Compare the2023 Subaru ImprezaVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Impreza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Impreza. But it costs extra on the Rav4.

Both the Impreza and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

	Impreza	Rav4
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	247 lbs.	306 lbs.
Neck Compression	50 lbs.	56 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	237/379 lbs.	400/388 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	117	284
Neck Injury Risk	34%	37.4%
Neck Stress	208 lbs.	258 lbs.
Neck Compression	70 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	76/57 lbs.	340/190 lbs.

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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

	Impreza	Rav4
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	201	299
Hip Force	824 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Impreza, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 6% to 6.4% less likely to roll over than the Rav4, which received a four-star rating.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Impreza has a 130-amp alternator. The Rav4’s standard 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Rav4 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Impreza 5-door gets better mileage than the Rav4:

			MPG
Impreza 5-door
AWD	Auto	2.0 DOHC flat-4	28 city/36 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy
Rav4
FWD	Auto	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
AWD	Auto	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Impreza higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Rav4 (6). This means the Impreza produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rav4 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Impreza offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Impreza offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Impreza stops much shorter than the Rav4:

	Impreza	Rav4
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Impreza’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Impreza Sport’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door handles at .80 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Rav4 LE/XLE’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Impreza’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Impreza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4.

The Impreza 5-door is 4.7 inches shorter than the Rav4, making the Impreza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Impreza is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Rav4, making the Impreza much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Impreza easier. The Impreza’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Rav4’s liftover is 27.8 inches.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Rav4. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Impreza’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Impreza Base). The Rav4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Safety Connect™ can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Impreza’s standard power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Impreza Premium/Limited/Sport’s standard 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 Rav4’s power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Impreza’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Impreza Premium offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Rav4 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Impreza Limited also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Impreza’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Rav4 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Model Availability

The Subaru Impreza comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Toyota Rav4 isn’t available as a sedan.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Impreza owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Impreza with a number “1” insurance rate while the Rav4 is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Impreza is less expensive to operate than the Rav4 because typical repairs cost much less on the Impreza than the Rav4, including $22 less for front brake pads, $61 less for fuel injection, $154 less for a fuel pump, $519 less for a timing belt/chain and $142 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Impreza and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.