2026 Mazda3 GT AWD Sedan vs 2026 Subaru Impreza RS: Canadian Equipment, Fuel Ratings and Hatchback Practicality

You do not have to choose an SUV to put an all-wheel-drive compact on your shopping list. The 2026 Mazda3 GT AWD non-turbo sedan and 2026 Subaru Impreza RS hatchback offer two different approaches. The body-style difference is deliberate: this is a comparison for buyers deciding between a separate trunk and a five-door layout, not an attempt to pass the Mazda sedan off as the Mazda3 Sport hatchback.

Canadian specifications were checked October 30, 2026. This is a buying guide based on primary sources, not a back-to-back road test. The Mazda configuration excludes the GT Turbo, while the Subaru is the 2.5-litre RS rather than a lower-trim 2.0-litre Impreza.

Start with the cargo opening, not the badge

Before comparing screens or stereo systems, decide what needs to fit. A stroller, bulky cooler or awkward sports bag may make the shape of the opening more important than a published cargo-volume total. Bring the item or its measurements to both vehicles and try loading it without moving seats you need for passengers.

For the Mazda, check the trunk opening and the route through the cabin when carrying longer items. For the Subaru, check the hatch opening, loading height and space with the rear seats in the position you will actually use. Do not compare one vehicle with its seats folded to the other with five people aboard and call that a useful capacity verdict.

If your normal load is a few shopping bags and small luggage, either body style may work. If you frequently carry tall or irregular items, the hatchback deserves an early fit test. That is a practical shopping priority, not a claim that we measured either vehicle’s real-world load capacity.

The equipment is different, not simply better or worse

Mazda’s GT specification includes black leather seats, a 12-speaker Bose system, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, a head-up display and adaptive headlights. Its 10.25-inch centre display supports touch operation when using wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The sedan uses a six-speed automatic; Mazda’s available manual belongs to the Sport hatchback, not this AWD sedan. Source: Mazda Canada’s 2026 pricing and packaging announcement.

Subaru lists the RS as a five-seat, five-door model with 18-inch wheels, a ten-way power driver’s seat, a sunroof, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ten-speaker Harman Kardon audio and wireless phone charging. It uses a Lineartronic CVT and standard Symmetrical Full-Time AWD. Sources: Subaru Canada’s 2026 RS trim listing; Subaru Canada’s 2026 engineering page.

Make the equipment test personal. If you parallel-park daily, try the Mazda’s camera views and parking display while parked in a realistic space. If phone integration is central to your drive, connect your own phone and check the navigation and audio controls. For either stereo, listen to familiar music at a normal volume; speaker count alone cannot tell you which presentation you prefer.

The transmissions also deserve a normal test drive. Evaluate response when joining traffic, cruising and making small speed adjustments, rather than deciding that one transmission type must suit everyone. This guide does not infer acceleration, refinement or durability from the transmission label.

Fuel ratings: use the correct body and drivetrain

NRCan’s 2026 guide lists the non-turbo Mazda3 four-door AWD with the six-speed automatic at 9.1 city, 6.8 highway and 8.1 combined L/100 km. The five-door AWD and turbo rows are different. Source: NRCan’s 2026 Fuel Consumption Guide.

Subaru’s Canadian engineering page lists the RS’s 2.5-litre/CVT powertrain at 9.0 city and 7.2 highway L/100 km. Compare these city and highway ratings with the routes you drive most. Source: Subaru Canada’s 2026 engineering page.

On those published city/highway figures, the Subaru is lower by 0.1 L/100 km in the city, while the Mazda is lower by 0.4 on the highway. That mixed result is a better reason to consider your route than to declare one universally more economical. Real consumption can differ with temperature, traffic and driving habits.

For scale only, 10,000 km entirely at the published highway ratings would use 680 litres in the Mazda and 720 in the Subaru. The calculated 40-litre difference is $64 at an illustrative $1.60 per litre. That is not an annual ownership forecast: it isolates one scenario so you can see how modest differences translate into money.

Do not compare unlike advertised prices

Checked October 31, 2026, Mazda Canada’s Ontario configurator showed the 2026 Mazda3 GT AWD sedan with the non-turbo 2.5-litre engine at C$36,050 MSRP. Freight and pre-delivery inspection totalled C$2,095, separately from MSRP; administration charges, levies, taxes, licensing, insurance and extra-cost options are additional. This is not the turbo model’s price, and no temporary incentive is deducted from the MSRP.

Subaru’s retrieved RS listing displayed $36,345 with freight and fees included, taxes extra, under its displayed location configuration. It is not directly comparable to Mazda’s fee-exclusive MSRP. Source: Subaru Canada’s 2026 RS trim listing.

Those two headline numbers can look almost equal while describing different amounts. Request current quotes for your province on identifiable cars, separating vehicle price, freight, fees, taxes, paint and accessories. Add the cost of winter wheels and tires if you need them, then compare the total rather than a starting-price banner.

If financing, use the same down payment and term to understand the differences, and inspect total payments as well as the monthly amount. Include an insurance quote for each exact vehicle. There is no verified transaction-price winner in this article.

The useful decision

Start with Mazda3 GT AWD if the sedan layout works and its camera, display and cabin equipment are priorities. Start with Impreza RS if the hatch opening solves your recurring cargo needs and its cabin/control layout suits you. Then let the test drive and complete quotes decide whether the preferred configuration justifies its cost.

AWD is a shared shopping criterion here, not proof of equal winter performance. Neither vehicle earns a winter-handling verdict from a spec sheet. Include appropriate tires, the roads you use and the operating guidance in your decision rather than treating AWD as the whole answer.

For the Mazda3 GT AWD Sedan vs Subaru Impreza RS shortlist, use our vehicle-quote comparison guide to compare the exact trims and required options on the same fee and financing basis.