While the WRX and the Impreza it’s based on may sit at the bottom of the Subaru lineup size-wize, it’s surprisingly large inside. Gone are the days when compact cars were truly compact; the WRX is big enough to accomodate a quartet of six-footers, making it suitable — if perhaps less than ideal — for family duty.
And it’s a pretty good deal, too. Granted, you can make it less of a good deal; opt for the top-shelf CVT-only WRX GT model (why, I’m not sure), and you’ll spend $42,855; my Limited tester, which lies one rung down the ladder, had an MSRP of $36,995. The sweet spot of the lineup, however, is the Premium trim; it packs 18-inch wheels, heated seats, the larger portrait-style infotainment screen seen here, fog lights and dual-zone climate control for $32,565, or $34,440 if you want the premium Harmon Kardon stereo and a moonroof. That makes it pretty competitive against the likes of the VW Golf GTI and Hyundai Elantra N, and while those models may have their own appeal for various reasons, neither packs AWD, which is a killer app for some snowbelt buyers.
If that’s still too much bread for you, the base model still packs all the performance at a starting price of $30,065. Granted, you’ll have to do without heated seats, and you’ll have to deal with 17-inch wheels instead of the 18-in units on other models, and you’ll have an arguably ugly dashboard situation — but you’ll still have one hell of a fun car for much less than most people pay for their new vehicles, while still having a capable ride that can carry a small family in any weather. Which, in effect, has always been in part what Subaru is about.
