The Subaru WRX And The Tail Of Its Schizo Behavior

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When the 2024 Subaru WRX was announced, there was little excitement about the new model. Check out the WRX results to finish the year and its schizo behavior.

Subaru knows WRX enthusiasts will buy its sports car because it's still the best performance car with all-wheel-drive. But the next-generation Subaru WRX has been up and down all year. Here are the new-generation WRX stats, the 2024 WRX outlook, the year-end results, and why it has such a schizo behavior.

The WRX by the numbers

I cover all Subaru models, and the WRX is schizophrenic. The WRX performance sedan drops the most of any model in December. But the WRX increased the second most of any new Subaru model in the lineup, next to the hot Forester SUV.

The WRX is hard to figure out. 

The Subaru WRX sales dropped 37.1 percent in December, with 1,382 performance models delivered to customers compared with 2,196 sales in December 2022. It's not all bad news. The WRX is up 32.3 percent to finish 2023. SOA sold 24,681 sport-tuned performance models this year.

It's not all bad news for the WRX after losing its best trim level, the WRX STI. I thought sales would drop more, but I was surprised with this year's sales with no STI in the lineup. To finish 2022, the WRX had 18,662 sales without the STI, a significant drop of 31.2 percent from 2021 when Subaru sold 27,141 WRX and STIs. 

But to finish 2023 without the STI, the WRX is only down 2,460 model sales from 2021 when the WRX STI was in the lineup. Go figure. 

The demand for the sport-tuned WRX performance sedan remains as high as ever. Can you imagine what WRX STI sales would be this year with the new next-generation model upgrades? WRX and STI combined would have been well over 30,000 sales to finish the year. 

Subaru has to be licking its chops over the prospects of bringing the STI back with a new electric powertrain. I've reported previously that it's unfortunate performance fans have to wait until 2027 to get one. 

Here's what I know about the new electric STI

As I wrote recently, performance enthusiasts have much to look forward to now that Subaru Corporation has recently filed for a patent for the "STe" (Subaru Tecnica electric) nameplate. 

Subaru Tecnica International will evolve from building high-performance internal combustion (ICE) turbocharged Boxer horizontally-opposed engines to new eco-performance electric models.

Subaru Corporation has not given up on its performance division and racing partner, Subaru Tecnica International (STI). The Japanese automaker will likely return the WRX STI in an all-new, all-electric performance model called the STe.

Subaru's best-performance car days are ahead with a new electric STI. The next-generation WRX sales say a lot about the future. Stay tuned. 

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the Subaru WRX story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.

For additional articles related to new Subaru models, here are a few of my top stories you may enjoy. 

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Watch Is the 2024 Subaru WRX TR an AWD performance car WORTH the PRICE?

I am Denis Flierl, a 12-year Torque News senior writer with 20+ years of Subaru and automotive journalism experience. I enjoy bringing you, the Subaru fans and customers, the most up-to-date Subaru news, reviews, and new model information. You'll find the latest Subaru stories on the Subaru page. Follow me on my The Dirty Subaru website, Dirty Subaru blog, SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’ve got you covered! - I cover all Subaru all the time - It’s called the “Subaru Report.” Check back daily for my expert Subaru analysis!

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photo credit: Subaru USA

Submitted by Mari Guti (not verified) on January 9, 2024 - 11:13PM

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Right off the bat saying the new WRX is the best performing all-wheel drive car is so ignorant. I'm a diehard Subaru enthusiast, but how can you say the new WRX, which runs on the SUV global platform that uses the SUV's open front diff and open rear diff with no LSD, just the SUV's electronic braking vectoring, is the best performing all-wheel drive car when the GR Corolla is clearly on another level. You may have had a point if the STI was still made with the front LSD, center DCCD diff, and rear LSD.

Lmao. Nobody wants the soggy VA chassis and literally hilarious EJ motor. I’ll switch out diffs if I don’t have to deal with the hilarious embarrassment of STI vehicles for the past 10 years. It’s gone because it was the joke of the automotive industry, and the new wrx runs circles around it for $28k

🤣

Submitted by Jake (not verified) on January 12, 2024 - 7:37AM

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With every word in the dictionary, you decide to use “schizo.” It’s pretty offensive if you already weren’t aware. Also, you talked about a tail like on a car or a tale like a story??

Submitted by Bob Lazar (not verified) on January 12, 2024 - 5:26PM

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It's a shame it still exists only in this comically poorly styled, excessively plastic-cladded half assed attempt at mimicking a clown car. Put a '19 base model and this current one side by side a-la internet "Hot or Not" style showdown and you tell me then you would still drive this perversely watered down derivative vs. The '19 base with your dignity still intact. This current gen is straight McClowncar so bad you half expect Ronald McDonald to get out the driver's side. Subaru did bad and should feel bad for doing this to the WRX faithful. It's practically heretical.

Source: Proud '19 base model owner happy to have a sharp looking gen to drive that sees no reason to trade up to such a downgraded, redheaded step child ugly duck as the current MY. The thing is damn fugly, straight up.

Plus people will point and laugh at you for driving it. I will anyway.