Compare the2023 Kia SeltosVS 2023 Subaru Impreza

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Seltos’ standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Impreza doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Seltos and the Impreza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Subaru Impreza:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Subaru Impreza:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Seltos comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Impreza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Seltos 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Impreza. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Impreza ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 22 percent more Kia dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Seltos’ warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Seltos has a standard 640-amp battery. The Impreza’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 20th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (175 vs. 152) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 145) than the Impreza’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Seltos is faster than the Subaru Impreza (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the Impreza 5-door:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos’ 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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Impreza doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Kia Seltos comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Impreza.

The Seltos offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Impreza doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better stopping power the Seltos Nightfall/SX’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Impreza:

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Impreza:

For better traction, the Seltos has larger standard tires than the Impreza (215/55R17 vs. 205/55R16). The Seltos AWD Nightfall/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Impreza (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Seltos has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Impreza.

The Seltos has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Impreza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Seltos is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Impreza.

The Seltos S AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Impreza’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The Seltos is 4.2 inches shorter than the Impreza 5-door, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Seltos’ rear seats recline. The Impreza’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Impreza 5-door with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 20.8 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Impreza 5-door with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 55.3 cubic feet).

The power windows standard on both the Seltos and the Impreza have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Seltos is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Impreza prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Seltos’ driver power window, power lock 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.

In addition to a parabolic reflector, optical-grade lenses in the Seltos’ standard projector headlights precisely focus the beam, providing more even illumination of the road for better visibility and a sharp cut-off that prevents blinding oncoming drivers. The sharp cutoff allows the use of a stronger light. The Impreza’s standard uses a simple reflector to direct its standard headlights.

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Impreza’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Seltos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Impreza’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The Seltos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Impreza has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

Both the Seltos and the Impreza offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX 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 Kia Seltos EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Impreza doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Seltos and the Subaru Impreza, based on reliability, safety and performance.