Buyers considering an affordable family sedan today are spoiled for choice. From hot favourites such as the Toyota Corolla Altis and value-for-money up-and-comers like the Kia Cerato K3, there's a sedan for just about everyone's tastes and budgets.

The latest contender to rejoin the fraternity is the new 2017 Subaru Impreza. Built on the Subaru Global Platform, the new Impreza boasts enhanced driving dynamics, new styling and much higher levels of refinement.


This month, we pit the Impreza against its abovementioned Asian rivals to find out just where it stands.

Considering design is subjective and not usually the first order of business for these sensible sedans, we're going to ignore that in this group test and focus on four other criteria that might keep the discerning buyer awake at night.

Driving

Despite the K3's naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine producing 127bhp and 157Nm of torque, which makes it the most powerful of the three, the quickest car in terms of acceleration in this test is the Altis.


The K3 uses a conventional six-speed auto and you can work the gears manually using the paddle shifters. That, though, is not to say that the K3 is meant for enthusiastic driving. Its steering is too light for our liking and while it knows how to handle a corner, isn't as planted as the Impreza.

The Altis has the strongest sense of urgency in a straight line despite its uninspiring continuously-variable transmission and lower power and torque output of 121bhp and 154Nm. However, there is a complete absence of steering feedback and if you're the sort who craves the occasional spirited driving, you might find the Altis rather boring.

Like the Altis, the Impreza also runs a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine and continuously-variable transmission pairing. It's not as sprightly, but the powertrain in the latter is noticeably more refined.

The Impreza does have a straight-line disadvantage due to its lower power output (112bhp and 150Nm of torque) and all-wheel drive layout, but is the most capable one around tight and twisting corners.


Its weighted steering may be a problem for older drivers around carparks, but translates into concised, confidence-inspiring handling at highway speeds. Over uneven surfaces, it's also the most forgiving and comfortable one in this test.

Efficiency

The K3 and Altis both returned close to 13km/L during our test drive, which is quite impressive. Of course, that said, you may be able to achieve better, depending on your driving habits.

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.