2017 Subaru Impreza v Mazda3 v Toyota Corolla v Holden Astra Comparison | Drive.com.au

Australia's most popular small cars go up against a pair of new rivals.

[@giutubospatubo1546]

You forgot to mention that the impreza is AWD!!!

[@dianaparnelllivingscience8806]

Bought the Impreza hatch top of the range (2.0iS) today, can't wait to pick it up from the dealership!!

[@christate3523]

a decent review. not sure why the Subaru AWD was not mentioned as that dramatically increases its value for money. while it may not be so noticeable day to day, it makes a massive difference when driving in poor weather conditions or on an unsealed road

[@666dynomax]

yep, thats funny. and they lean to the CVT... thats strange to me... i find the subaru CVT very loud and high revving... i am looking for a corolla replacement to gain the AWD, and the impreza 5spd is fine with me. would like to try the crosstrek new 6spd though!!! corolla is 6spd at least here in canada, and really does shift very nice.

[@sugarnads]

Wheres the focus and the golf?

[@rickysharp3371]

The Subaru Impreza sure is the best in this class. Subaru invested a billion dollars to bring the car up to their competitors and with standard features in the Impreza, along with Eyesight Driver Assist and symmetrical AWD, the Impreza is the winner of these small cars.

[@vkgiotis]

Don't me wrong, all cars here are good. However, the Subaru it's too slow and too heavy. The Astra runs rings around it. Just as an indication 0-100 km/h in the Subaru is 11 sec whereas in the Astra is 7 sec. That's a huge difference. For 26K it's the best option bang for your buck for a performance car. However, for $28K the Corolla Hybrid is the best fuel efficient car bang for buck.

[@sugarnads]

Wow they spent some money like every other company.

[@nikornpangchantho9299]

How much?

[@jw-vx8im]

A subaru will outlive an astra any day. I wld never hv any holden again

[@jay-uo2bi]

@@vkgiotis Astra is amazing in value, looks and has the best engine. However I am over Holdens, I sat in a Astra and EWWW THE QUALITY. Cerato, i30 and Mazda3 are the only ones I would consider.

[@shontellelang1198]

Waiting for my impreza to dock & can't wait to pick it up! My partner & I have never had a problem with Subaru's.

[@Phrancis5]

No mention of the Impreza's standard AWD? Or is that not standard in Australia?

[@Mouzourakism]

lol

[@unnervingfalcon]

I said the same thing. Subaru vehicles are all AWD. They don't come any other way

[@pianoman3214]

BRZ

[@Toastmaster_5000]

It is standard, I guess Australians don't really have much of a reason to care about it unless you're in the Outback, in which case... buy a Subaru Outback

[@unnervingfalcon]

Ya BRZ but it really is a Toyota with a Subaru engine.

[@sickcircuit]

I love listening to this guy talk, he sounds so self assured and uses a lot of words to say pretty much nothing it's absolutely hilarious. 3:10 the way he just rambles on like a used car salesman. too funny

[@october65-h6e]

I love the timeless design of the Mazda. Outside and inside. Also great to drive!

[@12skits63]

I’m actually surprised we have all these cars available in the US.

[@dandinofat]

I understand that the preference for a particular design can be subjective... but in many reviews Mazda's Kodo design have been highly praised, while Subaru's looks usually have been ignored or panned... And this point wasn't even considered in this review, when they decided to declare the Impreza as the winner over the Mazda3.

[@nickpeckett]

The Toyota is without a doubt the nicest looking at out all these cars

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

I have the 2017 Mazda 2.5L /w 6spd manual HB Touring. What a sweetheart of a sleeper! I'm upgrading the tires from the crappy Dunlaps. And that should do it. Needs a real tachometer and ability to remotely open the rear hatch. And maybe another 300 more RPMs. 6200 seems so limited for that engine. 'Cause it really wants to rev. Not a real hot-hatch. But, it's pretty close, imo...

[@jamesphilipson1289]

As a Brit, I find it sad how to Aussie's they have 200ps power outputs on their cars and say they arent very powerful, whereas here that's hot hatch power

[@jaimusicxx]

yes cool video guys thanks; that is pretty much the order i would have put them in based on what i have read! well done!

[@caradvice]

Thanks John!

[@biancaramirez5788]

I just bought my first Subaru. 08 outback sport and while it's used and needs a few fixes, I cannot understand why I waited so long to get one. I'm in snow and ice right now and have g driven many vehicles in al conditions both front and rear drive as well as fwd, I'm in love with everything but fuel economy and it's a fair trade. I'm a ford lover and my next car is a brand new impreza

[@80srockerable]

I do appreciative Mazdas straight up seat backs. Subaru likes to hunch your upper back forward. And what do I own? An Outback.

[@derivious2012]

i got a mazda 3 2019 just before the "new" new one got released. got the sp25, has 137kw of oomph and i made them install the the car play for free. whole thing was $25k drive away

[@Zimmermann310]

Corolla for ever. My Corolla is 13 Years old, 190 000 km on, Just service parts and a light bulb on the front light, plus front breaks new, the rest of the car is original and working fine.

[@conraddevera]

I just bought the ‘17 mazda 3 (same blue color, which I don’t see that often yet). Driving feel is actually good (didn’t actually know what reviewers meant before i tested one). I agree about the noise, but it’s not that bad. I have the GT with the options (i like the hud even of most people don’t like it)

[@nikornpangchantho9299]

I love corolla, the best production colour.

[@andrewjamrozik5223]

I actually love the fact that the Astra only comes as a manual, albeit temporarily. People need to grow some balls and start shifting their own gears rather than being lazy and letting a computer do it for them.

[@666dynomax]

i'm surprised they said "cabin refinement" and "polished cabin" for the impreza... those are not two things i ever thought subaru did very well, and they look 10 years older than they are to me.

[@siavashsh3557]

Did u forger that impreza is AWD?

[@5THR33S]

aight all this talk of CVT being slow makes no sense to me, surely launching with a higher final drive ratio would give a car more up and go? I imagine manufacturers set up CVT's for efficiency, if someone can figure out how to bias a CVT towards performance I reckon we'll have some rocket little hatchbacks flying around. Anyone know if I'm missing some information that invalidates that idea?

[@Ballacha]

5THR33S the new wrx comes standard with a cvt. I haven't tried it. So either Subaru has figured out the way to set it up or the car is a complete flop. For small cars like these ones, buyers are more concerned about fuel economy than performance. So your suggestion of tweaking final drive ratio is something that car manufacturers would never do as it increases the fuel consumption for just a small difference in performance.

[@Ballacha]

5THR33S btw the limitation of cvt atm is durability, not performance. Car manufacturers don't want to put large amount of power through cvt because of the life expectancy concerns. As I said the base model wrx is already coming equipped with cvt so maybe a new era is about to begin?

[@jichaelmackson1958]

You can shift in the subie anyway. So you can choose between performance and efficiency

[@timkudryavtsev4133]

For me personally Mazda is the best. Best looking interior and exterior. No one even close. Reliable engine and transmission. As far as I know Mazda is now offering AWD too. It all boils down towards what a person needs. I prefer amazing looks and superior interior than spacious but cheapish interior of Subaru or Toyota. On top of that I wanted to mention that cvt is crap. Either manual or at least automatic people are better off. Look at those poor Nissan owners with cvts. Great video. Cheers

[@melbournepipecub]

What about the Focus? 132kw on the base model and they ditched the problematic powershift transmission

[@rakeshhubert3031]

The American (GMC) General Motors Corporation's high tech Holden, Chevrolet Astra / Cruze sedan, it's aero dynamic sporty coupe like design is a good one and a real head turner and inside is beautifully finished and so comfortable and leaves it's opposition for dead. The 1.4 litre turbo engine is 153 H.P. and moves very fast on demand with an amazing 30 M.P.G in the city & highway 40 M.P.G. Side by side compared with the very over rated often 'Recalled' Toyota Corolla's 132 H.P it is a complete no brainer. The Astra has not had any recall issues which speaks volumes and is a much loved car in America.

[@BlitzzGames]

I was going to get a Mazda 3 Sport... ended up getting a 2013 STi hatchback. What have i done lmao

[@Fighterfilms1]

uv done urself a great favor

[@lucast9806]

my choise too

[@jonnathanoyervide4493]

ShowtymDH great mistake..sorry man bummer

[@GuestYouTubeUser]

You fuck up! I love my 2018 Mazda 3. It’s elegant car.

[@chonkyduck]

as long as you don't encounter any car problems then you got a good car

[@DimachkaS]

Civic hatch?

[@harleyzheng]

You brought 4 cars, but decided to only include 2 of the best selling hatch backs. Where is the i30?

[@club1fan552]

The Corolla has never been a "benchmark" in any area except perhaps performance if you want to go back to the 1960's. The base Mazda3 SP 25 costs little more than the Touring model tested here but goes considerably harder which may have just got it over the line in this comparo...

[@Leedogg1234]

Yeah, except the model of Mazda they tested compared just about equally with the rest of the cars tested.. and it was STILL the most expensive of the bunch. Comparing the Subaru, Toyota and Holden against the SP 25 would be a massive unfair advantage to Mazda in this comparison.

[@A_guan]

How does the impreza hatch compare to the mazda 3 hatch and civic hatch? Which of these are the most refined, handles the best, which offers the most tech (gadgets and safety) and has the best interior

[@jbar_85]

Tech Defender I would definitely say the Mazda 3 in my opinion. The Grand Touring is well worth the money and has a 2.5 liter engine. The automatic is well appreciated because all these car makers want to put CVTs in their vehicles.

[@phillopp]

Looking for the subaru or Mazda, so hard to decide

[@goatyboy7556]

I’m in the same boat. This is the first pro subie > Mazda review I’ve seen that argues something different than the awd aspect of the subie to separate the two. Most reviews I’ve seen prefer the Mazda.

[@phillopp]

@@goatyboy7556 I think I'm going to pop my decision and choose the subaru. Personal preference I guess. The looks the feel. Hope I make the right choice

[@goatyboy7556]

B3A5T 125 I’m leaning that way as well. I test drove a 17 Mazda3 the other day and the complaints are legit - it’s fucking loud! And I didnt think it’s interior was that much better than the 5th gen Impreza

[@darren1002]

need another one when the new i30 releases please

[@darren1002]

and the civic

[@vincentnaidu8228]

No new Honda Civic??

[@tmassey1465]

You neglected to mention Subaru full time standard all wheel drive.

[@thelegend7.0]

Where is the Honda Civic?

[@boypazaway5833]

Subaru Impreza for the win👍

[@atomikmaster1]

Warranty and service intervals?

[@yakidin63]

Everyone that buys cars road tests other vehicles and that's why the #1 selling car since 2015 is Corolla.

[@unnervingfalcon]

umm....... and it has AWD compared to the others. I can't believe you never even mentioned that.

[@metcard]

How refreshing hearing car reviewers being honest about how shhtt cvt is. Now if only they did the same for Electronic Power steering.

[@marklivos]

I like the Subaru but would buy the Mazda 3 since the transmission is not a CVT

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

The Astra looks nice. Too bad it's a choice we don't get here in the US (not saying I'd buy one, but having more options is a good thing). We had the Astra, the Saturn Astra, for one year back in 2008. The last year Saturn was in business. I see in this video they don't mention fuel consumption. I would think that would be a consideration in choosing a small car.

[@jarrodgay2220]

sopwithsnoopy the Astra, according to the RS-V badge variant 1.6L Turbo petrol 4cyl, is roughly 6.5L to 100kms

[@biukucanoe]

odd to leave out all wheel drive which is handy for usa Canada and europe

[@441meatloaf]

This is australia, they dont need AWD that often....its sunny over there pretty much all of the time.

[@timtam53191]

Just test drove an Impreza and i gotta say... its handling is noticeably at least a grade below the mazda 3. Steering is heavier, but the whole car feels boatier, less connected to the road, less agile. Engine/cvt combo was good in city driving, but lacked power when pushed hard, the brakes are waaaaaay too sensitive for my tastes. The only thing going for the Impreza is the size of its interior The Mazda 3 otoh feels much sharper. more responsive and sportier even though its steering is lighter. So if my experience was anything like theirs, it really baffles me how they can call the Impreza's handling as up there with the Mazda's...

[@Gwril76]

Why would you want a CVT in these cars ?? 6 speed manual is far better suited for these city / urban motors.. The Astra is a far better all round motor than the Mazda and subaru. Well done Holden / Opel / Vauxhall.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

Uh... no? The best use of a CVT is city/urban areas, meanwhile, a manual is the worst choice. CVTs are great for low-speed city fuel economy, manuals are good when you want immediate power. Probably the #1 complaint I hear about manuals is getting tired, usually from city driving. What you don't want to find a CVT in are sports cars, large SUVs, and trucks.

[@barters8124]

You did this comparison without the car of the year in this category? The Hyundai i30 SR? But chose to include a Holden Astra? Really?FWIW the i30 has won this category on and off for years and deserves to be in here.

[@shane6012]

The winner is the HOLDEN ASTRA SR. It simply outperforms the other three. And its appearance / design is far superior to Subaru.

[@Gabztar97]

Shane Tiai the looks is really based from taste. You can’t say that every person thinks that astra looks the best xD

[@shane6012]

Hi Gabriel, The new Astra was EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR - I guess 40 or so judges thought the Astra was a Winner. Go to a Holden dealer and take one for a test drive please make sure it is the GS / R with the 1.6 litre motor, twin cam, direct fuel injected and turbo charged. This beast has more power than my Ford 351 V8. The Astra is a Flyer yet, it is very economical.

[@lochlanmcdermott4872]

Definitely agree. I drove all of them as I needed a run-around car for my work and found the astra to be the best of them hands down. And when coupled with the 7 year warranty that Holden offers on the, it wasn’t even comparable!

[@mrchongyl]

Why the Corolla doesn't come with a 2.0 4 pot engine like the ASEAN region get?

[@sugarnads]

So...no focus (the mazda3 is a fancy focus) and no vw golf. No hyundai i30. Hmmm

[@tonygedalovitch8958]

Nope the new MAzda 3 and the one reviewed here have NO connection with ford at all.

[@Vincent2wice]

WTF is a Holden Astra?????

[@aidanpapa6565]

Vincent2wice it's made by the exceptional opel and rebadged as holden

[@1969cmp]

Aidan Papa The Holden Astra hatch is the Opel Astra, the Holden Astra sedan is built by Korea GM (old Daewoo) Also known as the Chevrolet Cruze.

[@lochlanmcdermott4872]

It won the euro car of the year in 2016. Its a good car, especially when taking into account the unlimited km 7 year warranty that no other brand offers. Even kia’s 7 year warranty is capped at 150,000 kms.

[@NashKetchum]

Lochlan McDermott man you guys get screwed in Europe. Hyundai/Kia give 10 year/100k mile (160k km) warranty here in the States

[@lochlanmcdermott4872]

npitu04 I’m actually from Asutralia but 10 years is awesome! However, the 7 years warranty that Holden gives with the Astra is unlimited km and the best warranty available in this country.

[@soundknight]

feels like an advert

[@filofilo8127]

Focus and Golf should be in this review.

[@LearnAboutFlow]

Both were in the shop at the time . . . again

[@msndotnet01]

it's so weird everyone buys the new civic here in Vancouver, I have yet to see the new impreza even though it's starting to snow like crazy, or us it because everyone is waiting on the new cross trek?

[@441meatloaf]

Crosstrek doesn't even come to vancouver until late summer of 2017. Thats the 2018 model under the new global platform. There aren't many new imprezas because the 2016 models are all on sale and there isn't that much difference beside the chassis being stronger and slight improvement in HP by like 4....only because it now uses fuel injection from Toyota instead of the older fuel injection method.

[@firefightergoggie]

I went to look at the new Astra RS today at a Holden showroom and it was $26,000. To me that was way too expensive. Holden isn't making any new friends with such expensive pricing.

[@pronavsandhu]

lol, now in 2022 the old 2018 driven 80000kms is now for $26000

[@SenerS10]

I think Best 2 cars are Astra and Mazda 3.

[@semmicolon]

why isn't horse power mentioned anywhere?

[@davidlyday7373]

Hackuna MyTatas many country's including Australia don't use horse power or foot pounds of torque. Instead they use kW kilowatts and Nm Newtons to measure engine power

[@roberteli84]

what about civic hatch

[@lukehall3487]

Ford Focus?

[@shanestone2349]

No one wants a Ford Focus thats why! LOL

[@5THR33S]

too fast for this segment

[@OfficialMINIm]

5THR33S lol

[@lukehall3487]

shane stone it's too good

[@jasonswift7098]

don't bother! it's shit.

[@alfreddeneumann]

Golf?

[@christiann6350]

BBdecool1 Was also wondering why they didn't add it.

[@drj2039]

Golf is more expensive

[@christiann6350]

dr j Depends on the model and transmission. 92 TSI starts at 22900 in Manual, 24900 in Auto brand new. Best choice would probs be the 92TSI Trendline at 26490

[@drj2039]

Alpha Nerd all these cars have over 100kW, which would compete with the 110kw golf, which is well over 30k

[@jasonswift7098]

too many gearbox problems way too expensive service costs, poor warranty.

[@pseudostew]

Are these guys interns?

[@ilhanayaz5740]

OPEL Asta nice car

[@X2tream_Arrow]

I would take the mazda3 or the Subaru Impreza

[@bradleydavies4781]

RIP Holden Astra Ops !

[@louislopez55]

I would strongly consider the Subaru but I don't want to have to replace my head gaskets at 80-120,000 miles, and Subaru hasn't indicated if they ever solved their oil burning problem. Considering the potential ownership experience, the Mazda wins in my book.

[@441meatloaf]

Subaru doesnt have the oil problem in since 2014.

[@Driver6M]

Why worry? The oil problem was only found on early 2.0 engines at the start of the first run of imprezza and XVs. The head gasket problem is a non issue, that was an eternaty ago and related to a much older engine.

[@-spazz-4102]

Did you write this comment in a time machine? These issues were all fixed 5 or so years ago.

[@djkenny1202]

our 04 Forester ever had that issue in 150k before selling it. no issues at all.

[@tmassey1465]

I had to replace my head gasket on my 03 Subaru Baja @ 125k, $1100.00 Subaru has assured me that problem has been deal with and eliminated. I now have a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek.

[@willywuson3666]

Mazda all day.

[@ilhanayaz5740]

Where is the VW GOLF???

[@lochlanmcdermott4872]

İlhan Ayaz in the workshop... again.

[@archivariusdee2127]

XD

[@TheTimmmmay86]

Was going to buy the impreza until I drove it. It looks amazing and has a great finish and lots of gadgets. Pitty it is the slowest car Ive ever driven. Even my wife said it was too slow. My old mirage was a sports car compared to it. I wish I was exaggerating but it is a terrible car. I dont care how fancy it looks and how many gadgets it has... a car has to go! Thats kind of why you buy them.

[@YoYo-vc1os]

I find Toyotas shift knobs are to long

[@mikejens2271]

All of these cars except the Holden are engineered by Toyota in one way or another lol

[@sickcircuit]

I actually just came to watch and laugh at this terrible review again 3:24 "What is that winning formula? Well. The 3. It's pretty much just a good car.."

[@arwinderjitsingh9301]

Dont know why he is mention power. Seriously mate its small car. And dont even mention subaru awd. Car review game at its lowest.

[@bikerman6907]

Toyota has really good reliability but their line up, except Hilux and LC's , are soooo boring, and look cheap..👎

[@shyland20]

in terms of design outside subaru looks bad. i do think is the best to drive doe... hard to buy car you think is not beautiful. subaru didn't get there yet.

[@orangeblossom27]

Subaru's are a lot more money than Mazda's you get what you pay for.

[@elgriego331]

April_Evelyn stay away from Subaru if you can. Lot of issues with my Impreza

[@bossnass15]

I wish the Honda Civic 2016 is thrown in the mix

[@rustyspoonzzz]

The Mazda does have a CD player, do your research before reviewing something!

[@rustyspoonzzz]

I live in Melbourne Australia and my Mazda 3 2017 model does

[@locksmack]

Then you got sold an outdated model. In September 2016 the BN series was released which ditched the CD player. Sounds like you have the older BM model.

[@rustyspoonzzz]

No, I have the new 2017 model.

[@Mike82ARP]

Please get some real adults who actually know things about cars to do these reviews.

[@TexasEmperor]

wHO IS SHE?

[@Jay-jn6ul]

This bloke was winging it for sure. Repeating himself and using as many filler words as he could. Hmm yes ... "quite"

[@carenthusiast8661]

Holden astra I beg your pardon it's Vauxhall

[@peacemaker6081]

For me 1 Astra.2 Subaru & 3 mazda3 Forget thet @ number4 Toyota

[@poxdaccy]

Kia Cerato / Hyundai i30 !!!

[@1969cmp]

poxdaccy My top two picks.

[@porsche2719]

Subaru

[@microknife19]

"It's just your random standard run-of-the-mill car" hahaha @4:03

[@jesseoleary]

most popular small cars. where's the golf?

[@lochlanmcdermott4872]

Jesse in the workshop... again

[@guyb6665]

buzzwords

[@elgriego331]

Traded my 2012 Impreza for a 2018 Mazda3 last week. Subaru is way overhyped . I had the worst experience with my Impreza. Beware of Subaru. Not as good as they used to be.

[@afflix1966]

You had a 2012 Impreza what did you expect from it should have got a 2009 legacy 2.5gt with a standard transmission

[@muzictherpy]

corolla looks ugly, and 26.000 is not cheap..

[@djkenny1202]

these are about 15700 in the states

[@thelegend7.0]

This is Australia. Remember.

[@nikornpangchantho9299]

😂Why is it the best seller?

[@25amitz]

Nikorn Pangchantho because of its reliability. Can’t go wrong with Toyota. Kid

[@hou0005]

Probably the most lacklustre interview ever A bit biased against the Astra, and the Subaru interior infotainment layout is a mess! Definitely doesn't look refined to me compared to the other cars

[@julaihaidris7212]

4:31 Impreza bts Perhaps its been spying on the Mazda 3?? Or maybe it chooses the Mazda 3 as its pal??

[@hondatrix]

New Civic is the benchmark!

[@THEAC83]

Rubbish review. Mazda 3 is the best out of all of these.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

Gee, what a convincing argument. You should really look into writing reviews (sarcasm)

[@TexasEmperor]

i CALL BULLSHIT...MAZDA IS THE BEST OF ALL TIMES.

[@jichaelmackson1958]

Reeeeeeeeee

[@vulcanwolfopus4345]

The new impreza is a shit car

[@Urbancohort337]

Garbage review Garbo

[@jasonswift7098]

no one cares about android and apply auto carplay come on!!

[@DEVILTAZ35]

Apparently what was explained to me is it gives access to satnav etc with cars that don't have it standard. I am with you though i would just never use it as i only use Pandora to listen to music or a CD or USB anyway.

[@saqued]

BS review the Honda Civic is 1 of the top in class.

[@austinliuyilun]

in terms of price at least in Australia

[@aidanpapa6565]

saqued lmfao

[@madrx2]

6:31 You mention it struggles accelerating because of the CVT gearbox, I assume you meant the extra weight of the AWD system. CVT Far superior performance wise than a manual or standard auto.

[@MrOzgooner]

That toyota corolla is the most boring car to drive...feels cheap too