2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid

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 less distinctive, still managed to present a handsome appearance. Both the sedan and hatchback versions sported sleek headlights and taillights that enhanced the car's width, along with a nicely-tapered front end. The body sides featured some scalloping for visual interest, and the previously awkward wheel arch sheetmetal 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.

Built on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with models like the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent, the Impreza benefited from a well-engineered foundation that contributed to its overall refinement. Inside, the design was typical of compact cars, with an infotainment touchscreen splitting the dashboard and various forms of plastic throughout. The Impreza Sport added contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the top-tier Limited trim featured standard leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid, despite being a carryover model, impressed with its futuristic and expressive exterior design. The front end featured a sneering face and muscular lines, with base models equipped with 16-inch steel wheels and upper trims boasting 17-inch, 18-inch, and even 19-inch alloy wheels. The interior was equally striking, with a wild dashboard design that swept from the driver's side across the center stack and into the passenger's side of the center console. The upper half of the center stack housed a control center with a large infotainment touchscreen, while the center console featured a gear selector and dual cupholders, leaving an open cubby below.

The second row offered ample space and comfort, even for the middle seat, which had a nicely bolstered cushion. Toyota's attention to fit and finish was evident, with even gaps, smooth, glossy paint, and high-quality materials throughout the cabin. The Camry Hybrid's interior design and build quality were top-notch, making it a standout in its class.

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, contributing to 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 trim also featured model-specific suspension tuning and a torque vectoring system for the all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup.

The Impreza provided a pleasant daily driving experience, though it lacked the engagement of competitors like the Honda Civic or Mazda 3. The ride was solid and refined, and the Sport trim's suspension offered a good balance between ride quality and handling. However, the steering was noncommunicative, and the engine's power was modest, preventing the Impreza Sport from being a true driver's car. For a more thrilling experience, one would need to look at the WRX.

The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid, designed for fuel efficiency rather than track performance, excelled in its intended purpose. The entry-level LE model achieved an impressive EPA-rated fuel economy of 51 mpg city/53 mpg highway/52 mpg combined, while other trims managed 44 mpg city/47 mpg highway/46 mpg combined. The hybrid system combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors, delivering a total system output of 208 horsepower. An electronically controlled CVT sent power to the front wheels, with SE and XSE models offering paddle shifters to simulate a six-speed transmission.

The Camry Hybrid's handling was commendable, potentially even better than the gasoline-only version, thanks to the low-mounted lithium-ion battery pack that lowered the center of gravity. While the hybrid's performance was generally smooth, it was challenging to maintain EV-only mode, and there was occasional droning from the drivetrain. The focus on fuel economy also resulted in a slight trade-off in responsiveness.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza offered reasonable legroom in both the sedan and hatchback versions, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan's trunk space was limited to 12.3 cubic feet, the smallest among current compact sedans, 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 2021 Honda Civic hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the Impreza hatchback offered 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space, surpassing the Civic. All hatchback trims except the base model included standard roof rails.

Subaru's tradition of offering an All-Weather Package continued with the Impreza Premium and higher trims, featuring heated front seats, a heated windshield, and heated exterior mirrors. The Sport trim added keyless entry with pushbutton start, while the Limited trim included a standard six-way power driver's seat (optional on lower trims) and automatic climate control. A power moonroof was available as an extra-cost option on most trims.

The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid excelled in ride height, seating position, and overall ease of use. The driving position was comfortable and adjustable, accommodating a wide range of driver heights and preferences. The front seats offered ample storage options, including a spacious glove compartment, space under the front center armrest, and various nooks and crannies throughout the dash.

The second row was easy to access and provided a comfortable, roomy space with generous bottle holders in the doors and map pockets in the backs of the front seats. The Camry Hybrid's trunk space matched the standard Camry at 15.1 cubic feet, thanks to the low-mounted battery pack. A passthrough allowed long items to extend into the cabin, and the second row could fold down to accommodate larger cargo. Toyota's warranty coverage for the Camry Hybrid included a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, a 10-year/100,000-mile hybrid battery warranty, and an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for specific hybrid components. The body was warranted against corrosion perforation for five years/unlimited miles.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza featured a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and Bluetooth on the base and Premium trims, while higher trims received an 8-inch touchscreen. The top Limited trim offered an option package with 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 close to the driver's line of sight, 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. While it didn't offer much for tech-savvy buyers, it was on par with other vehicles in its price range.

The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid came equipped with Toyota's latest technology features, including a specially tuned audio system by Harman International's JBL division. The premium audio system, available as an extra-cost option on XLE and XSE models, included nine speakers (including a subwoofer) and sophisticated algorithms to enhance audio quality from compressed digital sources. A more basic six-speaker system was standard.

Embedded navigation was available on XLE and XSE models, while Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a WiFi hotspot were standard on all models. The LE, SE, and SE Nightshade trims featured a 7-inch touchscreen, while the XLE and XSE trims had a 9-inch touchscreen. All Camry Hybrid trims included Toyota's smart key system with push-button start and a projected-path feature for the rearview camera. Standard features also included automatic LED headlights and dual-zone automatic climate control.

A 10-inch color head-up display was available on XSE models, bundled with a bird's-eye view camera, intelligent clearance sonar with rear cross-traffic braking, and multi-stage ventilated seats, bringing the upper trim levels close to Lexus levels of luxury and technology.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback both received an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" award, achieving the highest "Good" score in all crash tests. However, they 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 both body styles a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in all crash tests.

Subaru's EyeSight safety tech was standard on CVT-equipped models, offering features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. A rear-seat reminder was also standard, while blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights were available as options.

The 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+) as standard, including a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, Lane Tracing Assist, automatic high beams, and traffic-sign recognition. The Star safety system, also standard, included stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart stop technology.

The Camry Hybrid featured 10 airbags, including driver and front passenger advanced airbag systems, side airbags, knee airbags, rear seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear side-curtain airbags. Three-point seatbelts were provided for all seating positions, and LATCH lower anchors were available for child safety seats on rear outboard seats. The rear doors had child protector locks and window lockout controls on the driver's door. A tire pressure monitoring system with direct pressure readout was standard on all but the base LE model.

A blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert was available on LE, SE, and SE Nightshade Edition trims and standard on XLE and XSE trims. Rear seat reminder, automatic engine shut-off, and hill start assist control were standard on all models. The 2021 Camry Hybrid received the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, and the 2022 model was expected to receive the same rating. The NHTSA awarded the 2022 Camry Hybrid a five-star overall safety rating.