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Article Highlights:

  • Subaru WRX sales surge where others stall
  • The surge in sales will only help the 2022 WRX
  • Can the 2022 WRX bring the same numbers?

Everyone is hurting due to supply chain issues right now. That’s why it’s the blood of your firstborn and a soul-binding contract penned by Satan to get a Playstation 5 right now. Subaru is not exempt from this, nor is any other automaker. However, despite some rough months for the Japanese brand, their star child continues to shine on. The Subaru WRX continues to increase in sales ahead of the newest 2022 WRX’s debut.

The WRX’s fun-to-drive personality boosts sales

A white WRX shot from the front at night with a blur effect applied to the shot
The current ‘Rex is a modern classic in the making | Jim Mahoney via Getty Images

We’ll start with the big picture here. Automakers struggling… chip shortage… dealer markups… blah, blah, blah. We all know the story by know, and it’s hurting Subaru pretty bad. Overall, the brand is down 40% month to date. The blame, as Subaru’s execs point out, is on the market we’ve been talking so much about. Fair. No one wants to buy a car right now if they can help it. And if they do, they can’t find one.

But, the Subaru WRX is the silver lining here. Sales on the WRX are actually up. on a month to date (MTD) basis, Subaru WRX sales are up by as much as the company is down. In other words, around 40%. Impulsive enthusiast buyers snapping up fast, stick shift cars while they still can? Maybe. But the WRX is selling because, well, it’s just really, really good.

A Subaru WRX is a practical daily driver in high demand

A 2001 Subaru WRX shot in profile flying down a country road
The 2001 Impreza WRX | Motor Museum via Getty Images

To be frank, it’s always been that way. Even in the early days of the Subaru WRX (and the STI), the model has been a sales success. It’s a vehicle that managed to stick the sports sedan landing. It combines rally racing history with the best AWD system this side of Audi’s Quattro with a consistently available manual transmission. In other words, there’s a reason there’s about 6 million of these burbling out to Cars and Coffee, rain or shine.

The new model is no exception. In this month alone, Subaru has sold 2,786 WRX and STI models. No, those aren’t exactly Toyota Camry numbers, but they’re impressive for an enthusiast car. Generally, those niche vehicles don’t sell so well. Turns out cars are appliances for a lot of people. And that’s what’s so amazing about this. The Subaru WRX is the brand’s sportiest model and it’s pulling the weight its people hauling, super popular SUVs and crossovers aren’t.

What does this mean for the 2022 WRX?

A dark blue 2022 Subaru WRX shot from the front 3/4 on a dry lake bed
The new WRX looks to keep the sales rolling in | Subaru

As things sit right now, that makes us wonder if Subaru can keep the magic going. Can the brand pull a Porsche and sell, sell, sell? Or will the new model fall flat, with people’s minds already made up about eye-tricking the styling? For now at least, let’s hope it’s the latter.

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The 2022 Subaru WRX Is Here, but What Does That Mean for an STI Version?

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Chase Bierenkoven

Chase Bierenkoven has been obsessed with cars his whole life and now finds joy in sharing what he’s learned from his own daily drivers. Chase earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology with a focus on legal studies from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and quickly became an automotive journalist. When he isn’t writing, Chase is either driving his passion project, a 2004 BMW M3 in Carbon Schwartz Metallic, or playing around Colorado’s terrain, mainly mountain biking and skiing.