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Nissan Leaf vs Subaru Impreza

2026 Nissan Leaf vs 2026 Subaru Impreza — two small station wagons compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Nissan Leaf

2026 Nissan Leaf

Small Station WagonsHybrid/EV
VS3 – 3Tie: 3 categories each
Subaru Impreza

2026 Subaru Impreza

Small Station WagonsAWD/4WD

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The short version

That works out to about $1,650 a year less in fuel for the Nissan Leaf (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Subaru Impreza is the bigger car, about 2 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Subaru Impreza has had fewer recall campaigns (13 vs 20).

The two cars

The 2026 Nissan Leaf is a small station wagon powered by electricity and front-wheel drive. It measures about 174 inches long and 71 inches wide on a 106-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,213 lb.

The 2026 Subaru Impreza is a small station wagon offered with 2 engines (2.0L 4-cyl and 2.5L 4-cyl) and all-wheel drive. It measures about 176 inches long and 70 inches wide on a 105-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,172 lb (Convenience/Touring 4dr Sedan).

Buying used? The 2024 Leaf and the 2023 Impreza have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2019 Leaf and the 2019 Impreza.

Basics

Small Station Wagons
Class
Small Station Wagons
EV
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
EV
Engines
2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl
Front-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

–
Best combined MPG
29 MPG
–
City / highway MPG (best)
27 city
303 mi
EV range
–
$650
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$2,300

Performance & space

214 hp
Horsepower (most powerful)
152 hp
5
Seats (most)
5
173.6 in
Length
176 in
71.3 in
Width
70.1 in
61.4 in
Height
58.3 in
4,213 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
3,172 lb

Safety & reliability

15
Driver-assist features standard
10
2
Recalls (2026)
0
20
Recalls, all years since 2005
13
3
Owner complaints (latest year)
1

Interest

16,221
Wikipedia views, 30 days
26,267

Buying used

2024
Best used year
2023
2019
Year to avoid
2019

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Nissan Leaf if…

  • You want an EV with more range (303 miles)
  • You want more power (up to 214 vs 152 hp)
  • You want a hybrid or electric option
  • You want more standard driver-assist tech

Choose the Subaru Impreza if…

  • You need AWD or 4WD
  • You put reliability history first (13 vs 20 recalls since 2005)

Pros & cons of each

2026 Nissan Leaf

  • Long EV rangeUp to 303 miles on a charge (EPA).
  • Strong performanceUp to 214 hp, versus about 158 hp for similar 2026 models.
  • Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • "Park outside" recallCheck that the recall repair was done before buying or driving.

2026 Subaru Impreza

  • Modest powerUp to 152 hp, versus about 214 hp for similar 2026 models.

Full 2026 Nissan Leaf specs →Full 2026 Subaru Impreza specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →