As ever, the Subaru WRX is a great car. Its simplicity, sure-footedness, and rally heritage shine through when slamming full-throttle over Monticello Motor Club’s curbings, or blasting up a windy, bumpy, wet backroad. Its new engine is smoother than ever before, and it provides a lot feedback when being flogged at or beyond its limit. When I drove one for a week earlier last year, overall, I liked it a lot and thought that fans of the marque would like it a lot too.
But at our Performance Car of the Year 2023 test, surrounded by track stars like the Z06, GT4 RS, or all-new GR Corolla, the WRX was simply outclassed and out-performed. The brakes faded quickly, the steering required a lot of input, and the manual shifter felt like it might come off in your hand. It also wasn't that fast, even compared to the similarly priced, FWD-only Elantra N.
Nevertheless, we respect Subaru’s effort and still think the WRX is right at home with the weight-transfer crowd.
*Ed note: The 2022 Subaru WRX wears Dunlop Sport Maxx GT 600 A tires. Not Bridgestones, as mentioned.
