Subaru has released it August sales numbers and to put it mildly, Subaru WRX sales are distressingly low.
Subaru’s best-selling model was once again the Crosstrek, with 20,442 units sold, essentially flat from the 20,396 it moved a year earlier (+0.2%). Year-to-date, the Crosstrek is up 11.5%, climbing from 115,214 sales in 2024 to 128,404 this year. On the other end of the spectrum, the WRX was Subaru’s worst performer after an equally bad July, plunging 60.6% year-over-year in August to just 611 units, down from 1,552 last year. Its year-to-date sales also cratered 38.6%, dropping from 12,216 to 7,499.
Among compact sports cars, the WRX is usually a top seller for a few reasons: a manual transmission, standard all-wheel drive, and stellar pricing among them. Those are still good reasons to buy a new WRX. So what has to change?
Elijah Nicholson-Messmer
Production Cuts
Iit’s worth acknowledging the biggest reason Subaru WRX sales are down: production is down too. While there’s plenty of WRXs sitting on dealer lots right now, Subaru did cut production to make room for one of its best-sellers: the Forester. The two share a factory, and the popular family SUV is always going to outsell the small sports sedan.
New Tech Needed
One of the WRX’s biggest weaknesses is its tech. The sedan makes use of an infotainment system dating back to the middle of last decade, and the system is largely unchanged today. It’s too heavy on the touch controls, and the vertical orientation doesn’t work well when most apps integrate horizontally, like CarPlay. The new Outback features some updated tech, and we’re hoping a facelift could bring this to both the Impreza and the WRX.
Kristen Brown
It’s Facelift Time
The WRX’s current design has been around since 2021. It caused a stir upon the car’s debut, largely due to its plastic body cladding. That didn’t stop the WRX from selling well, though, and it’s clear buyers don’t have much of a problem with the car’s looks. However, a facelift is more than just aesthetics, and we think some updates to the WRX would go a long way to renewing interest in the sedan.
Kristen Brown
Keep It Affordable
The WRX’s manual is a little sloppy compared to rivals like the Civic Si and Elantra N, for one. Subaru could also stand to update the looks a touch, perhaps with the usual front and rear fascia updates most manufacturers go for. Though it may seem like the introduction of an STI model could help push sales, we don’t think it would. The new STI would be pretty expensive, and it’d be tough for Subaru to raise prices when one of the platform’s biggest benefits is its pricing. For now, some light updates and a little dash of updated tech could go a long way to helping the WRX feel like the affordable, fun sports compact it always has been.
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