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2020 Subaru WRX review

Research, photos, specs, and expertise
6 photos

Subaru WRX highlights

Customer rating

RepairPal reliability rating

Pros

  • Spacious cabin with excellent visibility
  • Fun and engaging handling
  • Standard full-time all-wheel drive

Cons

  • Interior quality falls short of competitors
  • Rougher ride than competitors, especially with the STI
  • Lots of wind and road noise

Mileage (EPA estimate)

16 city, 22 highway, 19 combined

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The 2020 Subaru WRX is a fun AWD sport sedan

The 2020 Subaru WRX is a fun and engaging all-wheel-drive sedan with a spacious and airy cabin. It’s entertaining for the driver, especially when equipped with a manual transmission, and has room for the family thanks to a back seat that can comfortably fit most adults. It could also be equipped with a full suite of driver aids, which wasn’t true of many competitors. For even more performance, 2020 WRX STI adds more power along with more aggressive brakes and suspension.

The 2020 WRX combines a lot of practicality with its entertaining character, but lacks refinement in some areas. Compared to 2020 cars in general, the infotainment, stereo, and voice control leave much to be desired. Direct competitors like the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI offer a smoother and quieter ride, along with interiors that feel higher-quality. The trade-off is that neither has all-wheel drive.

All Subaru WRX years

Not sure what year to select? Learn about each Subaru WRX generation from 2015 to 2025

What is new for the 2020 Subaru WRX?

  • The WRX is available in a variety of new trims, including the WRX Premium and WRX STI.
  • The Premium Series.Gray, STI S209, and STI Series.Gray trims have been discontinued for 2020.
  • The STI trim now comes with Smart Key as standard equipment.

2020 Subaru WRX trims

Curious how Subaru WRX trims differ? Use our side-by-side vehicle comparison to see the differences and similarities

Base:

  • 268-hp, 258-lb-ft of torque 2.0L
  • Cloth Seats
  • Rear View Camera
  • Power Mirrors
  • Cruise Control
  • Rear Defroster
  • Side Airbags
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Traction Control
  • View our Subaru WRX inventory

Premium:

WRX Premium:

  • Includes all features available on the Premium
  • No significant upgrades found on the WRX Premium

Limited:

STI:

WRX STI:

  • Includes all features available on the STI
  • No significant upgrades found on the WRX STI

STI Limited:

Subaru WRX photos

What We Like

Fun: The Subaru WRX and WRX STI can be a lot of fun under the right conditions. The turbocharged engine provides strong acceleration, and on a twisty road, the full-time AWD system helps with superb handling and responsiveness.

Practical: Sporty cars and practicality don’t always go hand-in-hand, but the WRX has lots of room for passengers and is easy to get in and out of. The trunk is smaller than average but can be expanded thanks to split rear seats that fold.

All-wheel drive: Affordable four-door sporty sedans and hatchbacks tend to be front-wheel-drive, which makes the WRX stand out. It’s not just more winter-friendly; Subaru’s AWD system also helps with handling and acceleration.

What Needs Improvement

Interior quality: From the mediocre infotainment to excessive wind and road noise and an overall cheaper feel to the materials, the 2020 WRX’s interior lags behind competitors in most ways but passenger space.

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Ratings & reliability

Customer ratings

4.9 out of 5

12 customer reviews

RepairPal reliability rating

3
1
2
Above Average

RepairPal gave the Subaru WRX an overall reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Above Average. This rating ranks Subaru WRX 39th out of 46 among Compact Cars.

View RepairPal's full rating of the Subaru WRX

Subaru WRX features and specs

Curious how Subaru WRX trims differ? Use our side-by-side vehicle comparison to see the differences and similarities

Premium Series.White 4WD/AWD 4D Sedan

Standard Features

  • 4WD/AWD
  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Android Auto
  • Apple CarPlay
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • Bluetooth Technology
  • CD Audio
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Front Seat Heaters
  • Manual Transmission
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Rear Spoiler
  • Rear View Camera
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • Traction Control
  • Turbo Charged Engine

Optional Features

  • Alloy Wheels
  • Apple CarPlay
  • Kicker Speaker System
  • Leather & Suede Seats
  • Navigation System
  • Power Seat(s)
  • Smart Key
  • Suede Seats
  • Sunroof(s)

Drive Wheels

All Wheel (4WD/AWD)

Engine size

2.0L

Horsepower

268

Torque (ft-lbs)

258

Engine type

Turbo Gas

Fuel capacity

15.9

Wheelbase

104.3"

Overall length

180.9"

Width

70.7"

Height

58.1"

Leg room

F 43.3"/R 35.4"

Head room

F 39.8"/R 37.1"

Front tires

P245/40WR18

Rear tires

P245/40WR18

Seating capacity

5

Transmission

Manual 6

2020 Subaru WRX FAQ

Subaru WRX articles

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