Research-based shortlist, not a verified-fit list. Confirm your model year, body style, trim and seat layout before buying.
This guide builds on our general guide to choosing the best kennel for your vehicle. Start there for the overall approach, or change vehicles with the selector below.
Start with your Subaru Impreza’s layout
The current Impreza is a hatchback, but older Imprezas also include sedans. Establish which body style and generation you own before using any cargo advice. The hatchback offers a rear loading route that a sedan does not; a separate sedan trunk must never be treated as the place for an occupied dog carrier.
For the hatchback, measure with the rear seatbacks in their normal positions first. The limiting dimension may be height near the glass rather than floor length. Check the kennel's upper rear corners with a cardboard model, and leave clearance for the hatch to close without pressing against the shell or blocking ventilation openings.
We would investigate a correctly sized RuffLand single-door kennel when the dog can use a rear-facing entrance. A Gunner G1 belongs on the comparison list only after its exterior shell and installation needs pass the same check. A smaller vehicle does not justify selecting a kennel that is too small for the dog; an attractive footprint is not enough.
Rear-seat folding can provide a different layout when passengers do not need those seats, but the folded surface and restraint arrangement still need checking. For a small dog sharing the car with rear passengers, a suitable seat-installed carrier may be simpler. Keep shopping, sports equipment and leashes secured away from the kennel door so the dog can enter and leave calmly.
The checks that matter here
- Hatchback versus older sedan body
- Height at rear glass and upper kennel corners
- Passenger needs before folding rear seats
Kennels we would compare for the Subaru Impreza
For a hatchback, prioritize the exact exterior shape and rear-door access of a RuffLand candidate; compare a Gunner G1 only where the measured space and installation permit it.
Gunner G1
Compare G1 in an Impreza hatchback using a full-height template; an older sedan does not supply the same cargo access.
When we would pass: This cargo recommendation belongs to a hatchback; an older sedan’s separate trunk is not an occupied kennel location.
Check this option and its instructions →
RuffLand single-door configuration
A single rear-facing RuffLand is worth measuring where the hatchback glass clears its upper corners with the rear seats retained.
When we would pass: Reject a size whose upper corners touch the hatch even if its base fits the cargo mat.
Check this option and its instructions →
These are candidates to investigate, not confirmed fits. Match the exact size and installation instructions to your dog and vehicle before ordering.
Before you order
Use the main guide’s dog-sizing and loading-route checklist to test your chosen layout. Review how to check crash-test evidence for the exact product and installation; a successful physical fit does not establish crash protection.
Bring your dog’s measurements, your model year and trim, and photos of the intended installation area to the kennel seller. Ask for the exterior envelope and usable interior measurements of the exact size and door configuration. Confirm the return terms before a trial fit.
Sources and related guides
- Subaru Impreza manufacturer information
- Gunner G1 manufacturer information
- RuffLand single-door configuration manufacturer information
- Compare our kennel product reviews
- All 106 vehicle guides
Reviewed October 26, 2026. Recommendations are editorial judgments from published information; no vehicle-specific fit or crash result is implied.