Tech

8 reasons why this Subaru is the best performance car just about anyone can afford

Aaron Brown

2016-02-09T19:18:24Z

For the 14 years that the Subaru WRX has been on sale in the US, it's succeeded as an affordable, beginner, sporty, confidence inspiring, do-everything enthusiast car. It’s also used that time to grow up a little bit.

The WRX is no longer just a car for boy-racers and rally junkies. With a starting suggested retail price of $26,595, it's an amazing performance car at a great value.

Here are a few reasons this car is such a steal:

It handles incredibly well.

Like many other all-wheel drive cars, WRXs have always been plagued with not-so great handling. But in the current generation WRX, you’re rarely reminded of that dim past.

Thanks to a very clutch torque vectoring system that Subaru has implemented in this new generation of WRX, the car corners, very, very well. Its stiffer chassis, reworked sport suspension, and well-designed Dunlop summer performance tires also play major roles in this.

It has top-notch safety features.

Putting aside the WRX’s active safety and handling features that’ll keep you out of harm’s way, the cabin of the WRX is also an incredibly safe place to be if you are in an accident.

After receiving top ratings in six different safety tests given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the WRX scored an IIHS Top Safety Pick award for 2015. Models equipped with Subaru’s accident avoidance EyeSight technology were awarded with the even higher, IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.

It's got tech!

All WRXs now come standard with Subaru's Starlink entertainment system. Starlink uses an easy to navigate touchscreen system and is designed to pair with your iPhone or Android device to help play music through the car's sound system without issue.

When spec'd with the EyeSight safety system, the WRX can alert the driver if he or she is drifting out of a lane. If the car senses an impending frontal collision, it can automatically apply the brakes. You don't see the Mazda Miata or the Ford Focus RS with that kind of tech!

It has a great motor.

As it comes from the factory, the WRX uses a strong motor that allows for great performance and optimal fuel economy. 0-60 in about 5 seconds and an average fuel mileage rating of 25 MPGs was once unheard of in these cars. Now it's the standard.

There's tons of space.

With 37.1 inches of headroom in the backseat of the WRX, it's a reasonably comfortable place to be. Even for taller people.

If you're looking for more of a cargo hauler than a people mover, the rear seats also fold down to extend the cargo room in the event that the trunk’s primary 12 cubic feet of storage isn’t enough. Though for most tasks, it's pretty much perfect.

It can be decked out with insane custom modifications. (If you're into that sort of thing.)

Though the WRX might appear a little more family friendly and mature at first glance, if you’re into tuning or aftermarket modifications, there’s still a whole world of parts and a very welcoming enthusiast community to explore.

You're basically driving a race car.

Since their early days in the World Rally Championship and continued through today with their involvement in Rally America, Subaru has been able to grow an impressive fan base of motorsport junkies.

For these rally fans, the top choice for a daily driver is almost always the WRX. Or if not the WRX, then its slightly more track-ready sibling the WRX STI. There’s nothing like going to a racing event in the middle of nowhere and seeing a car that resembles your own car being professionally driven in ways that are almost beyond comprehension.

It comes with friends.

Owning a WRX is like joining a secret club. When passing another WRX on the road, it’s customary to wave. From experience, I can tell you that you may get a slight tingling sensation inside each time this happens. Trust me, it’s normal. And it never gets old.

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