Your going to love driving this car!
Was looking for a fast sporty car that had the flexibility to put the family in when needed. Meet the WRX. Faster than most of my buddies cars and the back seat has ample room for 2, 6 foot adults. The car is a blast to drive. The driver experience from handling, visibility & ergonomics is great. Upgraded infotainment features are better than previous models but still lacking. The standard radio has poor sound quality. Must set the equalizer to get decent sound. Everything is at your fingertips. The interior is upgraded from years past. The graphite accents are a step above previous models. The exterior has an aggressive look. The graphite wheel package (premium) really makes the car pop. Just drive the car & you will love its get up & go youthful vibe. The twin duel exhaust and engine roar complement the overall experience. @ 28k for a premium model, you get a lot of car for the money. Wind & road noise is not great. Typical Subaru, but you have to concede in some area's if you want to stay under 30. Trunk space is decent for this type of car. They do suggest premium gasoline. I'd put it on your list to test drive if your looking for a car in this segment. I looked at Ford & VW, but chose another Subaru based on past experience and overall value. Plus it's a blast to drive.
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STi: An engaging driver's car
If you want a car that will engage you and keep you interested, this is the car for you. The strong performance and responsive handling make it fun and involving to drive. It does not isolate you from the driving experience, you can hear all the widgets working. Some might see that as an excuse for poor NVH, but that's a part of the experience. While some may consider the drivetrain un-evolved, the long history means a diverse aftermarket and deep knowledge base about every facet of the car. It's also a Swiss army knife of a car that can do practical daily duties in all conditions, (though somewhat less so since they took away the integrated roof racks and the hatchback options). However, it is not the car for people who are looking for the most refined experience, latest and greatest electronic gadgets, best raw performance or best gas mileage. This is my 3rd Subaru, so I guess I've drunk the cool-aid. Buy it before the EJ engine goes away.
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This is a practical sports car.
This review is for the 2017 Subaru WRX base model 6 speed manual transmission with the optional STI short throw shifter. This is a sports car designed to be driven fast on curvy mountain roads. This is not a car for the chai latte sipping crowd who worries about mobile connectivity and comfort. This car makes road noise so if you are accustomed to riding in a regular soft and quiet car, you won’t like this car. The turbo pulls hard and it goes where you point it like it’s on rails. It’s a heck of a lot of fun to drive and will put a smile on your face. Especially when you turn off the stability control and the track light comes on the dash. This car is only sold with Dunlop summer performance tires that handle great. I bought this car opposed to a Mustang or a Camaro because I need a back seat to take my dogs to the beach and bring home a lot of stuff from Costco. I guess this is my midlife crisis car. But it is probably as practical of a sports car as you can get. But it is a sports car so your insurance will probably go up when you buy this car. I'm married, 44 years of age, with no tickets in 20+ years and 820 credit score. My auto insurance went up almost 170 dollars per 6 months with USAA and they tend to be better priced than most. But I live in southern California and we have loads of idiots on the road 24 hours per day running into you so it might be cheaper where you live. But wherever you live, you will probably pay quite a bit more on insurance with this car. The gas mileage on the freeway, (when you are moving) is fantastic. The car sits at 3k RPM at 80 mph in 6th gear. (Please note: never floor the gas pedal in 6th gear when you are driving at low RPM. You can ruin the motor in a turbo charged direct injection engine when you do that. Sixth gear in this car is for economy, not driving hard. I cannot stress this enough. Don't be the guy who blows his engine then blames Subaru for it) When driving around town in stop and go traffic the mileage is not very good. Probably low 20s. But this car, unlike most, actually performs better than the manufacture stated mpg. This car requires premium fuel. It’s a direct injection turbo charged engine that runs at high compression so you have to put high octane gas. If you don't it will run poorly and you will eventually have problems with the engine because your too cheap to run the proper fuel. Suspension in this car is tight and designed for performance so you feel the bumps in the road. So when you go to Starbucks and get your chai latte, be sure to put a stopper in it so you don't end up wearing your latte. The radio/speakers in the base model really do stink. I read on internet forums about how bad they were but I figured it was a bunch of kids who listen to lame music at stupid levels but they were correct. And if you think you can buy an aftermarket radio head and put that in it, think twice. Pretty much no aftermarket head unit will work with the aux, USB plugin, and back up camera in this car. So if you really love your music, you might consider ordering your WRX at the dealer with the Harmon Kardon head unit/speakers installed. It will cost you about 2k so you really need to love your tunes. To me it’s not worth it because I bought this car to haul *** in the mountains of San Diego but I just want everyone who reads this to be fully informed. Also the headlights on the base WRX really stink. The high beams are good but the low beams are quite bad but nothing that some 12 dollar Sylvania Silverstar halogen bulbs won't fix. Also the STI shifter is not the smoothest shifter I've ever had. My old 96 Honda Prelude SI shifter was much better. Also the cultch travel is a bit long. But these negative points are not enough to make me say this is not a fantastic car. I just want everyone fully informed. Last but not least, the resale value in this car is out of this world good so when you want to sell it 5 or 10 years down the road, you will get real money for it. That is about it. I LOVE this car despite the negatives and I highly recommend it for people who love to drive real sports cars on curvy roads but also need a practical car they can take the dogs to the beach and go to Costco and load up on stuff.
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2017 Subaru WRX Premium
Just leased a 2017 WRX Premium (M6) in white. I love this car! Has excellent performance and overall value. Ride isn't the smoothest nor quiet. But if you're wanting ride comfort and a quite car, then look elsewhere! Overall interior looks good and a major improvement from last generation, but Subaru could do better. Subarus aren't known for quality audio, but you can always upgrade through Subarus accessories or aftermarket. Again, I'm happy with my new WRX and looking to purchase in the near future!
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2017 WRX - WoRX for me!
2017 WRX Limited - 6M, Navi, Harmon Kardon, Blind Spot Monitoring, Homelink, & much more... How have I survived this long without considering a WRX?? I've had a Lexus IS 300, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and this WRX simply outperforms these other two by a country mile! The grip is incredible. Power is fantastic. I love the way the front end pulls you out of a corner while the rear is pushing at the same time. The shifter feels great. Visibility is incredible. The Harmon Kardon system thumps. ...all with safety, reliability, and resale value to boot! The ONLY thing sorely lacking is Apple CarPlay & Android Auto! Subaru, add these ASAP!!
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Rex Rules
Still under 1000 miles and have been babying the motor to break it in; have not been able to unleash the full fury of 268 horses and 258 lb-ft. That said, it is pretty obvious that the torque curve is steep to 2500 rpm and then flattens out after that- one can really feel the engine pulling at 3000. Ride is rough- but that's to be expected; the base car, which I purchased, has 18" wheels wearing the Dunlop Sport Maxxs have stiff enough sidewalls as it is without the need to go any wider or squatter. The car will definitely get winter tires when the season changes. The infotainment (if one can call it entertainment) works well enough, but the interface is klugey and having both "Home" and "Apps" softkeys seems redundant. Sound quality is good enough, but no one buys the WRX for the radio. Hearing the chug-chug when the engine starts is the kind of sound you do want to hear. The interior is nice, if a bit spartan, but the motive technology is what sells the car. The car has been averaging 25 mpg combined; I notice it will get exceptional mileage (30s) on the highway when driven exclusively that way, so while it may not be the most comfortable tourer, at least it can be called efficient. I would have preferred leather seats but you have to get the sunroof-equipped Limited to do so, and I did not want to give up 2" of headroom.
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Phenomenal performer for bargain price
I have owned my 2017 WRX Premium manual for a year and a half now, with 20k miles. This car needs to be compared against other cars in its pricing. Quite simply, there are NO competitors now that the Evo is gone. No other car handles this incredibly, with this much grip and AWD capability. The torque vectoring in corners through braking is not just a gimmick. My friend who owns a Corvette Z06 couldn’t believe how much speed I could carry into corners due to the torque vectoring. Also, people who say the audio system is poor simply don’t know how to calibrate it. Look up a YouTube tutorial and fix it in 5 minutes. You’re welcome. :) the only bad thing about this car is that it needs more power. But, then you would sacrifice the fuel economy, which I can get up to 30mpg when driving lightly and staying off the turbo. So it’s probably the best balance of power and fuel economy for a daily driver that has great trunk space and good backseat room.
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Best choice ever!
I've had this car for 2 months now and just getting past the 1k mile break in and this car has been wonderful! Living in New England we see crazy ranges of temperatures day to day and even hour to hour. Recently got a decent snow storm with about 5+ inches and with michelin xice xi3's had absolutely no issues. Felt like dry pavement(unless launching it for fun). Fuel efficiency is awesome if you can stay out boost, to and from work the gauge reads out up to 26mpg in all city driving. Getting into boost still a nice 20-23mpg. Very happy with it! There is a very small bit of road/wind noise, but if you've ever owned a subaru it's far ahead of the older models. Barely noticeable. Unless you have loud tires(like the stock dunlops on the premium/limited models). Those things were loud. The snow tires I have on are so much more quite, weird huh. Infotainment system does its job. The Bluetooth command system is subpar though. Can't get it to call most people I want it to. But good for answering calls hands-free while driving. Quality of calls is great. Speakers are decent. Can't really complain, it's a wrx. Didn't buy it for the radio/speakers haha. Shifter is a little notchy and noisy. First gear is a pain to get into if you're moving forward at slow speeds. Brakes are good, I would personally like more bite earlier but they are good overall. Visibility all around is on point. Mirrors are pretty good sized as well which I personally like. Things occasionally barely audibly buzz when first warming up after being out in the really cold temps for a day. If you know what you're getting into with a wrx(rally bred vehicle) you won't be disappointed by any means. Unless you really really want that subie rumble, this car is excellent. The perfect daily driver/ grocery getter(solid trunk space)/sports car mix. Premium fuel recommended/required? I personally use shell 99% of the time unless I don't want to drive that far. Shell 93 is expensive, $2.70 last fill up. But it's worth every penny. Do your research and test drive it a few times if you're not sure. But it's a solid vehicle with excellent all weather traction and space for adults and babies (a little tight with car seats) plus great safety ratings. Faster than you'll need it to be but still efficient. Or look into the aftermarket world and create a racer. It does it all and does it well. 10/10 would buy again. P.S. SUBARU BRING BACK THE HATCH
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The sport compact for the auto enthusiast
Absolutely love the WRX sedan. Have mine in the base trim with the 6 speed manual. It was always a dream of mine to have one of these cars for years now and I finally have it. I bought mine right before the snow storm here in NY and had the opportunity to enjoy the weather with the car but it left me with one of my biggest complaints I think I will ever have : it comes with summer tires and they are awful in the snow. If you think you're getting a "subie" to show off in the snow, please remember to either get yourself a set of all season shoes or another set of rims with winter tires. I know this is painfully obvious but it really isn't an option either way. Otherwise, the interior is pretty cheap but it fits the nameplate, honestly. I really love the hell out of this car and couldn't be happier.
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If you love to drive
I have had my 2017 WRX (CVT) for almost two years and I can honestly say that I still make excuses to drive it. I have never driven another car that is so much fun. There is just something about the combination of the synchronous awd, the low center of gravity, the power and suspension. I actively look for curving roads just for the thrill of cornering. I have owned many cars over the years, from Hondas to Volvos. My first Subaru was a 2011 Legacy GT. While I loved the drive, I hated the transmission. It was tricky and a complete pain in city traffic. After trading it in for a more mundane sedan I realized how much I missed the drive. When I learned that the WRX was available with a CVT, I was immediately sold. I don't mind the very stiff ride, as that road feel is a part of the appeal. There are times that I wish it were a bit quieter, but not so much that I would consider giving it up.
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