2022 Hyundai Elantra vs 2021 Subaru Impreza

The 2021 Subaru Impreza had a more conservative design compared to its predecessors, which had featured large round headlights and box fender flares. Both the sedan and hatchback versions sported sleek headlights and taillights, giving an impression of width, along with 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 had 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 the infotainment touchscreen splitting the dashboard in two and various forms of plastic throughout. The Impreza Sport featured contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the range-topping Impreza Limited had standard leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra underwent a dramatic redesign for the 2021 model year, transforming from a rental-car look to a striking new appearance. The seventh-generation Elantra featured a longer wheelbase, wider stance, and lower roofline, resulting in a dramatic four-door-coupe silhouette. The exterior styling was unique, with various creases and folds on the doors creating a "Z" shape, differentiating it from the Sonata and rival compact sedans. The interior was much improved, with material quality slightly above the norm for the compact car class. Despite some hard plastic, the Elantra offered advanced tech and a starting price of around $20,000. The N Line trim added sporty styling elements, including N Line design front and rear fascias, chrome twin-tip exhaust, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the N Line featured sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a black headliner, and aluminum pedals.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza was equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This Subaru-signature boxer engine 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 Impreza sedan and hatchback, and the Impreza Sport hatchback. The Sport trim also had model-specific suspension tuning and a torque vectoring feature for the AWD system. The Impreza provided a nice ride, though it lacked the engagement of a Honda Civic or Mazda 3. The Impreza Sport's special suspension tuning offered a good balance between ride quality and handling, but the noncommunicative steering and the engine's relative lack of power kept it from being a true driver's car.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra offered multiple powertrain options. The SE, SEL, and Limited trims had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive. The Elantra Hybrid featured a 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, a 32-kilowatt electric motor, and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT), with a total system output of 139 hp and up to 195 lb-ft of torque. The N Line trim had a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DCT. The N Line's DCT provided crisp shifts and offered Normal, Sport, and Smart drive modes. The N Line also had sport-tuned suspension, steering, and revised powertrain mounts, along with a multi-link independent rear suspension and larger front brake rotors, enhancing its ride and handling dynamics.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan offered 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the least among current compact sedans, but it had a standard 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The Impreza hatchback had 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 offered 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space. All hatch trim levels except the base model had standard roof rails. The Impreza Premium and 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 had a standard six-way power driver’s seat and automatic climate control. A power moonroof was available as an extra-cost option on most trim levels.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra was easy to live with, offering plenty of storage options and comfortable seats. The N Line's low seating position made it a bit challenging to get in and out, but once inside, the Elantra provided excellent outward visibility. The rear seat could accommodate three children comfortably, though taller adults would prefer the front seats due to the sloped roof pinching headroom in the back. The Elantra's cargo space was 14.2 cubic feet, adequate for its class, though the trunk opening was narrow due to the sloping roofline. The trunk lid support arms could crush items in their travel path. The power tilt-and-slide moonroof in the Elantra produced a droning noise when fully open, and the lack of USB ports and air conditioning vents in the rear were sources of irritation for back-seat passengers.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza's base and Premium trim levels had a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and Bluetooth, while higher trim levels had an 8-inch touchscreen. An option package for the top Limited trim level added TomTom-based navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system. The Impreza also had 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 no need to dig into menus for important functions.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra came with a surprising level of technology for its price. The base SE had an 8-inch display audio touchscreen with a rearview camera, HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition, four speakers, and dual USB ports. The SEL, Hybrid Blue, and N Line trims added two additional speakers, satellite radio, and Blue Link connected services. The Limited and Hybrid Limited trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system, a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster, dynamic voice recognition, and wireless device charging. The N Line and Limited trims also had Hyundai Digital Key, allowing unlocking, starting, and driving the car via an Android-compatible smartphone. The infotainment system was easy to pair with an iPhone, and the Apple CarPlay integration was perfect. The six-speaker audio system was adequate but not exceptional.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback received an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” award, with the highest “Good” score in all crash tests. The standard headlights received a “Marginal” rating, while the Limited trim's headlights received a “Good” score. The NHTSA gave the Impreza sedan and hatchback a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in all crash tests. The Impreza's EyeSight safety tech was standard on CVT-equipped models, including 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 Hyundai Elantra's standard SmartSense suite included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure warning, and lane-centering assistance. Additional standard safety features included driver-attention warning, automatic high-beam headlights, a rear-seat reminder system, and Safe Exit Warning. Higher trims offered intersection turn assistance, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, rear automatic braking, and Highway Drive Assist. The NHTSA gave the Elantra a five-star overall crash protection rating, with four stars for front crash protection and five stars for side crash protection and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Elantra top "Good" ratings in all crash tests, with the Limited trim's LED headlights receiving a "Good" rating and the lower-level trims' halogen headlights receiving a "Marginal" rating.