Subaru WRX And STI Are Now Among 20 New Cars With The Biggest Markups

The sport-tuned 2021 Subaru WRX and performance-tuned 2021 Subaru WRX STI have been in high demand all year, but now they are among the top new cars selling well above the MSRP. Autotrader released a new report naming the Toughest Twenty: 20 new vehicles consistently selling above full retail price.

It’s not a good time to buy a 2021 Subaru WRX or STI performance sedan. Autotrader identified the WRX and STI as the thirteenth-highest new vehicle, consistently selling at 102 percent of the manufactures suggested retail price (MSRP).

The reason for high dealer markups is because of the limited supply of the performance cars due to the global microchip shortage and recent Subaru plant closures. We checked with the largest Subaru dealer in the Rocky Mountain region, and they have no WRX or STI models on their lot. They have one 2021 WRX Limited trim, and it’s in transit from Japan.

And the problem isn’t getting better. Subaru Corporation reported yesterday, production at the Gunma Japan factory, where they make the WRX and STI decreased 27 percent in July, and production at the Lafayette, Indiana plant where the 2022 Outback is manufactured dropped eight percent in July. There is another plant shutdown this month on September 7-17, 2021.

A new iSeeCars report says if you want a 2019-2020 Subaru WRX or STI, you will pay more than you would for a new model. We checked with a large Subaru dealer near Denver, Colorado, and found they had no 2021 Subaru WRX or 2021 WRX STI performance cars on the lot.

We found one 2020 Subaru WRX Limited trim for $35,999 with 5,898 miles on the odometer. A new 2021 WRX Limited has a starting MSRP of $33,020, including destination and delivery fees. That’s a $2,979 price bump for this used 2020 model over what a new WRX would cost.

When will inventory levels of the Subaru WRX and STI improve?

Reports from sources close to Subaru tell us it could be late September into October before inventory levels improve and possibly six months before they return to normal. Subaru has the lowest inventory of any automaker at six days, and many are in transit. Most new WRX and STI are already sold before they hit the dealers’ lots.

When can I buy the 2022 Subaru WRX and STI?

The next-generation 2022 Subaru WRX makes its global debut on September 10 and likely won’t arrive until early next year. Unless you can wait, buying a used model may be the only option now. Performance enthusiasts will have to wait for the next-generation 2023 WRX STI to roll out late next year.

It’s not a good time to buy a 2021 Subaru WRX or WRX STI right now. The performance cars are currently selling well over sticker price.

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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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