Seat Time – 2017 Subaru WRX – Affordable Performance
August 30th, 2016 at 6:00pm
Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.
Reviewer: Seamus McElroy
Vehicle: 2017 Subaru WRX
Price: $27,515 (Base)
Final Impression:
The Subaru WRX has always been one of my favorite cars to drive. And the new model didn’t disappoint. Sure there are more powerful cars and ones with sexier styling but unlike the WRX those won’t come cheap. There aren’t too many cars for enthusiasts that start in the mid-twenties like the WRX.
Powering the car is a 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged BOXER engine that’s offered with a six-speed manual or a CVT. It cranks out 268 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. And as you’d expect from a Subaru it comes in all-wheel-drive. I drove the manual and thought that it performed well. Shifting in and out of gear is very smooth. While I didn’t get a chance to completely open it up, I still found it to be a fairly powerful engine. Fuel economy is 20 MPG in the city, 27 on the highway, which is good for a combined average of 23 MPG.
The only differences between the new model and last year’s model, is an updated version of its EyeSight driver assistance system and its STARLINK multimedia platform, along with a few other minor changes.
Inside is where the WRX is a bit lacking but this is an issue with just about every car in Subaru’s line-up. Sure its got sport seats, a sportier steering wheel and other WRX specific trim but overall the interior is fairly ho-hum and nothing special compared to other cars in its price range. But if you’re like me this won’t bother you too much because the point of this car is to have fun, and a lackluster interior won’t deter from wanting one.
The WRX is on sale now with a starting price of $27,515.