The 2023 Subaru WRX Is $1,000 More Expensive But Still the Same Car

Photo: Subaru

After a controversial redesign last year, the Subaru WRX is back for 2023, and it’s more expensive than before. Combine the $1,000 increase in MSRP with the $25 more expensive destination charge, and you’ll pay $1,025 more for a 2023 WRX than a 2022 model.

Surely, this upcharge means Subaru made some changes to the base-model WRX, right? Maybe adaptive cruise control is standard now? Or it’s a little more powerful? Nope. You still have to upgrade to the CVT to get Subaru’s suite of advanced driver-assist features, and the engine still makes the same 271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

Unless we missed something, nothing about the 2023 Subaru WRX is different compared to 2022. It’s just more expensive. Spring for the fully loaded WRX GT, and it’ll cost you $43,390 with destination included. That’s still slightly cheaper than the $44,795 base-model BMW 330i, but not by much.

That said, while it’s frustrating to have to pay more money for the exact same car, it’s not completely surprising. Destination charges have generally been trending upward, and $1,020 is still a good bit less than the $1,595 Dodge charges for its vehicles. Throw in uncertainty about fuel prices due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and we’re a little surprised that when Subaru decided to increase its destination fee, it only upped it by $25.

Additionally, materials costs have also been going up at least in part because of ongoing supply chain issues. We can’t tell you how much of that $1,000 increase is related to inflation and how much of it is just extra profit, but again, price increases on goods aren’t exactly surprising, especially this late in 2022.