And because you have to rev the Impreza fairly hard to get it up to speed, coupled with the fact that it's a four-wheel drive, consumption is relatively poor compared to the other two cars, averaging 9.2km/L.


Cabin

Inside, it's Subaru territory. Compared to the dated Altis and tacky K3, the Impreza's cabin design and construction ranks high on quality.

The Impreza's sporty dashboard is styled like a fighter jet cockpit, with futuristic displays such as an intuitive 8.0-inch touchscreen, offering standard features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

It's also got the most high-quality soft touch materials strewn about, giving it a premium feel comparable to more expensive European models.


Although the K3's cabin isn't as posh as the Impreza's, it's the only car here that's got driver and front passenger ventilated seats. As a whole, the cabin ambience is a notch above that of its Thai-Japanese Toyota rival. Like the Impreza, the K3 is also equipped with a sunroof.

The Altis' cabin is largely made up of unpleasant hard plastics. However, it makes up for its lack of quality and flair with a ton of rear leg room, a quality that many sedan buyers look out for.

It's also got a large 470-litre boot, just slightly smaller than the K3's 482 litres, but bigger than the Impreza's 460 litres. Clearly, practicality is the Altis' selling point.


Price

As of 4^th April 2017, the Altis is the most affordable car in this test with an asking price of $103,988. The better equipped K3 is slightly more expensive at $104,999, but considering the extra amenities you get with the car, that's still great value for your money.

The Impreza is the highest priced, with a tag of $106,800. Due to its poor fuel economy and smaller boot, many would be quick to reject the idea of owning one. However, the build quality and refinement do make a fine case for the car. Its confidence-inspiring chuckability is an added bonus.


Ultimately, we'd narrow it down to the K3 and Impreza. The K3 makes the most financial sense in today's pricey car market, but given its feel-good factor, the Impreza is the car we'd really be proud and happy to be in, simply because it has made an impressive upmarket step in direct competition with cars like the Honda Civic and the Volkswagen Jetta.