"What is the difference between an XV Crosstrek and an Impreza?"
 Subaru XV Crosstrek |  Subaru Impreza Sport |
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?
All new Crosstreks and Imprezas come standard with:
- Many safety features, including full-time all wheel drive (with no buttons to push), Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) to prevent skids, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, and much more. See our Planet-exclusive Subaru Safety page.
- Many convenience features, including Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio
connectivity, air conditioning, keyless entry, cd player, power windows,
power mirrors, and much more.
- The utility and all-weather prowess of a sport utility vehicle without the sacrifices in cost, fuel economy, ride, and poor outward visibility.
All new Crosstreks and Imprezas purchased at Planet come standard with:
- Friendly staff and your undealership experience
- The exclusive free Planet Passport Program...tires for life, loaners, and much more!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for people bored with details:
The Crosstrek has the underpinnings of an Impreza 2.0i Sport wagon so it shares the Impreza's interior measurements and outside dimensions. They share the same engine and transmission. Think of the Crosstrek as a souped-up, blinged-out Impreza. Subaru took an Impreza Sport and added:
- Raised suspension;
- Unique and more aggressive-looking bumpers and grill;
- Murdered-out 17-inch silver/black alloys wheels;
- Wheel arch cladding;
- Black rocker spoiler;
- Privacy glass
- Upgraded rear differential for towing up to 1,500 pounds. (Subaru does not recommend towing with an Impreza).
- An optional outrageous color called Tangerine Orange
| Review | Crosstrek orange, Impreza red |
Ground clearance Crosstrek has almost three inches more ground clearance, so it will better elude obstacles. People with less flexibility say they find it easier to get in and out of the Crosstrek because it sits a little higher. |  |
Both are exact same width. |  |
Both are exact same length. |  |
| Crosstrek is four inches taller. |  |
Total interior space is exactly the same. Plenty of room for your dawg. That's our greeter, Blue. He fits in both okay, but when he stands up he prefers a Forester. |  |
Airbags Both have seven!
|  At some point, we expect Subaru to invent the Packing Peanuts Personal Protection Package, which will fill the entire interior with packing peanuts in an accident. |
| Crosstrek | Impreza | |
| Ride Quality Subaru raised the suspension on the Crosstrek so it has more "travel" up and down over bumps. "Travel" is just a fancy way of saying that there is more space for the suspension to compress, which results in a more compliant ride. "Travel" also allows a little more body roll in corners, however, so the Impreza performs better on the track. |  There's more "dead cat space" between the top of the tire and the bottom of the wheel well. (That's the technical industry term, believe it or not.) |  Even though we hired a dog as our greeter, we really do love cats. Tires aren't as fat on the Impreza. |
Ride Height You sit about four inches higher in the Crosstrek, which gives you a "command driving position" (the auto industry term that describes that great feeling of sitting high in a vehicle so you can see what's ahead.) Because of the boxer engine design that Subaru uses, however, the center of mass in the vehicle sits quite low so both vehicles handle quite nimbly and are very unlikely to roll over. |  You can see the cars in front of the Crosstrek a little better from the driver's seat |  View from the Impreza is more like a regular car. |
Price Comparably equipped, the Crosstrek is $1,500 more, which buys you everything described in the executive summary above. | | |
Image Perception Customers tell us that the Crosstrek looks more like a small sport utility vehicle and the Impreza looks like a sporty station wagon. Similar to the difference between hiking boots and running shoes? You be the judge. |  |  |
Standard Engine and Fuel Economy Both have 2.0 liter four cylinder with 148 horsepower, both run regular unleaded. Impreza enjoys superior fuel economy because of better aerodynamics (closer to the ground). | Continuously variable auto transmission 25 city, 33 highway Five-speed manual: 23 city, 30 highway Fuel tank: 15.9 gallons | Continuously variable auto transmission 27 city, 36 highway Five-speed manual: 25 city, 33 highway Fuel tank: 14.5 gallons |
Exclusive Planet Videos | Scott's Three Favorite Things about the Subaru XV Crosstrek | |
New Planet Inventory | ||
Used Planet Inventory | The Crosstrek just came out...call to see if we have any slightly used or demo Crosstreks... | Search pre-loved Imprezas |
Three Minute Video Comparing Crosstrek to Impreza:
How do you know which is right for you? Drive both at Planet!
MORE COMPARISONS:
- Crosstrek vs. Forester
- Crosstrek vs. Plowtruck
- Crosstrek vs. Mini Cooper
- Forester vs. Outback
- Previous generation Forester vs. previous generation Outback
- New Forester vs. previous generation Forester
- Outback vs. Honda CR-V
- Forester vs. Toyota RAV4
- Subaru Model Overview with pictures
- Quick Subaru model comparison chart
More Good Stuff!
Explore all the other exclusive Planet content you won't find anywhere else!
"My experience was so pleasant - and exceeded my expectations in terms of efficiency. The salesperson and staff were extremely accommodating with addressing my needs on my schedule. I felt NO pressure to make a decision, but was tended to more than expeditiously once my decision was made. The process was so stress-free - I almost couldn't believe I was driving off the lot in my new Subaru!" ~Katherine C., Newton, Ma
Planet Subaru. Your unDealership.
