2021 Subaru Impreza vs 2022 Dodge Charger

The 2021 Subaru Impreza had a more conservative design compared to its predecessors, which featured large round headlights and box fender flares. The current generation, while not immediately recognizable as a Subaru, was still considered a handsome design. Both the sedan and hatchback versions sported sleek headlights and taillights, giving an impression of width, along with a nicely-tapered front end. The body sides had some scalloping for visual flair, and the awkward wheel arch sheetmetal from the previous generation was toned down. The Impreza Sport models had specific styling touches, including 18-inch alloy wheels, while base models came with 16-inch steel wheels.

The Impreza was built on the Subaru Global Platform, shared with other models like the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent. This platform contributed to the overall refinement of the vehicle. Inside, the design was typical of compact cars, with the infotainment touchscreen splitting the dashboard and the rest of the interior featuring various forms of plastic. The Impreza Sport had contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum pedals, while the top-tier Impreza Limited came with standard leather upholstery and LED headlights.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, running on a platform dating back to 2005, had undergone significant updates over the years. The major interior and exterior update in 2011 and a heavy facelift in 2015 gave it a modern and menacing look. While the Challenger coupe embraced a throwback muscle-car style, the Charger’s design was more contemporary. The cabin, however, felt dated with thick bezels and chunky buttons, reminiscent of a small truck. Despite this, the layout was user-friendly.

The Charger came in various trims: SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak. The SXT trim featured a V6 engine, power-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery, a six-speaker stereo, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The GT trim had a slightly more powerful V6, a rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, performance tires, and an upgraded infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen. The R/T trim introduced a V8 engine, while the R/T Scat Pack had a larger V8, launch control, high-performance suspension, and Brembo brakes. The Hellcat variants, including the Widebody, Redeye, and Jailbreak, featured a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine with varying power outputs, SRT-tuned Bilstein suspension, and upgraded Brembo brakes.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, producing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This engine design allowed for a lower center of gravity, enhancing stability. Most Impreza models came with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while a five-speed manual transmission was available on the base sedan and hatchback, and the Impreza Sport hatchback. The Sport model also had specific suspension tuning and a torque vectoring feature for the all-wheel-drive system.

The Impreza was a comfortable daily driver, though it lacked the engagement of competitors like the Honda Civic or Mazda 3. The Sport’s suspension provided a good balance between ride quality and handling, but the steering was noncommunicative, and the engine’s power was modest. For a more thrilling driving experience, one would need to look at the WRX.

The 2022 Dodge Charger offered a range of engines, starting with a 3.6-liter V6 in the SXT and GT models, producing 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in base form, and 300 hp and 264 lb-ft in the AWD versions. The R/T trim featured a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 370 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. The R/T Scat Pack had a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, delivering 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The Charger SRT Hellcat had a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 with 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the Redeye and Jailbreak variants pushed the power to 797 hp and 807 hp, respectively.

All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive was standard, with AWD available on the V6-powered SXT and GT trims. The Hellcat variants offered incredible acceleration, with the Hellcat and Redeye models reaching 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph. The Widebody setup, with 11-inch-wide Pirelli P-Zero tires, improved power delivery and cornering precision. The SRT Performance Pages menu allowed drivers to toggle between Auto, Sport, Track, and Custom drive modes, adjusting traction control, throttle response, steering feel, and suspension settings.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback offered reasonable legroom, though headroom was slightly below average. The sedan had 12.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the smallest among compact sedans, but a 60/40 split-folding rear seat was standard. The hatchback provided 20.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, more than the Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla hatchbacks, but less than the Honda Civic hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the Impreza hatchback offered 55.3 cubic feet of cargo space. All hatch trims except the base model had standard roof rails.

Higher trim levels of the Impreza included an All-Weather Package with heated front seats, a heated windshield, and heated exterior mirrors. The Sport trim added keyless entry with pushbutton start, while the Limited trim had a six-way power driver’s seat and automatic climate control. A power moonroof was available as an option on most trims.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, a large sedan, didn’t always feel large due to its high center console and performance bucket seats. Both rows offered ample legroom, but headroom was limited, especially in the rear seats. The Charger’s storage space was less accommodating than newer models, with a smaller center console bin and trays around the shifter.

The Charger had 16.5 cubic feet of trunk space, but the small trunk lid and high rear bumper made loading large items challenging. Despite this, the Charger’s sports-car performance with four doors and a usable trunk made it more versatile than many high-performance cars.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza came with a 6.5-inch touchscreen on the base and Premium trims, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims had an 8-inch touchscreen, with an option package for the Limited trim adding TomTom-based navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system. A secondary display above the main touchscreen showed information like estimated range, though it seemed redundant given the small LCD display in the gauge cluster. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with large icons and minimal menu digging required.

The 2022 Dodge Charger featured a 7-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its ease of use. The layout included a dock area with large icons for major functions. An 8.4-inch version of the Uconnect screen was optional on the base SXT and standard on other trims. Both screens included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While not the most advanced system, the Charger’s blend of technology and conventional controls was user-friendly.

The 2021 Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback received an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” award, with the highest “Good” score in all crash tests. They missed the “Top Safety Pick+” award due to the standard headlights’ “Marginal” rating, though the Limited trim’s headlights received a “Good” score. The NHTSA gave both body styles a five-star overall safety rating. The Impreza’s EyeSight safety tech was standard on CVT-equipped models, including features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, and steering-responsive headlights were available as options.

The 2022 Dodge Charger showed its age in safety features, offering only a backup camera and rear parking sensors as standard. The backup camera displayed a grainy image on the Uconnect screen. Optional safety features included forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.