Subaru WRX Lights It Up - 2 Reasons Why It’s The Hottest Model

Why is the 2023 Subaru WRX the hottest model in the Subaru of America lineup this year? Check out the WRX report card. What grade would you give it?

The next-generation Subaru WRX is heating up, and it's the hottest model in Subaru of America's all-wheel-drive lineup. The 2023 Subaru WRX is the top model, with the highest percent increase year to date over last year. There are two reasons why. 

The sport-tuned WRX is the top-performing model for Subaru of America through the first six months of 2023. The WRX was up again in June. The WRX is the second best-selling compact sports car in America. The Chevrolet Corvette is the only sports car that outsells the WRX, but only by 1,656 models in the year's first half.

The Subaru WRX gets hot.

The 2023 Subaru WRX was up 58.8 percent in June, with 2,326 performance models delivered to customers compared with 1,465 sales in June 2022. The WRX is now up 147.5 percent in the first six months, the largest percentage of any Subaru in the lineup.

Subaru of America delivered 15,373 WRX performance sedans to customers in 2023, compared with 6,212 in the first six months of 2022. If the upward trend continues, Subaru of America is now on pace to sell over 31,000 WRX performance models to U.S. performance customers. And that's without the high-performance WRX STI in the lineup.

The WRX is also the hottest model in the lineup up north. Subaru Canada reports the next-generation 2023 WRX had its best month ever, beating out its previous record set by the previous generation model in October 2021.

Reason number one. The WRX is affordable.

What is the price of the 2023 WRX?

The 2023 WRX 6-speed manual trim level starts at $31,625. The WRX with Subaru Performance Transmission (SPT) is $33,475, the WRX Premium 6-speed manual is $34,125, the WRX Premium SPT is $36,175, the WRX Limited 6-speed manual is $38,515, WRX Limited SPT is $40,765, and WRX GT is $44,415. Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($1,020).

Reason number two. The WRX is the best sports car value.

According to a recent report from iSeeCars, the next-generation 2023 Subaru WRX has the best 5-year resale value of any Subaru model in its all-wheel-drive lineup. 

Among all mainstream (non-luxury) small and compact cars, the Subaru WRX ranks number one at 70.7%, the Honda Fit is second at 70.2%, Honda Civic at 69.6%, Honda Civic (coupe) at 69%, and Toyota Yaris Hatchback at 67.3%. 

The sports car segment is generally known for its value dropping quicker, but not the sport-tuned WRX sedan. It's better to buy a new WRX than a used model. 

Check out why in the report here. The WRX Has The Best Resale Value Of Any Subaru Model - Why It’s A Problem

What's next for WRX?

Subaru Corporation is preparing to move to a new generation of performance models. The Japanese automaker is not giving up on its performance division and racing partner, Subaru Tecnica International (STI). Subaru will return the WRX STI in an all-new, all-electric performance model called the STe.

Subaru dropped the WRX STI when the next-generation 2022 WRX was launched around the globe last year. As a result, the 2021 WRX STI was the last gas-powered STI, and Subaru began preparations for the all-new electric STI, now to become the STe from Subaru Tecnica electric. You can read the report here.

The sport-tuned Subaru WRX performance sports car was up 147.5 percent in the first six months and is Subaru of America's best-performing model in percentage of sales. The WRX gets an "A" for its 6-month report card. 

What grade would you give the WRX? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Denis Flierl brings over thirty years of combined auto industry and automotive journalism experience to Torque News readers. He is an accredited Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) member. The last twelve years have been spent with Torque News, covering Subaru vehicles and the latest news. Check back daily for his expert Subaru analysis. You'll find the latest stories on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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Photo credit: Subaru USA