2023 Subaru WRX Sedan

　　

2023 Subaru WRX Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　Subaru leans harder into its rally-racing heritage with the latest WRX. Redesigned for 2022, the fifth-generation WRX adopts body cladding worthy of an SUV to protect the paint against nicks and chips while upgrading performance with a larger and more powerful engine and an available adaptive suspension. The car also adopts the latest in Subaru infotainment, driver assist and collision avoidance technology. However, the safety features are largely restricted to WRX models equipped with the optional continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which Subaru calls the Performance Transmission.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2023 Subaru WRX 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$213/mo  for WRX Base

　　WRX Base

　　4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M) - $30,605 MSRP4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $32,455 MSRPPremium 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M) (Most Popular) - $33,105 MSRPPremium 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $35,155 MSRPLimited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M) - $37,495 MSRPLimited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $39,745 MSRPGT 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $43,395 MSRP

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　After confirming the high-performance WRX STI won't return to the lineup, the only changes to the 2023 WRX are some new rear headrests and slightly revised settings to the climate control, suspension and all-wheel-drive system. Subaru's high-performance sedan continues to rival other sport compact cars, though it no longer brings the exclusivity of all-wheel drive to the segment. Rivals such as the Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf R match that feature, though the Mazda isn't as powerful as the Subaru and the VW is significantly more expensive. Toyota also targets the WRX's fan base with its new all-wheel-drive GR Corolla, which appears to plug and play in the same space as the newly redesigned Honda Civic Type R.

　　Is the Subaru WRX still the standard against which other sport compact cars are measured? Be sure to read our Expert Rating to get all of the details from our vehicle testing team.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the WRX drive? The WRX isn't as quick as some of its rivals, but it's still fun to drive. We tested a manual-equipped WRX, and at zzdcar' test track it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds. That's appropriately quick, though achieving that time requires an abusive launch technique. Our test driver noted: "I'll be honest and say I thought I broke this car trying to launch it. The driveline shock when you drop the clutch is so harsh and severe that I thought there might be a pile of metal on the ground. Even with the new engine, there's a significant amount of turbo lag below about 3,000 rpm. That means getting the best launch basically means dropping the clutch from about 5,000 rpm." We have yet to test the automatic-equipped WRX.

　　The WRX is at its best when leaping from turn to turn on a curvy road. Its strong midrange power, all-wheel-drive traction, composed suspension and responsive steering make for an excellent, enthusiastic driving experience.

　　Unfortunately, the brakes in the WRX don't deliver the response or stopping confidence we'd expect. Its pedal feels too soft for something this sporty. At our test track, however, the WRX was able to stop from 60 mph in just 110 feet — a respectable distance for the segment.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the WRX? The ride quality and the seating comfort in the WRX are both right at the top of their class. It's worth noting that several hours of driving in the WRX gave us no significant fatigue or pain. The seats hold you in place well during corners and provide proper support all the time.

　　The climate controls that are located inside the big center touchscreen are a bit difficult to learn and can be distracting at first, but most owners will get the hang of them relatively quickly. On the downside, the WRX is pretty noisy, with a little rumble from the engine at highway speeds and some pronounced wind noise over the doors and mirrors at speed.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below