Subaru WRX Sales Crash While Elantra N Hits New Record

Subaru WRX Sales Crash While Elantra N Hits New Record originally appeared on Autoblog.

Subaru sales are looking good, unless you’re a WRX fan

Subaru has just released sales figures for the month of July, and although the company had a good overall month in the United States, one model stuck out like a sore thumb. The Subaru WRX is one of the brand’s sportiest, most enthusiast-pleasing cars, yet it also saw the biggest year-on-year sales decline. Is it a sedan problem or is it a WRX problem—or both? Here’s a deeper look at the numbers as we begin pondering the future of the legendary WRX nameplate.

WRX Sales Dramatically Lower

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

In July, the WRX managed to move only 457 units, as opposed to 1,369 in July 2024, representing a year-on-year decline of 66.6%. For the first seven months of the year, Subaru has sold 6,888 units of its sporty sedan, a 35.4% drop over the same period last year.

The only other Subaru that sold fewer units than the WRX is the BRZ, at 222 units in July. However, the BRZ has always been a lower-volume, less practical sports car, so its low sales are expected. By contrast, almost every other Subaru model had improved July sales, led by the much-improved Crosstrek on over 17,000 units.

Not helping the WRX’s cause are exciting rivals like the Toyota GR Corolla and Hyundai Elantra N. In July, the Elantra N set a new sales record for Hyundai. The Korean marque sold over 12,300 Elantras last month, and although we don’t know how many of those are N variants, it’s clear that this performance sedan is on an upward trajectory, which is exactly the opposite of what the WRX is experiencing. And, while the WRX’s AWD system was once quite a novelty in this segment, you can get the GR Corolla with a trick AWD system, too.

Subaru’s Sporty Sedan Has Lost Its Spark

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

The latest version of the WRX arrived for the 2022 model year. In many ways, it’s better than the car it replaces. It’s less tiresome on the highway, where the latest WRX rides more smoothly and not as noisily as before. It also has a more modern, higher-quality interior. Unfortunately, these are aspects that are more important in a cheaper Impreza than in a WRX. Make no mistake, the latest WRX is still fun to drive, but it has lost its unapologetically raw edge.

This more mature demeanor coincided with the arrival of overtly sporty rivals like the Elantra N and GR Corolla. Both are more powerful, look even more exciting, and also have engaging manual gearboxes. If you prefer an automatic, the presence of a CVT in the WRX is also disappointing, given that the Elantra N can be specified with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch auto. Despite the major strides made by Hyundai in recent years, it’s still bizarre to admit that the Korean now makes a more engaging small sedan than the WRX.

The discontinuation of the red-hot STI model is another blow to the WRX; the new WRX STI that’s not sold in America doesn’t even have a manual.

All of this means that the WRX, although still competent, doesn’t live up to the nameplate’s legacy nor the potency of its new rivals. If sales continue to decline at the rate we saw in July, Subaru’s sporty sedan may not be around for much longer.

Subaru WRX Sales Crash While Elantra N Hits New Record first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 5, 2025

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.