The New Subaru WRX Is Up 488 Percent This Year - Don’t Throw A Party Yet

Subaru of America announced the next-generation 2022 Subaru WRX sales were up an incredible 488.3 percent in January, with 2,006 performance models delivered to customers. The WRX had a massive increase over last January 2022, with 341 sales.

Are performance fans finally warming up to the all-new sport-tuned WRX? It's not time to throw a party yet because January 2022 is when Subaru Corporation switched to the new model, and they ran out of the previous 2021 models. Few WRX models were left for performance customers as Subaru experienced parts shortages amid its supply chain issues.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

How did the WRX finish last year? The new generation 2022 WRX finished 2022 seventh in the lineup with 18,662 performance sedans delivered to customers compared with 27,141 in December 2021, down 31.2 percent for the year.

The massive increase in January looks impressive on paper, but Subaru of America did not have the WRX STI in the performance car lineup sales numbers. Without the STI, the performance sedan is down significantly in sales.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

The 2021 Subaru WRX and WRX STI were up 28.2 percent the last year the STI was in production and available for U.S. customers in the lineup. The WRX and WRX STI were the only Subaru of America nameplates in the lineup, with a double-digit increase to finish 2021. We can measure the number of STI sales at about 8,500 performance models sold.

What's next for the WRX?

If you want a next-generation WRX, don't wait for the 2023 models to arrive from Japan. The 2023 performance models will have few, if any, upgrades, and the price will go up.

What is the price of the 2022 WRX?

The 2022 WRX 6-speed manual trim level starts at $30,100. The WRX with Subaru Performance Transmission (SPT) is $31,950, WRX Premium 6-speed manual is $32,600, WRX Premium SPT is $34,650, WRX Limited 6-speed manual is $36,990, WRX Limited SPT is $39,240, and WRX GT is $42,890. Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($995).

Should you buy a used WRX?

With the new car shortages, customers are looking for a lightly used two-to-three-year-old WRX or STI. The latest analysis from iSeeCars found that the WRX and STI sports sedan were the fastest-selling used Subaru in America last summer. The study reveals that the Subaru WRX and WRX STI (#16 fastest-selling used car) are now among the two fastest-selling used sports cars in today's market.

The WRX and STI took an average of 33.9 days to sell at an average price of $33,102. If you can order the WRX and wait a few months, the 2022 models will likely be cheaper than a used model with low miles.

The sport-tuned 2022 Subaru WRX will remain one of America's best sports car values. Sales are up to start the year because used models are overpriced and hard to find.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Schumacher Subaru