Subaru WRX ES Premium review: Split personality in a sedan body

Martin Pretorius

Following a recent and fairly comprehensive update, the Subaru WRX reverts to the harder edge of its famous predecessors. The suspension is firmer again, and the brakes are much improved, but at the same time, it adds a number of premium features to woo the luxury-inclined set as well. But how successful is this broadening of its spread of abilities?

Styling

Like its ancestors, the current generation WRX is based on the far more mundane Impreza sedan. In the case of this WRX, that means the previous-generation Impreza, because the mainstream model has since moved on to a new platform. 

But, even with its older-generation starting point, the WRX is still an attention-grabbing car. With its very obvious fender flares and air vents, discreet boot spoiler, deep front bumper, diffuser-adorned rear bumper with four chunky exhaust outlets, angrily slanted headlights and obligatory bonnet scoop, there’s no doubt that the WRX has entirely different intentions from the rather anonymous compact sedan upon which it is based. 

Our test car amplified this impression with its glossy metallic black paintwork and black 18-inch alloy wheels, shot with burly 245-profile low-profile tyres. In fact, you’d have to look at an RS Audi or a full-fat BMW M-car to find a sedan with as much on-road presence. It certainly looked like it meant business, in exactly the same way as its greatest predecessors did: bold and even a little brash, there’s no way anyone would mistake this WRX for anything else.

The Drive

It doesn’t feel like a generic Japanese sedan behind the wheel, either. When this generation of WRX first landed in 2015, the engineers painstakingly explained how they tweaked the electric power steering to optimise its response, accuracy and road feel. They also elaborated on how the body shell was stiffened, to allow the bespoke suspension to do its best work, and how the handling balance, suspension, and torque distribution was fine-tuned to eliminate the traditional all-wheel drive tendency towards understeer.

Then, as now, these tweaks are acutely felt behind the steering wheel. There’s a uniquely agile feel to the way it changes direction, where the smallest steering wheel input has an immediate effect on the car’s trajectory. And yet, with all its agility, there’s also a sense of impenetrable stability to the WRX’s behaviour. 

When you finally breach the adhesion limits of those fat tyres, the grip eventually gives way to very mild understeer, but even then, the car’s cornering attitude can be adjusted with either the accelerator pedal or the steering wheel. It’s entirely vice-free, predictable and co-operative, leaving an enthusiastic driver to explore the outer reaches of the WRX’s massive road grip and composure with complete confidence.

None of this has changed during the recent model update. In fact, its limits are even higher than before, and the steering is more responsive and communicative. This is all due to the stiffer suspension which came with its mid-life update, as well as those low-profile tyres. Adhesion limits which were sky-high before are now simply stellar. The upgraded brakes are similarly impressive, with good pedal feel, plenty of stopping power, and a resistance to fade in hard use.

What has changed is that the WRX has sacrificed some of the pre-facelift model’s comfort and compliance. The revised suspension keeps body roll in check and aids traction, but it also introduces a somewhat brittle ride quality over poor road surfaces. Comfort levels are definitely lower than before, and while the suspension isn’t exactly harsh, the latest WRX doesn’t ride with the fluency of the pre-facelift cars.

Performance

This stiff-kneed ride is also somewhat at odds with the powertrain of our test car. The engine itself is a masterpiece: the direct-injected, turbocharged 2.0-litre Boxer engine produces 197 kW and 350 Nm, with the latter available all the way from 2400 to 5200 r/min. It also has a smooth-revving nature, and doesn’t complain when asked to explore the higher extremities of the rev range. 

When mated to the 6-speed manual gearbox as used in the entry-level WRX, this engine really is a thing of beauty. But our test car didn’t have the slick-shifting manual transmission. Instead, it featured a high-torque version of the constantly variable transmission (CVT) currently so beloved by Subaru. Seen in isolation, this is one of the better CVTs around, and can offer either 6 or 8 pre-defined virtual gear ratios, depending on the selected drive mode. 

On the move, it works well enough with the torquey engine, delivering smooth progress with a minimum of fuss. And, should the driver feel a need for a different "gear", the shift paddles can instruct the CVT to simulate a different ratio.

Unfortunately, that smooth operation is quite at odds with the overtly sporty approach taken by the rest of the car. After a leisurely take-off, the WRX CVT only really comes alive around 40 km/h, when useful turbo boost arrives. And, when left in its normal drive mode, the sense of disconnection between the driver’s right foot and the power actually reaching the wheels is rather disconcerting.

Claimed performance figures bears this out, with the CVT-equipped WRX needing 6.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill instead of the manual variant’s 6.0 seconds. In reality, the CVT only comes so close to the manual on paper, because its acceleration isn’t interrupted by manual gear changes. However, on-road performance definitely favours the manual gearbox, which also suits the extremely capable chassis setup so much better.

Space and Comfort

The Subaru WRX scores highly in the space utilisation stakes, with enough cabin room for four average-sized adults. The deeply contoured front sports seats do compromise rear legroom to a degree, but there’s plenty of shoulder- and head room all around. Apart from the occasionally shudder from the stiff suspension, comfort levels are generally good, with low overall noise levels in a fast cruise, although those wide tyres can introduce some road rumble on coarse tarmac.

The leather-trimmed seats themselves are quite superb as well, being supportive in fast cornering but compliant while cruising. The driver’s seat is electrically-adjustable, but lacks a memory function. Meanwhile, the boot can take a handy 460 litres, and split-folding rear seats can expand the load area into the cabin.

The WRX Premium is also quite well-equipped, with its colour touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB- and Bluetooth functionality, and steering wheel-mounted controls; while audio quality is enhanced by a Harman/Kardon speaker setup. 

TomTom satellite navigation is also standard, as are high-resolution cameras front and rear (but without parking sensors). Other niceties include a tilt/sliding glass sunroof, keyless entry with pushbutton engine start, cruise control, and dual-zone climate control. Automatic on/off control for the wipers and headlights are standard as well, along with an anti-dazzle rear-view mirror.

Safety

Being a Subaru, the WRX is highly rated in the safety stakes. It received a “Top Safety Pick +” rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the Impreza upon which it’s based earned 5 stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Both of these organisations are based in the USA, and their testing procedures often even exceed those of Euro-NCAP.

Apart from its crash-worthiness, the Subaru WRX also receives a host of passive- and active safety features. Passive safety in taken care of by 7 airbags and that immensely strong bodyshell, while active safety features a host of systems, ranging from ABS and stability control to Subaru’s proprietary EyeSight driver assistance- and safety suite (only on the CVT-equipped variant).

EyeSight uses a pair of windscreen-mounted cameras to monitor the road ahead for errant pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and other possible obstacles, and is programmed to automatically apply the brakes in situations where a collision becomes a possibility. It will also modulate the throttle if it detects that a driver isn’t aware of a possible collision. Other features enabled by EyeSight includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert (traffic jam assistant).

Additional safety gadgets include blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, so it’s probably safe to say that an EyeSight-equipped WRX is more aware of its surroundings than most drivers would ever be. Furthermore, the standard full-LED headlights with self-levelling and bending function are excellent, in typical modern-Subaru fashion.

Fuel Consumption

The claimed average consumption figure of 8.6 litres/100 km is fairly respectable for a car with full-time all-wheel drive and this kind of performance potential, but the real-world results after a week of mixed-cycle driving was rather less parsimonious at 9.8 litres/100 km. With that said, the trip computer readout easily dropped into the 7s in steady-state cruising, but any power demands quickly sent it to the wrong side of 10 litres/100 km. 

Price

This is where the Subaru WRX runs into its main obstacle. With its pricetag of R631 400, the WRX ES CVT sits perilously close to such high-performance opponents as the Golf R, which will simply walk away from the Subaru in a straight line, if not on a twisty road.

In mitigation, the Subaru’s comprehensive driver assistance suite and high level of standard equipment does compensate to some degree, but the fact that it goes up against some very accomplished and often stronger-performing machinery still remains. 

The Verdict

In ES CVT trim, the Subaru WRX appears to suffer from an identity crisis. On the one hand, its chassis development and stunning driving dynamics cries out for a more-alert drivetrain, such as the one you'd get with a manual gearbox. On the flip side, the smooth and leisurely transmission and high spec level are at odds with the firm ride and genuinely sporty handling. 

In the end, the WRX could be a truly great car, in the appropriate specification. It would be so much nicer if Subaru could leave the big wheels and stiffened suspension for the manual variant, possibly even with a reduced feature content. Meanwhile, they would be better off by reverting to the previous, more-compliant suspension and 17-inch wheels for the CVT-equipped version.

But, as tested, the Subaru WRX ES CVT suffers from an identity crisis: there’s not quite enough WRX-ness, and not quite enough plush comfort either. It’s an appealing car in its own right, but it could be so much better if it could just decide what it really wants to be.

Expert rating:

3.5/5

Pricing is accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.