The WRX has gotten expensive. Originally priced at $29,105 for the 2022 model year, the VB retailed at $30,605 at the beginning of the 2023 model year. But for 2024, the MSRP is $32,735. Plus $1,120 for destination, that is, compared to $1,020 for 2023 and $995 for the first model year.
You might be wondering if you're getting anything new as standard for that rather shocking $2,130 difference in base price. The answer is yes, beginning with 11.6 inches of STARLINK infotainment as opposed to the previous 7.0-inch dual-screen setup.
Also new for 2024, every single WRX – including those equipped with the only transmission that suits the WRX's character – comes with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. Vehicles equipped with the stick shift include Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, Lane Departure Prevention, auto emergency braking, and Pre-Collision Brake Assist.
Those specified with the SPT, which is a chain-driven CVT marketed as the Subaru Performance Transmission, add Pre-Collision Throttle Management. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay also need to be mentioned, as well as STARLINK Safety and Security. When it comes to extras, each and every trim level available for 2024 can be had with a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot.
Five grades will start arriving at dealers in early 2024, beginning with the self-explanatory Base. In addition to the aforementioned, other highlights include Hill Start Assist, 17-inch alloy wheels mounted with summer performance tires, Welcome Lighting, automatic LED headlights with high-beam assist, a USB-A charge or input port, a 3.5-millimeter AUX jack, remote keyless entry, plus power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and a power fuel door.
Photo: Subaru
If that list seems a bit spartan, fret not because the Japanese automaker offers the WRX in four better-equipped specifications. Priced at $34,635, the Premium adds larger wheels, heated front seats and mirrors, a windshield wiper deicer, LED fog lights, aluminum pedal covers, push-button start, USB-A and USB-C ports for both the front and rear passengers, as well as a body-color trunk lid spoiler.
The Premium SPT is $35,985, with said transmission adding paddle shifters, eight preselected gear ratios that should come in handy when driving downhill, Auto Vehicle Hold, and SI-Drive Engine Performance Management. The range-topping GT costs $44,215 and comes exclusively with the SPT.
Slotted between the Premium and GT, the Limited is equipped with a power moonroof and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system that would otherwise set you back $1,865 in the Premium. The real star of the lineup is the returning TR trim level, which flaunts Brembo brake calipers fore and aft, larger rotors and pads, and a larger brake master cylinder.
Retailing at $41,655, the TR further sweetens the deal with 19-inch alloys, Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber, Recardo Performance Design front seats wrapped in black-and-gray Ultrasuede with red contrast stitching, 8-way power adjustments for the driver's seat, stiffer springs, revised damping rates, and a retuned steering rack. Regardless of grade, the 2024 Subaru WRX continues to rely on the 2023 model's 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder boxer with 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) on tap.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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