Since its introduction to the American market in 2001, the Subaru WRX has shown that high performance can be reasonably priced. The 1990s Japanese market legend, the World Rally Championship-inspired WRX, proved that you could match the speed of a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 in a family sedan for half the price. However, you had to pay for the ultimate STI versions to achieve that speed. U.S. enthusiasts begged and cajoled for one that year. In contrast, the standard WRX was always one rung below the Golf GTI and MazdaSpeed 3 models.
WRXs were meant for those who appreciated the WRC connection and wanted more than just a regular Impreza but didn’t need the STI’s rally-car-for-the-road performance. Regretfully, Subaru left the WRC in 2010, and the STI departed for that magnificent, unique stage in the sky in 2021. The carmaker revamped the WRX for 2022 and eventually installed it on the Global Platform architecture, which powers every Subaru vehicle except the BRZ. This lowers the cost of producing a specialized vehicle like the WRX, but the car hasn’t improved much. It remains the same till 2023.
Like our top-of-the-line test vehicle, the basic, Premium, Limited, and GT trims are still available, with prices beginning at $30,605 and going as high as an eye-watering $44,415 (including the $1,020 destination fee, up from $995 last year). The WRX competes with the Honda Civic Si and Type R, Hyundai Elantra N, Volkswagen Jetta GLI, and even the Acura Integra due to its wide price range. However, hot hatchbacks like the new Toyota GR Corolla and the Volkswagen Golf GTI also qualify due to their practical sports car offering.
Except for the GR Corolla, the WRX is the only vehicle in this competition with all-wheel drive. With a manual or optional continuously variable automatic (CVT) gearbox, the WRX’s 2.4-litre Boxer four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 271 horsepower. This output is higher than that of the Civic Si and Jetta GLI but less than that of the Corolla GR’s 300 horsepower and the Elantra N’s 276 horsepower. All variants come with a well-balanced sport-tuned suspension, but the top-tier GT model has electronically adjustable dampers and other AWD system trickery. But it’s exclusive to CVT.
As long as you stay with the lowest trims, the WRX is still a convenient performance option for less than $40,000, despite being somewhat of a sector in-betweener. It’s gotten smoother and more sophisticated in an attempt to appeal to a larger audience, but sadly, at the price of some of the wildness of its predecessors, which gave you the impression that you might be Colin McRae or Carlos Sainz Jr. Subaru also asserts, referencing tighter pollution laws and the trend toward electric cars, that this may be the company’s last internal combustion engine model.
Even though Subaru has long prided itself on its driver assistance and safety technologies, the WRX is pleasantly free of most bothersome nannies if you choose the manual transmission. This enables drivers to appreciate the WRX fully for its intended purpose; some other manufacturers, like Honda, have integrated technologies like adaptive cruise control with manual gearboxes. Choose the automatic gearbox, and Subaru’s renowned EyeSight safety package is offered if you want those additional security measures, as many purchasers do.
Performance: Subaru WRX
The 2.4-litre turbocharged flat-four engine in the WRX produces 271 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. As per Subaru’s heritage, all-paw traction is standard. Fans will like the conventional 6-speed manual transmission. The optional automatic gearbox is a continuously variable transmission that comes standard on the top-spec GT and has eight simulated speeds and paddles on the steering wheel.
Before leaving, We’ll confess that, despite thinking, “Yuck, a CVT,” we’re pleased with how well it works as a dual-clutch automatic. The CVT only showed oddities when driving in specific scenarios, including going through the town or in select open-road circumstances. The handbook is the best option, of course. During a prior, short-lived experience, we discovered good clutch weighting but a hazy catch point. On the other hand, the short-throw shifter was smooth and notchy for precise selection.
Both the manual and the automatic reach 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds. It takes less than five seconds to complete, less than the Jetta GLI and Civic Si, but more than the Type R, Elantra N, Corolla GR, and even the GTI. The flat-four has a trace of turbo lag, making highway overtaking seem slightly slack.
The handling is what stands out the most and is to be anticipated. The WRX’s well-known and ingenious symmetrical AWD system will find its footing in each curve and manoeuvre you around the turn with no drama and only a trace of understeer at the edge of adhesion. For the first time in any WRX, adaptive electronic dampers—standard on the GT only—control body roll and motion.
A few complaints centre on the excessive number of driving mode changes and the soft, almost lifeless steering. Upon starting, they all go into Sport mode by default, as opposed to Comfort, Normal, Sport+, and Individual modes, or the last setting they were in that cannot be altered. Additionally, changing the driving modes on the infotainment system necessitates scrolling through several menus rather than using a single physical button, switch, or knob. Furthermore, we wish the exhaust had a little more snarl while under pressure. Undoubtedly, the GR Corolla has a meaner voice.
Fuel Efficiency: Subaru WRX
Despite having only four cylinders, the WRX is hardly a fuel-sipper. Like the Mazda3 Turbo, it may get a respectable gas economy for its power level and class, but efficiency isn’t its strong suit. It continues to get the same combined fuel economy of 21 mpg as last year (19 cities, 25 highways), with the manual getting one mpg more on the combined and highway cycles.
That’s lower than almost all of its rivals; the Jetta GLI gets the highest mileage at 26 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, while the Civic Si gets up to 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the interstate. Perhaps a lot more power than those two is in the WRX. However, the Corolla GR and Elantra N are not far behind the much more powerful Civic Type R, which can reach up to 22 mph in the city and 28 mph on the highway. Performance-wise, the GTI is its closest competitor, earning a respectable 28 mpg combined (25 city, 34 highway).
During a week-long testing period, we travelled a great deal on suburban and rural hilly roads in northern New Jersey; we barely exceeded 23 mpg on average for fuel usage, even when we drove carefully. While it can run on ordinary 87, Subaru advises switching to Premium.
Driver assistance and safety:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet evaluated the WRX. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nominated it for a Top Safety Pick+ designation in 2022. This year, it does not maintain that grade because of IIHS’s stricter requirements. Still, it does hold its “good” and “superior” ratings in every category, except headlamp efficacy, which is classified as “good” and “average.” The final finding is strange since all versions are equipped with steering-adaptive high-intensity LED headlights, which work well.
The WRX with a CVT is fitted with Subaru’s renowned EyeSight technology package. This incorporates radar-guided cruise control with lane-centering, front collision prevention with assisted braking, and lane departure warning with lane keep assist. Sadly, manual WRXs are left out of most of this equipment, and only the top two trim levels get additional features like blind spot monitoring and rear collision avoidance. All models save the basic WRX are equipped with STARLINK wireless data-based connecting, which provides linked roadside assistance, automated SOS phoning, and car tracking in an emergency.
With the radar-guided cruise control keeping lanes steady and stable, all systems worked as they should. However, We discovered that the forward-collision mitigation and warning were too sensitive.
Coziness & Space:
The WRX is the more sophisticated sister of the now-only hatchback Impreza. As such, it is surprisingly large and comfortable for a sports car, a feature that Subaru engineers credit to the WRX’s appeal to a more sophisticated market. For those with more extensive and thicker frames, the GT’s more supportive (and fashionable) Recaro seats may be too much to bear for lengthy excursions, similar to BMW’s limiting performance seats.
The WRX feels roomy inside with many forward views thanks to its 39.8 inches front headroom (38.8 with the sunroof) and 36.7 inches back headroom. Leg lengths are 43.1 inches forward and 36.5 inches backward. The competitors’ interior measurements are within a few inches of each other. Thus, neither category has a clear victor (albeit the Elantra, Integra, and Civic have somewhat more rear space).
Although there isn’t much roughness, vibration, or noise, we did notice that the summer tires make a lot of noise when driving on uneven pavement. Furthermore, the ride is ungainly and unsteady across undulations even when the adaptive dampers are in Comfort mode, although it does a respectable job of cushioning flaws and bumps.
Infotainment: Subaru WRX
The larger WRX trims, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent, share an 11.6-inch tablet-like screen with the basic WRX, which has a smaller 7-inch touchscreen. Standard features include Bluetooth music streaming, phone connection, satellite and HD radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto (wired only). Only the bigger 11.6-inch model on the Limited and GT grades is equipped with sat-nav.
The system lags a little behind the competition while being a significant upgrade from the so-old previous version of the infotainment system that still had an in-dash CD player. Although the visuals appear good, and the vast screen provides enough visual real estate, the design seems a little dated due to its sluggish reaction and loading times. In addition, the screen now houses all of the interior temperature settings, which seems like a reversion from the physical dials seen on the prior model.
The 504-watt Harman Kardon premium configuration, standard on the Limited and GT and available on the Premium, is a significantly more welcome upgrade than the original six-speaker sound system.
Storage & Cargo Space:
The WRX’s total size increased last year, increasing the trunk capacity from 12 to 12.5 cubic feet. It isn’t unusual, especially considering the Elantra N’s 14.2 cubes and the Civic Si and Jetta GLI’s 14.1 cubes. The back seats may be folded into a 60/40 split for more significant things. However, the Corolla GR and Golf GTI deliver 17.8 and 19.9 cubes, respectively, so it’s all over for the WRX compared to these sporty hatchback options. Considering the space when the seats are folded, the hatchback Integra surpasses all of them with 24.3 cubic feet.
Design: Subaru WRX
WRXs have always divided opinions regarding their appearance, which is never more true than with the current model. The entire design doesn’t seem unified while not being overtly visually objectionable. The 2017 VIZIV concept has extensively influenced the WRX, which is evident in its aggressive appearance, trapezoidal front grille, and enlarged wheel arches. This is a Subaru if you know the brand’s aesthetic from previous models.
Some contentious elements, such as the black plastic wheel well covering, convey a sense of sporting meanness. Compared to a smooth painted surface, Subaru believes that the textured cladding helps aerodynamics, lowering drag and increasing airflow around the wheel wells. In addition to its functional use, we see it as a safeguard for paint and bodywork for those adventurous owners who want to live out their World Rally Championship dreams and take their WRX off-road.
Is the 2023 Subaru WRX Worth it?
Considering that it is a performance-focused car, the WRX offers a lot for its introductory price of $31,625 ($30,605 with the $1,020 destination fee). You have an incredible daily sports sedan when you combine the WRX’s practicality, reasonable comfort, and standard all-wheel drive. While it’s not the slowest in its class, it’s also not the most technologically advanced, fastest, economical, or stylish. But even while the WRX seems to have grown up to appeal to a more sophisticated crowd, we miss parts of the earlier car’s hard-edged charms.
Even with the destination fee, we would still spend $1,875 on a WRX Premium with a six-speed manual transmission and the $1,875 “Optional Package,” which included a power sunroof and a better Harmon Kardon premium sound system. This would bring the total cost to $36,000. It keeps all the essential little details while maintaining the classic WRX experience. We find it difficult to justify paying up to $38,515 for the Limited, which only adds ultrasuede upholstery and sat-nav to the infotainment system.
We cannot justify going up to the $44,415 GT. That is $8,000 more than the Acura Integra with a manual gearbox, yet the GT is the only model with a CVT. You can get more elsewhere at that level, even if safety technology and customized Recaros are always excellent.
How Much Does Subaru WRX Insurance Cost 2023?
Insurance for the Subaru WRX is comparable to those of its rivals. The average yearly Premium for a 30-year-old female driver with a spotless record is $2,256. However, this figure applies to all 50 states. In contrast, the Jetta GLI costs $2,537, while the Hyundai Elantra N costs $2,380.
Subaru WRX Generations
Fifth Generation
2022 to Present
The 2022 WRX, which VIZIV Performance Concepts had teased, was supposed to make its public debut at the 2021 New York International Auto Exhibition. However, the exhibition was postponed until September of the same year because of the Covid epidemic. The new WRX, built on Subaru’s worldwide architecture, has a slightly more potent engine and, for the first time, a continuously variable gearbox (CVT) as an option.
Fourth Generation
2014 to 2021
One of the most significant turning points in the WRX’s history is the release of the fourth generation. The WRX broke out from the Impreza series to become a stand-alone vehicle for the first time. The basic model dropped the long-standing EJ-series engine in favour of the new 268-horsepower direct-injection FA-series engine. However, the top-spec STI kept the 2.5-litre “EJ” from the previous generation, which still produced 305 horsepower. Subaru made improvements to its suspension and interior materials in 2017. In 2019, the company introduced infotainment and technology updates, including new active safety systems, albeit many of them are limited to vehicles with automatic transmissions.
Third Generation
2008-2013
The length and breadth increases of the third-generation WRX and STI are the most noticeable modifications. Even with the dimensional expansion and increased structural stiffness, Subaru could maintain a vehicle weight similar to the previous model. To sustain sales until the next generation WRX and STIs were ready, the third-generation WRX and STI were also kept in production for three years after the fourth-generation Impreza left the plant.
Second Generation
2002 to 2007
The WRX and STI versions received comparable but more aggressive external appearances as part of the “New Age” Impreza aesthetic. Like the previous generation, the WRX and STI also benefited from annual upgrades, including handling, performance enhancements, and cosmetic adjustments. Additionally, the WRX and STI were initially offered for sale in the North American market in this generation.
First Generation
1992 to 2001
The first-generation WRXs were not offered for sale in the United States but remained a part of the Impreza range until 2013. With an eye toward rally racing, which Subaru had previously experimented with the midsize Legacy and the Impreza’s tiny forebears, the Leone and Loyale, Subaru introduced the first WRX, a turbocharged performance version of the Impreza. Subaru developed seven distinct versions of the original WRX between 1992 and 2001, varying power and performance up to the homologation-special 22B, via steady adjustments and progression.
Verdict
Without any changes, the sixth-generation Subaru WRX becomes two years old as it goes into 2023. Alongside the BRZ sports coupe, the WRX maintains the automaker’s performance legacy after the high-performance STI model was discontinued. The WRX retains its sensible sports sedan image thanks to its turbocharged flat-four, standard all-wheel drive, and sport-tuned suspension, all in line with brand heritage. However, it has lost some of the rugged, tuner-car flair that first made it so popular among Japanese sports car fans in an attempt to cater to a larger market.
