AutoTrader SCORE
-
STYLING7.0/10
-
Safety8.0/10
-
PRACTICALITY8.0/10
-
USER-FRIENDLINESS8.0/10
-
FEATURES7.0/10
-
POWER9.0/10
-
COMFORT7.0/10
-
DRIVING FEEL9.0/10
-
FUEL ECONOMY8.0/10
-
VALUE8.0/10
The Subaru WRX has earned its status as a cult favourite with driving enthusiasts.
The sport compact was recently updated to make it even better, giving it increased refinement and practicality to bolster its already legendary driving dynamics. It’s also among the last all-wheel-drive cars offered with a manual transmission, making it a rare breed of performance worthy of consideration if you love bombing through twisty back roads but also need something that’s somewhat practical.
Styling: 7/10
While not the outright most attractive sport compact, the WRX makes its focus on performance clear with a functional hood scoop, bulging body panels, aggressive intakes and vents, stylish wheels, and exposed exhaust work. The WRX gets a ton of attention while driving around from the if-you-know-you-know crowd, gathering a few nods of approval from passersby and even waves from other WRX drivers.
The interior is quite bland and dark, however, and exposes its economy-car roots quickly. Hard plastic is used heavily throughout the cabin, the fake carbon fibre trim is a bit tacky, and there’s not much inside except cool Recaro bucket seats in the RS trim tested here to help elevate the cabin when compared to an Impreza that costs thousands less.
Power: 9/10
The WRX comes standard with permanent all-wheel drive, and is powered by a turbocharged 2.4L boxer four-cylinder engine with 217 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is the only one available on the RS trim, but an automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is available elsewhere in the lineup.
On paper, the output doesn’t seem that impressive, but the WRX also doesn’t need too much, so it feels more than adequate out on the road where it really matters. The engine offers enough torque to pull you through corners even if you’re not in the right gear.
Driving Feel: 9/10
The WRX RS handles brilliantly and showcases a mind-boggling amount of grip and confidence in corners that stands out in its segment as being particularly good. Pushed through corners and onramps with excess bravado, the WRX remains remarkably flat and stable, tracking exactly where you want it to with little drama and a lot of feedback. The steering is direct although it could use even more feel and weight, but the chassis makes the car feel lively and purposeful.
The manual transmission is fun to operate but isn’t the easiest to become accustomed to, even for seasoned drivers, and it doesn’t offer automatic rev-matching downshifts. The tall shifter and long clutch, and how they interact with the boxer engine and all-wheel-drive system, require quite a learning curve, but once you figure it out, it’s rewarding and even helps give the WRX some needed personality. The Brembo brakes are also fantastic and quick to react without feeling too grabby.
The suspension is incredibly stiff, which pays off in how well the WRX handles, but it can become tiresome over broken or rough pavement in daily commuting. The amount of involvement and finesse needed with the manual transmission is fun on a winding road but is also exhausting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Those qualities that make it such a fun, confident performer are the same ones that make it more challenging to live with daily, so you really need to push the car on an open road to make it make sense and truly enjoy it for its intended purpose. My friends and I have said in the past that the WRX feels quite agricultural, but I’ve come to accept that quality because of its rally heritage, a playground where it shines the brightest in a way that no other car it competes with can even come close to.
Features: 7/10
The WRX has most of the basics covered in trims except the cheapest one, which is very barebones. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included in Sport trims and up, but there’s no wireless phone charging. Google Maps info can be shown in the instrument display, which looks a bit dated already, and the audio system is notably tinny sounding and lacks depth, but an upgraded system is available in the top two trims.
User-Friendliness: 8/10
The infotainment system is relatively straightforward to use, with the big, vertically-oriented screen showing a home button, a lot of useful shortcuts, and big icons. But the touchscreen itself can be laggy and slow to respond, and some icons aren’t clearly labelled. Some menus could be more logically structured to navigate easier, but at least Subaru hasn’t abandoned physical buttons and knobs for climate and media control.
Safety: 8/10
Every WRX trim comes standard with Subaru’s full suite of safety and driver-assistance technologies, which includes reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency steering intervention, lane-centring assist, lane departure warning and keeping assistance, pre-collision braking and throttle management, and more.
The WRX’s safety systems are overly sensitive, however, often firing off dramatic warnings when there’s no real risk of danger. While the inclusion of safety features is always appreciated, for a performance car that is expected to be driven more aggressively, the warnings end up being more annoying than helpful.
Comfort: 7/10
A super stiff suspension is great for handling, but the trade-off is that the WRX can be uncomfortable over rough roads. A lot of wind and tire noise can be heard in the cabin. The cabin is quite roomy, however, with even the rear-seat passengers having decent leg- and headroom.
Visibility is excellent in the WRX, with big windows, thin pillars, and the smart positioning of the side mirrors keeping blind spots to a minimum.
The supportive Recaro bucket seats in the WRX RS are also fabulous at keeping people in place during aggressive driving but can become uncomfortable during long drives, especially for those with larger builds.
Practicality: 8/10
The WRX’s trunk is rated at just 354 L, but it feels much larger than that and has a wide opening. Door pockets are big enough for reusable bottles, and the cabin has decent options for small-item storage. For a performance car to be this practical is a big accomplishment.
Fuel Economy: 8/10
Over 550 km of testing, the Subaru WRX’s indicated average was 9.9 L/100 km. Premium fuel is required, and the official fuel economy ratings are 12.3 L/100 km in the city, 9.0 on the highway, and 10.8 combined — not bad for a performance-oriented car with all-wheel drive.
Value: 8/10
The 2025 Subaru WRX starts at $33,695 plus the $2,095 destination fee. The Sport trim goes for $38,195, the tested RS is $41,895, the Sport-tech is $41,995, and the topline GT is $44,985. While the WRX is a bit light on features, it’s easy to forgive because it helps keep the cost attainable — plus in the sportier RS trim, the upgrades are all meant to enhance performance. The WRX represents great value for driving enthusiasts.
The Verdict
The Subaru WRX seems to be highly misunderstood by people who have never driven one or don’t understand its purpose, myself included in the past, but everything comes into clear focus from behind the wheel. The WRX shines as a point-and-shoot compact performance sedan that is fun and instills its driver with a lot of confidence yet can still manage the duties of daily driving relatively well.
| Engine Displacement | 2.4L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | Turbo I4 |
| Peak Horsepower | 271 hp @ 5,600 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 258 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,200 rpm |
| Fuel Economy | 12.3 / 9.0 / 10.8 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 354 L |
| Model Tested | 2024 Subaru WRX RS |
| Base Price | $41,895 |
| A/C Tax | 100 |
| Destination Fee | $2,095 |
| Price as Tested | $44,090 |
|
Optional Equipment
None
|
|
You may also like
