When 32-year-old Sydneysider Danielle Sen and her husband Daniel welcomed their daughter Aimee into the world in June 2021, they suddenly felt very differently about the kind of car they needed. Like many new parents, a big, glaring neon sign appeared in their brains flashing one word "SAFETY". Protecting their bundle of joy suddenly seemed like the most important thing in the world.
As well as a car that was incredibly safe, they wanted one reliable and spacious enough to fit a pram and all the other assorted knick knacks that need lugging about once a kid enters the fold.
"The size of the Subaru Impreza is a real game-changer, and I think that a unique selling point of the Impreza is that it is slightly bigger than your average hatch," says Danielle.
"The shape of the vehicle and the space inside is so well thought out. Even with family members in the back, we're never crowded or on top of each other. That's what surprised me the most I think - I was very comfortable.
"You really feel like you're getting all the luxury in terms of space, but without it having to be an SUV, which we didn't want to have."
Danielle - who says the boot doubles as a handy space to change nappies when the family are out and about - is also a fan of the tech features that come with the Impreza.
"When we got the car in 2020 it had all the bells and whistles, and I was like, 'What else would there need to be that would be revolutionary or cool, because it's got everything!?" she says.
"I love the cameras in the mirrors that tell you whether you're in the parking lines - oh my God, game changer. You've got your reversing camera and stuff like that, but having the cameras on the sides is amazing because when I reverse it actually shows you on the screen on the dash. It improves accuracy and takes the guesswork out of it and it gives me more confidence.
"It's just a really good balance of having all of the bells and whistles and affordability as well as a comfortable ride, which is most important."
Space is also important to 43-year-old Jake Stone, who's either carrying around equipment for his hobby (kickboxing) or his job (DJ equipment), but for him, reliability is a key factor of the Impreza's appeal.
"They're very reliable and they are as tough as tanks, they just go forever," Jake enthuses. "You can rely on the fact that it will start and the fact that it will go and it will brake well, and it will do what you need it to do.
"I have a lot of respect for that kind of performance and delivery. I'd prefer a car that does that than something luxurious that's going to be a nightmare, you know?"
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