2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback

The 2021 Subaru Impreza adopted a more conservative design compared to its predecessors, which had featured bold styling elements like large round headlights and box fender flares. The current generation, while not immediately recognizable as a Subaru, still maintained a handsome appearance. Both the sedan and hatchback versions sported sleek headlights and taillights, giving an impression of width, and a nicely-tapered front end. The body sides featured some scalloping for visual flair, and the awkward wheel arch sheetmetal from the previous generation was toned down. The Impreza Sport models had specific styling touches, including 18-inch alloy wheels, while base models came with 16-inch steel wheels.

The Impreza was built on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with other models like the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent. This platform contributed to the overall refinement of the vehicle. Inside, the design was typical of compact cars, with the infotainment touchscreen splitting the dashboard and various forms of plastic throughout. The Impreza Sport featured contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the top-tier Impreza Limited offered standard leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback aimed to capture a significant share of the hatchback market, which had seen a decline as consumers shifted towards small crossover SUVs. Despite this trend, Honda saw an opportunity and redesigned the Civic hatchback, which was produced in an Indiana factory. The new Civic hatchback shared its front-end design with the Civic sedan but had a distinct rear section. The Sport Touring trim added sophisticated digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, giving it a modern appearance. However, the Civic hatchback still suffered from a design issue known as "stubby butt syndrome" when viewed from certain angles.

Inside, the Civic hatchback's Sport Touring trim featured more advanced digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, including a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The interior also included metal honeycomb dashboard detailing that hid the air vents and high-quality controls. The CVT shifter operation was the only aspect that detracted from the overall sense of sophistication.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza was equipped with 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 transmission was available on the base sedan and hatchback, as well as the Impreza Sport hatchback. The Sport model also featured specific suspension tuning and a torque vectoring system for the all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.

The Impreza was a comfortable daily driver, offering a solid and refined ride. The Sport model's suspension tuning struck a good balance between ride quality and handling, and the torque vectoring system provided a neutral balance. However, the steering was noncommunicative, and the engine's lack of power prevented the Impreza Sport from being a true driver's car. For a more engaging driving experience, one would need to consider the WRX.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered two engine options. The LX and Sport trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The LX came only with a CVT, while the Sport offered a choice between the CVT and a six-speed manual transmission. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims had a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, with peak torque available from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm. The EX-L came only with the CVT, while the Sport Touring offered both transmission types.

The Civic hatchback was front-wheel drive, with no AWD option. The Sport and Sport Touring trims featured 18-inch aluminum wheels with 235/40 Continental all-season tires, while the LX had 16-inch wheels, and the EX-L had 17-inch wheels. The CVT worked well with the turbocharged engine, providing a smooth and quiet operation. The Sport Touring's six-speed manual transmission was praised for its short throws, fluid gear engagement, and excellent clutch modulation. The Civic hatchback offered a firm and satisfying ride, with good steering and braking performance. However, for more spirited driving, one might prefer the upcoming Civic Si or Civic Type R performance models.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza offered reasonable legroom in both the sedan and hatchback versions, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan had a trunk capacity of 12.3 cubic feet, the smallest among current compact sedans, but it did feature 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 2021 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 came with standard roof rails.

Higher trim levels of the Impreza 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 trim levels.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback excelled in functionality, with a trunk capacity of 24.5 cubic feet. It featured an innovative two-piece cargo shade that didn't need to be removed to maximize cargo space. The back seat had a 60/40-split folding design, though Honda didn't provide an official maximum cargo volume measurement. The load floor wasn't flat, as Honda prioritized maximizing space behind the back seat.

All seating positions in the Civic hatchback were comfortable, with sufficient legroom. However, the Sport Touring's front passenger seat lacked a seat-height adjuster, and there were no rear air conditioning vents, which some passengers found inconvenient. The driver enjoyed an eight-way power-adjustable seat, and both front seats were heated. The Civic hatchback offered black fabric seats in LX and Sport trims, while the EX-L and Sport Touring featured black leather upholstery. Automatic climate control was standard, with a dual-zone system in the EX-L and Sport Touring trims.

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 housed in a hood over the main touchscreen provided information like estimated range, though it seemed redundant given the small LCD display in the gauge cluster. Overall, the Impreza's infotainment system was user-friendly, with large touchscreen icons and easy access to important functions.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a new infotainment system. The LX, Sport, and EX-L trims had a 7-inch touchscreen display with physical power/volume and tuning knobs, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sport Touring trim offered a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The inclusion of physical knobs for sound system controls addressed a common criticism of previous Honda infotainment systems. The Civic also had a small shelf at the bottom of the display screen to steady the hand while operating the touchscreen.

The Civic hatchback's digital instrumentation included a 7-inch screen with a traditional analog speedometer in lower trims, while the Sport Touring featured a 10.2-inch display panel. The infotainment system was superior to previous generations, with a responsive voice recognition system. However, the speakers in the Sport trim were mediocre, and Honda should consider offering the Bose components as an upgrade.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza received an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" award, with the highest "Good" score 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 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback came with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist. New features included low-speed following capability and Traffic Jam Assist, available only with the CVT. Blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning were available on the EX-L and Sport Touring trims. The Sport Touring with CVT also had Low-Speed Braking Control. All Civics included a rear-seat reminder system, rear seatbelt reminder, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Civic hatchback earned an IIHS "Top Safety Pick+" rating, the highest possible.