2022 Subaru WRX Review: Rest That Leg

I’ve said it before, but I’m getting old. Rather than comparing daycare centers, I’m visiting colleges. I’ve actually purchased cars in the past for less than I just spent on a prom dress for my eldest daughter. My wife and barber tell me that my hair is thinning.

And I ache. While any leg pain I attribute to an old football injury really dates to a drunken fall over a coffee table while watching the Super Bowl, my daily intake of ibuprofen is considerable. So I’m finding that when shopping for a new fun-to-drive car, a manual transmission isn’t necessarily a must-have. Might as well start fitting me for a tennis-ball-clad walker and pants hitched up to my nipples.

A CVT, however, has never been atop my list of favorite transmissions. They seem to suck all the enjoyment out of driving. But when this 2022 Subaru WRX appeared sans third pedal, I had to do a double take. I suppose the flat-brim-cap wearing, vaping, skater bros have to grow up, too. Did their car of choice grow up with them?

No, don’t adjust your sundial. It is indeed May of 2023, and yet the car before you is a 2022 model. I drove it earlier this year, but life gets in the way. The car is functionally unchanged between the two model years, so my impressions remain valid.

I’ll confess a tinge of disappointment in the paint color. World Rally Blue remains the hue to which every WRX aspires, whereas red belongs elsewhere. Still, this one looks right. I’d struggle to call any Subaru beautiful, however. Functional and, maybe, handsome, but a WRX is less an art object than a tool. The black plastic cladding hints at this, reminding all that even though it’s a sports sedan, there is the soul of a crossover beneath.

The interior isn’t a bad place to spend some time, though you’ll find reminders that it is still a compact. Leg room in the rear seats is adequate, though the kids did push knees into my back at times. It feels well appointed, however, with good quality materials throughout. The huge portrait-oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen is quick to respond to inputs, and is very clear - though the fonts used throughout are just a bit unusual to someone not used to a Subaru. I’m sure that within a few weeks of driving, it’d be fine.

And the driving is fine, indeed. 271hp from a turbocharged four used to sound like an outrageous number, but as cars have gotten heavier it’s not quite as stunning. Still, the WRX has enough scoot to make every drive enjoyable, with plenty of traction ensuring you’ll get the most out of every pound of boost. The engine sound is distinctly flat-four, with a fun little burble at idle, but it’s not droning or otherwise annoying either in town or on the highway. 

The ride quality is excellent, too - and it’s adjustable. New for 2022, the top-trim GT model gets a Drive Mode Select system which allows for electronic damping setting adjustment. The all-wheel drive torque can be varied front to rear, as well as three selectable modes for engine response. The GT trim can only be ordered with the continuously-variable transmission seen here.

I’ve mentioned it before, but the CVT gets a bad rap due to some less-than-optimal applications in years past. When paired with a turbocharged engine, however, the results can be excellent - as they are here from the WRX. The natural lag from the turbo is smoothed by the easy transitions between transmission ratios, giving instant acceleration no matter the driving condition or throttle position. It’s quick and fun, and absolutely does not detract from the enjoyment one gets from the car. 

And it saves wear on that old battle-scarred left knee. They’ve done something magical here - the 2022 Subaru WRX GT has redeemed the besmirched name of the continuously-variable transmission by making it fun. 

[Images: © 2023 Chris Tonn]

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