5 Best Hot Wheels Subaru Cars

I've already bought five new items this month. With Christmas approaching, that number will likely increase to 10 or even 15. I was on the verge of renewing my Red Line Club membership for the Magnus Walker "Urban Outlaw" Porsche, but maybe I'll get back into it in 2024. I've been delaying the idea of reorganizing my collection for some time now.

It's hard to let go of these tiny cars, as each is attached to a specific memory. Looking at my display, I realized there was just one Subaru vehicle. I'll have to double-check my stash of unopened Hot Wheels to see if there are more in there, but I've likely sold most of them. And that made me wonder. What are some of the most exciting Hot Wheels Subarus ever? After doing some research, I found out that there are fewer models than you'd think.

Mattel's first Subaru isn't even a 1/64th-scale model. The 1/55 Hot Tunerz Impreza WRX arrived in 2004 and featured the uninteresting 'Tooned finish the diecast manufacturer experimented with so many times. The first 1/64 model appeared in 2005 as part of the First Editions: Torpedoes series, and it was just as ugly as its predecessors. It's one of the four castings that didn't make today's list, alongside the WRX STI that debuted in 2012, the 2016 WRX STI that showed up in 2020, and the iD series exclusive BRZ from 2021.

That adds up to 31 variations, including five Premium models and a Treasure Hunt. The latter appeared in 2014 on the hatchback design. It could've been decent if not for the horrendous TRAP5 wheels. So I can tell you this: you'll find only nine Hot Wheels Subaru 1/64th scale castings to collect. But if you'd like to know the exact number of variations, keep reading until you reach the end of the story, when I will reveal that information, too.

Subaru Impreza

I've listed the castings on this list chronologically. Also, it all reflects my opinion, so your list might look slightly different than mine. I reluctantly decided to exclude the 2016 Subaru WRX STI despite it being a Premium-exclusive model. I'm sure other fans of the Japanese brand will agree that it has lost its way. It was not a desired change but necessary with all the new emissions-related regulations.

Yet, we all yearn for the old STIs when the rivalry with Mitsubishi was at its peak. This casting debuted in the 2005 World Rally Championship series alongside other race-ready vehicles such as the Peugeot 206, the Ford Focus, and the Lancer Evo VII. It features the iconic Subaru rally livery with a Rallye Monte Carlo decal, and you can quickly tell it's a replica of the car that Petter Solberg drove back in the day.

The First Edition of this casting is by far the best yet, evidenced by its market value. Some ask for over $200 for a carded version of this Subaru, while even the loose variation costs $100. There are 18 more variations to explore for a complete collection, and you might like the two Target-exclusive releases from the 2008 Race Aces series. A bundle containing these two can cost around $170. And we're just warming up here.

Subaru BRAT

I don't know about you, but I think that the Subaru BRAT is a highly underrated vehicle. Even Ronald Reagan owned one of these cars, which might surprise some of you. These days, I'm more used to seeing Brendon Vetuskey designing Red Line Club exclusive castings, but that wasn't always the case. He is responsible for the BRAT, which debuted in the 2012 The Hot Ones series.

The tiny, lightweight pickup truck featured an orange finish with a simplified livery and rolled around on Hot Ones wheels. I've spotted one on eBay for under $100, less than you'd have to pay for the '87 Toyota Truck from the same line of collectibles. The excellent news for BRAT fans didn't stop there, as the model entered the Hot Wheels Boulevard series the following year. It was just as impressive with the Dark Olive Green paint job and the Deep Dish Real Riders wheels, and Mattel wasn't about to stop there.

It had two appearances in the Car Culture series, the first in 2016 and the second in 2018. Deciding between the ZAMAC finish and the Gloss Yellow Enamel one is a personal preference, but both models are equally stunning. In a rather unexpected twist of events, both are inexpensive at less than $30 per item. Good luck hunting for all the ten variations on the market.

Subaru Impreza WRX

I have a strange story about a Subaru Impreza that dates back to when I was still looking to buy a fun car. I found a listing for an Impreza WRX STI and called the seller. He agreed to meet me but wouldn't let me drive the car. I soon discovered that he was hiding the fact that it was just a tuned-up WRX. And this Hot Wheels casting is a replica of the car I had planned to purchase. Mark Jones designed this casting for its 2017 Car Culture: Cars & Donuts release.

It's one of the most extraordinary Hot Wheels designs ever, that's for sure. The First Edition model featured a classic Metaflake Blue paint job and Gold Real Riders 10-spoke wheels. In a recent conversation with my buddy Mike, he told me that if he hadn't bought an FD RX-7, he would have opted for a Bugeye Impreza. The 2019 Replica Entertainment used the same wheel design but had a Gumball 3000-inspired livery, which was less exciting than the first one.

Several years later, WRX fans could get a Collector Edition mail-in model in Spectraflame Blue. That's always a nice color on a Hot Wheels car, but this variation lost some points due to the HW decals on the sides. You'll be happy to hear that the newest iteration of the WRX casting is on its way, with the final Car Culture 2-Pack mix for 2023. Until then, you might spend as much as $200 for the first three iterations alone.

Pandem Subaru BRZ

The final two castings on this list are also my favorite ones. On a list of 20 cars that I'd like to buy in the next 20 years, I'm not sure anyone could convince me to buy a BRZ just yet. But I genuinely appreciate its potential and how it looks with the right parts. Mattel's Pandem BRZ is an exciting achievement; somehow, it has slipped through my fingers.

Mark Jones designed this Premium-exclusive casting, and as of now, there are only three variations to look for. It will be hard to distinguish between the first and third, but seeing how good one of these tiny cars can look without a livery is fantastic. Then you have the Car Culture: Slide Street version, which is epic with the Falken theme.

It will remind us of when the tire manufacturer was still active in the drift scene. Paying around $100 for the first three BRZs sounds decent, but you could go even lower than that.

'98 Subaru Impreza 22B STi-Version

The final item on this list is the '98 Subaru Impreza 22B STi-Version. It's still one of the most iconic Subarus ever, and I've only seen one upfront in my entire life. Ryu Asada designed this casting, and it's almost strange that it debuted in the Mainline series. Metalflake Blue was Mattel's color of choice for the 2020 HW Turbo 22B, and of course, it had Gold wheels to complete the look.

Two more Mainline variations came out that same year, one with a ZAMAC finish and the other with a Metalflake Royal Red paint job. Both of them looked fantastic, minus the MC5 wheels. You can always swap those out for a set of Real Riders if you want to. It's no wonder the diecast manufacturer switched to the PR5 rim design in 2021, but the exciting part about this casting is its Premium line presence.

Choosing between the Car Culture releases and the Boulevard one is downright impossible, and it's so good to see that each one features different wheels. Despite everything I've said, you can get a complete collection of 10 22Bs relatively cheap, including the 2022 Treasure Hunt model. This casting deserves a Super Treasure Hunt release, which might change the game entirely.