2024 Subaru WRX

If a high ratio of performance to dollars spent appeals to you, we recommend the 2024 Subaru WRX. A compact, 4-door land missile, the WRX delivers a one-two punch of high performance and affordability. Yet, it’s still tame enough to pilot on a daily basis. In other words, you don’t need aspirations of competitive drifting or clocking ever-better lap times at the track to enjoy buzzing around town in the WRX. It’s as comfortable hauling Junior to his soccer games as it is carving mountain road twisties. We also like the WRX because it’s one of the few mainstream sedans to offer a manual transmission.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact cars, including the Subaru WRX.

Previously unavailable on models with the manual transmission, Subaru makes its EyeSight Driver Assist Technology standard on every WRX model. This includes tech like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, and more. Crave more track-bred engineering and features in your WRX? New for 2024 is the WRX TR. Aimed at enthusiasts, the WRX TR amps up the performance and handling with a range of upgrades. For example, high-performance Brembo brakes, stiffer springs, revised damping rates, 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber, Recaro Ultrasuede front seats, and retuned steering are included.

Typically, when recommending a specific Subaru trim level, we skip the entry-level version in favor of an upper trim because the difference in price between the Base and the next level-up, better-equipped Premium grade is so slight. Consequently, we advise skipping the WRX Base for the most popular Premium trim to add such goodies as a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen, proximity keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, larger wheels, and more.

The WRX competitor pool is rather shallow. We peg the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R, as well as the Hyundai Elantra N and Honda Civic Type R, as at least somewhat close rivals. The Golf GTI, Civic Type R, and Elantra N are front-wheel drive only, while the Golf R, like the WRX, comes with all-wheel drive as standard. For 2024, the GTI starts at $32,485, and the Golf R at $45,455.

Before buying the Subaru WRX, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay.

Top-Tier Resale Value

When it comes to holding value, the WRX leads three of the four named competitors. (Only the Civic Type R does better.) Recouping more money when you sell your car can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on your next car.

Subaru arms the WRX with a throaty 271-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Because of the opposed-cylinder engine design, which Subaru refers to as “a flat 4-cylinder engine,” the WRX enjoys a lower center of gravity than its rivals. This, in itself, provides improved handling.

Subaru engineered the WRX to be track-capable right out of the box. This is evident in its rather flat torque curve from 2,000 rpm up to 5,200 rpm, near where its maximum of 271 horsepower resides. In other words, we had plenty of acceleration in reserve even as we continued giving the turbo 4-cylinder more throttle. Moreover, the sport-tuned suspension in the first three trim levels keeps this careening missile well-planted in the curves. Opting for the WRX GT brings with it adaptive dampers that further contribute to stability at speed.

We can confirm that the new TR model delivers the goods without sacrificing sedan practicality. Its re-tuned suspension and Brembo brakes make the WRX a more dialed-in sports car that will make any enthusiast rethink whether it really needs any mods.

As if that weren’t enough, the all-wheel-drive system includes active torque vectoring that distributes engine torque to the wheel or wheels where it will do the most good. When cornering, the system knows to send more torque to the outside wheels while slowing the rotation of the inside wheels to improve cornering ability. In foul weather, the same system determines which wheel or wheels have grip, ushering engine torque to those that do. It’s a totally seamless system that allows drivers to concentrate on the surrounding traffic.

Fuel Economy

In mixed city-and-highway driving, the manual transmission-equipped WRX delivers 22 mpg. This is toward the bottom of the competitor heap. Opting for the automatic in the WRX further decreases mileage to 21 mpg. You can find more fuel economy information on the EPA’s website.

If you want the full sports car treatment, the WRX TR delivers. It even includes uber-supportive Recaro front seats in the upper trims. However, at its core, the WRX is a sedan, seating up to five. Easy to live with, the instrumentation and controls are sensibly placed. The seats are comfortable, and there is plenty of elbow room. Its rear seats provide 36.5 inches of legroom. This falls neatly between the VW Golf GTI and the Hyundai Elantra N.

We put the WRX through its paces as a family car — with car seats and everything — and found it to be just as practical as any other compact sedan. The tidy 12.5 cubic feet of cargo space isn’t as much as any of our named rivals, but we found it practical enough for typical everyday errands.

Alerting curb standers that something special is passing them as the WRX screams by are the large, functional hood scoop and the dual exhaust outlets with stainless steel tips. Otherwise, most folks won’t realize the WRX is anything but another small 4-door. Well, as long as you don’t notice the roar of its exhaust and the face-numbing grin of its driver.

Turbocharged engine
With 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the WRX will hit 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds. As a bonus, its flat design lowers the WRX’s center of gravity for better cornering.

All-wheel drive
Standard on every WRX, Subaru’s setup allows the all-wheel-drive system to distribute engine torque where it will be most effective.

Active torque vectoring
Taking full advantage of the all-wheel-drive system, active torque vectoring can send all or some engine torque to a single wheel. It also gives more torque to the outside wheels when cornering, making them rotate faster than the inside wheels for additional stability. In our experience with the WRX, we found its behavior in the curves positively exhilarating.

Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Using photosensors, this mirror recognizes bright headlights closing in from behind and then automatically dims their reflection.

Proximity keyless entry
Standard on the Premium and higher trims, this allows your doors to unlock automatically if the key fob is on your person.

All Weather Package
Standard beginning with the Premium grade, this package includes 3-mode heated front seats, heated outboard mirrors, and a windshield de-icer.

A 6-speed manual transmission hustles the output from the 271-horsepower turbo 4-cylinder engine to all four wheels. If you pick the WRX GT, an automatic transmission is standard. Otherwise, it’s an upgrade on other trim levels. One small drawback to the punchy turbocharged 4-cylinder engine powering the WRX is that it requires premium gasoline to deliver optimum performance. We think that’s a small price to pay for the WRX’s thundering acceleration.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Subaru protects the WRX with a bumper-to-bumper limited warranty for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. A 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty is also standard. This is about typical for new cars from mainstream manufacturers. However, the Volkswagen models and the Elantra N do better and include complimentary scheduled maintenance, which isn’t part of the WRX’s warranty protection.

Safety Ratings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Subaru WRX its highest 5-Star overall safety rating. The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Subaru WRX a Top Safety Pick award. Beginning in 2024, Subaru includes as standard its EyeSight Driver Assist Technology in manual-transmission-equipped WRX models, as well as those with the automatic transmission. This bundle of advanced safety tech includes automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.