2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2021 Chrysler 300

The 2021 Subaru Impreza had a more conservative design compared to its previous generations. Both the sedan and hatchback versions featured sleek headlights and taillights, giving them a wider appearance. The front end was nicely tapered, and the body sides had some scalloping for visual flair. The Impreza Sport models stood out with 18-inch alloy wheels, while the base models had 16-inch steel wheels. The interior design was typical for compact cars, with a split dashboard housing the infotainment touchscreen and various forms of plastic throughout. The Impreza Sport added contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the Limited trim offered leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2021 Chrysler 300 retained its classic "three-box design" from its 2014 facelift, giving it a timeless and straightforward profile. The grille and headlights had evolved over the years, with the 2021 model featuring bi-xenon halogen projector lamps and LED driving lamps on lower trims. Higher trims like the Touring L and 300S offered adaptive HID lamps. The wheel options ranged from 17-inch silver alloys on the base model to 20-inch Black Noise wheels on the 300S. The interior quality was impressive, with cloth upholstery on the base model and Nappa leather on higher trims. Heated front seats were standard on the top trims, and heated rear seats were available.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Most models came with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while a five-speed manual was available on the base sedan and hatchback, as well as the Impreza Sport hatchback. The Sport trim also featured model-specific suspension tuning and torque vectoring for the all-wheel-drive system. While the Impreza provided a solid and refined ride, it lacked the engagement of competitors like the Honda Civic or Mazda 3. The Sport's suspension offered a good balance between ride quality and handling, but the engine's lack of power and noncommunicative steering kept it from being a true driver's car.

The 2021 Chrysler 300 offered a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine with 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in the 300 Touring and 300 Touring L trims. The 300S trim had a slightly more powerful version of the V6, producing 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. The 300S also offered an optional 5.7-liter V8 engine with 363 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters available on the 300S. Rear-wheel drive was standard, while all-wheel drive was a $2,750 option (not available on the 300S). The 300 provided a quiet, capable, and comfortable ride, with the V8 offering a fun driving experience despite not matching the higher-displacement powertrains of its Dodge Charger sibling.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan offered 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the least among current compact sedans, but it did have a standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The hatchback version provided 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, more than the Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla hatchbacks but less than the Honda Civic hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the Impreza hatchback offered 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Higher trim levels included an All-Weather Package with heated front seats, a heated windshield, and heated exterior mirrors. The Sport trim added keyless entry with pushbutton start, while the Limited trim featured a six-way power driver’s seat and automatic climate control.

The 2021 Chrysler 300 excelled in interior space, offering 41.8 inches of front legroom and 40.1 inches of rear legroom, surpassing competitors like the Lexus ES350 and Toyota Avalon. The 300 had a total passenger volume of 106.3 cubic feet, beating the Genesis G70 and Lexus ES350. The trunk provided 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space, enough to fit about four large suitcases. The interior quality was high, with cloth upholstery on the base model and Nappa leather on higher trims. Heated front seats were standard on the top trims, and heated rear seats were available.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza came with a 6.5-inch touchscreen on the base and Premium trims, featuring Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and Bluetooth. Higher trims had an 8-inch touchscreen, with an option package for the Limited trim adding TomTom-based navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system. The Impreza also had a secondary display above the main touchscreen for additional information, although it seemed somewhat redundant given the small LCD display in the gauge cluster. Overall, the infotainment system was user-friendly, with large icons and easy access to important functions.

The 2021 Chrysler 300 featured the Uconnect 4C infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, standard across all trims. The system was praised for its intuitive interface, prominent knobs, and excellent steering wheel-mounted controls. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard. The $3,495 Popular Equipment Group added a 506-watt amp, nine premium Alpine speakers, GPS navigation, SiriusXM Traffic Plus, surround sound, a trunk-mounted subwoofer, and a dual-pane sunroof. This package added a significant amount of desirable equipment.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza received an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" award, with the highest "Good" scores in all crash tests. However, it missed out on a "Top Safety Pick+" award due to its standard headlights receiving a "Marginal" rating. The Limited trim's headlights received a "Good" score. The NHTSA gave the Impreza a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in all crash tests. The Impreza came with Subaru’s EyeSight safety tech as standard on CVT-equipped models, including features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights were available as options.

The 2021 Chrysler 300 received top "Good" scores in all IIHS crash tests except the small overlap tests, where it received a "Marginal" score, and a "Poor" rating for headlights. The NHTSA gave the 300 a four-star overall crash test rating, with four-star driver and passenger side crash test ratings, and a four-star rollover rating. It received a five-star rating for NHTSA's combined side barrier and side pole crash test. The 300 offered active head restraints, multiple airbags, traction and stability control with brake assist, rain brake support, ready alert braking, and hill start assist. Advanced safety features were available on higher trims and packages, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, and rain-sensing wipers.