2022 VB Subaru WRX vs 2015-2021 VA Subaru WRX | Driving Comparison 

The best type of reviews for this car are the ones who have ACTUALLY DRIVEN AND OWNED A VA WRX.

I've had two STI's since 2015. I have driven two VB's, and I even have one on order. The STI driving experience is different than the VB WRX. It's more of a hardcore race car, and you feel it when putting it through its paces. The VB feels more refined and easier to drive than the STI, which is why I'm getting one.

This is the best review video I've seen about the new VB hands down! I really appreciate your opinion about the steering on this car too. I come from a stiff S14 (still have) and the VB (my first Subaru) steering isn't as bad as everyone else constantly tries to make it out to be. It does what it should for what kind of car the VB is.

I enjoyed the review. My VA Sti got lower fuel mileage for a LONG time when I bought it new. After no many thousands of break in miles it got better!

Another great video! Stayed for the whole thing and couldn’t agree more, I’m at 61 miles right now and coming off the VA you said it perfect “it’s a better car” 🎉

Great video. Yes I stuck through to the end. I have a VB that’s done 1100 kilometres. I love my car and I tell my wife almost every night that I love driving it. To me it means that I didn’t make a mistake in the car that I purchased. 👍😃

Great comparison review. Really appreciate you talking talking about how the tires worked on snow. Keep it up. I was on the fence between a very low mileage '21 VA and a VB. Very happy the I went with the vb. a little over 3000 miles on it now, mainly driving in the Sierras foot hills. Getting an average of just over 26mpg now. 1st 200 miles saw around 20mpg; it does improve as the car breaks in.

I am literally going this a.m. to order my 23 limited. WRC blue, better shifter, skid plate and a few other add on's. They tell me April build. If you do not know about it Subaru VIP program is the only way to buy a Subaru. Seriously, it makes it so easy and you save big $$$$.

Just bought a vb. Ive owned a va before also. Vb is definitely a big improvement over the last gen. Love it. Power delivery is more consistent.

I just hit 10k on my VB and finally ordered the new Perrin air intake and the Cobb AP 😎 The car really is amazing! I come from two VAs so the difference is real.

I love the red. Looks good with the black. I like it better than my sapphire blue VB

Also just finished watching great video i worked at a subaru dealer while the 22’s came out just so you know we at least always did premium gas on the WRX so maybe its all good!

Owning my stock tune va, i can agree with the 1 and 2nx vear statements abou the rev drop wait time and the rocking

I wanted to get into a Subaru years ago, but life, financial mistakes. Finally got into one with a VB, and by golly what a machine! The next closest car I’ve owned to this would be a 09 Cobalt SS 2.0L sedan. That was fun, this is astronomically so far ahead of that car. The no lift shift was fun though

Watched the whole video. I agree. The gas mileage is not what Subaru claims (but I didn't buy it for good gas mileage). Thank you.

Thats odd about the gas mileage. I test drove a VB today, went over 30 km and was getting 7L/100km doing 105 kmh (65mph), and regular city driving about 10-11 L/100km. So, much better than advertised. The VA STI was getting 10L/100km highway and 15L/100km city

Great video I appreciate all the homework you've done a little disappointing to hear about the fuel consumption however.

Stuck all the way through. VA owner here. Mines pure stock, not even a Cobb tune. I came to it from a Miata, which is a car that benefits from keeping revs high. And I think that's much of the problem people had with the VA shifting. While I found it took a while to be able to shift it smoothly, I never felt anything like the rev hang others complain about. Long Trips: I like it. I know people who want a cushier ride, but I like the firmness. Great outward visibility. My only real complaint comes along with some back problems I have. I wish its seats had better lumbar support. That said, I find that's a problem with most cars today. What's wrong with car manufacturers that their seats have no lumbar support? Cars used to have adjustments there, but no more. Ah well. Mileage: I find the VAs systems overestimate fuel mileage by about 2 mpg. So the car says I'm getting better than EPA estimates, when I'm really about spot on. That said, now that its engine is well worn in (not worn out) I find I can get VERY good highway mileage on a long cruise. Like low 30's (measured by math, not the cars system.) However, around town driving drops that quickly, and any spirited driving drops it still further. VB: As much as I like my VA, all I hear about the VB, from this and other sources, indicates that its better than the VA in nearly every way except mileage. Also, while I'm not a modder, I suspect the VB has a lot more room for aftermarket performance upgrades. So, if that's what you're into, the VB is better suited to your interests.

Thanks for the extensive review! When you mentioned the performance side of the vb does the car fall flat past 4k rpm like a stock VA did? Atleast thats what i noticed when i initially wanted a VA and test drove a few. I drive an frs and the linear NA powerband kind of spoiled me to enjoy power all the way to redline.

Been watching your videos off and on for like a year now and just recently recognized you live like 30 minutes from me😂 I take those roads to Boston comin from RI. If I see you ill give you the ✌️ 2018 WRX premium in CBS

When do you plan to go stage 1 or etune? I read on Cobb's website that its possible to uninstall/unmarry the v3 accessport from a VA WRX, they could do a firmware update for $150 and it works on the new VB?!

If Subaru had given us the sti drivetrain on the new wrx, it would have been like the cherry on the top. strong competitor for GRC with little tune up

Great video, watched till the end. I’m at 9k on mine and getting around 25-26 average. I’ve driven mine through ice, snow and rain with the stock tires on the limited and never lost traction. It’s a great car, shifts smooth with the STi short shifter.

I noticed mine and traction control doing some weird stuff and i could feel it most around bends or taking off hard in a bend. I noticed then that if i out it in track mode, then it doesnt do it. I also figured out that the ECU cuts power when shifting.. for like 0.5 seconds. In track mode it doesnt do it

Hello! If it is also alright to ask, may I please ask if you could do a video on the interior functions on the base model please (specifically the air conditioning function and reliability of touch screen hvac controls please)? Thank you! :)

Skip to THREE MINUTES... if you want to start hearing the review. When are youtubers going to stop repeating the same things over and over again for several minutes in their intros?

Your mileage is bad because you are spoiling the turbo by shifting late/high in rpm’s. Shift right before turbo spool and keep rpm’s down.

I’m getting 24 on mixed (mostly back highway roads). I loved my Elantra N more. It was way more fun. But I’m starting to finally understand it. The WRX is definitely more visceral. A more analog feel. My big complaint-the damn blinker. It annoys the piss out of me.

Get those wheel arches painted gloss red color match and she will look sick

Late reply but I’m getting 27-29mpg mixed in my 2023 WRX premium manual. I only have 950 miles on it.

Not sure what you're talking about, i.e. getting "10mpg less" than advertised. They say 19 city, 25 highway. Your live reading was 18.9 mpg. Where is the 10mpg less than they advertised?

The MPG on a new car are always wayyy lower til like 1000-2000 miles are put in it, give the computerized half of it some time itll catch up. My 22 VB is doing the same thing, im at like 14MPG so far in New hampshire weather but im low miles, my 22 legacy was at like 18 til 1000ish, 25mpg didnt catch up til 2000ish miles then it maintained around 26-28 all through out afterwards til the 7k ish when i traded it in

I still love the VA WRX more than the VB. I rather buy a corvette zo6. Because it is a lot faster without turbo. Grand sport cars have better throttle power plus it light weight too

I like the new wrx but rtsv prevents me from getting one

What tune do you recommend in a 2021 WRX just to get rid of the rev hang? I'm happy with the stock performance otherwise.

1600 miles in my VB. So far it's amazing. Still miss my VA but not that much anymore.

Lol. After watching the video carefully, I noticed you bounce like I dO in my VB.

You ever check for RTV problem?

What's the clutch like in the new ones, is it stale and soft like the VA. Can you feel the clutch grab or is it still numb?? I hate the VA clutch even with an act clutch and the pedal assist spring removed you get no feed back. The hydraulic clutch in my 04 Saturn ion redline was mint so was the Trans for that matter, butter smooth.

Is this VB a base model?

Here's my issue: I would only want either a Limited or maybe a Premium with audio + moonroof. At that price, I'm not too far off from a used 2019 STI.

It's better car, but is it as fun as VA? Btw I think this wrx is even faster than stock VA STI. Stock STI wasn't engine-happy, you press a pedal to the metal it starts to accelerate and then kinda - "no, man, not today, maybe another time" - bogging, hesitations, stumbling. Basically if you test drive used STI and it goes well, highly likely it's modified, easy way to detect aftermarket tune. Transmission should be exactly the same as in VA WRX, at least I haven't heard any news that subaru changed something. Your transmission is shining new now, it may start feel a little different after breaking-in (5000 miles or so).

Dam, they cleaned up 1st and 2nd gear in VB!?!. I’ve owned the 2022 wrx sport tech (limited for US) sense October. 1st Manuel car. 1st and 2nd gear were super jerky to learn. And dam, 5 months in on daily driving it. I’m still struggling with 1st and second jerky ness. Even 2nd to 3rd gear is jerky. If you say they’ve cleaned those gears up from the VA, (I wouldn’t know, first wrx I’ve owned) Clearly it’s me :(….

Its a better car.. is that what the avg WRX buyer want’s? If we wanted a «better car » we would go for a BMW or a Supra. A Honda Accord Coupe V6 manual is a better car. What we like from the WRX; analogue, visceral, boxy, dirty, raw (STI). A Mustang is not better because it has cruise control. Maybe i just need to go and test drive one.

I really wanted a 2022 WRX, but Subaru just made the exterior look so awful with all that plastic cladding. I just cant get over how ugly it is. 2nd, why did Subaru make the top of the line WRX GT not available with a manual trans? I mean come on Subaru! No STi for 2022 and now the top version is CVT only? 3rd, why is the fuel economy so terrible? Since 2002 Subaru cant figure out how to make the WRX powerful and fuel efficient?

VA looks much better than VB.

The 2023 doesn’t have a spare tire while my 15 does. Can’t live without a spare.

I have had this car for about a month now. I love it. I got the premium sport trim, which included the sunroof, harmen karden system and the short throw shifter , along with some other accessories. I have not changed out the shifter yet so i cant comment on how that will change the driving experience. This is my daily driver and it is very comfortable for that. I have so much fun driving this car. There is no hesitation and i feel that it handels very well. No regrets buying this car.

The Transmissions are literally the same part number from Subaru from the 21-22 WRX, Same TY75 6 Speed Gear Box, the 22 FA24 is SEVERLY De-tuned from the factory to meet EPA regulations which is why the engine is 4 tenths of a liter bigger and only 3HP more than the outgoing model.

Song?

So what difference does the transmission have that is making it so much better? According to Subaru they are the same as the 18-21 WRX, part number TY751V6BCA. If they carry the same part number from Subaru themselves, then the internals and housing must be the same, so how can it hold more power?

Elephant in the room: Elantra N.

I made it

VA all day

18.5mpg? Woahh that's STI bad.

To your point about fuel economy - everything in your drive line is still wearing in. Bearings, CV joints, trans and diff gears, piston rings, are all trying to break in at one time. Couple that with inherently lower quality fuel in winter time and the potential for a tank full of 87 and you have the perfect storm of bad economy. I got through the whole video - listening on my ride home from work

uhhh i want one so bad

Subaru messed up the VB. It's ugly and the power output is an embarrassment. Plus the price went way too high. At this point it doesn't have the value it used to have compare to the VA

All facts bro you felt every shift in the last wrx. Lol what it feels like to chew 5 gum stimulate your senses 😂 congrats on the whip shes beautiful

Get a VA STI if you are hetero, and VB if you are 🏳️‍🌈

New one just doesn't look very good.

Apples to oranges. I've owned a VA WRX and STI. There's really no comparison. Also, just my opinion ,but ... You're about 6 months or more behind in content ,mods, tuning, etc. 🥱