2026 Subaru Impreza vs the Competition

The Civic has a long history dating back to its introduction in 1972. Like the Impreza, it has been available as a sedan, hatchback, coupe, and wagon, but is now available as either a 4-door sedan or a hatchback. The Civic is one of the highest-selling models in the class. It has always been powered by 4-cylinder engines and has been limited to FWD, though upper trims feature a hybrid drivetrain. There is also a high-performance Type-R model that is more of a WRX competitor. This comparison will focus mostly on the non-hybrid hatchback model.

• While the Impreza comes standard with traction-optimizing AWD, the Civic does not offer it, even as an option.
• Both models have 2.0-liter 4-cylinder drivetrains, but the Impreza has a little more horsepower (152 vs. 150) and notably more torque (145 vs. 133 lb-ft).
• Motor Trend found the Impreza RS quicker than the Civic from 0 to 60 (7.4 vs. 9.6 seconds) and in the quarter mile (15.7 vs. 17.4 seconds).
• The Impreza comes standard with an 11.6-inch center touchscreen. The Civic offers a standard 7-inch center screen, and even the upgrade screen is just nine inches.
• The Impreza provides more total cargo space (with the rear seats down) than the Civic (56 vs. 46 cubic feet).
• Every Impreza is designed to easily accept roof rails. Adding roof storage to the Civic is more complicated.
• The Impreza’s additional ground clearance (5.1 vs. 4.5 inches) gives the driver a little more confidence over curbs and rough, broken pavement.

Five years after Hyundai entered the U.S. market with the Excel, the Elantra effectively replaced the Excel in 1990. Initially accepted only as a value-oriented entry, the Elantra has, across seven design generations, become a respected member of the compact sedan category, known for edgy, even controversial styling. The current design dates back to the 2021 model year, making it due for a new design in 2027. The current model is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The top trim, N Line, features a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine producing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. There is also a hybrid drivetrain using a non-turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 engine combined with electric motors, delivering a total system output of 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The high- performance Elantra N features a 276-horsepower turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter engine and is more of a WRX competitor. The Elantra model line starts at $23,750 and includes SE, SEL, Sport SE/L, and Premium, Limited.

• While the Impreza has standard AWD, the Elantra does not offer it even as an option.
• Compared to the Elantra’s 2.0-liter engine, the Impreza’s 2.0-liter engine produces more horsepower (152 vs. 147) and more torque (145 vs. 132 lb-ft).
• The Impreza comes standard with an 11.6-inch center touchscreen, which is larger than the base Elantra’s 8.0-inch center screen and its upgrade 10.25-inch screen.
• The Impreza offers standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Elantra requires model upgrades for this convenience.
• The Impreza hatchback body style not only provides more cargo space behind the rear seats (20.4 vs. 14.2 cubic feet). But the hatch provides easier access and allows you to load large objects.
• The Elantra earned 5 Overall stars from the NHTSA while the Elantra earned 4 stars.
• When rating brands across safety, vehicle testing, and reliability, Consumer Reports ranked Subaru as its #1 brand. Hyundai came in 8th place.

Mazda has a long line of compact models, including the GLC, 323, and Protégé, before introducing the Mazda3 for the 2004 model year. Across four design generations, the Mazda3 has always been available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. Available engines include a standard 2.5-liter inline-4 producing 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, with the high AWD Carbon Edition trim level bumping output to 191 horsepower and the same torque. There is also a Turbo Premium Plus model, which features a 250-horsepower turbocharged version of the same engine and AWD, with pricing that places it well outside this comparison.

• The Impreza has standard AWD, while Mazda reserves its AWD for the Carbon Edition, which is priced similarly to the Impreza RS.
• The RS and AWD Carbon Edition Mazda3 trade off city and highway fuel economy advantages, with the RS coming out ahead overall (27 / 33 / 29 vs. 25 / 34 / 28).
• Despite the Mazda3’s emphasis on handling, FWD models feature a surprisingly basic non-independent torsion-beam rear suspension, compared with the more sophisticated double-wishbone design on the Elantra.
• The Impreza RS pulls 0.81g on the skidpad, compared to 0.79g for the price-equivalent AWD Mazda3 Carbon Edition.
• Consumer Reports rates the Impreza’s reliability 17 points higher than the Mazda3’s.
• MotorTrend testing found the Impreza RS to be faster than the Mazda3 from 0 to 60 mph (7.4 vs. 8.1 seconds).
• The Impreza has standard dual-zone climate control, which requires an upgrade on the Mazda3.
• The rear pillars of the Mazda3 hatchback create a much larger blind spot than on the Impreza.

The Corolla is the oldest nameplate in this comparison and in the category as a whole, dating back to 1966, with a U.S. introduction in 1968. It started as a front-engine, rear-drive model and transitioned to FWD in 1983. The 12th-generation Corolla, launched in 2022, is available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. Because the Impreza is a hatchback, this comparison will focus on the Corolla Hatchback. This model is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. There are SE and XSE trim levels, both with FWD, while a separate high-performance GR Corolla hatchback with turbocharging and AWD is more of a WRX competitor. While Toyota offers hybrids for many of its models, there is no hybrid Corolla hatchback.

• Excluding the GR Corolla, which competes in another class, the Corolla Hatchback is FWD-only and does not offer AWD as an option or upgrade, unlike the Impreza, which offers AWD as standard.
• When comparing the base models, the Corolla Hatchback has more horsepower (152 vs. 169) and torque (145 vs. 151 lb-ft). But this reverses when comparing the Impreza RS with the Corolla XSE, which has more horsepower (180 vs. 269) and torque (178 vs. 151).
• The Impreza provides considerably more legroom for rear passengers than the Corolla Hatchback (36.5 vs 29.9 inches).
• The Impreza also provides more headroom for rear passengers (38.7 vs. 37.6 inches)
• The standard 11.6-inch center touchscreen on the Impreza is significantly larger than the standard 8-inch screen and the 10.5-inch upgrade.
• The Impreza provides more cargo space with the rear seats up (20.4 vs. 17.8 cubic feet) and with the rear seat down (56.0 vs. 45.0 cubic feet).
• The Impreza offers front and rear seatbelt pretensioners to tighten the belts in the event of a collision, followed by force limiters to reduce chest pressure. The Corolla has this feature for the front seats but not the rear seats.
• In MotorTrend’s brake testing, the Impreza had a shorter 60-to-0 stopping distance than the Corolla Hatchback (127 vs. 135 feet).
• Despite having a longer wheelbase (105.1 vs. 103.9 inches) for a more stable highway ride, the Impreza has a tighter turn circle (34.8 vs. 37.4 feet) for improved maneuverability in tight spaces.