As a long time sports racing competitor in desert racing, dirt track, and just simple and fun street racing, the Subaru WRX enters 2015 having undergone a major overhaul. Subaru has taken this excellent sports sedan and made is longer, wider and faster than ever before and found great ways to refine its performance to not only offer excellence in performance, but also in road and driving manners. In a smaller category than most sedans, the WRX is set to compete against the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer and finds ways to come out on top each time.
Taking its Subaru name seriously, the WRX is a sports sedan that is built to handle all weather conditions and is of course offered with standard all-wheel drive that is the best in the industry. Add to this a decent amount of fuel efficiency as well as great performance and this is one really awesome vehicle. As an all new offering for 2015, the WRX is completely redesigned and offer a high level of engineering to enjoy in both the WRX model and the WRX STI high-performance sedan.
As a sports car that has often exceeded its published performance, the WRX offers a driving experience that is second to none as far as handling, enthusiasm, and balance. With an electrically-assisted steering that surprisingly outperforms almost every other vehicle in this class the WRX is quickly able to respond to any driver inputs and maneuver with ease. The suspension is dynamic and capable but does offer the sporty feel of actually feeling the road. The cabin is not as quiet as a family sedan would be, but this is a sports car and some road noise is necessary for an experienced driver to know what is going on with the car and the road around them.
Two very high performing engines are offered for this great sports sedan starting with the 2.0-liter turbocharged flat four-cylinder engine that is found in the power plant of the base model WRX. This powerful small engine pulls all the power it can out of it to offer up 268 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is mated with either the six-speed manual transmission or the sport-calibrated continuously variable automatic transmission bringing in fuel efficiency of 21 city/28 hwy mpg for the manual and 19 city/25 hwy mpg for the CVT automatic.
The more powerful offering found in the WRX STI is a carryover from last year in the form of a 2.5-liter turbocharged flat four-cylinder engine that brings even more power with 305 horsepower and 290 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is matched up only with the six-speed manual transmission that brings in a fuel efficiency of 17 city/23 hwy mpg. Both engines require premium fuel to operate which becomes another consideration when choosing the WRX, but at least it’s not one that requires deciding between more power and more fuel efficiency since both use the same fuel.
The interior of the WRX has often been left behind on the design table and only come in the form of a very dialed down and wanting cabin, but not as much anymore. With nice soft touch materials used for the doors and dashboard as well as comfortable and supportive seats the WRX for 2015 is one to enjoy. Add to the full-color information display and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a flat bottom and the WRX is coming very close to being a tech leader in its class. The legroom offered in both the front and rear is plentiful for adults to enjoy and the trunk space is actually one of the largest in this class of vehicle.
Finally shedding the Impreza moniker the WRX is able to take on a look, style and feel all its own. From the outside the WRX is sporty, interesting, and aggressive. With a front that shows off with good hood angles, a unique air duct, and slight headlights that refuse to detract from the overall good looks of the car this sports sedan is ready to roll. The angles to the rear are sporty and add to the feeling of speed and power matched up. Finishing off the sporty and speedy looks are the multi-spoked wheels that are offered in a flat black to remind other drivers this is a sports car at heart.
The standard equipment offered for the WRX base model includes automatic climate control, a rearview camera, a six-speaker audio system with Bluetooth connectivity, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 60/40 split rear seat, an active torque vectoring system designed to brake the inside front wheel in a corner to reduce understeer. The STI version adds dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and Alcantra upholstery. Both versions offer seven airbags , a full complement of electronic stability controls and the Subaru Ring-shaped reinforced Frame body structure to help be one of the class leaders for safety.
The optional features for the WRX include a moon roof, a rear spoiler, heated front seats, LED headlights, leather upholstery, an eight-way power driver’s seat, lightweight 18-inch BBS wheels, a nine-speaker harman/kardon premium audio system and a navigation system. All these added features can help the WRX transform from just a sports sedan with a high performing engine to one that has a bit of luxury with features designed to increase the creature comforts of the vehicle.
The opening price for the 2015 Subaru WRX in the base level trim is just above $27,000. The STI model will come in starting at $35,000 and move up to as high as $41,000 for the premium level trim. Adding the automatic CVT will add $1,200 to the bottom line of the WRX but is one of the best performing CVT’s on the market. For a sports sedan lover, the WRX is really the place to be with a huge amount of performance as well as the great control offered by the top of the line Subaru all-wheel drive system.
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