Compact cars like the Subaru Impreza and Honda Civic are still among the most affordable and practical new cars money can buy. With modest price tags, the latest tech, and great fuel economy, this segment has a lot to offer. They can also be pretty fun to drive when properly equipped.
Let’s take a closer look at the 2025 Subaru Impreza and 2025 Honda Civic and see which compact is right for you.
2025 Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza is not only the most affordable Subaru, but it’s also America’s lowest-priced vehicle with all-wheel drive (AWD). But that’s not the only reason to buy one. It’s also a practical hatchback with decent interior space and fuel economy. Pricing starts at $24,780.
Subaru Impreza Highlights
All-wheel drive: The Subaru Impreza’s biggest selling point is its standard all-wheel-drive system. It gives the Impreza impressive traction in slippery road conditions, making it a good choice for drivers in snowy climates. The Honda Civic isn’t available with all-wheel drive.
Lower pricing: The Subaru Impreza has a lower starting price than the Honda Civic. Even the top RS trim comes in at under $30,000, meaning you can go ahead and add some options while still keeping the price reasonable.
Sporty RS model: While not as exciting as the Civic Si, the Subaru Impreza RS bumps up the output to 182 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. It also adds RS Cloth upholstery with red accents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and stylish 18-inch dark gray alloy wheels.
Read our Subaru Impreza Expert Review or see 2025 Subaru Impreza models for sale near you.
2025 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a repeat winner of the KBB Best Buy Award in the compact car class for many reasons. It has several powertrains available, so the Civic can be a humble and efficient hybrid, a rip-roaring track car, or anything in between. It also comes with the safety, practicality, and value that the Honda Civic is famous for. Pricing starts at $25,345.
Honda Civic Highlights
Hybrid option: The Honda Civic Hybrid has an outstanding fuel economy rating of up to 49 combined mpg. Available in Sport or Sport Touring trims, every Civic Hybrid is a well-equipped compact that’s easy on the wallet.
Sporty options: The lively Honda Civic Si sedan and the more raucous Honda Civic Type R hatchback bring a lot of excitement to this practical compact. Both come with manual transmissions and genuine driving excitement while still getting the value and reliability of a Honda.
Sedan or hatchback: The Honda Civic has sedan and hatchback body styles available, adding even more variety to its lineup. Meanwhile, the Subaru Impreza is only available as a hatchback.
Read our Honda Civic Expert Review or see 2025 Honda Civic models for sale near you.
Similarities
The Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza are both compact cars with seating for up to five. They’re similar in terms of safety and infotainment tech features, and they both earn good safety ratings.
Pricing
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Subaru Impreza vehicles and New 2025 Honda Civic vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specifications
| 2025 Subaru Impreza | 2025 Honda Civic | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 152 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 150 hp @ 6,400 rpm |
| Torque | 145 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm | 133 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT automatic | CVT automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 27 city/34 highway/30 combined mpg | 32 city/41 highway/36 combined mpg |
| Also Available | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder | Hybrid, 1.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder, manual transmission |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 Years/36,000 Miles | 3 Years/36,000 Miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 Years/60,000 Miles | 5 Years/60,000 Miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 105.1 inches | 107.7 inches |
| Overall Length | 176.2 inches | 184.8 inches |
| Width | 70.1 inches | 70.9 inches |
| Height | 58.3 inches | 55.7 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 34.8 feet | 38.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.8 inches | 39.3 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 38 inches | 37.1 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.9 inches | 42.3 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 36.5 inches | 37.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 56.8 inches | 57 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 55.3 inches | 56 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 20.4 cubic feet | 14.8 (sedan), 24.5 cubic feet (hatchback) |
Conclusion
The Subaru Impreza’s biggest advantage over the Honda Civic is its standard all-wheel-drive system, which makes it America’s most affordable vehicle with all-wheel drive. However, if you don’t want or need all-wheel drive, the Honda Civic has a roomier interior, much more variety in its model range, an available manual transmission, and a choice of sedan or hatchback body styles. These compounding strengths are what make the Honda Civic our KBB Best Buy in the compact car class.
