2022 Subaru WRX Limited Yearlong Review: Is the New WRX Fun?

At the conclusion of our introductory story detailing the 2022 Subaru WRX Limited's arrival into our long-term test fleet, I noted we likely wouldn't "have to dig too deep into our creative bag to find, at the very least, a fair amount of fun just over the horizon." That notion has so far proven both correct and incorrect.

The first period of our long-term 2022 Subaru WRX Limited test coincided with a jam-packed MotorTrend work schedule and the holiday season, meaning we didn't pile on as many miles as we normally would. However, the car did already have its first meeting with a dealer's service department, as the company's maintenance schedule calls for an oil change at the 1,000-mile mark. That's unusually early for a modern vehicle, but Subaru finds it prudent to exchange the lubricant following the break-in period for the WRX's 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-four engine. The service also included tire rotation and typical inspection of brakes and under hood fluid levels. The dealer charges $77.39 for this service.

As the WRX Limited's odometer rolled on, my initial impressions from living with the car in the real-word echoed most of our previous analyses of this new fifth-gen WRX: It's a solid runner that's reasonably quick but which overall has been left behind a bit by practical competitors like the Hyundai Elantra N and Honda Civic Si. But here's the thing: Away from the parameters of track testing and head-to-head MotorTrend comparisons against its marketplace foils, you cease your mental calculations and begin to simply enjoy the drive and the experience.

Take this approach and you appreciate the WRX's chuckability and traction during enthusiastic cornering, even if the quick steering and its setup continue to call for small but constant corrections by the driver on all manner of road surfaces. Inputting those corrections has by now for me become mostly a subconscious endeavor, but I still find it—"irritating" is too strong a word—unnecessary. Then again, before too long you find a corner to attack and catch yourself smiling at how the front end responds the instant you breathe on the wheel. In those moments you think, "I don't care if there are technically 'better' cars available, this thing is alright." And if I still lived in the Detroit area rather than snowless Southern California, I'd think the presence of all-wheel drive was a long way better than simply "alright" at this time of year.

It's easy sometimes to get "too close" to a car, even after only a couple thousand miles, and find yourself overlooking its foibles and taking for granted its strengths. So when MotorTrend staff photographer Brandon Lim took a few days off from work to drive 300 miles each way from Los Angeles to San Jose and back, it was a good opportunity to elicit additional feedback about our Subaru WRX Limited. Lim, in his 20s and fueled by boundless enthusiasm, is a performance-car nut and, even better, a former owner of a 2004 WRX wagon. I knew his "quick trip" would magically detour onto some of Southern California's best driving roads, and he'd return with no shortage of opinion. As he reported upon returning the keys:

"I noticed immediately that the WRX is incredibly easy to drive. Heel/toe downshifts feel natural and shifting was effortless. The heavily damped clutch makes for smooth shifts and linear engagement off the line. Each gear slots nicely into the gate, and you don't need to artificially delay your shifts to mitigate rev-hang like you do in the Civic Si. Easy shifter throws, light clutch pedal, and assisted steering helped me drive long distances without fatigue. Yet as pedestrian as the car felt during daily driving, the WRX offered just enough engagement and fun in the corners to keep me wanting to drive it."

Lim also had mixed feelings about the car's suspension setup: "I expected the new WRX to have a more compliant ride, but I was impressed at how comfortably it rode over bumpy surfaces while maintaining a composed, flat attitude on twisty roads. It also left me wishing Subaru offered the adaptive suspension from the CVT-only WRX GT on manual-transmission models. Having just driven a softer Subaru Outback, I wondered if a similar suspension with additional wheel travel could make the WRX more playful and even a consideration for lively fire-road roving."

"With not much of a power bump from the previous-gen WRX (271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, increases of three horsepower and zero lb-ft), you have to work for your speed. Smooth power delivery aided by the equal-length headers keeps you in the powerband in the canyons and lets you finesse the throttle gingerly in the city. You do lose the classic boxer rumble that comes with unequal-length headers, and the engine note around town is bothersome at times, with constant bassy resonance at low rpms. Exhaust drone on the highway sounds like the mechanical buzz of an Airbus A380 at cruising speed."

"In classic WRX fashion, the confidence its stability inspires when carrying speed down a mountain road is extraordinary. On the other hand, uphill corning exposes the car's heaviness and lack of power. Agility falls a little flat during tight switchbacks, but the quick-ratio steering and AWD traction help keep the WRX composed. I never once found the car to be out of sorts in spirited driving, even on Northern California's damp and twisty roads."

Hang around the MotorTrend staff, and you're lucky if five minutes pass without some type of argument brewing. Hearing Lim's feedback so closely matched my own (I gave him no opinions before handing over the car) was a welcome respite from conflict. However, "conflict" might best define our early days with the WRX. It's neither overtly dull nor exceptionally thrilling, it burns fuel quickly (mpg has averaged in the high teens around town, low 20s on road trips, and low teens in the canyons), and it offers plenty of space for passengers and gear. We rather enjoy driving it despite its shortcomings, especially as a daily commuting car that's spirited enough to serve as a bit of a weekend toy. Yet we haven't found a scenario in which its driving experience truly shines by contemporary standards—we know its brakes aren't cut out for serious track work, as one example, so that's off the table. Perhaps a casual autocross is the next best thing.