Subaru did really well with this car. It’s funny how people make a snap judgment based solely on the fender flares and don’t look at the technical aspects that makes this generation superior.
I do wonder too if some of the abuse on the press cars have changed how the car feels to reviewers, because I'd hear some reviewers say something like how the brakes don't feel right.
Got my 2022 WRX base manual in black a couple weeks ago…your review helped me make my decision. 1200kms and so far so good! Kills the Si and GLI…and the price is phenomenal in Canada. $8000 less than an Elantra N though the N sounds better with a nicer interior…but the WRX will be better in the snow! Should be fun if the TCS and Stability actually turn off on the prolonged push of the button…
Drove my 2022 Manual Premium in iconic Subaru Rally Blue( They call it RS here in Australia) home 30 hours ago ! Traded in my MY15 Premium model… it feels very familiar, it hasn’t stopped raining so I can report it’s great on wet roads ha ha ! but I’m loving the extra refinement, so far it’s been amazing… but itching to get up to the 1000 mile mark and stop driving like the village Vicar !
Unfortunately hatches aren’t as popular in the US as they are in Canada and we normally have to follow the US in the decision if what nee models get imported.
for the price the new WRX is a serious car, few mods and lookout. l was so impress with the test drive l grabbed me a 2023 premium, immediately upgrade exhaust, short shifter and intake with stock tune, this is not the car from the dealership wow, more upgrade to come
got a base trim , just needs all season tires for cold weather , brake pads and a tint of course the short shift linkage with smaller duracon sti shift knob
Well, a good value if you get the Base trim. Then immediately, at the very least, replace the brake pads with better ones and replace the brake oil with a better one too. Most guys who buy a WRX are working Joes. So, save up the funds to later on put a performance exhaust on it. Before that, have all the plastic outer trim pieces professionally painted to match the rest of the car's exterior. (Or, just buy a WRX in grey or black so that the unpainted trim looks good against it.) Let's be honest, Subaru is selling a Starter car for owners to mod. and customize to their own individual liking. Otherwise, for those who have the money without the brand loyalty; a Golf R just makes more sense. Buy it, head off to the track immediately. Nothing else needs doing. Even if you strongly prefer the advantage of a lockable trunk over a hatch (and I definitely do). The R is just ready for anything once you drive it off the dealer's lot. No trunk.... livable.
Yep about 4 months 2023 WRX 6 speed premium. Love the push button start no key wow, Just jump in and push the button. Now l have to get iphone because the massive screen, l want nav apple car play, suppose to be a nice phone, expensive but l want the nav.. Plenty grip and engine short gearing is perfect, torque every gear.. l am upgrading steering wheel, Billot Works short shift, also a Perring intake with ETS heatshield this week. later tuning and wheels heeheehee great all around ride but very stiff ride and sporty ok, noisy road and STI exhaust
I still own my wrx 2015 cvt with only 60,000 miles (100,000 km) on it, and it’s not more value, but more expenses !!! I’m still undecided buying the new sport 2022 grey or rally blue ,cause it costs close to 66,000 $ Canadian . At the end, I’m still attached to my car ,and nothing can change my mind !!! Subaru rules 👍👍👍
Here in Montreal,Quebec , the wrx sport tech is exactly 49,999$ with tax plus interest !!! No money down @ 6.99% financing for 96 months comes out to be close to 64 - 66 grands !!! I have the proof of 693$/ month for 96 months equals 66,528$ my friend !!!
@@jjohnnyqquest7900 Lol crazy. I got a base model for 34k tax included. Has everything i want and need except i wish i couldve added heated seats as an option. I can always buy a seat warmer though.
Well a fool is born everyday who would go into debt on a depreciating asset. 7% financing? 96 months? So after 8 yrs when it’s finally paid off, your $66k vehicle that’s also out of warranty is worth? It’s a now, now world. If your griping about the price now, wait until the warranty expires just before the CVT does too. Good luck.
What subaru did was incorporate reliability and more overall capability.You can check out my race of my 2020 Stinger vs a 500 HP STI at public drag--these subarus are not drag cars.I have a Kona N now but after owning a stinger i will probably never get a low sitting car agin because there are too many variations in road conditions.I agree though at 40k plus it should have more HP like around 320 or offer a turbo 6 version at under 50k for the people that want more speed.In perspective it is as fast as all out sports car were in the 2000s--people are just used to cars going so much faster--5 second 0 to 60s use to be reserved to people plunking down 60k or more.My Knoa N because of the tech would give my old 20000s saleen mustang a run for its money and it is more reliable--faster off the line and easier and more comfortable to drive.
How do you think the Cupra Formentor V-Z would stack up against this? 300hp turbo AWD .. little higher off the ground, probbably a bit more spec'd for comfort
Manual transmissions are like a religion, and cracking anyone free is near impossible. They either never drive anything else, or restrict their experience and use it to support their bias. Road tests? Try the SPT, but don't live with it. That's not objective. I always share living 17 years with a Sportshift in my Outback XT. I got poor reviews. I agreed. Oh, until I learned how to use it..Anticipate the shifts and do so a bit quicker. If you (claim) you can heel & toe, or (claim) you can rev-match, this is simple. Once I got shift timing down, it was great. The SPT is killer fast, but the car is still so new, shifting so different, there's a learning curve. And mini road tests and "my friend says" don't qualify. Simply don't. Meaningless, biased opinions on something new with a learning curve vs. something familiar as breathing. Funny, though, if you were a truly awesome driver and made it to high ranks, guess what you'd lose first? "Rowing gears". Sequentials and paddle shift sequentials. Love manuals, it's cool. But you cannot offer an opinion unless you're open minded and live with the alternative long enough. If I had to return my GT a few weeks ago and get my STI back, I'd prefer it. After a month? No way.
Dude it's the worst. I have owned several manual transmissions (16 WRX, ST, RS, Type R) and in between I would sometimes buy an automatic transmission and I would enjoy it for like a month and then be like, ok this is boring I want the stick back lol. I'm cursed. Going to test drive one of these puppies this weekend.
I got mine spt about two weeks ago, can say it’s deff feels faster than 5.5s that the manual is rated at, I haven’t tested it just going by how it feels from off the line and it does not feel like a cvt whatsoever unless you drive in the “i”si mode I’m always is s or s#
Oh...and what I'd like to see...and this could end poorly for my beloved Subaru brand...is these off road adventures A) fitting appropriate tires, and B) bring them competition back and pit them against each other. OR, since no one even takes these cars off road...it's just nostalgiac playing around...then do some comparison tests in snow, with snow tires. It would kill me if an Elantra N or Golf GTI bested a Subaru on the snow. But I'm quite certain it wouldnt happen. And for those living in the north, where people actually DO care about this, it's an extremely worthy test to ask for. Only one I ever saw years ago had an STI vs some such competition and it's was a joke. Watched a quattro vs other German awd snow comparison and again, joke. For northerners and mountain residents, these tests are about life saving differences and it's ridiculous so few are done.
Can't really compare a WRX with an RS3, even an STI still doesn't compare, unless they come out with a 350hp+ WRX STI then you have something to think about.
when people start pushing more power through this engine all the last gen owners will come in droves. This engine is a workhorse, a simple flash could give 50hp without a single issue in reliability. This thing can handle 5000lb of towing in an accent.