A Value Beyond Price: Does The 2024 Impreza RS Have The Subaru Spirit?
Prior to the arrival of a 2024 Impreza RS finished in “Pure Red” for the week, my experience with modern Subarus had been fairly limited. Plenty of time behind the wheel of a 2006 Subaru Outback — that now belongs to my mom — and a 2015 Subaru Impreza did set a benchmark, for the little over 600 miles I spent driving this newest version of the Impreza in its most expensive form. Given Subaru’s noted longevity (or at least the owner’s sentimentality), 600 or so miles is hardly a drop in the bucket compared to the 150,000-200,000 miles some Subarus may endure over its lifespan.
I didn’t go mountain biking with my dog, or even get anywhere near camping. I just daily-drove it where it touched adverse weather and snow exactly once. I did drive to a church conference in Philadelphia, which was firmly within the use case of really any car, much less a bright red Subaru with about a dozen “RS” badges festooned over the interior and exterior.
Over the course of the week, one question circled around my head: “What makes a modern RS?” Subaru has a long history of rally-ready RS models. However, given today’s automotive tastes and Subaru’s own lineup skewing towards crossovers, this RS-badged all-wheel drive hatchback is a bit of an oddball in 2024.
A Value Beyond Price: Does The 2024 Impreza RS Have The Subaru Spirit?
