2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2021 Subaru WRX

Half a decade ago, Honda redesigned the Civic, which was its rival to the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla, among others. For 2020, Honda tweaked the styling a bit, adding body-color crossbars to the huge fake air intakes, a new grille, and smoked headlights. New wheel designs also debuted. The test car, in top-of-the-line Sport Touring trim, had Platinum White Pearl paint, which contrasted nicely with the glossy black detailing. Family members mistook it for a Type R, showing its appealing look. Inside, the Sport Touring trim included stitched leather on the steering wheel, soft surfaces, and quality materials, though there was still plenty of hard plastic. The six-speed manual gearbox, previously reserved for Sport trim, was now available with Sport Touring trim for 2020, bringing the price to $28,980, including the destination charge.

The 2021 Subaru WRX had often been accused of having an adolescent aesthetic, with a wedge-like front end and a very short trunk lid. Compared to the racier WRX STI, the standard WRX looked tame. Inside, the WRX resembled other Subaru compact cars from the past decade, with a function-first cockpit that came at the cost of fit and finish. The base WRX came equipped with 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, manual seats, automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and a pair of USB ports. The Premium trim added 18-inch wheels, fog lights, heated seats, pushbutton start, auto on/off headlights, and a larger 7-inch infotainment screen. The range-topping WRX Limited added leather upholstery, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, LED fog lights, and adaptive steering-responsive LED headlights.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder powertrain, made 174 horsepower with LX, EX, and EX-L trim and 180 horsepower with Sport and Sport Touring trim. Torque measured 162 pound-feet with the CVT and 177 lb-ft with the 6-speed manual transmission. The engine was quiet, refined, and well-mannered, though the transmission’s clutch travel and gearbox throws were long. The Civic Hatchback Sport and Sport Touring were easier to live with on a daily basis, offering a softer and more compliant ride, wider seats, a quieter cabin, and hushed exhaust. The EPA rated the test car at 32 mpg in combined driving, and it achieved 32.7 mpg on the testing loop.

The 2021 Subaru WRX came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, making 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Buyers could select a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT. Despite being the most powerful among its rivals, the WRX required mastering the revs to get the most out of it. The CVT, though not ideal for driving enthusiasts, kept the revs in the powerband accurately. The manual transmission had a vague clutch, making it less desirable. The WRX featured Vehicle Dynamics Control with Active Torque Vectoring, which modulated torque distribution and applied slight braking on the inside wheels in a corner. The WRX had well-weighted steering and a stiff ride compared to the Civic Si and GTI.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback offered 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than the HR-V Touring. While it couldn’t match the HR-V for maximum volume, the Civic’s ability to accelerate and its fuel efficiency were advantages. The driver’s seat provided ample thigh support, though the passenger seat lacked a height adjuster. The center console storage area was long and deep, with a sliding armrest, tray, and cupholders. Rear seat comfort and legroom were good, but the lack of air-conditioning vents and dark tinted rear glass made it less comfortable for passengers.

The 2021 Subaru WRX had a conventional sedan layout with a trunk offering up to 12 cubic feet of cargo space. Compared to the Civic Si, it had more space than the coupe but less than the sedan. The WRX’s age showed in its interior packaging, with in-door bottle-holders unable to fit mid-to-large water bottles. The driving position was commanding and comfortable, with good visibility. The rear seats could accommodate four adults with relative ease, highlighting the advantages of a sedan layout.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a stylish dashboard with digital instrumentation and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system in all but LX trim. The Sport Touring trim included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, text-messaging support, a navigation system, a quick-charging USB port, and a 12-speaker premium sound system. Automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock were also included, providing keyless entry and peace of mind.

The 2021 Subaru WRX came standard with a 6.5-inch touchscreen running Subaru's Starlink infotainment system, with a 7-inch touchscreen available on higher trims. Both screens supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a sensible layout and easy-to-use controls. The Limited test model featured navigation and a Harman Kardon premium stereo, providing solid sound quality. Despite updates, the WRX’s in-car tech was not cutting-edge.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback included the Honda Sensing suite as standard, featuring forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and Road Departure Mitigation. Adaptive cruise control was also standard, though the lane-keeping assist lacked smoothness, and the adaptive cruise control occasionally braked for no reason. The Civic lacked a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert, relying on LaneWatch for the right-side blind spot. The 2020 Civic Hatchback did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS due to Poor headlight performance.

The 2021 Subaru WRX did not come standard with the latest safety features. Subaru's EyeSight system, with adaptive cruise control, emergency automatic braking, and lane-departure warning, was available on Premium and Limited trims with the CVT. Adaptive high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and reverse automatic braking were options on the Limited trim. Every WRX trim included a tire-pressure monitoring system and traction control.