2020 Honda Accord vs 2021 Subaru Impreza

Mary Walton’s “Car: A Drama of the American Workplace” details the development of the 1996 Ford Taurus from sketch to series production. The car was a legendary flop, a collage of compromise. Walton’s book explains why, and in juicy detail.

Bringing a new or redesigned vehicle to market isn’t easy, even if Honda makes it look that way. The 2020 Honda Accord Touring is the family sedan perfected, from its rakish good looks and delightful driving dynamics to its huge back seat and giant trunk. The 2020 Honda Accord also boasts plenty of tech, including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and adaptive cruise control.

Sure, you can quibble with a few things related to the 2020 Accord. After all, no car is perfect. But the Honda Accord Touring sure does come close in so many of the ways that matter most, from usability to mpg.

Subaru developed a cult following thanks to cars like the Impreza. Thanks to standard all-wheel drive (AWD), the Impreza has been a hit in wintry climates, offering the low operating costs of a compact car without the limited foul-weather capability of the mostly front-wheel drive (FWD) competition.

The current Impreza represents the model’s fifth generation, and dates back to the 2017 model year. Available in sedan and hatchback form, the Impreza has also spawned the sporty Subaru WRX and more rugged looking Subaru Crosstrek, which have overshadowed the basic Impreza to some extent. We’ll cover the WRX and Crosstrek in separate reviews.

Changes for the 2021 model year are limited to availability of SI-Drive drive modes on the Impreza Premium trim level (this feature was previously available only on the Impreza Sport) and a $100 price increase. The full Impreza lineup remains unchanged, encompassing base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trim levels for both the sedan and hatchback. Consequently, we’ll look back on our experience with previous model years for this overview.