Subaru WRX, the car that made me pay attention to this Japanese automaker, way back when I was just a kid. Over the last month I’ve had the opportunity to drive the Subaru Outback and Legacy, I was impressed with those vehicles, but deep down I knew what car I really wanted to get behind the wheel of. While not quite the STi, I was more than happy to take the keys to a brand new 2015 Subaru WRX performance sedan.
The previous two Subaru vehicles we reviewed were great cars and quite sporty, but we all know the WRX and WRX STi are in a league of their own. There is nothing else in the market place that competes with these cars, especially at their price point. The most direct competitor to these cars was the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, but I don’t even know if they still sell that car. You could try to compare the Focus ST, but that’s a front wheel drive car and not as hard core as the WRX in my humble opinion.
The 2015 Subaru WRX has a starting price of $29,995; the price bumps up to $32,495 when you include the Sport Package, which adds in sunroof, spoiler, LED lights, and power driver’s seat. The top of the line WRX Sport-tech Package starts at $35,495, this package adds in proximity key with push-button start, leather seats, in-dash multi-media/navigation, and a Harman Kardon sound system. All cars are equipped with 6-speed manual transmissions or optional CVT. We spent a week reviewing the WRX Sport Package with the CVT transmission.
Engine
We’ll start with the most important metrics on the WRX, the power! The 2015 Subaru WRX is powered by a turbocharged 2.0 liter boxer 4-cylinder engine with direct injection, producing 268 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 5,200 rpm. The maximum available torque at such low rpm is what makes this car really take off from standstill. Power is sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual or an optional Sport Lineatronic CVT transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The CVT has 6 simulated shift points in Intelligent and Sport Mode and 8 shift points in Sport Sharp mode. According to Subaru, the WRX does the 0 – 100 km (0-62 mph) sprint in 5.4 seconds.
Driving the 2015 WRX
Driving the Subaru WRX is extremely fun; if you want to just commute and save on fuel, the “Intelligent” mode does the job perfectly fine. In this mode the throttle response is set at normal with normal transmission “shift” points, making it a nice relaxing driving experience.
Want to have a little more fun, or how about a lot more fun? Press the “Sport” or “Sport Sharp” mode buttons on the steering wheel and you’ll hear a video game-like beep letting you know things are about to get serious. The Sport mode takes things up a notch by making the throttle a bit more responsive and holding the simulated gears a little longer. The Sport Sharp mode takes all of that and adds in a few doses of testosterone.
I mostly drove the WRX in the Intelligent or Sport Sharp Mode. In the SS mode, this car turns into a real beast, the throttle response is instant and you’re going well over 120 km/h before you even realize what just happened. It’s like going warp speed, compared to the cars around you on the road. The 258 lb-ft. of torque available at just 2,000 rpm really helps you move and makes the car very enjoyable to drive. I barely noticed any turbo lag. Passing cars on the highway is a breeze, especially in the Sport Sharp mode, you just need to give the throttle a little push and away you go. In the Intelligent mode on the highway, you do need to downshift or wait a second for the car to respond.
For braking, the WRX comes with 4-wheel antilock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. I found the brakes to be excellent, perfect for the amount of power. My major complaint about the brakes is the pedal feel, it felt soft. I would’ve liked a bit more feedback and harder pedal feel.
Ride & Handling
The suspension on the 2015 Subaru WRX is pretty stiff, but then again, this is a sports car with four doors and sports cars have stiff suspensions. I didn’t really find the suspension uncomfortable though, it took a few rides to get used to it in normal driving, but you do appreciate it instantly when you’re really “givin’ ‘er the beans”.
The sporty suspension combined with Subaru’s legendary AWD system and torque vectoring makes for a thrilling ride. Weaving in and out of traffic is a breeze and hitting twisty roads is a must in this car. The car really sticks to the road and urges you to push it harder and harder. It really inspires confidence and you feel like a much better driver than you really are.
I just came back from a track event at Summit Point Raceway, in a different car; I can’t even imagine how much fun I would’ve had with the WRX. I would really have liked to take this car to a track to see how it really handles without the fear of getting busted for speeding on city roads.
Styling
The WRX and STi are set apart from the Imprezza, the car these two are based on, by a very aggressive body kit. Even if you don’t know anything about Subaru cars, just looking at the WRX from the outside, you’d know this car means serious business.
At the front, the WRX features an aggressive bumper with large air intakes and fog lights, and a very big hood scoop to feed the intercooler; no fake hood scoops here. This hood scoop alone should tell you this car isn’t messing around. Going to the side, the WRX features wider front fenders and side skirts, giving the car a mean stance. At the back you’ll find a trunk mounted lip spoiler and a diffuser with quad tailpipes. The WRX sits on 17” x 8” 15-spoke gunmetal wheels with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT 235/45 R17 tires.
Interior
The interior on the 2015 Subaru WRX Sport Package is quite basic looking; the only complaints I have about this car are around the interior. Don’t get me wrong, fit and finish and the quality of materials used is excellent. My biggest complaint is the center stack, mainly the entertainment system. I know people say this is an enthusiast’s car and should be kept simple, but I’m an enthusiast and would like something a little more contemporary. The entertainment system looks aged and would really benefit from what’s offered on the Legacy, this system is available on the top of the line car but I think Subaru can do something to make the system look better on the lower trim cars.
With that out of the way, I liked everything else on the interior. There is a small screen at the top of the dashboard that acts as a monitor for the backup camera and displays data on various aspects of the car, such as boost gauges, fuel economy, clock etc. To the left of all this is a very sporty leather wrapped steering wheel with a flat bottom, I really liked the steering wheel; it feels very good in the hands and fits the car’s personality. Behind the steering wheel is a pair of easy to read red gauges with black background. Everything is tied together with a pair of very comfortable and supportive bucket seats with lots of bolstering around the body, which hold you perfectly in place on for those crazy high speed corners.
The interior lets in quite a bit of engine and exhaust noise; now normally I’d complain about this sort of thing but I found it very enjoyable. Most of the performance oriented affordable cars nowadays lack sound in the cabin, which takes away from the sporty nature of these cars. I’m glad Subaru lets us enjoy the sound of the engine and exhaust note, on top of everything else.
Safety
One of the main safety features of the WRX, along with all Subaru vehicles, is the AWD system. The WRX also comes with a lot of airbags, including front driver/passenger, driver knee, front side-impact, and side curtain airbags. The WRX also comes with Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), which adjusts traction depending on the situation you are in, and can be fully turned off.
Overall Impressions
I thoroughly enjoyed my week-long review of the 2015 Subaru WRX performance sedan. I can finally see the allure of these cars and can only imagine how much fun the STi would be. These vehicles are relatively affordable, pretty good on gas, and still give you loads of power and amazing handling. The AWD system makes you feel safe and encourages you to hit the twisty roads. These cars should be a lot of fun at the track where you can really test their limits.
2015 Subaru WRX Review Photo Gallery
