attracted to the sleekness of sedans but still want the safety and extra ability that only comes with AWD cars. 

The advantages of AWD sedans don’t end there: the Impreza offers a lower centre of gravity than an AWD SUV, meaning better handling, more enjoyable cornering and excellent fuel economy due to its lower weight.  

It can’t tick every box – we’re looking at you, time travel – but it ticks most, especially if you’re after an AWD sedan than can go a lot further than other small cars.  

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