Subaru’s high-performance rally car, the WRX, increased sales nearly 215% in July 2026 vs. July 2025. Year-to-date sales through July increased 24%. WRX does not sell in huge numbers – 457 in July 2025, 1,438 in July 2026 – but they are an indication enthusiasts want to have a little fun with their practical rides. That, and the return of a base model priced like Toyota Camry rental cars is piquing interest.
To hit a lower price point, there’s no power sunroof, heated seats, flatscreen gauges nor adaptive suspension. Cloth seats and 18-inch wheels replace leather and 19s. No fancy spoilers either. I’d like my spoiled behind to ride in heated thrones, but none of the rest of those compromises bother me in the least.
A casual observer might think the WRX is a compact Impreza with bad attitude, but the faithful know better.
To tie this generation’s styling with the rest of Subaru’s line-up, the WRX gained black plastic cladding around the wheelwells, which seems entirely appropriate for a car whose heritage plants it on gavel and dirt roads over dragstrips. Angry headlamps, black grille with red WRX implanted, hood scoop, boomerang taillamps and rear diffuser add familiarity. It’s a serious ride, fit for adults.
Enter through doors that whomp shut. Interiors are old-school Subaru with clear analog gauges instead of flatscreen instruments in pricier WRX models. Alloy pedals look cool fronting cloth performance seats that hold you in place while remaining all-day comfortable. The 11.6-inch tablet touchscreen boots faster and easily connects devices through wireless Apple Carplay or Android Auto. Dual-zone automatic climate control, leather flat-bottom steering wheel and leather shift knob elevate the experience. Nothing feels fragile.
Keeping this rolling amusement park safe is Subaru’s twin-camera EyeSight system that provides adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and lane-centering steering.
The heart of what makes the WRX special is its 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer four-cylinder engine. As in a Porsche, cylinders are horizontally opposed for a flat unit that sits low in the chassis to balance handling. It tips through curves with a flick of your forearms and stays planted no matter how stupid you behave (almost). Especially with torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive that over-rotates rear wheels to sharpen corners, it can be tossed down curvy gravel roads all day. Fuel economy is rated 19/26-MPG city/highway – tolerable, but not great.
Nobody has to convince me; I own a Subaru Outback Wilderness with a similar turbocharged flat-four. Whether planted in a rally sedan or jacked-up station wagon, it provides more thrust than its 271 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque would suggest. A slight bump of power, AWD and our car’s snick-snick manual transmission prod it from 0-60 mph in under 5.5 seconds. It tops out at 145 mph. EcoBoost Mustangs won’t gallop away from it.
That’s plenty fast for a compact sedan that’s just as competent dropping kids at school or dusting 6 inches of morning snow. The Sport-tuned suspension bobs on highways and the exhaust’s burble will rattle your brain in the drive-throughs, but when putting the WRX through its paces on a wide-open road, they add to the story.
To the WRX’ new base price of $32,495, we added just one option for $395: Galaxy Purple Pearl paint. Delicious! Add destination and we’re at a very affordable $34,085 – a price that’s a bargain against the Acura Integra, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic R, Hyundai Elantra N and Volkswagen GTI.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.