The 2018 Subaru WRX: How This 4-Door Sports Sedan Makes You Younger. Really

The 2018 Subaru Wrx Premium With Performance Package - A 4-Door Sports Sedan
Ready to go in the 2018 Subaru WRX Premium! Photo: Gregory Holder

Age Doesn’t Matter When You Get Behind the Wheel of the 2018 Subaru WRX.

I know what that young man was thinking when he delivered the sporty little 2018 Subara WRX outfitted with the performance package to me. He was thinking, “I thought she’d be younger.” He didn’t say it. But I knew.

The 2018 Subaru WRX is built for the young. This 4-door sports sedan is fast, somewhat loud, unapologetically sassy and a lead foot driver’s best friend…or worst nightmare, should there be a radar gun nearby.

You can get your young or old hands on one equipped with the performance package which sports Recaro performance design front seats with 8-way power driver’s seat and red finish front and rear brake calipers for $32,205.

It only has 4-cylinders but it’s equipped with Direct Injection Turbocharged (DIT) which means this baby can get up and GO. But you know what? So can THIS baby—even if I am a Grandmom of three.

And that’s exactly what I did.

Sporty And Ready To Perform, The Interior Of The 2018 Subaru Wrx Premium With Performance Package - 4 Door Sports Sedan
Sporty and ready to perform, the interior of the 2018 Subaru WRX Premium with Performance Package. Photo: Terri Marshall

Who This Car Is For

  • Sports car fans who prefer the convenience of a 4-door sedan
  • Young (or young at heart) drivers who will sacrifice luxury for speed
  • People who love driving on winding country roads
  • Drivers who prefer to drive a stick
  • Singles, couples or small families
  • Drivers looking for an affordable 4-door sports sedan that holds its value. (Kelly Blue Book says Subaru vehicles depreciate less than any other car brand in America.)

What It Costs

  • The WRX Premium base price is $29,295
  • Performance Package adds $2,050
  • Destination & Delivery costs $860
  • Total for model I drove: $32,205
Control Panel Of The 2018 Subaru Wrx Premium - A 4-Door Sports Sedan That'S Ready To Perform
The cockpit is ready to get out of the city. Photo: Terri Marshall

Sports sedans need open roads: time to get out of the city

Within minutes of its delivery to my New York City apartment, I jumped in this dark gray metallic cutie-pie and reconnected with my rusty stick-shift driving skills. The Subaru WRX premium has a fun-to-drive 6-speed manual transmission. Driving it around the city, however, proved to be a pain in the you-know-what due to the constant stop and go required to navigate the city’s ridiculous traffic.

And, I live in the hilliest part of Manhattan so I had to polish up those stick-shift skills quickly to avoid rolling backwards towards a horn-blowing taxi driver. (Maybe I should have, just to shut him up!)

But I had no plans to stay in NYC with this sporty sedan, it was time for a road trip. I packed my bag, tossed it into the surprisingly roomy trunk and hit the road across Pennsylvania. Most of that was interstate driving and while I appreciated the acceleration and easy handling of the Subaru WRX, I needed a winding country road to really put this baby to the test. I found one in Northern Virginia.

Detouring off the highway I opted for a deserted country road that ran parallel to the interstate. The speed limit wasn’t as high as the interstate’s, but the road was SO. MUCH. FUN!  I twisted and turned with agility, speed and smooth shifting. In fact, I’m fairly certain I reversed my age by about 25 years on that drive.

Read more: Want to drive a stick shift? Here’s how to get ready.

Performance Tires On The 4 Door Sports Sedan - The 2018 Subaru Wrx Premium
Performance tires equal a high performance road trip. Photo: Terri Marshall

Was it the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven? No. But I didn’t care.

At the risk of those 25 years returning, I have to admit, the Subaru WRX isn’t focused on comfort. I’m not saying it’s an uncomfortable car—because it isn’t. The Recaro performance design front seats with 8-way power driver’s seat hug your curves while you’re hugging the road. But this is a small sports sedan and that means less space. It also meant I had to lift my Grandmom “arse” up and out of the car! But that’s going to be the same with any sports sedan and it was worth sacrificing space (and the arse lift) to experience the pure fun of driving the WRX. Besides, I’ve never owned a car with a performance package—and I happen to like the sound of that.

Read more: I played with the Subaru WRX but I bought the Subaru Outback. Here’s why.

More Space Than Expected In The Rear Seat Of The 4 Door Sports Sedan, 2018 Subaru Wrx
The back seat is larger than expected. My husband could fit fairly comfortably. Photo: Terri Marshall

What’s new for the 2018 Subaru WRX Premium?

All 2018 Subaru WRX models feature a revised front styling for a more aggressive look including a redesigned front grille. Interior upgrades include thicker side glass, improved door seals and a foam-filled windshield-header beam: all of this results in a quieter ride. Suspension has been optimized for better handling and ride comfort. Also new in 2018, is a fold down center armrest for rear-passengers that includes two additional cup holders.

In addition to the Recardo performance design front seats with 8-way power driver’s seat, the Performance Package option includes performance front brake pads and red finish front and rear brake calipers (because red means sporty, right?) Note: If you opt for the performance package, you’ll lose the moonroof that comes standard with other models. But, you’ll gain that race car feel…so you can create your own sunshine.

Read more: Subaru loves the earth! 

New More Aggressive Look For The 2018 Subaru Wrx 4-Door Sports Sedan
The 2018 Subaru WRX has a new more aggressive look–it suits it! Photo: Terri Marshall

Other Key Features on the WRX Premium

  • 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
  • Performance tires
  • Halogen fog lights
  • SUBARU STARLINK 7” Multimedia Plus with smartphone app integration, 6 speakers, voice activated controls, Siri Eyes Free, HD Radio with iTunes tagging capability, USB port/iPod control, Sirius XM All0Access Radio and Travel Link, Bluetooth connectivity
  • Leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth control switches
  • Power windows
  • Rear-vision camera
  • Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
  • 7 airbags
The Trunk Space Was Much Larger Than Expected. We Even Made A Costco Run While We Were Out Of The City
The trunk space was much larger than expected. We even made a Costco run while we were out of the city. Photo: Terri Marshall

What I Loved

  • Plenty of trunk space (I even did a Costco run while I was out of the city—anyone need extra toilet paper?)
  • Sporty ride that’s fun to drive—especially on those winding back roads
  • Easy (and smooth) shifting for the 6-speed manual transmission
  • 4-doors on a sports car!
  • Excellent acceleration for merging onto the highway

What you need to know

  • Performance package deletes the standard moonroof feature
  • Uses regular fuel
  • Estimated MPG 23 Highway 20 City (I averaged 26 MPG on the highway)
  • The Subaru WRX Premium with Performance Package doesn’t come with the full safety tech feature of other Subarus (i.e. No blind spot monitors or adaptive cruise control)
  • Subaru WRX is available with automatic transmission, but not with the Performance Package–because if you really want to perform, you’ll want the manual transmission!
  • Price for model I drove: $32,205
  • If you carry a big purse and are worried about your lipsticks flying when you accelerate, know that you will have to experiment to find a safe place to stow your handbag. I opted for a small clutch that I could toss into my backpack!

4 Door Sports Sedan The 2018 Subaru Wrx Premium

Where I’d really like to take this car

I loved my time with the 2018 Subaru WRX Premium: driving the back roads, shifting gears, listening to 70s and 80s music, pretending I was young again. What I would REALLY like to do is drive this car on Germany’s Autobahn. I can see me hanging out in the middle lane then, when the fast lane cleared, I would step on the gas and zoom this baby up to well over 100 MPH. Oh, yeah!

By the way, another young man came to pick up the Subaru WRX. He asked me how I liked the car and I shared my thoughts of driving on the Autobahn.

I knew what he was thinking: “Wow, she’s younger than I expected.” He didn’t say it, but I knew.

Subaru provided the Subaru WRX for my review and a return to my younger days. All opinions are my own.

Terri Marshall
Terri Marshall

Terri Marshall grew up road-tripping around the country. Her love for the open road remains strong today. A travel and auto writer, Terri's work has been published in numerous magazines & websites including AARP.org, Girl Camper Magazine, and TravelingMom.com. Find more at www.trippingwithterri.com

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