I love the analog gauges! They don't need to go digital at all! Nice, clean, simple, easy to read, and will not get washed out in sunlight - that's how it should be done.
Matt, we driving enthusiasts, need you guys to start doing rev-hang/throttle lag testing/demonstrations between models and really hold these manufacturer's feet to the fire on this subject.
I honestly didn't notice any rev-hang to the point that I forgot to even talk about it on camera. Usually when it's bad it annoys me like crazy and I make those complaints well known (see my previous-gen Civic Si reviews, Elantra N-Line review and even the previous gen WRX reviews). I'm more than happy to give manufacturers crap for it when warranted but thankfully I think Subaru has virtually eliminated rev-hang for the 22s.
Putting the more performance oriented options only for the CVT when the manual take rate for the WRX is significantly higher than the CVT for the last gen. Subaru 2022: “we don’t know why our WRX sales have gone down.”
True, but you'll prob be surprised how many people come out of the woodwork and now go for the cvt with it. I know a shitload of people vs car enthusiasts who actively look go buy cars for everyday driving convenience and being lazy as opposed to what we (the enthusiasts) like. I could be wrong and would be cool if I am, but I won't be shocked if the trim with the CVT sells well for them. Either way, cool to have a new WRX
obviously they are saving the nice dampers and seats with a manual for the Sti. The WRX always was more budget frienddly- which the GT model is clearly not aimed at enthusiasts
WRX sales? Where'd the Focus ST, EVO, Chevy Cobalt, and Dodge SRT-4 go? I think Subaru knows about how the market works in this category. The manual has limited version you know?
The fact an upcoming 3cyl Corolla has me more excited than the brand new WRX generation is just sad. No power increase, no adaptive dampers for the manual, no hatchback... the STi better be incredible.
Corolla isn't all wheel drive and tbh I don't like the hatch looks. WRX owners tune and this new engine is bigger and has a lot of potential plus the handling of this car is already proving that its pretty amazing.
The front looks pretty decent but man the back looks awful. Not sure how I feel about the plastic side panels just yet. I'd saw it's a step down overall for me though.
Cladding, oversized plastic bumper, 3 more horsepower, Civic style rear lights, higher stance, heat/defrost only accessable on screen and an oversized screen limiting adding your own entertainment actually passed the first stages of development at Subaru. They have lost their way.
Didn't need more power at 30k, body structure is 30% stiffer, higher stance bc that's actually good for ride and handling (and rally). Compared to the GTI, Elantra N and Civic Si at same price I don't see anything wrong
@@papa_pt thats because you don't have functional eyeballs. Its a hideous final middle finger to Subaru enthusiasts before all the electric shite arrives.
The only thing I can defend about the power is the previous WRX made same HP with a 2.0 @ 20psi.. the new WRX with 2.4 makes the same @ 12psi. So much more potential to unlock. Still ugly though
WRX Designers: Man… people really dislike this design. BMW M4 Designers: Don’t worry they’ll forget soon. Acura Integra Designers: Hold my beer fellas.
I think they are going to paint all the cladding body color for the STI, this way it really separates the two cars and really makes people want the STI for the extra money, better styling, and more performance. I feel like last gen the wrx performed extremely well and was very close to the halo car that almost seemed a mistake that they made it that good for that cheap. A lot of pros agreed road/track motor trend. So I think they are holding all the punches for the STI and they need to because the Type R and Nissan Z are going to being flexing hard too. Exciting times for car enthusiasts!
You’re probably right but that’s unfortunate because most people don’t need and can’t afford what the sti offers and I wouldn’t spend the extra money for one myself. Also if the Sti still have the flares at all whether they are painted or not will still be uglier than if it were just a smooth ROUND wheel arch.
You might be right, with all that black plastic I bet they sell more black colored WRX’s, I have to see what the STI looks like but I have a feeling I won’t be getting rid of my 15 anytime soon 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for the review, Matt! Knowing your honest takes, this was the first one I’ve watched. I’ve also warmed up to the styling (except that rear bumper), and it’s definitely nice that it’s a bit more refined. The previous gen actually does have a track mode also for the VDC, but it’ll be interesting to see how the under steer compares generation to generation. All in all, lovely review. Merry Christmas, Matt!
I have a 2018 and in the owners manual, Subaru actually states that you could drive the WRX at 40 mph in 5th gear for maximum fuel efficiency. It also states that you should go at 45 mph in 6th gear for maximum fuel efficiency. I personally don't really use 5th gear below 50 mph, but it's nice that the car has such short gearing.
I like it! There was a sheep like following against the cladding. I told them all to wait, it will grow on ya. Especially on any other colour than orange. And, so it has.
I told myself, when this came out, you were the first one I wanted an opinion on it from a reviewer standpoint, next to savagegeese. Hopefully they fixed that giant slab of infotainment. I used one in a legacy and it was horrendously slow
@@Xwisit exactly. I think they put it in for marketing purposes. There’s very little benefit, more cons than anything. Cold starts, it took 40ish seconds to turn my heated seats on - unacceptable
I will still never understand subarus decision to lock the most premium and sporty version of the wrx behind an automatic-only. Like what possible logical explanation even is there behind that 🤦♂️
The only thing I can think of is to upsell the WRX premium to regular older customers, and save the Recaro seats to again upsell the STI over the WRX, to the manual transmission enthusiasts.
@@fhblake04 i agree with you bro, it's most likely to let people know look if you want these seats and manual you automatically have to go for the sti since the fully loaded version is only auto!
I might be one of those people who don’t care about that body cladding, the first thing I said to my friend when he said he hated the cladding was “meh, it won’t be that bad on deeper colors”. The only issue I have is the power output, hopefully the sti will get a lot more than this, if it gets 350+ hp I’m definitely buying one, if not I’ll probably look more into gr Corolla , or maybe even consider getting a golf r again
@@Justanothercarguynyc my first car was a base model civic and I always wanted an Si or WRX, ended up getting a 328i F30 LCI and I feel the same as you. Looking to get a G20 M340i eventually or the new 2 series
There's been a WRX in my driveway since '02. I was very excited about the debut, not so much after I saw the car & 3 hp increase. Overall styling isn't bad but so much plastic is over the top for me. Painting will help but you still end up with painted plastic. We'll see what the STI brings. Not optimistic about the "395 HP" rumors. Looks like Subaru wants me to buy a Hyundai N
I was waiting for this next-gen WRX…and tbh they probably lost me on this car. How they go from a 2.0L to 2.4L and only gained 3hp is beyond me. I’m more interested in a 2022 BRZ now. With the same engine jump from 2.0L to 2.4L it gained 23 hp and 28 lb-ft..I guess they actually wanna sell those cars.
@@moldyrefrigerator the engine only is on 12psi of boost. clearly they are not pushing it at all. Plus the handling seems to have gotten much better out of the box- which the previous gen was only so so with
I don't see how they can remove the cladding for the STI. It'll be as if they are saying we made a mistake with the WRX, and now you gotta pay an extra 10-15k to get a nice looking WRX.
I'm equally astonished about the weight. They added .4 liters to the displacement. It's longer and wider, and has more interior space. It has more tech. But you know what's even crazier? It has the same or less weight than the last generation with all those additions, and it's ALSO STIFFER than the last car. How? HOW? The chassis rigidity is HIGHER while having more empty space and the same or less weight! I'm telling you, this car is bonkers.
It was clear in the acceleration reaction that it’s lost a bit of its fun factor. Good review though. I guess if you look at it as a rally car, the classing isn’t that bad. But most of us just want fun and speed so that cladding really is obtrusive to styling.
Update after watching: Really liked the review, thanks for being thorough! Initial impressions are you were very underwhelmed by straight line speed and spoke so long on handling due to lack of other good things to say. I'm glad the handling is improved though. : )
Most of the sporty about 30k cars are always comparing whatever they are reviewing to the Elantra N. Could Elantra N be the dark horse champ at this price range?
It does not look terrible in darker colors but that ugly ass end good lord no fixing it, I personally will not be a buyer for this model it needs a lot of work I guess it's going hybrid or EV next so I'm sticking with the 21
No go on wrx anymore. Yeah it’s a rigged car but the black plastic or whatever is a little too much. Having removed leather from limited is also a bummer. Half an inch ground clearance added doesn’t feel like this is meant for sport driving. This is a sedan crosstrek.
When it comes to WRX I put more stock in your review than any other. I've always been curious about the WRX and cannot wait until you can spend a week with one and give a more detailed account of it. Thanks Matt!
I have wanted a wrx for many years, drove a friends a couple.of times. I just purchased the 2022 sport model with extra short throw shifter added. This car is amazing. It is better looking in person than any picture does it justice. Its incredibly fun to drive. I keep seeing previous generation owners talking real bad about this car, but i think they should not judge until they drive it. Love this car! This was a great review. Thank you for not talking about the cladding for 30 minutes. So nice to hear you talk more about the performance of the car.
Matt, I LOOOOVE this new WXR. The styling is Killer, distinctively squared off with rounded edges, great fender bulges, wide stance I LOVE the black cladding around the wheel feels. This is one BAD ASS car. I love every single thing about it. I want one. However, I think Subaru should of went higher on horsepower and torque,I mean, C'mon, this new engine is a big 2.4 liter 4 popper, with only 3 additional horsepower and no gains in torques at all. However, I do understand that the numbers do not tell the full story here. Though hardly any more power, but due to the increased displacement and Turbocharger retuning, and the waste gait changes to minimize lag have given the engine a far broader power curve, and this, makes a lot of difference. However, I would have like to have seen this new WRX 2.4 boxer engine making 280 horsepower, and 280 Lb Ft or torque. Then for the WRX STI, when it arrives could have 330 HP; 350 Lb Ft of torque. That would be a substantial increase in power to set the WXR and the WRX STI apart. C'Mon, Subaru, what you say ? Thanks Matt, as always great review.
Subaru! If you’re even listening anymore…. Just build more my2012 WRX & STi hatchbacks. Just build those again. Exactly as they were. That’s it. All most enthusiasts want. Not that hard. Keep your cladding and your “EyeSight” and your touchscreens for the ascent & crosstrek crowd. 😵💫😔
Great review as always Matt. I can’t look past the styling on the 2022’s. I pulled the trigger on Pure Red 2021 last week. Couldn’t be more excited to take delivery next week!
Too bad the rear bumper wasn’t inspired by a rear bumper 🤣🤣🤣 … and I seriously doubt anyone is going to notice the aerodynamic enhancement of the goosebumps cladding 🤣🤣🤣 …. nice effort Matt, I appreciate your effort & enthusiasm reviewing the WRTrex. This redesign was not worth the wait. I can’t enjoy driving a car that I don’t enjoy looking at. It’s not looking good for the STi …
@@garcia5986 I have the 21 Outback Onyx XT. Honestly it feels fast enough that it doesn't need a tune. But that's only because the handling is way too soft for so much power--unless you're just going in a straight line.
Subaru seems to have delayed it. They told us they'd have a drive program for it shortly after this event which was in December. I haven't heard anything about it since.
"say what you want about the styling, ...." we didn't say nothing, you were the one drinking whiskey and complaining about the look (which I agree, it is awful)! Common Matt, Subaru invites you to an exclusive event and all the sudden the styling is not that bad! :)
Keep in mind that could very well be because it looks better in person, not necessarily because he was scared to criticize it. He literally said that the Elantra N was more fun, so it's not like he didn't have any complaints.
In this video I stood by the same comments I made in the whiskey video. I never said I hated the front end, it was the side cladding and back I didn't like, which I reiterated in this video. Also that quote simply meant I recognized that lots of people hate the styling, but if they can get beyond that, it drives great.
I'm fine with the cladding, I really just wish it would have been color matched to the car itself and the bumper is a bit too much, but I am hopeful on the STI once announced. Infotainment, unless improved not impressed with the new system, I had it on my 2020 Legacy and it was riddled with bugs and crashing and slow. Even the updated never fixed the issue and Subaru really needs to focus on this much more with the competition being ways ahead of them, though I am glad they didn't force temp into the head unit only, I loved having the buttons or using voice command to adjust the temperature. Love the Videos Matt, keep them going, always have a great outlook on reviews you do.
Thank you for being honest and keeping this review real. Everyone else that reviews cars retracted on what they said and are saying that they love the cheap plastic cladding and it grew in them.. ty for standing your ground and staying true!
New to the channel, looking at ordering one of these limited wrxs. You did an amazing job explaining everything - out of like 10+ reviews I watched so far.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked the video! I give more thoughts in my "Week with" video on the 2022 WRX as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Mpbnfqr1F1M.html
Matt, blink twice if you're held at gunpoint, because it feels like you're not saying what you want as if you are being held at gunpoint. Were you, in fact, held at gunpoint? Bleh... Bring on the GR Corolla, and for me personally, the new Z. And hopefully the STI actually fixes the issues with this.
Haha I was not. I reiterated my styling complaints but as always, I was honest and unbiased in my driving review. It drives great, even if it's not as fun as the Elantra N.
Some engineering has improved which is always a good sign. It’ll have some growing pains with the enthusiasts, but for the most part, people will purchase/lease it because it’s the last of the manual transmissions. In 5 years, it will probably be hybrid/electric but with odd styling of a wanna be rally car…..
Every reviewer thus far: “The looks have grown on me. It’s better in person” What they really mean is, “the car is exactly as ugly as you think it is but if you want it bad enough you’ll convince yourself it’s not so bad”. It’s a god awful looking machine. The plus side is if you rally it into a tree it won’t look any worse.
@@ricola1759 With you on the GR but at 72 my clock is ticking. Need to replace my '05 WRX wagon, hoping this car was it. To much plastic for this geezer and a 3 hp increase?
The body cladding looks better integrated in the blue color than it does in the orange type color I’ve seen before. I’m curious how Subaru will handle some of the negative feedback the public has given.
I think the cladding looks cool from some angles. It's funny that people liked the Viziv concept but don't like this because they look almost exactly the same, minus bigger wheels on the concept
Do you think the reason the wrx did not get a power increase is because the cvt cant handle much of an increase? The STI dose not have the cvt option maybe thats were we will see the big power gains?
The new WRX looks nicer and nicer the more I see it on videos! Ppl are really divided on the plastic bottom cladding and wheel arches. But, I give kudos to Subaru for making such a bold decision, knowing it would create such a sensation. Albeit, a negative one. But, IMO, Subaru has solved a design problem with the plastic bottom cladding and wheel arches! They made it a "look" and a "function!" The "plastic" bit gives the car a two-tone look, which arguably is a "premium" feature. For example, ppl don't "paint" over carbon-fiber, do they? Of course not. Kudos Subaru! Also, no more rust on the bottom part of this car for ppl who buy this used 20 years from now! I bet no one thought of that have they? Thanks Subaru!
Previous gen better. Too much black plastic. Bummer removing leather for limited at least. Adding half an inch of ground clearance is also confusing. What is the direction of this car now? This is a sedan crosstrek to a high extreme.
OG SubaruWRXfan subscribers have been waiting for Subaru to come out with a new one so that you could review it and we could get your thoughts on the new vehicle. Definitely doesn't look like you are around Pittsburgh with this one. They definitely gave you some fun back roads to play with. 😎
I'm sure this is a nicer car and better in many respects than the old WRX (as it should be, it's been 7 years!!), but I think overall Subaru missed an opportunity here. Remove some of the plastics, tune it for an extra 20-30 hp out of the factory and they would've had a knockout car. Obviously the bigger engine can output that, why limit it so much? Look at all the 2.0 litre four bangers outputting around 300 hp for years now, and you come out with this? As usual, Subaru is behind the times right out of the gate with a new generation. Combine that with the weird decision to keep some options for the CVT version only and you get a real head-scratcher.
