2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2021 Dodge Charger

The 2021 Subaru Impreza showcased a more conservative design compared to its previous iterations. Both the sedan and hatchback versions featured sleek headlights and taillights, giving the car a wider appearance. The front end was nicely tapered, and the body sides had some scalloping for visual flair. The awkward wheel arch sheetmetal from the previous generation was toned down. The Impreza Sport models stood out with 18-inch alloy wheels, while base models had 16-inch steel wheels. Built on the Subaru Global Platform, the Impreza shared its underpinnings with other Subaru models like the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent, contributing to its overall refinement. Inside, the Impreza's design was typical for compact cars, with a split dashboard housing the infotainment touchscreen and various plastic forms. The Sport trim added contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the Limited trim offered leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2021 Dodge Charger, in its seventh generation since 2011, continued to be popular due to its numerous variants, including the SXT, SXT AWD, GT, GT AWD, R/T, Scat Pack, Scat Pack Widebody, SRT Hellcat, and SRT Hellcat Redeye. The top-tier SRT Hellcat Redeye was the focus of this review. Externally, the Charger models had subtle differences, with options for widebody styling and various performance-oriented features. The widebody format added 3.5 inches to the car's stance, enhancing its athletic look. The Charger offered a range of tire, wheel, brake, and exterior color options, with 17-inch wheels standard on the base SXT and up to 20-inch wheels on the R/T. The Charger maintained its recognizable design, which had remained largely unchanged for a decade. Inside, the Charger had seen updates over the years, but still lacked some comfort and convenience features. The fit and finish had improved, but the gauge cluster and climate controls revealed the car's age. The interior featured a mix of hard plastic and rubberized surfaces, with cloth seats standard on most trims and Nappa leather on higher trims.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This engine design allowed for a lower center of gravity. Most Impreza 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 Sport hatchback. The Sport trim also featured model-specific suspension tuning and torque vectoring for the all-wheel-drive system. The Impreza provided a solid and refined ride, though 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 steering and engine power were not sufficient for a true driver's car experience.

The 2021 Dodge Charger excelled in performance, with a range of engine options. The SXT, SXT AWD, GT, and GT AWD were powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering up to 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. The R/T featured a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with 370 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, and a 1,000-pound towing capacity. The Scat Pack models had a 6.4-liter HEMI V8, producing 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The SRT Hellcat boasted a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 with 717 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The top-tier SRT Hellcat Redeye had a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V8, delivering 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Charger offered a connected driving experience, with configurable drive modes and Performance Pages for SRT models. The SRT Hellcat Redeye's powertrain was the least fuel-efficient, with an EPA-estimated 12 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. The Charger had no manual transmission options, but the automatic transmission performed well in most driving situations.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza offered reasonable legroom in both the sedan and hatchback versions, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan had 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the smallest among compact sedans, but featured a standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The hatchback provided 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, 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. All hatchback trims except the base model had standard roof rails. 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. A power moonroof was available as an option on most trims.

The 2021 Dodge Charger was a four-door, five-passenger sedan that balanced performance with practicality. The interior featured dated technology, but the instrument cluster varied by model, reflecting the car's top speed. The steering wheel had easy-to-reach buttons, and paddle shifters were available on all but the base model. The Charger had a spacious trunk, with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat for additional storage. Compared to other large cars, the Charger offered average cargo space.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza came with a 6.5-inch touchscreen on the base and Premium trims, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. 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. A secondary display above the main touchscreen showed information like estimated range, though it seemed redundant given the small LCD display in the gauge cluster. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with large icons and minimal menu digging required.

The 2021 Dodge Charger had a basic set of standard features, including push-button start, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, a six-speaker audio system, four USB ports, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, keyless entry, and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Available features included a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, various audio system upgrades, HD Radio, navigation, and a WiFi hotspot. The Uconnect infotainment system was easy to navigate, but some functions were buried in menus. The latest version of Uconnect was not yet available on the Charger.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback received an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” award, with the highest “Good” score in all crash tests. They missed the “Top Safety Pick+” award due to “Marginal” standard headlights, though the Limited trim's headlights received a “Good” score. The NHTSA gave both body styles a five-star overall safety rating. The Impreza featured Subaru’s EyeSight safety tech on CVT-equipped models, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. A rear-seat reminder was standard, with optional blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights.

The 2021 Dodge Charger had not been crash-tested by the IIHS, but the 2020 model received mostly "Good" ratings and "Poor" marks for headlights. The NHTSA gave the 2021 Charger a four-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included brake assist, electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist, rain brake support, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and automatic headlights were available on some models.