As a guy with a family, I REALLY appreciate this type of review. I want this car, but I need it to be comfortable and feel safe for my wife and kid. Thank you!
I saw an orange one at the gas station last night. Didn't look as bad, but I wouldn't say it's a good looking car. Pretty much the story of every stock WRX ever.
I fell in love with it because it can be super fun to drive even stock and to me I find the lines and overall design of the car to be the perfect mix of a rally car and a daily driver sedan
You hit the nail on the head when you said it's as close to a 80's or 90's car as you can get. That's why I bought one. I bought the base model. I love that it doesn't have the safety nannies. It's an absolute blast to drive.
I agree totally with this. It’s got plenty of safety systems with the “ring of safety”, airbags, ABS and BSM. And it’s fun in a way many new, more powerful cars are not.
With all due respect to Micah, when I saw the fun in Sweetie’s face, that tells me this car is very special. That made me decide to get a premium wrx in the same wr blue pearl luckily in msrp! I love this review setup being a family man myself
Bought one as a family car that makes me a happy adult. So far it's been great. Hopefully it's legendarily reliable. Don't plan on modifying it or anything like that, just going to enjoy finally having a car I like that my family can fit in.
Thank you for doing a WRX review that looks at the car from a daily usability and family oriented perspective! Many of the other car review channels just look at performance and technical specs, but your videos really looks at it from a different view that's probably more relevant to the majority of potential buyers. Props to the production value you put into your videos as well! You really should be getting way more views!
Gonna agree with Evie here, I like the body cladding. It’s a nice accent. But also I get it for a rally racing car. That cladding is there so you aren’t paying for repeatedly repainting scratched paint in commonly dinged areas on the body. That’s my take anyway.
I ordered one of these, and I'm trying to get myself pumped about getting a car that's bigger/more practical than I'd like; this is the best review I've seen so far.
Just picked mine up on Tuesday. The things other reviewers complained about are absolute non-issues. It sounds great without being annoyingly loud, it looks amazing in person, and it feels like they've really upped the quality of the interior and the drivetrain. And it definitely reminds me of driving a car from the late 80's with the great visibility. So good.
@@jasonmoyer Number 1, I'm glad your WRX ownership experience has been good so far. And 2, your comment is a great reminder that car reviewers sometimes obsess over stuff that actual car buyers don't care about. Congrats!
It still is. You can’t sneeze without hitting a Subie up there. Subaru of SB makes good money off the mountain folk. It’s a little piece of Colorado or the PNW in SoCal.
Great review! 👍🏻 I have to say, however, I am thankful my '22 is absent the safety features. I own it because it is a fabulous driver's car. I love how your family is such a part of your review(s).
I agree on the lack of “safety features”. I have Eyesight in my 22 Ascent and have turned it off. Way too intrusive for me. But I pay attention to my driving, unlike many on the road.
Just bought a used one! 😬 It’s a gamble. Here’s hoping it will be ok! Not our daily, and I have a knowledge of mechanics on a car-so should be able to maintain most on my own. First two Subarus run great-so I am really hoping this will continue to as well. Thanks for the review. My wife loves this as well-as she is awesome on a manual. We just taught our 17 daughter to drive stick! All the boys will be looking up to her!
@@MicahMuzio Yes, and you must be very proud, for it is a community that you, and your family, have created. Can I call you, umm....Dad? And can I borrow the car for a few days? 😂
We drove the Civic Si, the WRX and Elantra N. We decided on a 22 Ceramic White WRX this past August. It handles better, accelerates better and the grip with AWD is astonishing! By far the best car in the segment!!! I was most disappointed with the Civic Si because it seemed underpowered and slow compared to the WRX and Elantra N!!!!
Request from the Si Video Answered. Nice. For the Plastic Cladding, I don't mind it as much as I did when the car just launched. But I think bright colorful paints don't look as good. Such as Orange or Red.
I’m okay with the front and side cladding now, but that rear bumper is hideous. It needs to be redone and at least have the upper portion painted body color. You can add the Acura Integra as a competitor also.
Really enjoyed and appreciated your family’s reviews, very natural, sweet, and candid. One of the few reviews that didn’t sound like a commercial, or a scripted sales demo. Nice work. Thank you.
If you buy the CVT, the rear seat has vents. With the manual transmission, the HVAC is impeded by the manual trans shifter. Also, cars in Canada or Australia get rear heated seats. The inboard armrest is pushed back because on the old gen, your elbow would slam into the arm rest every time you pull the shifter back. Also, stop calling it “body cladding”. It had side skirts and fender flares. Body cladding is like a first gen Chevy Avalanche. The 2022 WRX is gorgeous in person.
Thank you for this! I live in Canada and just put down my deposit on a 23 WRX CVT. Because of the limited availability here I haven’t even been able to sit in one yet. I got nervous as many people are saying there are no rear vents and I have two kids under the age of 4 that will be in the back. Happy to hear the CVT gets rear vents :)
Behind the competition, especially when you consider the hp numbers have barely gone up and has the mileage of a V8 pickup. My 2017 I could barely hit 23mpg in mixed driving.
@@steve8803 This is also true, manuals have become extinct. And any time you can snag a manual, with AWD.. You should keep it. It's why we've purchased more than a dozen Subarus over the years(Since the 80s). Currently own a 2020 STI.
I absolutely LOVE the black plastic framing of the 2022 WRX GT. It looks super aggressive, and the different driving modes give me tons of fun while driving on various terrain. I plan on replacing the brakes with an aftermarket brand, as I've found the brakes are a bit too soft for my liking.
they are only held on by clips and can be easily removed, sand blasted, and repainted to look oem. should only cost you at most 300 dollars to do all that if you do the clipping, prepwork, and re install yourself.
Great review. Bought a 2014 wrx brand new years ago. Family and I out grew the car when we had our second kid. Living in vegas with no rear ac vents is a big deal breaker. Would probably buy another wrx if it has rear ac vents. Super fun car.
Dying to know how a rear facing convertible car seat (diono for example) fits behind the front passenger concerning legroom up front. Have a front facing behind my seat with plenty of room. Trying to find a way to justify my 3rd Rex but now we have 2 kids!
To all perspective buyers, never buy a base trim Subaru (any model). Always go for premium or higher/limited trims (ask me how I know now). Skip the base trim if possible. Funny, other videos show the trunk shoot up as if it needed a giant wing on it. Yes, Subaru CAN ABSOLUTEY do safety and a manual transimison, yet they CHOOSE not to in order to force you into their CVT offerings to help w/their fleet fuel mpg numbers. LIMITED 6SPD is the best buy/value, but if you must have the best stuff, my dealer has a $45k GT trim waiting for you. Yes, a $45k WRX-GT.
I really wish they would bring the Levorg from Europe to America. That is an awesome design and who wouldn't like to have a WRX wagon. It would be like a Dodge Magnum. And if you put Forrester wheels on it then you can also raise the height probably by 2 inches or something like that.
As a VA chassis owner it's not enough to convince me to purchase the new version. The black cladding is horrific and the confirmed lack of an STI model still has me pouty as an enthusiast. Eventually I'll probably get over it and purchase one (purchase immediately followed by a trip to the paint shop to colour match the black cladding).
Man I honestly felt the same way with the cladding but it truly does kinda grow on you the more you see it *in person.* People that are not into cars or don’t know anything about cars actually like the look of the car. Don’t lose faith just yet.
@@xtrekrex Iˋve not lost faith yet. I think the STI electric Subaru has hinted at could be an absolute ripper. In the mean time Iˋll tinker with my FA20 VA chassis and throw a pile of STI parts at it (Trans/Brembos mostly). Something about building up the "STI" for myself so many of us wanted, has a lot of enthusiast appeal.
I had an sti in 1999 great car. Can’t wait for the next version. Hopefully we’ll get close to 300 kw. But if you really want 2 drive a great all wheel drive car Find yourself a makkinen lancer. Another tommi special. A really engaging and well balanced car. Miles ahead of any of the Subarus. I had one for twelve months next level drivers car
16:38 hearing you just list the competitors was so disappointing because i already know what the subaru wrx's competition is; from the honda civic si, hyundai elantra n-line, and mazda3 turbo awd. what i wanted to hear instead was in-depth details and discussion on what micah and evie specifically prefered between the subaru vs honda family sports sedan segment especially since yall drove both recently.
Subaru still playing the armrest "upgrade" game in 2023. You have to option the taller version if you want to actually rest your arm on it. I saw it on my invoice even back in 2004 when I bought my first WRX and asked what this $250 charge was for. Salesman said, "armrest so you can chill. you'll want that." At that point in the deal, I just wanted to wrap up...but he was 100% right. LOL
There's a lot to like about this car EXCEPT: rear visibility (not as great as in years past) And 2.) the all black interior. Please give us beige again, pls.
awesome review. If the markup wasnt that crazy, I would have traded my Accord Sport 2.0t. I had a bugeye wagon in WRB when it first came out. New subscriber here. 👍🏻
In my opinion, the best looking WRX was the blob eye. It looked chonky and it looked like it had the athleticism of a rally car. I also like the 2005 version Hawkeye with the three-step grill. I especially like any car that's offers a hatchback so when they came out with the original 1997 gc8 WRX sport with the hatchback that was pretty fun too.
I don't think drive mode is needed for a Manual Car without adjustable suspension. There's really nothing to change, maybe the throttle response? But in my opinion, that's just shortening the pedal travel, which doesn't help much.
I owned a 2006 WRX for 10 years.. and I honestly think this new design is on par with that. It doesn't look so great in pictures, but it always looks cool in videos.. not sure why that is
I have new wrx ts ( Phiipinnes GT ) with SPT . You could not buy a more wonderful performance 4 door car . 50k us dollars here . One problem , brake calipers exposed as brake pad springs exposed to an unfriendly screwdriver ? Don't tell the wife ! Steve in Paradise in the Philippines . Have fun in the WRX .
I test drove one My only complaint was it had a weird idol It was idling up-and-downIt didn't sound good And the blinker action was the weirdest thing ever You turn the blinker on and it never clicks off or doesn't communicate well with you What did you think about the blinkers Super fun easy to drive manual love the car
@@2doorenthusiast799 thanks for sharing that information. Same problem with Z Man when I testdrove the wrx. I have no idea how to use it so the blinker is dancing left and right while I figure out how it works. It is one of the zonk why I am holding up on getting it. Thankfully, you showed us the answer. Lol
No car has ever needed to be a hatchback more than a WRX. When they did have them, they sold very well. Sweetie is NEVER crazy. She can be eccentric once in a blue moon, but I have to say… I like the cladding with the blue as well. Would I get this over a CX-30 Turbo? No, probably not. I know… there is a 50hp difference, but both are quick enough for me. The CX-30 is just so much more livable.
I thought the cladding looked terrible in photos, then I saw it in person and didn't mind it. I'm not a fan of bright colors in general but in person I thought it looked great in orange!
I would take the WRX over the Honda any day. Main reasons being manual E break and no safety Junk Good job on appreciating the manual E break Every car should still have Manual emergency break #SaveTheManualEBreaksHahaha
In US you have a lot of color choise for the base model but not here in Canada, base model have only 4 colors white, grey, dark grey and black..... I dont mind the clading, it had more protection againts dirt snow rocks .
Awesome review! Just got my new 22 WRX! I've notice 1st to 2nd is a bit bouncy, even with a slow release of the clutch. Any suggestions?? I usually shift between 2500-3000 rpm.
Your driving a manual sports car.. screw the arm rests.. if you really need one, get a 28 Oz Gatorade bottle and put the cap end in the cup holder.. it works well. 😅
