2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2021 Subaru Impreza

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, a product of Honda's redesign efforts from half a decade ago, presented a bold and somewhat polarizing aesthetic. While some were still acclimating to its unique design, the 2020 model introduced subtle refinements. The addition of body-color crossbars to the large faux air intakes, a refreshed grille, and smoked headlights contributed to a more cohesive look. New wheel designs were also introduced, enhancing the car's visual appeal. The Sport Touring trim, with its Platinum White Pearl paint, stood out with its striking contrast against glossy black detailing, often drawing admiration from onlookers who mistook it for the more aggressive Type R. Inside, the Civic Hatchback offered a blend of stitched leather, soft surfaces, and quality materials, though hard plastics were still present. The six-speed manual gearbox, now available with the Sport Touring trim, added a layer of driving engagement, making the Civic Hatchback a compelling choice for those seeking a balance of style and practicality.

In contrast, the 2021 Subaru Impreza adopted a more conservative design approach, moving away from the bold styling risks of its past. The current generation featured sleek headlights and taillights, a tapered front end, and subtle scalloping on the body sides, creating a handsome yet understated appearance. The Impreza Sport models received specific styling touches, such as 18-inch alloy wheels, enhancing their visual appeal. Built on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with models like the Legacy and Outback, the Impreza benefited from improved refinement and a solid feel. Inside, the Impreza's design was typical of compact cars, with a split dashboard housing the infotainment touchscreen and various forms of plastic throughout. The Sport trim added contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the Limited trim offered leather upholstery and LED headlights, elevating the interior experience.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, particularly in Sport and Sport Touring trims, was equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. This powertrain delivered 174 horsepower in LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 180 horsepower in Sport and Sport Touring trims. Torque was rated at 162 pound-feet with the CVT and 177 lb-ft with the 6-speed manual transmission. This setup provided ample power for the front-wheel-drive Civic Hatchback, ensuring a quiet and refined driving experience. While the Civic Si offered a more thrilling ride with its helical limited-slip differential and higher power output, the Civic Hatchback's softer ride, wider seats, and quieter cabin made it a more comfortable daily driver. Despite its less frenetic nature, the Civic Hatchback remained fun to drive, especially on winding roads. The EPA rated the test car at 32 mpg in combined driving, with actual testing yielding 32.7 mpg.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza, on the other hand, featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This engine, characteristic of Subaru's design, allowed for a lower center of gravity, enhancing stability. Most Impreza models came with a CVT, while a five-speed manual was available on select trims. The Impreza Sport trim offered model-specific suspension tuning and torque vectoring for the AWD system, providing a balanced ride. While the Impreza lacked the engagement of competitors like the Honda Civic, it delivered a solid and refined driving experience. The Sport's suspension tuning struck a good balance between ride quality and handling, though the steering and engine power left it short of being a true driver's car.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback offered a practical alternative to SUVs, with 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than the Honda HR-V Touring. While it couldn't match the HR-V's maximum volume, the Civic's superior acceleration and fuel efficiency made it a compelling choice. The low seating position might have been less convenient for entry and exit, but the heated leather front seats provided comfort, with ample thigh support for the driver. The center console storage area was a standout feature, offering versatility with its sliding components. Rear seat comfort was surprisingly good, though the lack of air-conditioning vents and dark tinted glass could make it uncomfortable in warmer conditions.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza, available in both sedan and hatchback forms, provided reasonable legroom, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan's trunk space was limited at 12.3 cubic feet, but the hatchback offered 20.8 cubic feet with the rear seats in place, surpassing competitors like the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the Impreza's cargo space expanded to 55.3 cubic feet, outdoing the Civic. Roof rails were standard on all hatch trims except the base model. The Impreza's interior featured an All-Weather Package on Premium and higher trims, including heated front seats and mirrors, while the Sport trim added keyless entry and the Limited offered a power driver's seat and automatic climate control.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a stylish dashboard with digital instrumentation and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system in all but the LX trim. The Sport Touring trim included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, a navigation system, and a 12-speaker premium sound system. While the Civic's technology offerings were not groundbreaking, features like automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock added convenience.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza came with a 6.5-inch touchscreen on base and Premium trims, while higher trims received an 8-inch display. The Limited trim offered an optional TomTom-based navigation system and Harman Kardon audio. A secondary display provided additional information, though its redundancy was noted. The Impreza's infotainment system was user-friendly, with large icons and easy access to important functions, though it lacked advanced features for tech-savvy buyers.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback included the Honda Sensing suite as standard, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. However, the system showed signs of aging, with less refined lane-keeping assist and occasional issues with adaptive cruise control. The Civic lacked blind-spot monitoring, relying on the LaneWatch system for the right-side blind spot. The Civic did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS due to poor headlight performance, though it received top marks for crash-test performance.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza received a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, with the Limited trim's headlights earning a "Good" rating. The NHTSA awarded the Impreza a five-star overall safety rating. Subaru's EyeSight safety tech was standard on CVT-equipped models, offering features like automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist. Additional safety options included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.