2021 Subaru Crosstrek vs 2021 Toyota Sequoia

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek was a clever adaptation of the Impreza hatchback, designed to capture the growing market for crossovers with its rugged appearance, standard all-wheel drive, and elevated driving position. It shared the Subaru Global Platform with other models like the Legacy and Outback, offering a refined driving experience. The Crosstrek stood out with its black body cladding, model-specific 17-inch wheels, and a ride height providing 8.7 inches of ground clearance. Its vibrant color options, such as Plasma Yellow Pearl, added to its appeal. Inside, the Crosstrek retained the Impreza's functional but plain interior, with some questionable design choices like the clashing color accents in the Sport trim. Despite these quirks, the Crosstrek offered practical features like water-repellant upholstery and a comfortable ride.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Sequoia was a full-size SUV that had been around since 2007, with a facelift in 2018. For 2021, it introduced the Nightshade Special Edition, but the overall design remained dated. The Sequoia's massive size was both a strength and a weakness, offering ample cabin space but a somewhat outdated interior layout. The standard 7-inch touchscreen felt small against the expansive dashboard, and the front seats were bulky, limiting headroom for taller drivers. However, the second-row seats provided generous space and comfort. The Sequoia's trim levels ranged from the entry-level SR5 to the off-road-focused TRD Pro and the luxurious Platinum, each offering a variety of features and options to suit different needs.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek offered two gasoline powertrains: a 2.0-liter boxer-four engine with 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque for the base and Premium trims, and a more powerful 2.5-liter boxer-four engine with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque for the Sport and Limited trims. The Crosstrek's boxer engine design provided a lower center of gravity, enhancing handling, although the SUV-like stance somewhat negated this benefit. A six-speed manual transmission was standard on the Base and Premium trims, while a CVT was available and standard on the Sport and Limited trims. All trims featured standard AWD with torque vectoring and X-Mode for improved traction on loose surfaces. Despite its SUV aspirations, the Crosstrek was more suited to on-road driving, offering predictable handling and a comfortable ride.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia came standard with a robust 5.7-liter V8 engine producing 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. It offered rear-wheel drive as standard, with optional four-wheel drive. The Sequoia's V8 provided strong acceleration, even for a vehicle weighing up to 6,000 pounds. However, the six-speed transmission was less efficient compared to more modern multi-speed options. The Sequoia's driving dynamics were reminiscent of a truck, with a soft suspension and strong brakes, though it exhibited some body roll in corners. It could tow up to 7,400 pounds, which was less than some competitors but still respectable for its class.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek offered competitive passenger space for a small crossover, with the same front and rear legroom as the Impreza hatchback. It provided slightly more rear headroom and had a cargo capacity of 20.8 cubic feet with the rear seats in place, expanding to 55.3 cubic feet with the seats folded. While it offered more cargo space than some rivals, it lagged behind others like the Honda HR-V and Kia Seltos. The Crosstrek featured a rear-seat reminder system, a handy cubby for phones with USB ports, and decent bottle holders in the doors. However, it lacked the towering driving position of traditional SUVs, though visibility was good thanks to large side windows.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia boasted a spacious cabin with nearly 19 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to over 66 cubic feet with the third row folded, and an impressive 120 cubic feet with all rear seats down. While it didn't lead the class in cargo space, it was still highly competitive. The Sequoia's power-retractable rear window was a unique feature, allowing easy access to the cargo area. Despite its age, the Sequoia offered ample storage options, including deep door pockets and a massive center console. However, newer SUVs had improved on space utilization, making the Sequoia's interior feel somewhat dated.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek featured the Starlink infotainment system with a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, and Bluetooth. Premium and Sport trims added WiFi, SiriusXM, and a CD player, while the Limited trim offered an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation. The Crosstrek's infotainment system was user-friendly, with large analog knobs and buttons for essential functions. It also had a secondary screen above the main touchscreen for additional information, though this seemed somewhat redundant.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a WiFi hotspot. Our test model had the larger 9-inch screen, which still felt small on the large dash. Despite using an older infotainment system, it was easy to navigate, with large hard buttons for menu navigation. The digital trip computer was small compared to modern digital instrument panels, but its simplicity was appreciated.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests. The 2020 model, virtually identical to the 2021 version, earned the IIHS "Top Safety Pick" award. The Crosstrek offered standard EyeSight driver-assistance features on CVT-equipped models, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. However, the EyeSight system's cameras could be obstructed by windshield wipers or direct sunlight.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia came equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense-P suite, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. It also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. While it lacked more advanced features like lane-keeping assist, it provided a comprehensive set of safety features. The Sequoia scored four out of five stars in the NHTSA's rollover test but had not been rated in other crash tests.