2021 Nissan Altima vs 2021 Subaru Impreza

The 2021 Subaru Impreza showcased a more conservative design compared to its previous generations. While it lacked distinct Subaru identifiers, it still maintained a handsome appearance. Both the sedan and hatchback versions featured sleek headlights and taillights, a nicely-tapered front end, and some scalloping on the body sides. 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 interior design was typical for compact cars, with a split dashboard housing the infotainment touchscreen and various forms of plastic. 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 Nissan Altima sported a bold V-Motion grille, available in chrome or dark chrome, adorned with the Nissan logo. Its overall shape was attractive, featuring a sloping "coupe-like" roofline and taut, trim body sides. Despite a somewhat old-fashioned stance due to its short dash-to-axle distance, modern features like standard LED lighting and wheel options ranging from 16-inch steel to 19-inch alloy kept it contemporary. The Altima's fit and finish were exceptional, with deep lustrous paint and rich chrome details. Nine exterior colors were available, some with premium pricing. Inside, the dashboard was uncluttered and intelligently laid out, with an 8-inch touchscreen display on most trims. Higher trims offered improved interior materials, stitching, and better hand feel.

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, lowering 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, 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. 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 tuning 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 Nissan Altima offered two distinct powertrains. Most configurations featured a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct gasoline injection, delivering 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with Nissan's Xtronic CVT. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available on most trims. Fuel economy for the FWD models was rated at 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway/32 mpg combined, while AWD models achieved 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. The standout powertrain was the VC-Turbo engine, available only in the Altima SR VC-Turbo trim. This turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with variable compression produced 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, offering a much livelier performance. The VC-Turbo was FWD only, with fuel economy rated at 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. All Altima models featured four-wheel independent suspension, with the VC-Turbo's suspension being sport-tuned for a more engaging drive.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza offered reasonable legroom in both the sedan and hatchback versions, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan had a modest 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, but the standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat helped accommodate longer items. The hatchback 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. A power moonroof was available as an option on most trims.

The 2021 Nissan Altima featured Nissan's praised Zero Gravity front seats, which provided exceptional comfort even on long drives. Upper trims offered power adjustment, position memory, leather appointments, and heated seats. The front cabin included ample storage and convenience features, such as a large glovebox, center console storage bin, cupholders, and door pockets. The second row was roomy enough for two adults or three for short rides, with a 60/40 split-folding design for trunk access. The trunk itself offered 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space.

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 received 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 housed in a hood over the main touchscreen provided additional information, though it seemed somewhat redundant given the small LCD display in the gauge cluster. Overall, the Impreza's infotainment system was user-friendly, with large touchscreen icons and minimal menu digging required for important functions.

The 2021 Nissan Altima included a robust set of standard tech features. All models came with Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start, remote engine start, Bluetooth, cruise control, HomeLink, rear-view camera, Siri Eyes Free, Google Assistant Voice Recognition, and streaming audio/hands-free phone with Bluetooth. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard on all but the base S model. The base touchscreen was 7 inches on the S trim, while other trims featured an 8-inch NissanConnect touchscreen. Higher trims also included a 7-inch advanced Drive-Assist display. Most models had multiple USB ports and auxiliary inputs, with SiriusXM satellite radio standard on all but the S trim. The SL and Platinum trims featured a Bose audio system and Active Noise Cancellation with the VC-Turbo engine. Nissan Door to Door Navigation was standard on the Platinum trim and optional on others, with a three-year trial to NissanConnect Services included.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza received an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" award for both sedan and hatchback body styles, with the highest "Good" score in all crash tests. However, it missed out on a "Top Safety Pick+" award due to the standard headlights receiving a "Marginal" rating. The Limited trim's headlights received a "Good" score. The NHTSA awarded the Impreza sedan and hatchback a five-star overall safety rating. Subaru's EyeSight safety tech was standard on CVT-equipped models, including features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. Additional safety options included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights.

The 2021 Nissan Altima featured Nissan Safety Shield 360, standard on every SV and above trim. This suite included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, and high-beam assist. ProPilot Assist was available for highway driving assistance, including intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent lane intervention, traffic sign recognition, intelligent driver alertness, and adaptive cruise control. An Intelligent Around View Monitor was available on upper trims, providing a 360-degree overhead view for easier parking. The Altima received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.