The car we now call the Subaru WRX wagon wasn’t always called that. Nope, it started life as the Subaru Levorg which everyone thought was a weird name that would struggle to gain traction in the market.
So now it is the WRX wagon because… well, probably because it was a weird name and didn’t gain traction in the market.
Regardless of what you call it, it was always a car that shared the underpinnings of the WRX sedan, so genuinely does deserve to be called a WRX. Provided you consider the current WRX sedan worthy of it, that is…
And I have to be honest here; I am struggling with that.
It’s just that the WRX wagon doesn't actually feel like something that should have the name WRX put on it, though neither does the sedan, which was an entirely intentional move by Subaru.
The intention with this generation when it launched was to mature the WRX, making it accessible to those who lusted after the originals when younger and are now old enough to afford them, which I think is arguably the smart thing to do, and I'm generally not one for clinging to the past or whining about desecrating a legendary name. But still…
These lingering doubts aside, the modern version is what the WRX is these days is a very civilized, refined, mature, and comfortable car.
The whole character of the car is defined by how smooth it is, largely because it has a CVT transmission. While CVTs are traditionally awful, Subaru’s take on it (that it calls SLT, which stands for ‘Subaru Lineartronic Transmission So Don’t Call it a CVT!’, or something like that) has always been one of the best, and the pairing this type of transmission with a powerful engine that offers a lot of torque is the sweet spot.
Its driving dynamics are where it truly feels like a proper performance car, feeling so utterly planted and supremely confident in any conditions.
The engine itself is superbly refined, yet still with an edge of the traditional boxer rumble. Offering a super smooth power delivery, the WRX’s 2.4-litre turbo horizontally-opposed four is not "slam you back in your seat” fast, but once it’s up and running, the mid-range is awesome.
The WRX features several drive modes (Normal, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus), and there is a genuinely noticeable difference between them, which is actually not that common in a lot of modern cars.
Slap it into Sport or Sport Plus, and it genuinely gives the WRX a bit of a punch by reprogramming the CVT shift patterns and weighting up the steering, but the most noticeable thing is the throttle response that becomes considerably sharper. It has a manual mode, but why bother?
The WRX wagon truly starts showing its true colours the faster you go - and strengthening its case that it is actually a WRX. Its driving dynamics are where it truly feels like a proper performance car, feeling so utterly planted and supremely confident in any conditions. Even when it's wet, raining, and slippery, it just hangs on, completely unfazed by bad weather or road conditions.
Ride quality is on the firm side, but not unpleasantly so; it feels firm enough to remind you that it is actually a sporty car and very capable car. Critically, it handles rough surfaces incredibly well - large mid-corner bumps or hollows that could upset a lesser car, simply don’t bother the WRX and it remains totally planted with no drama or hysterics. In situations like that, growing up has definitely been for the better.
The front end grip through the corners is mind-bogglingly good, but what impresses most is just how forgiving it is.
On winding back roads, the WRX is simply wonderful: the steering is nicely weighted and accurate - though there is a lack of feel around the centre - and it turns in sharply and accurately.
The front end grip through the corners is mind-bogglingly good, but what impresses most is just how forgiving it is; I absolutely screwed up one corner, going in way too fast and had to hammer hard on the brakes, well past the apex, and the WRX just didn't care. It simply responded and went about the business of getting around the corner. It genuinely is hard to get anything wrong when going around a corner in the WRX.
The interior of the WRX is another place that shows its modern-era maturity, reflecting how every generation of Subaru lately has been a step up. The materials used are very high quality, including leather and suede on the dash, and the Recaro seats are spectacularly grippy and impressively comfortable.
In terms of technology, Subaru’s EyeSight driver aid system has been massively improved and, rather than just chiming and yelling at you all the time, is now subtle, helpful, and only interferes when you actually need to be yelled at.
While Subaru has made impressive strides in actually getting reasonable fuel consumption out of horizontally-opposed engines, the WRX is still pretty abysmal in this regard. After some around-town commuting and open-road cruising, I was sitting on 13L/100km average fuel consumption, which is frankly awful. Even gentle open-road cruising resulted in 9.3L/100km, which is still not great by modern standards.
It's not an SUV or even a wagon with a slightly raised ride height pretending to be an SUV. It's just a wagon, and wagons are cool.
However, I genuinely do like the WRX wagon - it doesn't do anything wrong and, fuel consumption aside, it does everything pretty much right. It simply destroys corners and is an exceptionally capable, mature, grown-up car. It’s just that I'd probably truly like it more if it was still called a Levorg.
How much is the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon?
Subaru has kept the pricing of the entire WRX range nice and simple - it's $69,990 for everything. Regardless of whether your tastes lean towards the shouty wings and manual transmission of the WRX tS Spec B, or the more reserved wingless WRX 2.4T tS and WRX GT tS Wagon - both of which are automatic - you can have it for $69,990.
What are the key statistics for the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon?
The WRX Wagon uses the same 202kW/350Nm 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine as the rest of the range. It uses Subaru's 'Lineartronic' continuously variable automatic transmission with a 8-speed 'manual' mode and pushes its power to all four wheels via Subaru's 'Symetrical AWD" system.
Is the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon efficient?
Not particularly. Subaru claims a combined average fuel consumption of 8.5L/100km for the GT Wagon, but daily driving returned double figures of up to 13L/100km. And if you decide to take it for a bit of an enthusiastic thrash... well, you really won't care what that does to the fuel consumption anyway.
Is the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon good to drive?
Yes it most certainly is. While in no way is it the raw, visceral experience driving a WRX once was, it is still a deeply satisfying car to throw into a series of corners. Stable, forgiving and incredible tenacious, the WRX destroys corners while also providing a surprisingly comfortable ride.
Is the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon practical?
It most certainly is! It is a wagon, after all. This means it boasts 492 litres of boot space (up by 81 litres over the sedans) and a very respectable 1430 litres with the rear seats folded down.
What do we like about the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon?
The sheer brutal competence it displays on a winding road is deeply impressive, while the fact that it remains a comfortable and relaxed daily driver is even more impressive. Plus, it's a wagon: it's not an SUV or even a wagon with a slightly raised ride height pretending to be an SUV. It's just a wagon, and wagons are cool.
What don’t we like about the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon?
The fuel consumption that is made even worse by the fact it needs 95 octane petrol, both of which would actually be bearable if it had more power - 202kW/350Nm is perfectly fine, but more would be so much better, as the spectacular Honda Civic Type R shows, with its 235kW/420Nm for only fractionally more money. And because of that there will always be that nagging thought that it's not really a WRX...
What kind of person would the Subaru WRX GT tS Wagon suit?
Exactly the sort of person Subaru is aiming it at - someone who grew up lusting after WRXs and is now at the stage of life that they can afford one, but would now make old man noises climbing into one.
