10 Best Sports Cars Under $40K, Why Aren’t You Buying Subaru WRX and BRZ?

Subaru's two sports cars are an enigma.

Subaru offers two of the most unique and best sports cars in America, which are affordable and provide excellent value. As per a new report from U.S. News Autos, the 2024 Subaru WRX performance sedan and 2024 Subaru BRZ sport coupe stand out among the ten best sports cars under $ 40,000.

Subaru has two new WRX and BRZ tS trim levels coming.

Subaru says, "The Subaru tS badge stands for "tuned by STI" and Subaru Tecnica International represents the ultimate in motorsport-inspired engineering."

One is here now (BRZ tS), and another (2025 WRX tS) comes this winter. 

Performance and driving enthusiasts aren't buying the two Subaru sports cars. Before I explain what's happening, I'll list the U.S. News' top sports car ranking with their score and price. 

• 2024 Subaru WRX: Overall Score: 7.5/10 | Price: $32,735
• 2024 Toyota GR Corolla: Overall Score: 8.1/10 | Price: $36,500
• 2024 Chevrolet Camaro: Overall Score: 8.2/10 | Price: $30,900
• 2024 Ford Mustang: Overall Score: 8.2/10 | Price: $31,920
• 2024 BMW 2-Series: Overall Score: 8.4/10 | Price: $38,400
• 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Overall Score: 8.5/10 | Price: $28,985
• 2024 Toyota GR86: Overall Score: 8.6/10 | Price: $29,300
• 2024 Subaru BRZ: Overall Score: 8.6/10 | Price: $30,195
• 2024 Hyundai Elantra N: Overall Score: 8.6/10 | Price: $33,700
• 2024 Volkswagen GTI: Overall: 8.7/10 | Price: $32,685

What does U.S. News say about the 2024 Subaru WRX?

"The Subaru WRX is a compact sedan with true sports car chops — it's a favorite among off-road rally racers around the world. This Subie is a lot of fun, and the sedan body style makes it reasonably practical, too."

"The WRX features a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and a super grippy all-wheel drive system comes standard. Stick with the base six-speed manual transmission for the most authentic experience, though an automatic is available in all but the base and top-tier TR trims."

"The WRX is far from the most polished car you'll see on this list — in fact, it can be a little rough around the edges — but it's a great place to start your search for a budget sports car."

What does U.S. News say about the 2024 Subaru BRZ?

"The BRZ features a 228-horsepower four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, and choice of six-speed manual or six-speed auto gearbox. Power is modest, but as we already know, power isn't everything. For 2024, this Subie now comes standard with a load of advanced safety features, further enhancing its value."

"The BRZ ranks above its Toyota GR86 cousin in large part because its 2022 redesign features a nicer cabin. It's worth considering splurging on the Limited model, which adds synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and adaptive headlights, all while staying under our $40,000 price point."

What's up with the WRX and BRZ?

I recently wrote that the Subaru WRX sports car and BRZ sports coupe are not just vehicles in the Subaru of America (SOA) lineup but the backbone of the brand's performance and innovation. Their significance cannot be overstated. However, they are in a significant sales decline.

You aren't buying the WRX sports sedan.

The WRX has decreased in sales for 13 consecutive months.

SOA reported they sold 1,369 WRX sports cars to performance enthusiasts in July compared with 1,894 in July 2023. That's a decrease of 27.7 percent. The WRX is down 38.2 percent for the year, with 10,664 sports cars delivered in the first seven months of 2024. They had 17,267 models sold in the same period in 2023.

You aren't buying the BRZ sport coupe.

SOA reported they sold 271 sport coupes to driving enthusiasts in July compared with 311 in July 2023. That's a decrease of 12.9 percent. The BRZ is down 40.3 percent for the year, with 1,685 sports coupes delivered in the first seven months of 2024. They had 2,823 models sold in the same period in 2023.

Two new performance trim levels.The introduction of the new 2025 WRX tS trim for the WRX and the availability of the 2024 BRZ tS trim level for the BRZ are exciting prospects. These up-spec models with added performance upgrades could potentially reignite interest in the two sports cars. Are they enough?

I think they will give Subaru some additional interest and sales, but they aren't engaged in significantly increasing the sales performance of the two sports car lines. 

What needs to happen?

I've written before that the WRX needs two things to make it an exciting pick for Subaru's performance enthusiasts. 

• It needs a hatchback body style.
• Subaru Corporation needs to bring back the higher-performance STI. 

The only thing the Subaru BRZ needs is a 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer engine trim level. This would wake up the BRZ and differentiate it from the Toyota GR86. 

Subaru has not revealed any future plans for either sports car. In their current configurations, sales are dropping. They are still among the best affordable new sports cars for under $40,000. 

Subaru Corporation may decide that the WRX and BRZ sales are enough to keep them around in their current form. If they make some changes, the two models could be great again.

What do you think?

Subaru's faithful WRX and BRZ followers, your feedback is crucial. We want to hear from you. Why aren't you buying the WRX and BRZ? And what do you think Subaru should do with the two sports cars to reignite your excitement? Click the red Add New Comment link below and share your thoughts.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Subaru USA