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Evan is an East Coast based automotive journalist and a Certified Engineering Technologist. He is an avid autocrosser, hack mechanic, and a member of AJAC. If you don't find him driving or writing about cars, you'll probably find him in the garage breaking one.

It has bulky plastic fender flares, a CVT, the engine from a three-row crossover, and just six horses more than the car made a decade ago. Can the 2022 Subaru WRX really stand up to the legends that wear its name? We've brought a widebody WRX hatch from 2012 along to find out.

Let's start with the latest WRX. Built on Subaru's latest and greatest platform, it's an impressively rigid place to start. To those bones, Subaru adds what it calls a "track-tuned" suspension, which is a bit of an odd choice for what has always been a rally car. It still has Subaru's typical long travel for those dampers, of course, but it's a big change.

Under the hood is a version of the company's 2.4L boxer four. The turbocharged engine makes 271 hp and it makes 258 lb-ft of torque. Importantly, it makes all of that torque from 2,000 all the way to 5,200 rpm. Thankfully, Subaru has made sure that the car has a manual transmission standard. The alternative is a CVT, optimistically called "Subaru Performance Transmission."

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172691" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-20-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172686" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-1-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

The chassis and engine are a massive change versus the WRX of 10 years ago. The old one is based on the 2008 Impreza and by modern standards is the structural equivalent of microwave-reheated poutine. Everything is a bit of a mess, though you can still tell it would have been pretty tasty when it was fresh. Still, the flared fenders and hatchback body look wonderful, the only thing missing is gold wheels.

Under the gaping hood scoop of the old car is Subaru's EJ255 engine. Used in the WRX for years, it makes 265 hp and 244 lb-ft of torque, and has a lovely reputation for cracking the ring lands in cylinder four.

A little bit about this 2012 WRX, which is my own car. Bought just a few months ago, a summer of injuries and a notoriously stiff clutch mean that my first time getting to really drive it was for this test. So while the 140,000 km (never been vaped in) two-owner car is mine, I don't have a long-held attachment to it.

Some housekeeping as well, going forward I'm going to mostly use Subaru's chassis codes. 2012 is the GR WRX, 2022 is the VB WRX. Hopefully that makes it easier.
<h3>Powertrain</h3>
Turning a key feels archaic in 2022, but with that simple twist the GR WRX comes to life with a gentle burble from the exhaust. Or an irritating drone, depending on your feelings about Subaru's boxer engines.

The VB fires with the push of a button, and comes with a much louder exhaust note. It's a bit much, frankly, especially when you're loping around the subdivision at 2,000 rpm. The drone is less than pleasant, though it sounds much better at speed.

Finding reverse in the mess that is the GR's shift gate is always a challenge. Finding any gear can be tough, and while it's an aftermarket upgrade away from improvement, that's not what this is about. The 2022's gearshift is much more precise and a lot more enjoyable to use. Or at least I didn't end up in the wrong gear, stalling out instead of backing up.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172690" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-33-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172704" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-18-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

The new engine is a wonder against the old. The GR's 2.5L turbo is miserable below 2,500 rpm no matter the gear. Bucking and bogging, I end up in third or even second gear at 50 km/h to avoid it. The new 2.4 is fine down to 2,000 rpm, and while it's not quite happy under that, it doesn't feel like it's about to revolt because you're not wringing its neck.

But that's part of the character of the old 2.5, and it's a big part of the drive. Like how the 2.5 will run happily all the way to a 6,500 rpm redline, scrambling and doing its best impersonation of a light aircraft all the way.

Combine that with the short ratios of the VB's six-speed and you have two very different powertrains. The GR's 2.5 might not like dropping below 2,500 rpm, but its five long gears let you really wind out each cog. Second gear especially (to keep things under the limit) lets you feel the turbo torque launch you forward, relieved by a satisfying squish from the wastegate when you finally shift gears. The 2022's 2.4, in comparison revs to just 6,000 rpm. You're constantly swapping cogs to keep the car moving, making the new car feel much more frantic. It's a mood in town, but it is a lot of fun on a twisty back road.
<h3>Ride and Handling</h3>
It's clear both cars had their suspensions tuned by teams using the same playbook. Long travel but stiff damping lets both eat up bumps in the usual Subaru way. The older car has much more body roll, and the extra chassis flex before the suspension can get to work is obvious. It rattles a lot more, too, but that's not a surprise. The newer car is much more punishing on bad pavement, though at least a little bit of that can be marked down to the thin sidewalls on the 18-inch wheel and tire package. The old car has a bit more cushion from its 17s.

Steering and brakes are both worlds apart. The GR WRX, the older one, has old-fashioned hydraulic power steering, but it's extremely overboosted. No feel on centre, though the front tires still respond instantly to your commands. It's vague (through the wheel) and darty (through the tires) at the same time. When you really start to hustle, it grows more reassuring, but there's always that uneasy feeling around the middle mark.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172696" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-26-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172712" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wrxsquared-11-of-33.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

The new car might have a more artificial feel thanks to its electric power assist, but there is nothing vague about it. The movement and feel at the wheel matches what's happening at the rubber. Since you don't need to learn to trust it - faith is immediate - it's a better and easier drive.

Likewise the brakes, which feel firm and confident even with repeated stops. The GR WRX's brakes are soft and spongy, requiring loads of pedal travel to build pressure. Enough that while I had them checked out recently I might be headed back to the shop to be sure.
<h3>Features (dog fur not included)</h3>
I'm going to skip over most of the cabin. The 2012 WRX feels like an economy car from 2008 because that's what it is. It does have Bluetooth, though it doesn't work well, and an aux jack. The new car has a screen bigger than an iPad, which didn't exist yet when the old model arrived at dealers. It also has suede bucket seats that are a bit too heavily bolstered for me. The leather chairs of the old car are a bit more comfortable, though that could be from a decade of butts in seats.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172682" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2012-subaru-wrx-interior.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172684" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-subaru-wrx-interior.jpg" alt="Subaru WRX" width="2500" height="1667" />

The 2012 is also full of a mix of Husky (previous owner) and Dalmatian (mine) fur, which will likely never come out of the black carpet. The 2022 model is conspicuously lacking in dog hair. Plus the old car is a hatch, and that's worth about 100 points in any comparison.
<h3>Verdict</h3>
So after firing both of these rally missiles down one of my favourite long loops of back road, is the older car better than the new? I love revving out the engine and the squishy way the car responds to the steering, but the low-rev behaviour of the new car, its much better gearshift, and steering that does exactly what you ask are all extremely appealing.

Though forums might cry otherwise, the 2022 Subaru WRX, plastic cladding and all, is very much still a WRX. Enough that you shouldn't be surprised if you see a 2012 WRX in World Rally Blue with a for sale sign in the windshield and a space for a 2022 in my driveway.

2012 Subaru WRX

BODY STYLE: five door hatchback
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-speed manual
ENGINE: 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four; 265 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 244 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
FUEL ECONOMY: (Premium 91+) 11.1 / 8.0 L/100 km city / highway
CARGO VOLUME: 538 litres behind rear seats 1,257 with seats folded
PRICE: (2012) $32,495 base, $36,395 as tested (Limited Package) plus destination, taxes and fees

2022 Subaru WRX

BODY STYLE: five door hatchback
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, six-speed manual
ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbocharged flat-four; 271 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
FUEL ECONOMY: (Premium 91+) 12.3 / 9.0 L/100 km city / highway
CARGO VOLUME: 354 litres
PRICE: $30,995 base, $39,295 as tested (Sport-Tech) plus destination, taxes and fees

Head to Head: 2022 Subaru WRX vs 2012 Subaru WRX

2022 Subaru WRX_front 3-4 profile

Whether it’s a first-drive feature from the sun-soaked California coast, a quick news story about an off-road pickup that may (or may not) be coming to your local dealership or a review of a hot new sports sedan, somewhere Lee Bailie is writing about cars and car culture, something he’s been doing for almost a decade. A car guy to the core, he went on his first automotive plant tour at age seven.

I realize and accept that electrification is the future of the auto industry. We’re crossing the Rubicon and we’re not turning back. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ anymore, but when.

Having driven a bunch of EVs over the past year, I mostly welcome their growing numbers. Their benefits are obvious, and I’m convinced the teething problems (range, cost, charging infrastructure) associated with their mass adoption will be solved in time.

But, as I was reminded in Kingston last week, sometimes there’s no substitute for a rip-snortin’, turbocharged, AWD gravel-tosser that runs on dead dinosaur juice. If you just want to feel alive, these cars are the true magic elixir. This is what I felt while flinging the 2022 WRX over what some referred to as ‘soft roads’ (dirt, gravel and mud) in the hinterland north of Kingston. But I’ll get to that.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_E8412.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169198" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_E8412.jpg" alt="2022 Subaru WRX" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

First, here’s what you need to know about the 2022 WRX.

I’ll begin by confirming that the range topping STI is dead. When I reviewed the outgoing <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/review-2021-subaru-wrx-sti">2021 STI last fall</a> I was convinced a next-gen model was coming, but it was not to be.

Why? Electrification. A Subaru Canada rep told me in Kingston that the STI nameplate isn’t necessarily dead, but a purely gas-powered version is. Does this mean an STI EV is in our future? Maybe.

As for the present, the 2022 WRX is the second stand-alone generation and fifth gen overall if the Impreza-based models are included. Unlike the previous model, the new VB gen is built on the Subaru Global Platform.

The new car benefits from platform enhancements that have produced the stiffest and strongest body structure to date. Torsional rigidity for the 2022 WRX is up 28 percent compared to the outgoing VA model, while front lateral flexural rigidity is up 14 percent. The ’22 also benefits from the use of more structural adhesive and cross-section foam for reduced cabin noise.

Suspension changes include revised geometry for better handling on rough roads. Elsewhere, the rear stabilizer is mounted directly to the body for better stability and ride comfort, with reduced body roll, noise, vibration, and harshness.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_engine-compartment.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169193" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_engine-compartment.jpg" alt="2022 Subaru WRX" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

As for the engine, the 2.0-litre turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder has been replaced by a bigger 2.4-litre turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder, but overall output hasn’t changed much. The 2.4 provides a small bump to 271 horsepower (up from 268), while torque remains the same at 258 lb-ft. Subaru claims a flatter torque curve for the 2.4 but based on their own data, peak torque arrives at the same point (2,000 rpm) in the rev range for both engines and has the same top-end figure (5,200 rpm).

In terms of transmissions, there are two: a six-speed manual with improved gear machining and optimized ratios, and a new CVT known as the Subaru Performance Transmission (SPT). The SPT offers variable torque distribution through the centre differential, shifting the front / rear torque split from 45 / 55 in normal conditions to 50 / 50 in bad weather or when road conditions deteriorate. Subaru also claims the SPT has 30 percent faster upshifts and 50 percent faster downshifts than the old CVT.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_side-profile-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169208" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_side-profile-1.jpg" alt="2022 Subaru WRX" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

From a design standpoint, the WRX bears a strong resemblance to the VIZIV Performance Concept Subaru unveiled in 2017. The production car’s shape isn’t quite as sleek and dramatic as the concept, but some elements, such as the front grille / headlight / air intake design, are like those of the concept.

On the inside, the new WRX sports a revised interior with more shoulder room between occupants in both front and rear seats, along with a redesigned centre console and a new infotainment system.

As for spaciousness and comfort, the longer wheelbase (+25 mm), has created more space for rear seat passengers while redesigned seats deliver better comfort for both normal and performance driving situations. The multimedia system has also been overhauled, with an 11.6-inch vertical display found in other Subarus now available as an option for the WRX. The standard set-up is a dual seven-inch display with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on both systems.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_dashboard_centre-console.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169195" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Subaru-WRX_dashboard_centre-console.jpg" alt="2022 Subaru WRX" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

With that out of the way, it’s time to answer the most important question— what is the WRX like to drive?

It’s an absolute blast.

The drive route Subaru took our assembled group of auto journos on featured a lot of rough, two-lane country roads (several of which are in desperate need of repair) and undulating dirt and gravel roads.

I’ll cut to the chase – this car is made for the loose stuff. But it’s fine on tarmac, too – rotates nicely through corners, with responsive steering, positive weight balance and good mid-range acceleration thanks to lots of useable torque—what you’d expect from a WRX, in other words.

But it’s a whole other game once you turn off bumpy county asphalt and onto a combination of loose gravel and hard-packed dirt and mud. These “soft-roads” is where, if you’re not careful, you’ll start thinking you’re in a rally stage in a WRC event!

I resisted the urge to go full Colin McRae but did manage to swing the rear out a few times while taking a few sweeping turns and matting the throttle after a brief stop or two before gathering it back up. In this environment, which included blasting through a few large puddles because it rained heavily during the drive, the WRX delivers the most joy.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_E8408.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169199" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_E8408.jpg" alt="2022 Subaru WRX" width="1920" height="1080" /></a>

The exhaust penetrates the cabin just enough, the supportive seats hold the driver just right, and the clutch and shifter make precision up or downshifting a breeze. Honestly, most of the dirt roads were set it and forget it in third gear, so I didn’t need to shift all that much, but it worked well when I did. As for traction on loose surfaces in wet conditions, my tester’s grip level felt consistently good throughout. Certainly, trouble awaits if pushed too hard, but if one drives to the conditions, the WRX’s handling is secure.

So that’s the manual. I also drove a SPT-equipped model in a short 30-minute loop around Kingston. The car felt quick, and the transmission is more responsive than other Subaru CVTs I’ve experienced.

The 2022 WRX is an impressive machine. It’s not much more powerful than its predecessor, nor does its looks set one’s heart ablaze, and there’s no STI. But taken together, the many improvements Subaru have made make for a more compelling package overall, and with a pricing structure that’s still a performance car bargain.

Bottom line, this is likely the last pure gas-powered WRX. We should enjoy it while it lasts.
The writer attended this media drive as a guest of the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.
2022 Subaru WRX

BODY STYLE: compact performance sedan
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-speed manual / Subaru Performance Transmission (CVT)
ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder (271 hp / 258 lb-ft.)
FUEL ECONOMY: (Premium 91+) 12.3 / 9.0 / 10.8 L / 100 km city / highway / combined (6-speed manual)
CARGO VOLUME: 354 litres (12.5 cu ft.) 
PRICE: $30,995 base, excluding freight and taxes
WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.subaru.ca">www.subaru.ca</a>

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Head to Head: 2022 Subaru WRX vs 2012 Subaru WRX

2022 Subaru WRX First Drive