Yahoo Autos Subaru WRX Long-Term Update: 9 thoughts
My first few weeks in our long-term 2023 Subaru WRX have been like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Autoblog had a memorable 2015 WRX, well, nearly a decade ago. Time flies. That was a great sports sedan, and this one is shaping up similarly. Here are my early impressions.
1. The past is always present
Cliche, I know, and Shakespeare and Faulkner’s sentiments are apt when understanding the new WRX. This isn’t some great departure from what the car is or means. You don’t wake up one morning, decide you need a new sedan for commuting to your hybrid office and land on the WRX. Unless you’re a hardcore enthusiast. That’s why even though I’m driving a modern car, it makes me think of this, and other things of similar ilk.
2. So about that ‘modern driving’…
It’s a lot of work to operate the WRX. It’s also fun and rewarding. With compromise comes blessings, as Bruce Springsteen wrote. The WRX is small and tight. Harsh even. Loud. It feels rattly and stiff. It’s not very comfortable. It’s quite the opposite. You can go faster more easily in many different vehicles.
3. But…
What’s better than an enthusiast-oriented six-speed manual with a heavy clutch? The throws are not numbingly long, yet not intimidatingly close. Just right. The chassis is rock solid and keeps the WRX flat when pushed. The steering returns satisfying feedback and is lighter than you might expect. It’s loud. The 271-hp boxer turbo four provides plenty of motivation for a car that weighs less than 3,400 pounds. All of this works together to build uncommon character. When I drive this WRX, my mind flashes back to the MazdaSpeed 3 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Those are long gone, and Subie fans can get halfway to an STI with the TR package, which we memorably tested in Sicily.
4. Winter beater
Plowing through snow and slush, the WRX is nearly unstoppable with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and our winter Blizzaks. There’s clearly some compromise in the raw athleticism, but that’s counterbalanced by husky-like ability to mush through winter. The only downside: when the snow melts and Michigan’s pock-marked roads are their worst, the low-slung WRX and its ultra-stiff suspension will rattle your fillings.
