2024 Subaru Impreza vs 2024 Mazda3

 

Subaru is well known for its widely acclaimed all-wheel-drive family lineup of capable SUVs and its World Rally Championship-conquering rally teams. The Mazda brand is well known as makers of high-quality, well-engineered yet affordable vehicles, including one of the most popular sports cars ever built, the Mazda MX-5 Miata and interesting vehicles such as the Mazda rotary-engined offerings. So what makes these two passenger cars tick, and what makes each of them a good buy? Read on as we share a closer look, allowing you to be better informed when selecting vehicles to add to your vehicle shopping shortlist.

2024 Subaru Impreza

The Subaru Impreza now in its sixth generation was revealed to US customers in November 2023, with 2024 model year sales kicking off in spring 2023.

The Impreza five-seater is available as a five-door hatchback fitted with Subaru's Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) with no manual transmission options.

Subaru has made choosing your 2024 Impreza simple with three trim levels: Base, Sport, and the rally-inspired RS trim, which was last available in the late 1990s. 

2024 Mazda3

The 2024 Mazda3 is Mazda's sole gasoline-powered five-seater sedan and hatchback model.

Trim levels for the 2024 Mazda3 are 2.5 S,  2.5 S Select Sport, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Carbon Edition, 2.5 S Premium, 2.5 Carbon Turbo and the range-topping 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus.

Exterior 

The 2024 Mazda3 shows off  modern styling touches like the front grille finished in gloss black plus a rear roof spoiler in a black finish that enhances the Mazda3's stylish exterior looks.

Standard auto on/off LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and at the rear LED combination tail lights all lend the exterior design a modern air.

The Mazda3 range sees fitment of alloy wheels of 16 inches to 18 inches in size wrapped in all-season tires.

Buyers can choose from six standard exterior paint finishes, and all trims feature body-colored side mirrors with the exclusive Carbon Edition trim in Polymetal Grey Metallic featuring black finish mirrors.

The 2024 Subaru Impreza Hatchback sports a thoroughly modern design with plentiful standout exterior visual enhancements.

Looking at the Impreza from the front reveals a Subaru family-style front grille with LED Steering Responsive Headlights and Daytime Running Lights. Base spec trim sees fitment of steel wheels, while upper trims add 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Impreza has folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals in black on the Base trim and in body color for the Sport and Crystal Black Silica-finish on the top RS trim. Body color door handles are found on all trims.

Two-speed windshield wipers with variable intermittent mode and mist feature are standard, and boomerang-style tail lights are found at the rear, whereas a single-speed rear window wiper with fixed intermittent mode keeps the view out back clear.

Roof crossbar mounting points are fitted on all trims, as well as a roof spoiler.

Interior and Cargo Space

The interior of the 2024 Subaru Impreza offers manually adjustable front seats with the option of heated front seats in the All-Weather Package. Cloth upholstery is found in the base trim, sport cloth upholstery with red contrast stitching in the Sport trim, and, yes,  RS cloth upholstery with red accents on the top RS trim.

The driver gets an Instrument cluster featuring a speedometer and tachometer with top RS trim getting a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter handle.

Drivers are further pampered with an impressive list of comfort features such as a 3-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls,  dual-zone automatic climate control systempower windows and power side mirrors.

In-car infotainment is taken care of by means of a high-resolution Subaru Starlink Dual 7.0-inch Multimedia or 11.6-inch Subaru Starlink Multimedia Plus system on the top trims that allows seamless control of the integrated wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity systems with audio being played through the standard six fitted speakers or eight speakers. 

The hatchback body accommodates 20.4 cubic feet of cargo space opening up to 56.0 cubic feet  once the 60/40 split rear seatbacks are lowered. 

The cabin of the 2024 Mazda3 features clean, uncluttered spaces and surfaces.to create an upmarket cabin that uses premium materials.

Clever design finishes abound, such as air vents and door handles that are hidden away. Standard seat upholstery is black cloth and the wide selection of trim levels ensures that shoppers who are looking for luxuries like leather upholstery with options like greige, white or red leather or heated and ventilated seats are catered for in the top-of-range trims.

An 8.8-inch standard infotainment display or a larger, 10.3-inch display is available only on Turbo models. All infotainment screens are easy to use with a console-mounted rotary knob. Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, as well as an eight-speaker Mazda Harmonics audio system. Enhanced audio is to be found in the way of an extra-cost 12-speaker Bose stereo system and SiriusXM satellite radio.

Performance and Powertrain Differences

The Impreza Base and Sport uses a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-four engine that makes  152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. The larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine in the RS model offers outputs of 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.

A CVT is standard on all 2024 Imprezas, as is torque vectoring and the all-wheel-drive system.

The 2024 Mazda3 has two engine options, a naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine making 191 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque, and a sporty 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque turbo engine. 

Lower trim levels use front-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive is standard equipment on all the turbo trim levels. A six-speed manual transmission is found on FWD models with AWD optional, and turbo versions make use of a six-speed automatic transmission.

Safety and Driver Assistance

The Impreza is equipped with a 4-wheel anti-lock braking system, brake assist, and brake override system, as well as Subaru's advanced frontal airbag system.

Subaru's EyeSight driver-assistance technology is also standard. It offers lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, vehicle dynamics control and more.

The Mazda3 sedan was awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2023, plus the Mazda3 received a five star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side-impact air curtains and driver's and front passenger's knee airbags are all part of the impressive arsenal of safety equipment.

Driver assistance technology includes forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, and other features.

Purchase the 2024 Subaru Impreza at Granite Subaru

Visit Granite Subaru here in Hudson, NH, to learn more about the 2024 Subaru Impreza.

Book a test drive to experience this confidently capable hatchback for yourself and allow our dedicated team to tailor make a perfect deal for you.