2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2021 Toyota Camry

The 2021 Subaru Impreza marked a shift towards more conservative styling compared to its previous bold design choices. Gone were the large round headlights and box fender flares, replaced with a sleeker, more subdued look. The sedan and hatchback versions featured streamlined headlights and taillights, which added a visual breadth to the vehicle. The front end was nicely tapered, and the side panels had some tasteful scalloping for a touch of flair. Importantly, the awkward wheel arch design from earlier models was toned down considerably. The Impreza Sport models stood out with specific styling cues, including 18-inch alloy wheels, whereas the base models came with simpler 16-inch steel wheels.

Built on the Subaru Global Platform shared with other brand models like the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent, the Impreza benefited from well-engineered architecture. This was evident in its refined overall feel. Inside, the design was typical of a compact car—unexciting but functional. The infotainment touchscreen split the dashboard, and the interior generally consisted of various plastic forms. The Sport model included unique features like contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the high-end Limited trim boasted standard leather upholstery and LED headlights.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Camry aimed to break away from its past of being the generic choice from drivers' education textbooks. This iteration of the Camry incorporated more styling elements to add excitement to its design. While the flared wheel arches and thin, expansive headlights and taillights worked visually, some trims like the SE, XSE, and TRD were criticized for an overabundance of fake vents that made the design feel cluttered. More conservative trims like the LE and XLE were less busy but featured equally massive grilles. The TRD model was distinguished by a substantial rear spoiler, while the Nightshade Edition on the SE trim boasted blacked-out exterior trim and wheels. Wheel sizes ranged from 17 inches on the LE up to 19 inches on other models.

Built on the TNGA-K platform shared with models like the Avalon and RAV4, the Camry had a solid underpinning. The interior, however, mirrored the exterior’s chaotic design language. The dashboard combined various trim elements, making it seem like a patchwork of parts from different cars. It included contrast stitching, piano black plastic, and carbon fiber-like touches, but lacked a coherent design theme. While materials varied, overall, they felt somewhat low-rent, a contrast to the more uniform finish found in the Subaru Impreza.

Under the hood, every 2021 Subaru Impreza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This Subaru-signature boxer engine, with its horizontal piston layout, contributed to a lower center of gravity, benefiting overall stability. Most Impreza models came with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), except for the base sedan and hatchback, along with the Sport hatchback, which offered a five-speed manual gearbox. The Sport trim also featured a specially-tuned suspension and torque vectoring for better handling and balance.

While the Impreza didn't spark driving excitement like a Honda Civic or Mazda 3, it provided a refined and solid ride, making it a comfortable daily driver. The Sport trim achieved a nice balance between ride comfort and handling agility thanks to its specific suspension setup. However, the engine's limited power and noncommunicative steering prevented it from being a true driver's car.

In comparison, the base powertrain of the 2021 Toyota Camry was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, marketed as the "Dynamic Force" engine, producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque with FWD, and slightly less with AWD. The XSE trim with FWD offered a dual-exhaust system, boosting those figures slightly. The Camry also offered a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine on some trims, generating a robust 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Both engine options were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Additionally, the Camry Hybrid combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with electric assist for a combined output of 208 horsepower.

Our test model, an SE Nightshade Edition with the Dynamic Force four-cylinder engine and AWD, performed commendably. It offered a surprising blend of spirited performance and a pleasing sound. The chassis provided a balance between handling and ride quality, making the Camry enjoyable in corners without sacrificing comfort. Although it wasn't as sharp as competitors like the Honda Accord or Mazda 6, it surpassed expectations for the segment. The TRD model pushed the envelope further, with its V6 engine and sporty chassis upgrades, including lowered suspension and larger brakes.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza provided reasonable legroom for both sedan and hatchback models. However, headroom was a bit below average in both rows. The sedan had a smaller trunk space of 12.3 cubic feet, minimal in today's compact sedan market. Still, it featured a standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat for added utility. The hatchback variant offered 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, more spacious than the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla hatchbacks but less than the Honda Civic hatchback. It compensated by offering 55.3 cubic feet of space with the seats folded. Higher trims (excluding the base model) incorporated standard roof rails for additional cargo-carrying options.

Subaru continued its tradition of providing an All-Weather Package on Premium trims and above, which included heated front seats, a heated windshield, and heated external mirrors. Additional features like keyless entry with pushbutton start were available on the Sport trim, while the Limited trim received a six-way power driver’s seat and automatic climate control. Options like a power moonroof further enhanced the car’s convenience features.

The 2021 Toyota Camry, being a midsize sedan, offered a generous amount of rear headroom and legroom, better than its compact competitor, the Impreza. However, this spaciousness came somewhat at the expense of front headroom and legroom, although the front seats’ adjustability often mitigated this issue. The seats were comfortable, providing good support, and outward visibility was commendable. The Camry’s cargo space was average for the segment at 15.1 cubic feet, significantly less than the Honda Accord’s 16.7 cubic feet. Interior storage was limited, with small cupholders and door bottle holders, and items often got stuck in door storage bin crevices.

Despite its somewhat complicated dashboard design, Toyota wisely included analog controls for essential functions like audio and climate settings. These analog controls, complemented by large, rubberized knobs for volume and tuning, made the system user-friendly. Dual-zone automatic climate control was available on higher trims, providing additional comfort.

In terms of technology, the 2021 Subaru Impreza didn't come up short. Base and Premium trims had a 6.5-inch touchscreen equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as Bluetooth. Higher trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen. The Limited trim package included TomTom-based navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system for a high-end audio experience.

Subaru also added a secondary display housed in a hood above the main touchscreen, although its utility seemed somewhat redundant given the existing small LCD in the gauge cluster. Overall, the infotainment system was user-friendly, with large icons and easy-to-navigate menus, although it didn't offer the high-tech appeal some users might seek in more expensive vehicles.

The 2021 Toyota Camry, by comparison, offered a slightly larger standard infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen. Features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Amazon Alexa compatibility, Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free voice control, and SiriusXM satellite radio (with a three-month free trial) were standard. Higher trims came with a more sizeable 9-inch touchscreen, and additional tech features like Wi-Fi support for up to five devices, navigation, and a nine-speaker JBL audio system were available. The XSE and XLE also offered a 10-inch head-up display (HUD).

Toyota's system included essential USB and 12-volt outlets, although no extra ports came standard on higher trims. While the menus were easy to navigate, the graphics were plain and unremarkable. Toyota’s infotainment system prioritized functionality over flashy design.

Both vehicles excelled in safety, but there were differences worth noting. The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback both earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick” award, thanks to “Good” scores in all crash tests. However, they missed the Top Safety Pick+ due to their standard headlights' “Marginal” rating. The NHTSA awarded both body styles a five-star overall safety rating.

Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite, which included features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert, was standard on CVT models. Optional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Toyota Camry received the IIHS’s highest rating, the “Top Safety Pick+,” along with a five-star overall rating from NHTSA. The suite of standard safety features under the new TSS 2.5+ package included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning (with pedestrian detection), lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and traffic-sign recognition. Enhanced capabilities for some features included better adaptive cruise control and forward-collision warning systems, capable of detecting cyclists and oncoming vehicles or pedestrians during left turns.

Additionally, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard on higher trims, while Toyota’s Rear Seat Reminder helped ensure that children or pets weren’t accidentally left in the back seats.