Compare the2024 Subaru ImprezaVS 2024 Volkswagen Jetta

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Impreza have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Jetta doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Impreza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Subaru Impreza has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Jetta doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Impreza is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen Jetta, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Impreza	Jetta
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-12 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	-10 MPH	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	2.7 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-6 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	2.6 sec	No Warning

The Impreza has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Impreza and the Jetta have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Jetta:

	Impreza	Jetta
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	154	226
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.61 in	1.85 in
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1182 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	194	274
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.65 in	1.97 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	1049 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Subaru Impreza achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Jetta is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Impreza 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Impreza’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Jetta’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Impreza’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Jetta’s camshafts. If the Jetta’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Impreza’s reliability 44 points higher than the Jetta.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 21 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Impreza RS’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 24 more horsepower (182 vs. 158) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Jetta doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, the Impreza’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Volkswagen only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Jetta Automatic.

The Impreza has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Subaru Impreza comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta.

The Impreza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Jetta doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Impreza’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Jetta:

	Impreza	Impreza Sport/RS	Jetta
Front Rotors	11.6 inches	12.4 inches	11.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11.2 inches	10.7 inches

The Impreza’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Jetta are solid, not vented.

The Impreza stops much shorter than the Jetta:

	Impreza	Jetta
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Impreza Sport/RS’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta (225/40R18 vs. 205/60R16).

The Impreza’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta S’ standard 60 series tires. The Impreza Sport/RS’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Jetta Sport/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Impreza Sport/RS has standard 18-inch wheels. The Jetta’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Impreza has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Jetta has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Impreza RS handles at .83 G’s, while the Jetta pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Jetta’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.8 feet).

Chassis

The Impreza is 10.3 inches shorter than the Jetta, making the Impreza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Impreza a Large car, while the Jetta is rated a Compact.

The Impreza has 5.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta (100.5 vs. 94.7).

The Impreza has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Impreza easier. The Impreza’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Jetta’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Impreza’s hatch uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Jetta’s useful trunk space.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Jetta. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Impreza has a standard rear wiper. The Jetta doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Impreza’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Jetta’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

The Impreza’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Jetta has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Impreza has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Jetta SE/SEL.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Impreza, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Jetta isn't recommended.