Compare the2025 Honda CivicVS 2024 Subaru Impreza

The Honda Civic 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 Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid has a standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Impreza doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid 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.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Impreza:

The Honda Civic has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned an “Acceptable” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Impreza is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

There are over 67 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Civic’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

The Civic Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (200 vs. 182) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 178) than the Impreza RS’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Civic Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Impreza RS 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Sedan gets better mileage than the Impreza:

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Hatchback gets better mileage than the Impreza:

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

The Civic 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.

The Civic stops shorter than the Impreza:

For better traction, the Civic has larger standard tires than the Impreza (215/55R16 vs. 205/55R16). The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Impreza (235/40R18 vs. 225/40R18).

The Civic Gas has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Hybrid) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Impreza; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Civic 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 a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Impreza (107.7 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

The Civic Sport Sedan handles at .87 G’s, while the Impreza RS pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Impreza RS (27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The Honda Civic may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 300 pounds less than the Subaru Impreza.

The Civic 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.

The Civic has .2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Impreza.

On a hot day the Civic’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 Civic has a standard Pushbutton Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Impreza Sport/RS offers Keyless Entry and Start.

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

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Subaru Impreza isn’t available as a sedan.

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

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The Impreza has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Civic outsold the Subaru Impreza by almost six to one during 2023.