Compare the2025 Subaru ImprezaVS 2025 Honda Civic

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Civic doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Impreza is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda Civic, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Impreza	Civic
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
Warning Issued-Brights	2.7 sec	2 sec
Warning Issued-Low beams	2.6 sec	1.1 sec

The Impreza has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Impreza Sport/RS has standard STARLINK Connected Services, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Impreza and the Civic 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.

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 Honda Civic:

	Impreza	Civic
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	222	325
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	30%
Leg Forces (l/r)	265/291 lbs.	189/372 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	170	444
Neck Stress	158 lbs.	189 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	61 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Impreza is safer than the Honda Civic:

	Impreza	Civic
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	195
Abdominal Force	144 lbs.	286 lbs.
Hip Force	6 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	59 G’s	79 G’s
Hip Force	423 lbs.	516 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	254	260
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	721 lbs.	805 lbs.

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Impreza has a standard 530-amp battery. The Civic’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Impreza’s reliability 30 points higher than the Civic.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Honda.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fourth.

Engine

The Impreza’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (152 vs. 150) and 12 lbs.-ft. more torque (145 vs. 133) than the Civic’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Impreza RS 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda Civic 4 cyl.:

	Impreza	Civic
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.1 MPH	84.1 MPH

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 Civic doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Impreza and the Civic have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Imprezas have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Civic Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The Impreza has 6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Impreza has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 12.4 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Impreza’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic:

	Impreza	Impreza Sport/RS	Civic
Front Rotors	11.6 inches	12.4 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11.2 inches	10.2 inches

The Impreza’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic are solid, not vented.

The Impreza stops shorter than the Civic:

	Impreza	Civic
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

The Impreza RS handles at .81 G’s, while the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Civic LX/Sport Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Impreza’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Civic Sport/Sport Touring Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Impreza uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Civic doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Impreza a Large car, while the Civic is rated a Mid-size.

The Impreza has .5 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more rear headroom and 4.3 inches more rear hip room than the Civic.

Cargo Capacity

The Impreza has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Civic Sedan (20.4 vs. 14.8 cubic feet).

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Impreza’s hatch uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Civic’s useful trunk space.

The Impreza’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Civic LX Sedan’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Servicing Ease

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

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 15% lower rating, Honda is ranked 7th.

Ergonomics

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 Civic LX/Sport’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 see further while navigating curves, the Impreza has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Civic doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

The Impreza has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Civic Sport Hybrid/Sport Touring Hybrid.

Compared to traditional radio, the Subaru Impreza’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Civic Touring/Sport Touring.

Recommendations

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

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