The 2002 Subaru Wrx Punched Way Above Its Weight, And It Was Quicker Than A 2025 Wrx Ts

It seems for illustration each procreation of nan Subaru WRX that succeeded nan first Impreza WRX successful nan U.S. was met pinch harsh disapproval and feelings of disappointment. Car reviewers person bemoaned nan measurement that newer WRXs person "grown up" and go heavier, much isolated vehicles than nan original. This was particularly existent pinch nan 2008 Impreza WRX that was nan first afloat redesign for Subaru's compact powerhouse, but nary WRX has been capable to move nan capacity car world connected its receptor rather for illustration nan original. This 2002 Car and Driver comparison test brings further discourse to that statement, erstwhile nan 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX faced disconnected against 2 overmuch much costly all-wheel-drive German capacity sedan icons, nan BMW 330xi and nan Audi S4 Quattro.

This comparison was a spot unorthodox. The 2002 Impreza WRX was based connected a mini system car while nan Germans were hotter versions of compact luxury sedans. But nan WRX was revolutionary successful that it offered comparable powerfulness and capacity to nan bougie Germans astatine a value that was astir 40% lower. In fact, successful this peculiar trial nan plucky bugeye really completed nan 0-to-60-mph sprint quicker than either of its challengers, and moreover quicker than nan 2025 Subaru WRX tS in Car and Driver's test. I ever knew nan original Impreza WRX was a disruptor successful nan automotive world, but I didn't recognize rather really overmuch of a disruptor it was.

The Audi S4 and BMW 330xi were nan mid-grade flavors of nan German luxury giants' compact athletics sedans, pinch much powerfulness than nan modular models but little than nan hottest variants. They were formidable performers backmost past successful nan aforesaid measurement that nan modern S4 and M340i are now, which added to nan astonishment erstwhile a $25,000 Subaru Impreza eked retired quicker 0-to-60 and quarter-mile times than its $40,000 challengers.

In this test, nan Subaru reached 60 mph successful 5.4 seconds, while nan Audi S4 took 5.5 seconds and nan BMW 330xi needed 5.7 seconds. The WRX moreover outhandled nan 3 Series connected nan skidpad, pulling 0.82 g versus nan BMW's 0.78 g, but nan S4 hit some pinch a skidpad consequence of 0.86 g. The competitors caught up erstwhile speeds rose; nan BMW tied nan WRX's 0-to-100 clip astatine 15.5 seconds, and nan Audi won pinch a clip of 15 seconds. The 0-to-120 times mirrored that placement wherever some nan BMW and WRX took 25.2 seconds and nan Audi needed 23.1.

In bid for C/D's drivers to execute nan WRX's awesome sprints, they had to propulsion mechanical sympathy to nan upwind and dump nan clutch astatine 5,000 RPM, but nan Subaru held up to that torture. The WRX besides mislaid nan 70-to-0 braking test, arsenic good arsenic nan apical cogwheel rolling acceleration tests, but wide nan $25,000 car thoroughly impressed nan testers and it earned a second-place finish, only falling down nan S4 by a azygous constituent successful nan end.

In 2002, nan preeminent basking hatchback, nan Volkswagen GTI, completed nan 0-to-60 sprint successful 6.5 seconds, and that was still rather speedy backmost then. But not compared to nan 2002 Subaru WRX, which knocked complete a 2nd disconnected that clip and only costs astir $2,000 much than nan GTI.

Putting things into a modern discourse reveals conscionable really momentous nan 2002 WRX's capacity was. In abstracted tests, Car and Driver achieved a 0-to-60 sprint successful a 2023 BMW M340i xDrive successful conscionable 3.7 seconds, a 2020 Audi S4 took 4.2 seconds to deed 60 mph, and nan 2025 Subaru WRX tS did it successful 5.5 seconds. Adjusted for inflation, that $25,000 Subaru Impreza WRX successful 2002 would costs astir $45,000 successful 2025, which is astir connected par pinch nan guidelines value of nan 2025 WRX tS. The $40,000 2002 330xi and S4 would costs astir $71,000 erstwhile accounting for inflation, which still is astir meticulous for nan prices of nan modern M340i and nan caller Audi S5 Sportback.

I conjecture a amended modern comparison of a modern comparatively affordable car versus nan mid-grade German sports sedans would person to impact thing for illustration a Volkswagen Golf R, Hyundai Elantra N, Toyota GR Corolla, aliases Honda Civic Type R, but nary of those are arsenic speedy aliases quicker than a caller M340i aliases S5 Sportback. The Ford Mustang GT is nan only gas-powered car that costs astir $45,000 and comes adjacent to nan 0-to-60 times of nan M340i and S5 Sportback. It each conscionable goes to show really revolutionary nan original Subaru WRX was, and really overmuch nan automotive scenery has changed complete nan past 20-or-so years.