Top Safety Pick criteria

2006 Subaru Impreza

small car / 4-door sedan

2006 Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

Other available safety features

  • Standard daytime running lights

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2002-07 models built after September 2001

Tested vehicle: 2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS 4-door

The Subaru Impreza was redesigned for the 2002 model year. Imprezas manufactured after September 2001 include structural changes to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door). The Saab 9-2X was introduced in the 2005 model year and discontinued after the 2006 model year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of an Impreza with the structural changes in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier.

The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the Impreza, beginning with 2002 models manufactured after September 2001. The 9-2X was available only as a wagon.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head brushed the B-pillar during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was negligible.

There was little change in the position of the dummy's feet following the crash test. Injury risk was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0126
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 5
Left (cm) 10
Center (cm) 10
Right (cm) 8
Brake pedal (cm) 10
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) 1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0126
Head
HIC-15 138
Peak gs at hard contact negligible
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 21
Maximum Nij 0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm) 31
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.4
Femur force - right (kN) 2.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 3
Knee displacement - right (mm) 5
Maximum tibia index - left 0.44
Maximum tibia index - right 0.68
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 75
Right 56

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2006-07 models

Tested vehicle: 2006 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 4-door with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Subaru Impreza was redesigned for the 2002 model year. Side airbags designed to protect drivers' and front passengers' heads and torsos became standard beginning with 2006 models (optional in 2004-05 models). The Saab 9-2X was introduced in the 2005 model year, equipped with standard side airbags using the same design as in the Impreza. The 9-2X was discontinued after the 2006 model year.

Beginning with 2006 Impreza and 9-2X models, a reinforcement was added to the the pillar behind each rear passenger door to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes.

The side impact crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the Impreza, beginning with 2006 models. The 9-2X was available only as a wagon.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0606
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -5.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0606
Head HIC-15 325
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 55
Lateral force (kN) 2.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 39
Average deflection (mm) 32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.24
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.88
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.0
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.2
Combined force (kN) 5.1
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 195
A-P moment (Nm) 23

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0606
Head HIC-15 577
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.6
Compression (kN) 1.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 39
Lateral force (kN) 1.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 43
Average deflection (mm) 34
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.71
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.77
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.7
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.7
Combined force (kN) 3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 107
A-P moment (Nm) -44

How the side crash test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats AHR manufactured after Sept 2004

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type All seats AHR manufactured after Sept 2004
Geometry
Backset (mm) 40
Distance below top of head (mm) 42
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.9
Head contact time (ms) 64
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 42
Max neck tension (N) 462

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.