@@-16-wrx- this. and even if you paint the wheel arches, they are still horribly misshapen and mismatched to the rest of the body lines and downright hideous. dont get me wrong, it probably will be remembered as classic, if only because it will be one of the last affordable, manual, ICE, driver's cars. which says more about the state of the industry than about the car
I still don't like the stinkeye WRX, especially the narrow body sedan version. And i didn't like the interior on those either. At least the widebody hatch was pretty cool
It's crazy how much better it is when body matched! I made an edit when the car was first released and honestly I believe Subaru should offer color matched fenders from the factory as an option. I can see why the plastic cladding is a plus. I see a lot of VB owners beating their WRXs in the dirt without much care because the plastic cladding works pretty well for offroad bashing! Still not totally sold on the design, the headlights look too small, I think some overlays would help. Most of my other issues can be fixed with the aftermarket which, it's a Japanese sports sedan, why would you NOT modify it?
Im in a few wrx/sti groups and a salesman at a dealership posted a wrx subaru sent for display at their dealership that had paint matched cladding and bumpers. The fog lights were covered in paint it didnt look bad but it was clearly just for show
Am I alone in hating the tablet sized screens in-dash radios? Especially terrible to see at night. Also all that black plastic may look ok now, but a few years in it's going to be gray and sun faded, then you get the joy of trying to rejuvenate it. Hopefully the STI has a better body kit
goddamn, I didn't think those small changes on the rear end would look THAT good. You're right it's insane how much small changes can affect our perception of it
I have a 22… the fenders grow on you and I’ll never color match them. Every car has something that sets it apart from the previous model. I see it as a aftermarket opportunity for some really cool ideas in the future for some fenders you can just clip on instead of cutting or putting holes in your stock fenders
Same here with my 22, I didn't think that I would grow to love them as much as I have, and yeah I'm just excited for potential body kits and respective wheel combos without having to cut the fenders up as much.
All the plastic around the fenders and in the rear is so that it's not painted, so when you go off-road, it doesn't damage the paint, like I did with my own previous generation
Problem is, it can also trap moisture, salt, and debris which rust out the metal it's attached to even faster. So curious how this holds up later on. Because previous models that did this almost always have rust issues there underneath the plastic. Such as older outbacks and legacies with the rubber inner liner.
Yea the plastic is to protect the car from harsh environment. Which is another reason why I'm happy to be trading in WRX (also cause I blew my motor) for a brand new one. On top of that they fix the engine problems we had with the FA (rev hang and power band) so this car will be a fun car
I looove your redesigns!! However I have the 2022 wrx after having a 2018 GTI and let me tell you the smiles I get every snow day is just un-beatable!! Also the wrx is much much larger way more comfortable!! Love your videos ! Can’t wait to work on my aesthetic mods a little however I won’t paint the fender flairs as I own a home on gravel roads and LOOOOVE ripping it not having to worry about rocks and the fenders creating rust issues! Amazing job subaru and good for you guys for being original!
Agree. The black plastic cladding on the fender is tacky and ugly. Subaru wants to emphasize the light offroad ability, but it's still a sedan, not an SUV or crossover. Body color looks much better
I would seriously consider checking out Subimods Varis Kitted 2022 WRX, Body Matched Cladding, Big Wing, Wide Wheels and a nice stance, really transforms the look of the car!
It actually DOES look better in real life. I think they should have gone with the red for the release color. The orange was just too high of a contrast, and the orange def had a crosstrek vibe...
Yeah lmfao. Orange was the Crosstrek’s color 😂 If they changed nothing except adding a slightly larger WRX style, but not huge STI, wing and released it in WR Blue, it would have been a hit.
I'm excited to see all the parts coming out too. Many Aftermarket companies like GrimmSpeed, Perrin and more will be dropping more products this Spring and Summer.
I own a '22. I believe the hood scoop is too conservative; needs to be more aggressive. I don't care about the cladding. The duck bill wing upgrade makes a huge difference. I have the side skirts and front lip, which together makes it look pretty awesome. I've had older STIs try and keep up and can't, unless tuned maybe. I dislike the wheels sitting inside too far of the wheel well.
I bought a 22 wrx, hated it at first, saw it in person once and ever since then it grew on me until I forked over the money and bought a world Daly blue one. And can confidently say I love the way it looks and it drives amazing
I wish people would stop making excuses for these cars. It's hilarious to me that people are just OK with modify this car to look like it should have looked from factory. Yeah it looks a lot better with the fenders paint matched to the car but guess what, it's not! And you have to pay additional money to modify it to look halfway decent. Not to mention a Toyota camry can out perform this car now. It's sad
I think it looks great wing or no wing. The only unpainted wheel wells are a better design choice and the so called “cheap looking plastic” is also a better design choice and in my opinion a better looking design overall
I have the orange 2022. I honestly prefer the carbon fiber black trim especially on the orange. I agree I Like the rear spoiler better and wish I had that as a stock option. I also liked the STI front bumper bricks better. Overall, I love the shit out of this car.
Body color matched flares and skirts need to be optioned from Subaru factory as a trim option, dealer add-on, via parts counter or something. Lot of these cars sit on the lot and subaru is leaving money on the table by having the aftermarket take all the money for this.
I put a glossy red reflective strip across the the trunk, connecting the taillights and it does look good. Almost dead on color match to the red taillights and at night with headlights on it it looks like a light bar.
Generally, I always take new cars with a grain of salt, no matter what it is, because…… if you think about it, really, it’s such a risk for these companies to come out with a new design they HAVE to try to get it right, so even if the design might seem strange at first, change is always hard and what we don’t see, the manufacturer normally did see and hence why it Doesn’t happen every single year, so much tweaking over the years of the new model just to get it right so the end result has a pretty good chance of being good vs generally not good. (Not taking into account any changes due to emissions, or safety)
The VB has received a lot of hate for how it looks, and whenever I get criticized for buying one, I just ask them if they've driven one to which the answer is always "no". WRX's have never been beautiful out of the box, and this one is no different. But, WRX's have always been one of the best ways to get into an enthusiast car without breaking the bank. A nice turbo'd boxer with an extra .5 liters of displacement to play with. Im all smiles with my VB :)
It grew on me..But I've always loved the Bug and version 6. People hated the bug so much it got redesigned in 2 years but now its cool again! People change, just give it a few years.
I've seen quite a few around since last spring. Once you get past the flares and plastic, the actual issues I have with the design become more apparent, and the small-ish headlights aren't the problem. There are two issues I have. 1. One of the upper body lines that follows the door handles drops off and away from the body line on the fender (above the flare). It just drops away and fades into nowhere on the drivers' door and completely disrupts the side profile. 2. The rear bumper doesn't stick out like a "diaper" - in fact it sticks out less than the VA rear bumper. The issue is how chunky and squared off it is. It makes the angles on the bumper wrapping around to the rear quarter panels way boxy and large. I think the VB looks nice from some angles - it comes across very sharp and crisp. However, because of some odd body lines and shapes, the VB also looks awkward and bloated from other angles. I think some of these decisions were made to make the doors appear more trim which serves to emphasize the fender flares, and overall the width of the car at all four corners. In particular, the more boxy rear bumper was probably done to keep the car from appearing to taper too much at the rear since the upper section of the rear quarter panels really taper into a wedge shape that makes the trunk lid get skinny. Without a chunkier rear bumper, this could make the back end look too soft and appear to be more narrow than the body along the doors. That would make the doors appear to be wider, which would deemphasize the fender flares, thus making the car appear more portly and less aggressive. Overall, there is a lot to like about the VB's design. However, I think there are several style choices that weren't executed well. It's almost as if some styling choices were made to attempt to mask other poor styling choices instead of just revising the initially poor styling choice. I think you see this a lot of modern cars because designers have become incredibly hamstrung by regulations and need to balance style with aerodynamic efficiency (which is itself an outgrowth of regulations to an extent). Subaru is a small company that doesn't have the resources of a Honda or Toyota (despite Toyota's stake in them). They can't make revision after revision or invest heavily in underbody aero like other companies can. Naturally, they also can't spend as much time/money on design as other companies. They do the best with what they have. Again, the VB has a lot to like overall. Personally, unless Subaru drops some kind of tS or substantial performance pack option in the next couple of years (as in not just Brembos and Recaros like the PP on my VA has), I see no reason for anyone with a VA in good condition to run out and grab a VB. Even with the easy massive power gains we're seeing the FA24 make with simple tunes, it's just not worth it in our current environment. I bought my 2020 WRX Premium w/ PP on NYE 2020. I paid 10% under MSRP and interest rates were 1.9% for 6 damn years at that point. At present, I think I owe something like $23k on a low interest loan that is quickly being devalued by inflation. $34k for a brand new VB Premium is a great deal! What's not a great deal is the 4.5-6% interest rate I'd be looking at on a car that I'd have no shot at getting for less than MSRP (which is a fair price at the end of the day, but when you consider my current position, it's not so nice). Ignore anything to do with whether we're in or headed to a recession, whether more lay offs are coming. I'd be going from owing $23k with low interest to owing probably $44k after sales tax/interest for a WRX that is "the best WRX ever", but is also only marginally more capable in terms of performance than my current WRX. It would be more refined of a drive overall, but would it be $20k further in the hole better than my VA? Not a chance. For anyone with a VA in good condition than has less than 50-60k miles, it's just not worth it financially unless Subaru ups performance ante substantially. There will be no STI, but there could be something in works for more performance from the factory. Especially if you outright own your car, I just can't see it being worth it to go at least $40k deep on a VB right now. Maybe in a couple years in interest rates are a bit more reasonable, negotiating for less than MSRP is in play, and Subaru at least offers a trim or option that ups the performance ante in a meaningful way, then it would make sense. TL;DR: the VB is fantastic, and there's a lot to like about its design. There's also a lot to dislike, but we should temper our expectations given Subaru's budget. In the current landscape of buying/selling cars, it doesn't make sense to upgrade from a VA, regardless of the FA24's tuning potential. It might be worth it in a couple of years if the interest rates come down and dealer inventories in general stack up again.
I love mine and I love the bumpers and cladding. The wrx is supposed to be a rugged car and not a princess beauty contest car. I loved my blobeye 04 wrx but I'm so glad I bought the 2022 wrx instead of a 2021 sti. Not only does it have a better motor and is faster than the sti but it looks better. Everyone has their own opinion and that's cool, but for me, the Last good looking wrx was the Hawkeye until the VB. Don't get me wrong though, I love all subarus and we are all brothers and sisters equally in the end.
It is not faster than the sti by any measure. Sti is still about half a second quicker 0-60. Sti makes more power, more torque, has shorter gearing and weighs the same. As far as your better motor, they all have way too much rtv in them because.. subaru.. and they will starve of oil. More fb24's fail every day due to this issue. They don't want to acknowledge the recall yet because they are having enough trouble moving the cars off the lots as it is.
It just sucks that there won't be an STI. I feel like that's where subaru dropped the ball there. If there was an STI WRX, I feel like people would overlook almost every flaw with the design
I still hate it Lately companies lost their creativity & originality All they do is just make a Civic taillights, mind you the same goes for the GT86 What's Next? Mazda & Mitsubishi with Civic taillights? This is why the new models will never be truly unique, no matter how much a person try to hype or praise it
I would propose a compromise: matte plastic that is color-matched to the body. And before you say "WTF?!"...I got the idea from the Volvo XC70 (Cross Country) and always felt that if cars need to have impact and chip-resistant unpainted body panels, they should be color-matched like Volvo (and I think Audi) did. Also...that accentuated rear fender is gorgeous, and many compact sport-sedans have styling that could almost be coupe-like if you squint. I therefore wish more manufacturers in this segment would use a rear door handle hidden in the D-pillar, like the Alfa 156 (or dare I say...the new Prius.)
my 2 major complaints about it is. The headlights are wayyy to small imo, they just dont give that WRX style, i dont like em. And my god dont get me started on the plastic that is all over that car. And i dont really mind the rear that much, i mean the taillights are pretty much the new BRZ lights. Its not a bad car but just pretty flawed in my opinion
On the previous gen WRX, iirc, Subaru said that they won't be making an STI version but they did. Hopefully, they will make an STI again in the near future...
I mean the design isn't bad, it's just small things that create MASSIVE eye sores. The plastic on the rear bumper, the plastic fender flares, if it was a gloss black it would look better but the matte just clashes to much. I personally would buy one, but I would never trade in my 21 STI for it. I'd get one as a daily after seeing what Subaru does with the refresh
I test drove an ‘18 . My impression was “wow, this drives and feels like a really quick pickup truck”. If the new one is better than that, it’s not saying much. I have owned four Subarus of older generations and finally got tired of interior by Rubbermaid.
My 05 WRX wagon was totaled last year, so I was in the market for a new car. I wanted an AWD sedan or hatch, so naturally I looked into the new Subarus. But I ended up going with a Mazda 3 AWD hatchback, and I have zero regrets.
I like the new one, it’s over hated and people have no clue what good really is. The only part I can’t stand is the bumper, but the fender lines are amazing imo
It’s really pretty awful with the fenders and horrible diffuser though. The aeroflow kit is so necessary because you just can’t see the beautiful flow of the lines without it.
Why did car manufacturers start making window line tilted up towards the boot it really makes most of the cars weaker in shoulders and the stance is uglier too I feel like the more they tilt the line the worse is cars look overall
I absolutely love my 22. I've had 4 wrx's from 4 different generations and this is by far the best one I have driven. And I love it just the way it is.
I don’t care that the aesthetic design doesn’t look good, I do mind that’s what they focused on. Used the same engine for the sti for like 20 years and then canceled it, then stuffed a forester engine in the wrx that redlines at 6000 rpm
Its a good way to get suckers to pay 10k more for a subaru forester that is still not truly off-road capable. Don't waste your money. You can take a regular forester, spend 3500 dollars on parts and a weekend in your garage and you'll have the exact same thing as a forester wilderness for 7 grand less
My least favorite part of this gen WRX is the gloss black bar on the trunk between the rear taillights. If i were to ever get one the first thing i will do is wrap that part & the side fenders to color match the rest of the body. Also, I actually prefer real gauges vs fake digital gauges & full digital HUD screen displays. I just like that analog feeling. Everything is all digital & electric it feels numb & boring.
And in 30 years when holograms and Augemented Reality is a thing, someone is going to say they miss the Digital "Touch" Screens and everything being holographic is boring. You are basically having the old head/old grandpa mentality when it comes to new tech. Just adapt and move on. Sure the old ways will always be better but everything will eventually become the "old ways".
@@aliasronin5661 uhhh no. I have my preferences & actually appreciate change more than most people. So nice try kid dont assume i got an “old head/old grandpa” mentality. I have always adapted to change even outside the auto industry. All these subie fanboys were in outrage when the VB gen came out, while I actually appreciate it (although I had my share of criticisms like what i stated above). Or when BMW came out with the “kidney grill”. Its all preference not an “old head” mentality. Im just voicing my opinions & preferences, what i like & dont like. People so sensitive these days smh damn everything got their own opinions
@@mattrancho you say people are sensitive when you basically got offended by me saying old head mentality. Butthurt much? Maybe try to look past that one specific statement and look at the whole point I was making? Everything you said is valid too. I'm not over here denying anything. I only pointed that you sounded like a person with the old head mentality, not that you actually are one Mr.Sensitive
I hate the shape of the fender arches and the additional wheel gap is has over the Va. You really have to get the car stupid low to get rid of the wheel gap on the 22.
My kids 8 and 10, really dislike the new wrx. They like the 2020 much more and say the new wrx doesn’t look like a wrx because the tail looks like a civic. We saw it at the dealership and it was even worse in person. Only seen 2 on the road so far. Our community has not adapted to what it offers
Look into the over use of oil pan silicone from the factory during engine assembly. Silicone is being found in the oil pan and it gets into the oil pick up tube and clogs the screen resulting in oil starvation and damage to engine. Videos about this are here in TH-cam. Subaru does not seem to act on this, engine replacements have been done. IMO Subaru quality sucks in some areas.
Sure, it was never meant to be pretty (though some could argue some iterations have been, such as the 22B), but they still tried to make a somewhat attractive product and failed. I agree that the lines are good and I think a good facelift is all this car needs to look attractive. Judging by the rest of Subaru's current lineup tho I don't think their design team is capable of it. 2023 Legacy anyone? Yikes.
But this isn't an Impreza. It's a WRX. They are 2 separate entities and have been since 2015. Matched fender flares do make them look nicer but it doesn't change the rear end that screams Honda Civic. I own a 2015 Subaru WRX stage 1 pro tune and I'm happy until my next car.
You should have included the straight on front view, old model looks way better. This is the view where the small lights look really bad, and in combination with the large front grill, it looks like a small SUV. VB still looks horrible.
I saw a silver one in person and that car looked so good with the black contrasting on the silver. Wasn't until I saw it in person that I actually liked the styling.
Nobody likes the 07' pre facelift STI and no one will like this. This is objectively unacceptable like the 07' was. If it's accepted by the community, no facelift will be made, just like the '15 sti... didn't get a major redesign.
I own a 2016 WRX STI and I love looking at it. I believe this generation is the best I also like the new gen but with the painted panels. I would probably like the new gen over the previous if it was available in STI.
Any sti is a real sports car, an icon and a modern day classic. The VB wrx is a poorly executed stop gap that will be forgotten as soon as production ends.
Just get rid of the plastic wheel fascia. It looks horrible. The rest of it doesn't look bad. But that crap shouldn't be there. Actually looks hot AF in Pure Red
It wouldnt be a new WRX if the whole community didnt hate it immediately. Remind me in 10 years when people look back on this as a classic.
That horrendous rear bumper will never be liked. Ever.
@@-16-wrx- this. and even if you paint the wheel arches, they are still horribly misshapen and mismatched to the rest of the body lines and downright hideous.
dont get me wrong, it probably will be remembered as classic, if only because it will be one of the last affordable, manual, ICE, driver's cars. which says more about the state of the industry than about the car
I still don't like the stinkeye WRX, especially the narrow body sedan version. And i didn't like the interior on those either. At least the widebody hatch was pretty cool
@@-16-wrx- good looking car you'll get over it since you didnt design it🤡🤡🤡
@@-16-wrx- you should change your profile name to 16 sentra
It's crazy how much better it is when body matched! I made an edit when the car was first released and honestly I believe Subaru should offer color matched fenders from the factory as an option. I can see why the plastic cladding is a plus. I see a lot of VB owners beating their WRXs in the dirt without much care because the plastic cladding works pretty well for offroad bashing!
Still not totally sold on the design, the headlights look too small, I think some overlays would help. Most of my other issues can be fixed with the aftermarket which, it's a Japanese sports sedan, why would you NOT modify it?
the body matching doesn't actually hide the contours of the cladding - looks worse
Like a turd with sprinkles on it, it is TECHNICALLY better
@@tear728 maybe with gloss black it could work
The gray looks the best with cladding
Im in a few wrx/sti groups and a salesman at a dealership posted a wrx subaru sent for display at their dealership that had paint matched cladding and bumpers. The fog lights were covered in paint it didnt look bad but it was clearly just for show
Am I alone in hating the tablet sized screens in-dash radios? Especially terrible to see at night. Also all that black plastic may look ok now, but a few years in it's going to be gray and sun faded, then you get the joy of trying to rejuvenate it. Hopefully the STI has a better body kit
goddamn, I didn't think those small changes on the rear end would look THAT good. You're right it's insane how much small changes can affect our perception of it
OldSchool Subaru Was Beautiful
Disagree
And is the new one was aggressive?
Not really. Purposeful but not beautiful
@@fifteen8850 Bug eye and the one before it were amazing looking.
I agree, that’s why I own a gc8 and a bugeye
I have a 22… the fenders grow on you and I’ll never color match them. Every car has something that sets it apart from the previous model. I see it as a aftermarket opportunity for some really cool ideas in the future for some fenders you can just clip on instead of cutting or putting holes in your stock fenders
Same here with my 22, I didn't think that I would grow to love them as much as I have, and yeah I'm just excited for potential body kits and respective wheel combos without having to cut the fenders up as much.
@@tracesalisbury4155 🙌🏽
Yeah I love my world rally blue 22 WRX with the black fenders
Me and my 2020 STI Say otherwise Or pick your poison.
2020 + STI 100% with engine and transmission Not quite a fan of the new car
All the plastic around the fenders and in the rear is so that it's not painted, so when you go off-road, it doesn't damage the paint, like I did with my own previous generation
Problem is, it can also trap moisture, salt, and debris which rust out the metal it's attached to even faster. So curious how this holds up later on. Because previous models that did this almost always have rust issues there underneath the plastic. Such as older outbacks and legacies with the rubber inner liner.
Lets be real here, most people will never take there wrx "off road"
@@thedude9999 let’s be real. Most wrx look garbage anyway. It’s a drivers car and shouldn’t be coveted for it’s looks.
Yea the plastic is to protect the car from harsh environment. Which is another reason why I'm happy to be trading in WRX (also cause I blew my motor) for a brand new one. On top of that they fix the engine problems we had with the FA (rev hang and power band) so this car will be a fun car
I looove your redesigns!! However I have the 2022 wrx after having a 2018 GTI and let me tell you the smiles I get every snow day is just un-beatable!!
Also the wrx is much much larger way more comfortable!!
Love your videos ! Can’t wait to work on my aesthetic mods a little however I won’t paint the fender flairs as I own a home on gravel roads and LOOOOVE ripping it not having to worry about rocks and the fenders creating rust issues!
Amazing job subaru and good for you guys for being original!
Agree. The black plastic cladding on the fender is tacky and ugly. Subaru wants to emphasize the light offroad ability, but it's still a sedan, not an SUV or crossover. Body color looks much better
I would seriously consider checking out Subimods Varis Kitted 2022 WRX, Body Matched Cladding, Big Wing, Wide Wheels and a nice stance, really transforms the look of the car!
@Michael Benson yes, but you should not have to spend an extra 5-10k just to fix the looks of a brand new car. Anything from varis is spendy.
No one ever shows it really, but the new WRX looks best in red. It completely changed my mind on the car when I saw it in that color.
I snagged a red '22, absolutely love it
@@Waste_MTG good look paying it off🤡✌️
@@AngelValdovinos lmao seriously dude, it's only 4k more expensive than a base Corolla and cheaper than a Hyundai Tucson lol I think he'll manage 🤡✌
@@AngelValdovinos There's better ways to announce that you make sub 25k a year 🤡
@@StarlightLancer01 triple champ🤡✌️
Nah it's still ugly
That's what I'm saying
It actually DOES look better in real life. I think they should have gone with the red for the release color. The orange was just too high of a contrast, and the orange def had a crosstrek vibe...
Yeah lmfao. Orange was the Crosstrek’s color 😂 If they changed nothing except adding a slightly larger WRX style, but not huge STI, wing and released it in WR Blue, it would have been a hit.
@@CaptainAlex69 agreed
It looks worse
The plastic wheel arches make it look like it was inspired by a "cross-over" not by rally
I'm excited to see all the parts coming out too. Many Aftermarket companies like GrimmSpeed, Perrin and more will be dropping more products this Spring and Summer.
Ford shows that simple and cheap interior doesn't have to be ugly
I own a '22. I believe the hood scoop is too conservative; needs to be more aggressive. I don't care about the cladding. The duck bill wing upgrade makes a huge difference. I have the side skirts and front lip, which together makes it look pretty awesome. I've had older STIs try and keep up and can't, unless tuned maybe. I dislike the wheels sitting inside too far of the wheel well.
I bought a 22 wrx, hated it at first, saw it in person once and ever since then it grew on me until I forked over the money and bought a world Daly blue one. And can confidently say I love the way it looks and it drives amazing
In the 2022 model, Subaru should of just left the radio and a/c controls to buttons, not touch screen.
I wish people would stop making excuses for these cars. It's hilarious to me that people are just OK with modify this car to look like it should have looked from factory. Yeah it looks a lot better with the fenders paint matched to the car but guess what, it's not! And you have to pay additional money to modify it to look halfway decent. Not to mention a Toyota camry can out perform this car now. It's sad
I think it looks great wing or no wing. The only unpainted wheel wells are a better design choice and the so called “cheap looking plastic” is also a better design choice and in my opinion a better looking design overall
I think the rear fenders are great! Love the thickness of them
I have the orange 2022. I honestly prefer the carbon fiber black trim especially on the orange. I agree I Like the rear spoiler better and wish I had that as a stock option. I also liked the STI front bumper bricks better.
Overall, I love the shit out of this car.
The flares being plastic im assuming theyre clipped. Doesnt that mean making widebody kits will be easier?
Seeing them out in the wild I actually kind of like the design as well
Body color matched flares and skirts need to be optioned from Subaru factory as a trim option, dealer add-on, via parts counter or something. Lot of these cars sit on the lot and subaru is leaving money on the table by having the aftermarket take all the money for this.
I put a glossy red reflective strip across the the trunk, connecting the taillights and it does look good. Almost dead on color match to the red taillights and at night with headlights on it it looks like a light bar.
That sounds terrible.
Generally, I always take new cars with a grain of salt, no matter what it is, because…… if you think about it, really, it’s such a risk for these companies to come out with a new design they HAVE to try to get it right, so even if the design might seem strange at first, change is always hard and what we don’t see, the manufacturer normally did see and hence why it Doesn’t happen every single year, so much tweaking over the years of the new model just to get it right so the end result has a pretty good chance of being good vs generally not good. (Not taking into account any changes due to emissions, or safety)
The VB has received a lot of hate for how it looks, and whenever I get criticized for buying one, I just ask them if they've driven one to which the answer is always "no". WRX's have never been beautiful out of the box, and this one is no different. But, WRX's have always been one of the best ways to get into an enthusiast car without breaking the bank. A nice turbo'd boxer with an extra .5 liters of displacement to play with. Im all smiles with my VB :)
It grew on me..But I've always loved the Bug and version 6. People hated the bug so much it got redesigned in 2 years but now its cool again! People change, just give it a few years.
I've seen quite a few around since last spring. Once you get past the flares and plastic, the actual issues I have with the design become more apparent, and the small-ish headlights aren't the problem. There are two issues I have. 1. One of the upper body lines that follows the door handles drops off and away from the body line on the fender (above the flare). It just drops away and fades into nowhere on the drivers' door and completely disrupts the side profile. 2. The rear bumper doesn't stick out like a "diaper" - in fact it sticks out less than the VA rear bumper. The issue is how chunky and squared off it is. It makes the angles on the bumper wrapping around to the rear quarter panels way boxy and large.
I think the VB looks nice from some angles - it comes across very sharp and crisp. However, because of some odd body lines and shapes, the VB also looks awkward and bloated from other angles. I think some of these decisions were made to make the doors appear more trim which serves to emphasize the fender flares, and overall the width of the car at all four corners. In particular, the more boxy rear bumper was probably done to keep the car from appearing to taper too much at the rear since the upper section of the rear quarter panels really taper into a wedge shape that makes the trunk lid get skinny. Without a chunkier rear bumper, this could make the back end look too soft and appear to be more narrow than the body along the doors. That would make the doors appear to be wider, which would deemphasize the fender flares, thus making the car appear more portly and less aggressive.
Overall, there is a lot to like about the VB's design. However, I think there are several style choices that weren't executed well. It's almost as if some styling choices were made to attempt to mask other poor styling choices instead of just revising the initially poor styling choice. I think you see this a lot of modern cars because designers have become incredibly hamstrung by regulations and need to balance style with aerodynamic efficiency (which is itself an outgrowth of regulations to an extent). Subaru is a small company that doesn't have the resources of a Honda or Toyota (despite Toyota's stake in them). They can't make revision after revision or invest heavily in underbody aero like other companies can. Naturally, they also can't spend as much time/money on design as other companies. They do the best with what they have. Again, the VB has a lot to like overall.
Personally, unless Subaru drops some kind of tS or substantial performance pack option in the next couple of years (as in not just Brembos and Recaros like the PP on my VA has), I see no reason for anyone with a VA in good condition to run out and grab a VB. Even with the easy massive power gains we're seeing the FA24 make with simple tunes, it's just not worth it in our current environment. I bought my 2020 WRX Premium w/ PP on NYE 2020. I paid 10% under MSRP and interest rates were 1.9% for 6 damn years at that point. At present, I think I owe something like $23k on a low interest loan that is quickly being devalued by inflation. $34k for a brand new VB Premium is a great deal! What's not a great deal is the 4.5-6% interest rate I'd be looking at on a car that I'd have no shot at getting for less than MSRP (which is a fair price at the end of the day, but when you consider my current position, it's not so nice). Ignore anything to do with whether we're in or headed to a recession, whether more lay offs are coming. I'd be going from owing $23k with low interest to owing probably $44k after sales tax/interest for a WRX that is "the best WRX ever", but is also only marginally more capable in terms of performance than my current WRX. It would be more refined of a drive overall, but would it be $20k further in the hole better than my VA? Not a chance. For anyone with a VA in good condition than has less than 50-60k miles, it's just not worth it financially unless Subaru ups performance ante substantially. There will be no STI, but there could be something in works for more performance from the factory. Especially if you outright own your car, I just can't see it being worth it to go at least $40k deep on a VB right now. Maybe in a couple years in interest rates are a bit more reasonable, negotiating for less than MSRP is in play, and Subaru at least offers a trim or option that ups the performance ante in a meaningful way, then it would make sense.
TL;DR: the VB is fantastic, and there's a lot to like about its design. There's also a lot to dislike, but we should temper our expectations given Subaru's budget. In the current landscape of buying/selling cars, it doesn't make sense to upgrade from a VA, regardless of the FA24's tuning potential. It might be worth it in a couple of years if the interest rates come down and dealer inventories in general stack up again.
I really like it only things I don’t like is the screen and no wing but could just find one aftermarket once/if they start making them
I personally have always liked this new design over the last Gen. It looks more unique and tactical.
Get out
@@Austin-Afridi it does
Is not unique, Honda already has the look! LOL
@@vpkb you could have said that about the last Gen silly
i agree, it looks like it can handle well in rough environments
AeroFlow Dynamics, the brand that makes the body color kit, also makes STi and duckbill wings for the '22 WRX.
Or buy a VA chassis wrx, I bought a 2016 series hyperblue sti a few months ago and couldn’t be happier
Bembli, i think it would be nice if you made a video on your opinion of Lexus/Toyota's manual transmission they plan to put in their electric cars
The new WRX is attractive and heavily slept on. Got an Impreza to keep the payment down but this car is so beautiful
I love mine and I love the bumpers and cladding. The wrx is supposed to be a rugged car and not a princess beauty contest car. I loved my blobeye 04 wrx but I'm so glad I bought the 2022 wrx instead of a 2021 sti. Not only does it have a better motor and is faster than the sti but it looks better.
Everyone has their own opinion and that's cool, but for me, the Last good looking wrx was the Hawkeye until the VB. Don't get me wrong though, I love all subarus and we are all brothers and sisters equally in the end.
It is not faster than the sti by any measure. Sti is still about half a second quicker 0-60. Sti makes more power, more torque, has shorter gearing and weighs the same. As far as your better motor, they all have way too much rtv in them because.. subaru.. and they will starve of oil. More fb24's fail every day due to this issue. They don't want to acknowledge the recall yet because they are having enough trouble moving the cars off the lots as it is.
It just sucks that there won't be an STI. I feel like that's where subaru dropped the ball there. If there was an STI WRX, I feel like people would overlook almost every flaw with the design
Im different
i love the plastic around the wheels
gives it a look of more ground clearance looks more beefy
but definitely needs a wing
I'm honestly surprised Subaru didn't do an emergency refresh with body coloured fenders. I mean Chevy did it witht the Camaro
The fender flares are just unforgivable and the rear end is a mess too. They really screwed it up because it does have potential
I still hate it
Lately companies lost their creativity & originality
All they do is just make a Civic taillights, mind you the same goes for the GT86
What's Next? Mazda & Mitsubishi with Civic taillights? This is why the new models will never be truly unique, no matter how much a person try to hype or praise it
WRXs never came with the big wing, only STIs. WRXs came with nothing or a lip spoiler
I would propose a compromise: matte plastic that is color-matched to the body. And before you say "WTF?!"...I got the idea from the Volvo XC70 (Cross Country) and always felt that if cars need to have impact and chip-resistant unpainted body panels, they should be color-matched like Volvo (and I think Audi) did.
Also...that accentuated rear fender is gorgeous, and many compact sport-sedans have styling that could almost be coupe-like if you squint. I therefore wish more manufacturers in this segment would use a rear door handle hidden in the D-pillar, like the Alfa 156 (or dare I say...the new Prius.)
After a test drive, I start getting use to the design. Nice toy!
my 2 major complaints about it is. The headlights are wayyy to small imo, they just dont give that WRX style, i dont like em. And my god dont get me started on the plastic that is all over that car. And i dont really mind the rear that much, i mean the taillights are pretty much the new BRZ lights. Its not a bad car but just pretty flawed in my opinion
Again, I will buy it if it comes with pre-painted fender flares. I’m not spending 3000 to 4000 to have them painted.
On the previous gen WRX, iirc, Subaru said that they won't be making an STI version but they did. Hopefully, they will make an STI again in the near future...
I mean the design isn't bad, it's just small things that create MASSIVE eye sores. The plastic on the rear bumper, the plastic fender flares, if it was a gloss black it would look better but the matte just clashes to much. I personally would buy one, but I would never trade in my 21 STI for it. I'd get one as a daily after seeing what Subaru does with the refresh
Wow your redesign is spectacular. One of your best in my opinion. That WRX looks mean!
Glad you like it!
Test drove it. Was a big fan and the fa24 platform is great imo
I test drove an ‘18 . My impression was “wow, this drives and feels like a really quick pickup truck”. If the new one is better than that, it’s not saying much.
I have owned four Subarus of older generations and finally got tired of interior by Rubbermaid.
My 05 WRX wagon was totaled last year, so I was in the market for a new car. I wanted an AWD sedan or hatch, so naturally I looked into the new Subarus.
But I ended up going with a Mazda 3 AWD hatchback, and I have zero regrets.
That “air outlet” is not functional sadly. Some guys have cut it out and modified the inner fender so it is functional 4:30
I actually really like it now. But here in South Africa it costs about 44k USD equivalent. Lol
Ouch. Even a base model? Are all vehicles that expensive there?
It’s more in time with the car designs right now.. every year or two they will refined it more to look more aggressive and sleek.. 👍🏼
I like the new one, it’s over hated and people have no clue what good really is. The only part I can’t stand is the bumper, but the fender lines are amazing imo
People always hate new things. Lizard brains and all
It’s really pretty awful with the fenders and horrible diffuser though. The aeroflow kit is so necessary because you just can’t see the beautiful flow of the lines without it.
Why did car manufacturers start making window line tilted up towards the boot
it really makes most of the cars weaker in shoulders and the stance is uglier too
I feel like the more they tilt the line the worse is cars look overall
The black fenders on a dark silver looks pretty good, probably one of the few from factory that looks good w the ugly black fenders
It’s like putting sprinkles on a turd, it does TECHNICALLY taste better 🤣
We get the wagon in Australia. Its the looker. No arches. Tidier rear end. No manual thou, which sucks.
I absolutely love my 22. I've had 4 wrx's from 4 different generations and this is by far the best one I have driven. And I love it just the way it is.
You must be trolling
@@ianholmquist8492 do you have one lol
@Brodsworth i've had a few wrx's as well yeah. Currently in a 21 sti
Definitely needs color matching on the fenders. Wish the taillights didn't look like a Civic's either. Otherwise it's a good looking car
A black wing would have made the black fender flares fit more
U right. Let me tell you I bought the GT trim like 5-4 months ago and is amazing as a everyday drive.
Ok, I don’t hate the new WRX with or without the black fenders.
The dude only thing I don’t like is the weird body line swoosh on the front doors.
This dude lost me when he started criticizing the analogue gauges for 2023. Big sign that you're a poser car enthusiast
I don’t care that the aesthetic design doesn’t look good, I do mind that’s what they focused on. Used the same engine for the sti for like 20 years and then canceled it, then stuffed a forester engine in the wrx that redlines at 6000 rpm
What are your design thoughts on the Subaru Forester Wilderness?
Its a good way to get suckers to pay 10k more for a subaru forester that is still not truly off-road capable. Don't waste your money. You can take a regular forester, spend 3500 dollars on parts and a weekend in your garage and you'll have the exact same thing as a forester wilderness for 7 grand less
My least favorite part of this gen WRX is the gloss black bar on the trunk between the rear taillights. If i were to ever get one the first thing i will do is wrap that part & the side fenders to color match the rest of the body.
Also, I actually prefer real gauges vs fake digital gauges & full digital HUD screen displays. I just like that analog feeling. Everything is all digital & electric it feels numb & boring.
And in 30 years when holograms and Augemented Reality is a thing, someone is going to say they miss the Digital "Touch" Screens and everything being holographic is boring. You are basically having the old head/old grandpa mentality when it comes to new tech. Just adapt and move on. Sure the old ways will always be better but everything will eventually become the "old ways".
@@aliasronin5661 uhhh no. I have my preferences & actually appreciate change more than most people. So nice try kid dont assume i got an “old head/old grandpa” mentality. I have always adapted to change even outside the auto industry. All these subie fanboys were in outrage when the VB gen came out, while I actually appreciate it (although I had my share of criticisms like what i stated above). Or when BMW came out with the “kidney grill”. Its all preference not an “old head” mentality. Im just voicing my opinions & preferences, what i like & dont like. People so sensitive these days smh damn everything got their own opinions
@@mattrancho you say people are sensitive when you basically got offended by me saying old head mentality. Butthurt much? Maybe try to look past that one specific statement and look at the whole point I was making? Everything you said is valid too. I'm not over here denying anything. I only pointed that you sounded like a person with the old head mentality, not that you actually are one Mr.Sensitive
Painting over the black texture improves the look of these 100%
The body color rear bumper is so impactful too! Who's doing that?
Painting the flares still makes it look to thick at the side, i would honestly cut them and have the car lower
Bro. That rear wing on it makes it rally stand out!
I hate the shape of the fender arches and the additional wheel gap is has over the Va. You really have to get the car stupid low to get rid of the wheel gap on the 22.
i agree with you 100% on the rear end
Flat 4? When did they abandon the boxer?
Only issue with have is the spoiler not being there.
My kids 8 and 10, really dislike the new wrx. They like the 2020 much more and say the new wrx doesn’t look like a wrx because the tail looks like a civic. We saw it at the dealership and it was even worse in person. Only seen 2 on the road so far. Our community has not adapted to what it offers
‘21 profile looked better
It has outback plastic wheel arches & civic tail lights. Looks like crap
Look into the over use of oil pan silicone from the factory during engine assembly. Silicone is being found in the oil pan and it gets into the oil pick up tube and clogs the screen resulting in oil starvation and damage to engine. Videos about this are here in TH-cam. Subaru does not seem to act on this, engine replacements have been done. IMO Subaru quality sucks in some areas.
I really like silver with black rims and tinted windows 😊
Sure, it was never meant to be pretty (though some could argue some iterations have been, such as the 22B), but they still tried to make a somewhat attractive product and failed. I agree that the lines are good and I think a good facelift is all this car needs to look attractive. Judging by the rest of Subaru's current lineup tho I don't think their design team is capable of it. 2023 Legacy anyone? Yikes.
But this isn't an Impreza. It's a WRX. They are 2 separate entities and have been since 2015. Matched fender flares do make them look nicer but it doesn't change the rear end that screams Honda Civic. I own a 2015 Subaru WRX stage 1 pro tune and I'm happy until my next car.
Is this car reliable with cvt? I been wanting one but been hearing mixed reviews
Just dont get the cvt. whatever you do please don't lmao
You should have included the straight on front view, old model looks way better. This is the view where the small lights look really bad, and in combination with the large front grill, it looks like a small SUV. VB still looks horrible.
no it still sucks. i have a 2019 sti and anything after that goes downhill
34k for a wrx.. Oh man, I wish these were that cheap here in Brasil
Intake, e30 and pro tune gets you 360 whp conservatively on fa24. No wonder ppl hate it so much 😂
The headlight close to VIZIV headlight
I saw a silver one in person and that car looked so good with the black contrasting on the silver. Wasn't until I saw it in person that I actually liked the styling.
Same
I think they look worse in person
Every year people hate the new designed WRX but after a few years it grows on us and we accept it. I think the same will happen with this one.
Nobody likes the 07' pre facelift STI and no one will like this. This is objectively unacceptable like the 07' was. If it's accepted by the community, no facelift will be made, just like the '15 sti... didn't get a major redesign.
looks terrible and the ipad dash is horrible
People are sometimes too quick to dismiss
great video as always, but i would appreciate if you would stop using subtitles, it's kinda annoying
I liked it from day one....didnt understand all the hate..car has character that previous models missed
I own a 2016 WRX STI and I love looking at it. I believe this generation is the best I also like the new gen but with the painted panels. I would probably like the new gen over the previous if it was available in STI.
Any sti is a real sports car, an icon and a modern day classic. The VB wrx is a poorly executed stop gap that will be forgotten as soon as production ends.
Just get rid of the plastic wheel fascia. It looks horrible. The rest of it doesn't look bad. But that crap shouldn't be there.
Actually looks hot AF in Pure Red