About WRX
The WRX is Subaru's performance car, a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sport sedan born from the Impreza rally program and adopted by a fan base that is fiercely loyal and impressively loud. Owners love the boxer burble, the grip on a wet on-ramp, the six-speed manual and the sense of driving something with genuine motorsport ancestry. They also argue, constantly, about what Subaru should build next, which has become something of a hobby in its own right.
The WRX began as a version of the Impreza in 1992 and later became a standalone model. Its harder-edged sibling, the STI, was essentially a road-going rally car with a big wing and an even bigger following, and its departure from the American lineup after 2021 left a wound that has never quite healed. The current WRX uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer, and its styling, with heavy black plastic cladding over the wheel arches, divided opinion from the start. Subaru has kept interest alive with tS models and limited editions in signature colors.
The WRX competes with the Honda Civic Si and Type R, Volkswagen GTI and Golf R, Hyundai Elantra N and Toyota GR Corolla. Recent seasons have brought price cuts that sent American sales sharply upward, reports that the mainstream WRX will end in Japan, and a Japan-market STI-badged version with a heavy-duty manual gearbox, news that has American fans asking once again whether they will ever get one of their own.
There is always a new rumor to chase, from mystery prototypes spotted testing to wagon versions sold abroad that American enthusiasts covet from afar. Coverage includes road tests, special editions, spy shots, sales figures and the latest chapter of the STI saga, along with the broader question of whether Subaru will keep building an affordable turbocharged sedan with a clutch pedal at a time when most rivals have quietly given up on the idea.