2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2021 Hyundai Sonata

The 2021 Subaru Impreza showcased a more conservative design compared to its predecessors, which had taken some bold styling risks. Both the sedan and hatchback versions featured sleek headlights and taillights, giving an impression of width, and a nicely-tapered front end. The body sides had some scalloping for visual flair, and the awkward wheel arch sheetmetal from the previous generation was toned down. The Impreza Sport models stood out with specific styling touches, including 18-inch alloy wheels, while base models came with 16-inch steel wheels.

The Impreza's interior design was typical of compact cars, with the infotainment touchscreen splitting the dashboard in two and the rest of the interior comprising various forms of plastic. The Sport trim added contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the Limited trim offered standard leather upholstery and LED headlights. The Subaru Global Platform, shared with other Subaru models, contributed to the Impreza's overall refinement.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata, redesigned for the 2020 model year, presented a daringly distinctive look that was immediately identifiable. The N Line treatment enhanced the Sonata's appeal with functional and stylistic changes, such as larger air intakes for improved engine cooling and gloss black side mirrors and window surrounds. The car's profile was further distinguished by bold 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, while the rear featured a subtle gloss black lip spoiler and a reworked bumper with a lower diffuser panel flanked by a four-outlet exhaust system.

Inside, the Sonata N Line featured sport front seats with premium Nappa leather bolsters and Dinamica suede inserts, red stitching, aluminum pedal covers, and dark chrome accents. A panoramic sunroof was standard, giving the car a two-tone appearance and making the interior feel roomier. The interior design aimed to balance comfort and lateral support, with the front passenger enjoying a manual seat height adjuster.

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's unique design allowed it to be mounted lower in the chassis, helping to lower the car's center of gravity. Most Impreza models came with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while a five-speed manual transmission was available on the base sedan and hatchback, and the Impreza Sport hatchback. The Sport trim also featured model-specific suspension tuning and a torque vectoring feature for the all-wheel-drive system.

The Impreza was an agreeable daily driver, offering a nice ride but lacking the engagement of competitors like the Honda Civic or Mazda 3. The Sport trim's suspension tuning provided a good balance between ride quality and handling, while torque vectoring gave the car a neutral balance. However, the steering was noncommunicative, and the engine's relative lack of power kept the Impreza Sport from being a true driver's car.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line was equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, generating 290 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 311 pound-feet of torque from 1,650 rpm to 4,000 rpm. This engine was paired with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) with paddle shifters, rev-matching, and a launch control system. Drivers could choose between Normal, Sport, Sport+, and Custom driving modes, and the car included an Active Sound Design (ASD) engine note enhancement system.

The Sonata N Line featured significant improvements in engine and transmission mount stiffness, faster rack-mounted electric steering, larger front and rear brakes, and a sport-tuned suspension. It rode on 19-inch wheels with 245/40 all-season performance or summer performance tires. The car's added stiffness, responsive steering, and firm underpinnings made it a treat to drive, especially on winding mountain roads. The suspension expertly attenuated body roll and excess motion, providing a comfortable ride without compromising handling.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza offered reasonable legroom in both the sedan and hatchback versions, though headroom was a bit below average. The sedan had 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the least among current compact sedans, but it did offer a standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The hatchback provided 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, more than the Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla hatchback, but less than the Honda Civic hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the Impreza offered 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Higher trim levels included an All-Weather Package, keyless entry with pushbutton start, a six-way power driver’s seat, and automatic climate control.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line featured heated front sport seats with Dinamica suede inserts for comfort and lateral support. The front passenger had a manual seat height adjuster, making the car agreeable for both front-seat occupants. The rear seat offered less legroom and thigh support compared to the Elantra N Line, but it did include rear air conditioning vents and a USB port. The materials were a cut above the Elantra N Line, though the hard plastic front seatback panels could be unkind to taller passengers' knees.

Interior storage space in the Sonata N Line was generous and practical, though the center console design was somewhat inelegant. The trunk offered 16 cubic feet of volume, with a 60/40-split folding rear seat for expanded utility. The Smart Trunk hands-free release feature automatically popped the lid if you stood near the back of the car for three seconds, though there was no handle on the inside of the lid for closing it.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza came with a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and Bluetooth on the base and Premium trim levels, while higher trims got an 8-inch touchscreen. An option package for the Limited trim added TomTom-based navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system. The Impreza also featured a secondary display housed in a hood over the main touchscreen, showing information like estimated range. The infotainment system was easy to use, with large touchscreen icons and minimal menu digging required for important functions.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel paired with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Standard features included navigation, wireless smartphone charging, a Bose premium sound system, HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a free three-year subscription to Blue Link connected services. However, it did not offer a WiFi hotspot. The infotainment system had a power/volume knob but no tuning knob, requiring the driver to use virtual buttons or steering wheel controls for tuning. The system also included Sounds of Nature, offering ambient noise tracks for a calming experience, and Hyundai Digital Key, which worked only with Android devices.

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 out on a “Top Safety Pick+” award due to the standard headlights receiving a “Marginal” rating, though the Limited trim's headlights received a “Good” score. The NHTSA gave both body styles a five-star overall safety rating. The Impreza came with Subaru’s EyeSight safety tech as standard on CVT-equipped models, including features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear automatic braking.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line was equipped with Hyundai’s SmartSense collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, driver-attention warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional features included Rear Occupant Alert, Safe Exit Warning, and Highway Drive Assist. The standard Sonata rated high for occupant protection, though the NHTSA and IIHS had not assigned specific ratings to the N Line as of the review's publication.