Thread 28691909

late to the party but someone explain how subaru is pricing the base model 2025 wrx at $40,000. Are they fucking insane? Who the fuck is paying $40k for this thing?

that's lower than the average price of a new car sold in the US

>>28691909 (OP)
Every WRX they make is a Crosstrek/Forester not made - so they're going to price the WRX to not sell so they'll have an excuse to discontinue it and consolidate their portfolio around their best sellers.

>>28691915
yeah but the average car people in the US buy is a nicely loaded SUV, often a hybrid. this is a fucking 4banger with a turbo and has no fancy shit at all. its a fucking subaru,, not a rav4 or crv that everyone is killing themselves over these days

>>28691924
>so they're going to price the WRX to not sell so they'll have an excuse to discontinue it
Why would they do this at a substantially higher cost vs. discontinuing the model immediately? In the UK they only sell crosstreks and foresters now, nothing else. So just do the same to other markets where the WRX isnt selling enough

'04 WRX was $26k.
>45k in 2025bux
OP is mad a car exists and needed something to whine about.

>>28691928
They probably have pre-existing production contracts / inventory that need to be fulfilled. They're just squeezing as much value out of it while it's still in production.

>>28691931
man i dont know if you think posting inflation numbers are some epic win in an argument but pricing is more than taking old number and putting it in an inflation calculator

>wages havent kept up with inflation, so the labor used to produce the car is the same
>productivity in automotive manufacturing has gone up substantially, each decade means a significantly workforce in factories, better quality vehicles and faster production times
>pricing reflects a whole fuckload of things, not just cost 20 years ago + inflation. demand, tariffs, competitor prices, etc etc

>>28691940
sorrytypos
>so the labor used to produce the car is the same
the labor *COSTS are *NOT the same

>>28691940
Go to engineering school. I did.
Work in car factories, I did.
Things aren't just stamped-out, and "enthusiasts" are a small market today. It's literally cheaper than WRXs used to be.
It's a reasonable price, get over it.
Are you saying you want a WRX for free and are super butthurt you can't afford one? Have you seen the prices of other cars, cars without real AWD drivetrains?

>>28691915
>average new car in the US
so an SUV which is already marked up 10-20k over a similarly equipped sedan or hatchback? guarantee the average is much lower if you exclude pickups and SUVs/crossovers

>>28691909 (OP)
Tarriff.
Government takes a bite out of everything.

>>28691953
a no option top trim AWD camry is 39k

>>28692003
>AWD camry
>Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
It's FWD and a clutch engages the rear wheels when slip is detected. Not real AWD.

>>28691950
>Go to engineering school. I did.
so did i actually, but im not a mech/autofag (though i was FSAE)

>Are you saying you want a WRX for free and are super butthurt you can't afford one?
Who wouldn't want a free car? ANd yes i absolutley am butthurt, I could afford one but it would feel like a complete rip off given the same car and the prev gen car was far cheaper just a couple of years ago. It feels like a major step backwards - cars are consolidating platforms and parts more than ever and production lines are more efficient than they have ever been (despite me never working in a car factory, i dont think you can argue that). maybe like the anon said its just tarriffs but something seems kind of completely fucked. again, this is a sort of sporty 4banger with a turbo, there's no magic. its a 4 year old car at this point and its not particularly fast or performant, just an interesting car. like, how can i buy a fucking toyota hybrid rav4 (or even a fucking forester!) for less than a base model wrx? this isnt an sti with an advanced configurable suspension or any bells and whistles its a bog standard highly mechanical car

>>28692003
So a vehicle with much better QC, fit and finish, and resale value and toyota tax is STILL cheaper. proving my point.

>>28691909 (OP)
The WRX is a very impressive car on paper.
It's something non-car people read about and think "Wow, this is a really nice car!"

>>28692009
Hey, I was in FSAE too! Good times.

>>28692009
So many parts of this post are highly naive but I'm going to call out this part in particular
>its a bog standard highly mechanical car
Anon, I'm not sure if youve noticed but highly mechanical things ARE MORE EXPENSIVE than shit laden with electrical gadgetry

>>28691909 (OP)
>someone explain how subaru is pricing the base model 2025 wrx at $40,000
Find me a new 4 cylinder turbo performance sedan/hatchback that costs substantially less than $40k. I'll wait.

>>28692008
Wow, and it's still just as expensive as the WRX. Almost seems like a good deal, now, doesn't it?

>>28692049
Yes it makes the WRX seem like a significantly better deal.

>>28692053
Thank you for agreeing with me.

>>28692046
uh
a
a k-kia k4 gt
there

>>28692089
>28k before options
>kia motor
good luck, champ

The Kia K4 GT-Line has 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque from its 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This power is sent to the front wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. This is an upgrade from the base model's 2.0-liter engine, which produces 147 horsepower

jesus christ why
tfw my old n/a shitbox has 170hp

>>28692089
>kia k4 gt
FWD. 190 hp even with a turbo. CVT. 0-60 in low 7s (a miata does 5.7).
Might as well get a used Abarth 500.

>>28692096
It does get 26/36 mpg. But yes, it's pretty weak.

>>28692096
emissions requirements
>>28692108
Wait that's not even that good.

>>28692046
mustang
cooper s
elantra n
gti

>>28691909 (OP)
$40k for a sports car, who cares. The real travesty is acking the outback.

>>28692089
>>28692096
>>28692105
What that a typo for K5? Because that's the only one with a GT trim, not 'GT-Line'.

>>28692188
It's weird that they can't get the 1.6T engine to make more than 200 hp
but I have seen the actual GT K5 in real life and it has these shiny dual exhausts that look nice

>>28692180
>mustang
starts at 32k with no options, next trim level is 38k
>cooper s
same as the stang
>elantra n
starts at 34k
>gti
same as the stang and cooper s

and none of them are AWD

>>28691909 (OP)
>is subaru retarded
Yes. Look at the WRX, it's fucking hideous with its cheap shitty plastic wheel arches, it's bloated as fuck and looks like a camry, and it's not even faster than the old models. Compare to something like a Mustang where today's GT is as fast as supercars were 25 years ago, today's WRX isn't appreciably faster than a WRX from two generations ago.

The price, though, that's just because the dollar is worthless now.

>>28692273
>it's not even faster than the old models.

Actually completely wrong, the new ones are as fast as the outgoing STi. They dyno the same actually.

Subaru is a very conservative company, they do incremental changes. The new WRX is unironically the best one they made to date, it looks better in any color other than blue and red. Orange actually looks really sharp irl. Its the best handling, most practical, strongest engine, best gas mileage, all things you want in a car.

>>28691909 (OP)
I for one cannot wait for the concept-b sti reveal. I want the car with a new hat.

>>28692417
Dumb fanboy

>>28692192
>starts at 32k with no options, next trim level is 38k
What options even matter? All faster and cheaper and better milage than the wrx right out the box. There's honestly no stronger arguments for anything else under 50k.
Same with the Elanta N but slightly less fast slightly more expensive and slightly worse milage compared to the stang, but still all of those advantages over the WRX. Cooper S or GTI if your tastes are even cheaper and more efficient but still under 6s to 60.

>>28692192
>show me cars under 40k
>mad they're in the mid 30s
what's a gli go for stateside? those are noticeably cheaper than the hatch here, and have the same motor. is that better for your goalpost moving ass?

>>28691909 (OP)
I thought they're discontinuing the base model so maybe that's why it looks like lowest trim is really expensive?

>>28691931
These inflation calculators are bullshit, because they don't account for the loss of spending power. Very few people increased their income 1:1 with inflation, and very few people had their expenses track 1:1 with "official" CPI...

People have way, way less buying power today than before, with exception to asset rich boomers and Jews, at the cost of a disappearing middle class

>>28692603
>People have way, way less buying power today
many of my relatives went straight from highschool to low skill union labour and were making around 30/hr decades ago. they could all afford to buy a house in major cities. barely anyone in any low skilled position cracks that nowadays, yet everything costs astronomically more

>>28692603
Yes, buying power has gone down, but everything is more expensive.
A Taco bell meal that was $6 20 yrs ago is $15 now, but somehow only Subaru is to blame? For not inflating the price of a car as much as the average rate? Come the fuck on.
Just 10 years ago a Pentastar Wrangler was $19k, now it's $33k. Why not bitch about that?

>>28691909 (OP)
>Who the fuck is paying $40k for this thing?
IT nerds who sleep with anime pillows. They picked the worst career path possible so don't assume they're going to be financially smart.

>>28692661
You can do a lot worse than IT in today's world. IT includes coding, smartass. And no, I don't work in IT.

>>28691909 (OP)
You guys need to realize that inflation will just keep getting worse.

Wages typically increase commiserate with inflation especially when there's a labor shortage. Policy makers import immigrants to pay low wages thereby artificially propping up markets. That's where all their funds are invested.

The best time to buy anything is yesterday.
The second best time is right now.
>printers go brrrr

>>28692685
IT SHOWS

>>28692661
This is oddly specific. Sounds like either you have a beef with some IT dork or you're projecting

>>28691909 (OP)
Stop cumplaynin, start Luigi'ing and Minecrafting

>>28691928
They don't sell Outbacks in the UK? It's the best Subaru.

>>28692653
My immigrant father in law went straight into $55/h as a drywall contractor. He hasn't had a pay rise in 15 years... But that means he was raking it in for a guy that barely spoke English.
Meanwhile, my mother in law has no idea why we struggled to afford what we did, even on my decent salary.

>>28692658
Hey man, I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make

>>28692705
The other thing is, there's never deflation. People cheer when inflation increases less, thinking that inflation is decreasing... They're wrong. People don't understand statistics

>>28692685
>You can do a lot worse than IT in today's world
You would have to try pretty hard. Delivering packages or working up your way in a fast food franchise is a better career path. AI or a thirdie in the third world will never replace those jobs.

>>28692711
Cope more nerd.

>>28691909 (OP)
Damn. I got a base model for $27k in 23.

>>28691909 (OP)
they know WRXtards will pay the retard tax. imagine you're running a business. which position would you rather be in?
>sell 75k cars for $30k car with $25k manufacturing cost
>sell 25k cars for $40k with $25k manufacturing cost

>>28691909 (OP)
Stupid Mexicans who just got their first job making $21/hr

>>28692192
>starts at 32k with no options, next trim level is 38k
Dude no one wants an Ecoboost that will blow up after 40k miles

>>28692685
>IT includes coding
It doesn't
>And no, I don't work in IT
I can tell.
>>28693519
I know, you're agreeing with me.

>>28692729
>Hey man, I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make
My point is that, inflation considered, the WRX got cheaper where most other things did not - so why bitch about the WRX specifically? You could make the same argument about anything.

>>28692046
That's actually kinda crazy, I bought a new Fiesta ST with all the options for $23k in 2015. Drove it for 87k miles and got $13.5k for it 8 years later. Can't imagine buying something reasonably comparable for $40k at 7%+ financing lol

>>28691909 (OP)
I thought you were fucking with me, no the MSRP is 37,750 for a car that is as slow if not slower than it's predecessor.

>>28693551
You need to re-read my comments - I'm saying that goods being indexed to CPI very much understates the negative impact of inflation on buying power.

>>28694297
I noticed, I replied to that already. I'll do it again for your dumb ass:
Buying power is lower, but the price of everything (not just WRXs) has gone up, while WRXs haven't gone up as much as the average. Given this, why single out WRXs?
Why not single out Silverados, Mercedes, Wranglers, or Integras? Or McDondalds, GPUs, hot dogs, and clothes?
What is it about the WRX increasing in price (significantly lower than inflation) that makes you so maf?

>>28691925
I think the only reason they don't have a manual option of the Impreza RS is because they know it would cannibalize WRX sales

>>28694154
Let's be real, your 197hp FWD shitbox doesn't compare to an AWD car with 271hp.

>>28694154
The equivalent of that today would be something like a Civic Si or a similar warm sport compact like a Turbo Kia. The Fiesta was also abnormally cheap, it was a parts bin car that towards the end Ford was clearancing out.

Does the VB really offer that much better of an experience over the previous gen VA to deserve the higher price? The current model year can use tariffs as an excuse but this shit started in MY 23. When they cut the "base" trim that just meant the previously mid "premium" trim became the new base. With inflation the TS is the price of a VA STi but lacks any powertrain upgrades. They can't even give you the locking diffs or a stronger transmission to handle mods.

I don't know who the US market for the WRX is now as it was always the most bang-for-the-buck Japanese car for sale here but now its as expensive as the GT/SS/SRTs were just 3 years ago. Its the definitive 7/10 in all categories car and that was great when it cost the same as a Camry and a few simple mawds meant maybe 5k in parts. It is a sports sedan for the exceptionally rational that was previously marketed towards proto-enthusiast teens but now is being purchased by ex-weebs that have kids.

I don't miss my VA at all but I do have it to thank for setting me down a better path in life. I did keep the shift knob

>>28694472
Imagine your car if it had a good tune from the factory and a engine that can reasonably handle 2x the horsepower from the factory (transmission only good to 350-400whp though).

The WRX after 2015 was meant for people who want a manual AWD sedan without paying the $50-60k for a BMW xDrive or Audi S car. That's why they sell well in the snow states. Its also why it moved upmarket and the average WRX buyer is a millennial with a kid in America who still wants a manual transmission experience and a salaryman/boomer in Japan (replaced the big sedans of the 90s like Laurel and Chaser, almost exclusively sold in CVT). After 2007 it was threatened by stuff like the Cobalt SS and Mazdaspeed 3 (then GTi, then the Focus STs, now Elantra N)

tldr AWD manual sedan niche

>>28694496
Mine was tuned with a few associated mods, like coilovers.

Even the final version of the COBB OTS 93 octane tune made a bit under 300 torque at the wheels so if you factor parasitic loss thats probably around 330-350tq at the crank. Right on the "safe" limit. I remember being in my garage looking at my WRX and looking at parts list including an e85 kit and just thinking "why?" Real life isn't Grand Autismo. "Upgrades" aren't always upgrades. I was going to turn that car into something its not.

When I meant the exceptionally rational, I meant that the car comes from the factory good enough. It makes enough power, better than average handling, etc. When viewed objectively it is the only AWD, manual, high power sedan left on the market that isn't from a premium brand. In Japan the average age of a WRX buyer is over 60 but for most of the models life in the US it was high schoolers and college kids that wanted them the most. Moving up market is unfortunately the default state of being but this is a particularly hard betrayal.

Why even bother with the super ugly new Subaru crap? Just buy a used 2000s-2010s Subaru for $10-15k and keep $10k saved for a new engine/trans. You're still saving $15k compared to this new bloated shit.

People who want the WRX badge will be those who still want the thing from 20 years ago or kept buying it the whole time. You can also just buy the base Impreza, right? No need to get WRX? People flip these in the ditch all the time. They really can’t drive.
They don’t handle like 00s-04 cars. They are locked in to pavement and aren’t made to drift around dirt. The impression of horsepower is barely there now too. I don’t want WRX anymore, because I can get a faster car for similar money this far into the future.

>>28691909 (OP)
dollars are worthless, so that's cheap

why are you guys so mean, we just like subies

>>28691925
Subaru is a specialized vehicle with the best AWD system outside of serious offroaders. If you need AWD, you pay 40k for the Subaru. If you don't, you buy a RAV4.