2021 Subaru WRX

The 2021 Subaru WRX will come with minor changes across the 3 trims namely, WRX, WRX Premium, WRX Limited. Well if you are not satisfied with the power, you can go for the STI and STI Limited models as always. The price range of the base WRX starts from $27,495 and the top Limited trim will cost you a minimum of $32,095. The Subaru WRX has competition in and out of its range like the Kia Stinger, Nissan Altima, and Hyundai Sonata, let’s check out how this model compact sedan still holds up to its name.

The Subaru WRX comes in three trims for the 2021 model year like the previous year model. The trim range starts with the WRX Base trim with a price tag of $27,495, the WRX Premium trim stands at the middle of the range with the price tag of $30,045 and the WRX Limited trim at the top with a $32,095 price tag. All three trims share the same engine and AWD drivetrain. As always the WRX also comes with the STI versions which have a 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer-4 engine with a boost in total horsepower. 

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Since all three trims come with the same engine, you don’t have to think about the options in the performance of the car. The basic WRX would itself be a good choice since you can choose the additional packages to comfort your car along with the WRX Sport Package which includes optional 17-inch wheels to make your sedan look sportier, besides the base trim is the popular trim among the customers and also saves you more bucks for almost same offerings. 

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Subaru WRX comes with only one engine option across all trims. The 2.0-liter DOHC turbocharged engine under the hood moves the WRX with 268 hp @ 5,600 rpm and comes with 258 lb-ft @ 2,000–5,200 rpm torque. All three trims share the same Fully synchronized 6-speed manual transmission. If you are not satisfied with the power then you can always go for the STI versions, which have a 2.5-liter DOHC turbocharged engine producing 310 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. 

The Premium and Limited trims get an optional Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE) system, Sport Lineartronic transmission with paddle shifters, and Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) AWD. All-wheel-drive comes as a standard offer, which is one of the fun things that Subaru offer for a car at this price range. Performance-wise the WRC does a decent job by reaching 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and completing a quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds. 

The Subaru WRX is the powerful sedan in comparison, and also the quickest car in both 0-60mph and quarter-mile runs. The Kia Stinger comes with the second most powerful engine and remains the second quickest car in completing the quarter-mile run. The Nissan Altima takes second place in 0-60 mph completion while the Hyundai Sonata takes the last place with the least powerful engine and also the slowest accelerating car in comparison. 

2021 Subaru WRX Ride and Handling

The all-wheel-drive drivetrain performs well in handling this sporty compact sedan. The stability of the WRX is achieved with the help of the highly responsive steering wheel and the front wheel independent suspension. But the sedan tends to lose its cool when it hits a bumpy road which eventually shakes the whole car. The performance tires do a pretty good job in finding grip even on gravel or snowy roads, the AWD helps by powering the tires which require more power, and helps in finding the grip at the needful side. 

Avoiding long travels in the WRX is better avoided than experiencing bumpy roads and creating backpain. Subaru claims that the double-wishbone rear suspension helps in flat cornerings to provide a best-handling experience, which might be true in terms of pushing the car to its limits and enjoying a rally like a drive, but certainly not a great option for a simple urban drive or for a day to day commute. 

2021 Subaru WRX Braking Performance

The 2021 Subaru WRX comes with a 4-wheel disc and ventilated front brakes and a 4-sensor ABS and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) system to make sure the sedan stops at any cost.

The STI versions get a Brembo Performance braking system with big brakes that match the performance of the car. A Brake Assist system and a Brake Override System are also offered by the brand to make sure no unintentional vehicle acceleration happens. 

The Kia Stinger incorporates the biggest brakes in comparison and also tops the table with a curb weight of 3,611 lbs. The Hyundai Sonata comes with the second-largest brakes in both front and rear, the WRX takes the third palace and also takes the second place for the heaviest vehicle in comparison, it also takes 112-ft to stop the vehicle, which is an average stopping distance. 

With a turbocharger and a good number of horsepower, the fuel economy is obviously gonna have a negative impact. The 2021 Subaru WRX offers an average fuel economy of 21 mpg in city limits and 27 mpg on the highways with manual transmission. With the optional Sport Lineartronic transmission, the QRX can offer upto 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, which is way below the average. Apart from the average fuel economy the sedan also got a comparatively small fuel tank in its segment.

As mentioned earlier, the WRX has the least fuel economy among the other sedans in comparison. The Nissan Altima has the best fuel economy followed by the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Stinger. The Hyundai Sonata offers the largest fuel tank of 18.5 gallons followed by the Nissan, the Subaru WRX, and Kia Stinger share the third spot with a 15.9-gallon fuel tank. 

Subaru offers a good number of interior options in the 2021 WRX to keep you comfortable during the drive but takes a big dig at the material quality used in the interior.

As a standard option, you get a 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat in the base and Premium trim and a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat in the Limited trim. Cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 60/40 split-folding seats are on offer along with a decently spacious interior in the new Subaru WRX. 

The WRX offers quite a spacious interior but not as much the rivals in comparison here. The Hyundai Sonata leads the table with the spacious front and rear seats, the Nissan Altima follows the lead to second place, while the WRX comes in third place by pushing the Kia Stinger to the last. But the Kia Stinger packs a humongous trunk with a 23.3 cu-ft capacity followed by the Nissan and Hyundai in second and last third place, which pushes the 12 cu-ft trunk of Subaru to the last position. Apart from the mediocre interior quality, the Subaru WRX offers quite a decent number of interior and convenient features, some of them are:

• Sport-design electroluminescent gauges
• Steering wheel controls including Bluetooth, SI-Drive 
• Illuminated and lockable glove box
• Dual-zone automatic climate control system

2021 Subaru WRX Infotainment System

Subaru may not have equipped the WRX with a comfortable interior, but sure they have fitted some of the important infotainment features to make your journey fun and navigated. In the Base trim, you get a 6.5-inch touchscreen display when you move on to the Premium and Limited trim, there you will get a 7-inch touchscreen with an optional Navigation system.

You also get a 6-speaker sound system in all three trims, which can be updated to an optional 8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system only in the Limited trim. The 2021 WRX also gets some other informative features including:

• STARLINK 6.5-inch Multimedia and STARLINK 7-inch Multimedia Plus
• Optional 9 Harman Kardon speaker system
• Center console with LED-illuminated storage tray and 12-volt power outlet
• Multi-function display
• STI sport-design electroluminescent gauges
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

With a striking 17-inch or 18-inch standard wheels and a hood scoop, the 2021 WRX looks the same as its previous model. There are no major changes in the exterior design of the 2021 WRX but the sedan already looks good with its side skirt-like design and low ground clearance.

The Base trim gets the 17-inch wheels while the Premium and Limited trim gets 18-inch wheels, they also get a Power-tilt/sliding glass moonroof which is not available in the Base trim. The WRX looks sporty yet simple as a daily-driven family sedan, the car doesn’t kiss the ground yet doesn’t stand tall and give a family car look.

As mentioned earlier, the Kia Stinger is the heaviest sedan in comparison while the Hyundai Sonata is the lengthiest and the WRX is the shortest car. The Subaru is comparatively smaller than all three rivals in most of the aspects but equals the height with every car. Apart from the styling ques, there are some features that make the WRX looks cool, some of them are:

• Power-tilt/sliding glass moonroof
• Two-speed windshield wipers
• Projector low-beam and multi-reflector high-beam halogen headlights
• LED Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH)
• Halogen fog lights
• Front and rear under spoilers

Subaru may have left down the WRX in some aspects, but they have nailed the safety of the car with the top-class build quality and safety features. The NHTSA awarded 5-stars for the 2021 WRX based on their crash tests, only the front driver side scored 4 stars while breaking down the tests from NHTSA. Not just NHTSA, IIHS has also awarded the 2021 WRX with the “Top Safety Pick” award, which is the second-highest score from IIHS. Apart from the crash tests, Subaru has also equipped the WRX with a number of safety features including:

• Subaru advanced frontal airbag system (SRS)
• Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) with Active Torque Vectoring
• Energy-absorbing collapsible steering column
• EyeSight Driver Assist Technology
• Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB)

2021 Subaru WRX vs Kia Stinger

First things first, the Kia Stinger costs almost six thousand dollars more than the basic Subaru WRX. For the extra price, you are not getting a sedan that performs more than the WRX yet little underpowered and slower.

The fuel economy is a bit good but the interior is not spacious as the Subaru, overall the WRX is a better choice if it is compared with the Kia Stinger.

2021 Subaru WRX vs Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima is roughly two thousand dollars costlier than the Subaru WRX, and also comes with a slightly underpowered engine. But the fuel economy and interior space are better than the Subaru.

The Altima would be a good choice if you are looking for the comfort and convenience of the family more than power and speed, which it is capable of but not as good as the WRX. 

2021 Subaru WRX vs Hyundai Sonata

Like its corporate cousin Kia Stinger, the Hyundai Sonata also costs more than the WRX, but it is less powerful than the Kia as well.

The Sonata also does not offer spacious seating in the rear row, and the fuel economy is more than the WRX but it could be even better for a less powerful car. Overall the Subaru is a far better choice than the Sonata. 

Yes, you shall buy the Subaru WRX, but the base trim would be a better choice if you are looking for a sporty compact sedan at this price range. If you want to be more comfortable and would like to have a good interior then the WRX might not be a good choice for you. The WRX nails the safety aspect, and the handling of the sedan is also good, and if you like driving a stick then you’d love the Subaru.