2024 Subaru Impreza, Crosstrek earn Top Safety Pick honors

The redesigned 2024 Subaru Impreza hatchback and its taller cousin, the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, achieved at least Top Safety Pick status for the new model year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS on Thursday noted better headlights and improved side crash protection for elevating the Subarus’ otherwise strong safety record. 

The 2024 Subaru Impreza hatch earned the higher honor in the form of a Top Safety Pick+ due to its “Good” rating in the updated side impact test. The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek small crossover earned a Top Safety Pick nod due to an “Acceptable” rating in the same test. The difference likely lies in the Impreza sitting closer to the ground; the hatchback’s ground clearance measures 5.1 inches versus 8.7 inches in the Crosstrek.  

The TSP honors are harder to come by this year due to more rigorous testing and tougher TSP criteria from the IIHS, widely considered to be the automotive industry’s most stringent independent crash tests and much more up to date than the NHTSA’s five-star rating system. The nonprofit safety agency funded by the insurance industry updated the side impact test to simulate a T-bone crash into the driver’s side.

The test hadn’t been updated since 2003, in which time heavier crossover SUVs that ride higher than cars proliferated on roadways. The moving crash barrier increased in weight from 3,300 pounds to 4,180 pounds to reflect the average new car weight, and the strike speed increased from 31 to 37 mph to reflect higher average speeds from 20 years ago.

Last year, the 2023 Impreza and 2023 Crosstrek earned “Poor” ratings in the side impact test. Both vehicles earned top ratings in the driver and passenger side overlap tests, as well as the overall front crash test. 

Additionally, since the majority of traffic fatalities happen at night, the IIHS required that standard headlights must have at least an “Acceptable” rating to earn a TSP rating. Last year, such headlights could be optional. Both vehicles earned top “Good” ratings for the standard LED headlights. 

Other requirements for any TSP are standard automatic emergency braking that earn at least an “Advanced” rating for the daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian test, since most pedestrian fatalities happen at night. The Subarus earned top “Superior” rankings for their standard suite of driver-assist tech.