Compare the2023 Subaru ImprezaVS 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Impreza and the Rav4 Hybrid 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, all wheel drive, 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 Hybrid:

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 Hybrid:

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% less likely to roll over than the Rav4 Hybrid, which received a four-star rating.

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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The Impreza stops much shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

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 Hybrid LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Impreza Sport’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Rav4 Hybrid’s optional 60 series tires.

The Impreza 2.0i Limited 5-door handles at .80 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid XSE pulls only .75 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 quicker than the Rav4 Hybrid XSE (27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.1 feet).

The Subaru Impreza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 750 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

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

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

The front step up height for the Impreza Sedan is 6.3 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid (12.7” vs. 19”). The Impreza Sedan’s rear step up height is 4.6 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (14” vs. 18.6”).

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 Hybrid’s liftover is 27.8 inches.

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

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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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.

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 Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

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