Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2023 Subaru Impreza

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Subaru Impreza doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Impreza doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V Hybrid’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Impreza’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CR-V Hybrid’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Impreza doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Impreza doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Impreza’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CR-V Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Impreza and isn't available on the not available.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Impreza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid weighs 602 to 950 pounds more than the Subaru Impreza. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Warranty

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V Hybrid for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Impreza.

There are over 68 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Subaru.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 3 places higher in reliability than Subaru.

Engine

The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 52 more horsepower (204 vs. 152) and 102 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 145) than the Impreza’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda CR-V Hybrid is faster than the Subaru Impreza (automatics tested):

	CR-V Hybrid	Impreza
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	9.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	17.2 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V Hybrid gets better mileage than the Impreza 5-door:

			MPG
CR-V Hybrid
FWD	Auto	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/36 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/34 hwy
Impreza 5-door
AWD	Manual	2.0 DOHC flat-4	24 city/31 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC flat-4	22 city/30 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 DOHC flat-4	28 city/36 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Impreza doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CR-V Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Impreza doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Impreza doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Honda CR-V Hybrid comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Impreza.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CR-V Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Impreza:

	CR-V Hybrid	Impreza	Impreza Sport
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	10.9 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	10.8 inches	10.8 inches

The CR-V Hybrid stops shorter than the Impreza:

	CR-V Hybrid	Impreza
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CR-V Hybrid has larger tires than the Impreza (235/60R18 vs. 205/55R16). The CR-V Hybrid’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Impreza (235/60R18 vs. 225/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Impreza. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Impreza Sport.

Suspension and Handling

The CR-V Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CR-V Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The Impreza base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CR-V Hybrid’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Impreza (106.3 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V Hybrid is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Impreza.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V Hybrid has a 3.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Impreza (8.2 vs. 5.1 inches), allowing the CR-V Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The CR-V Hybrid uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Impreza doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The CR-V Hybrid has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Impreza 5-door (103.5 vs. 100.9).

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Impreza’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Impreza 5-door with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 20.8 cubic feet). The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Impreza 5-door with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 55.3 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CR-V Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Impreza doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The CR-V Hybrid has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Impreza has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The CR-V Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Impreza uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Impreza doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Impreza doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CR-V Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Impreza has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Impreza’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the CR-V Hybrid’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Impreza can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Impreza’s power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Impreza’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The CR-V Hybrid’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Impreza’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Impreza has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Impreza Premium/Sport/Limited.

On extremely cold winter days, the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Impreza doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Impreza doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Impreza offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Impreza doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Impreza doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The CR-V Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Impreza doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The Impreza has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Impreza has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Subaru Impreza by over seven to one during the 2022 model year.