2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec Special Edition Review

Launched in 2022, the current generation of Subaru WRX sports sedan is a pretty good all-rounder, which bodes well for those wanting good value all-round performance cars, though it’s left fans of traditional WRXs cold thanks to this all-round ability – the typically loud and raw character of the previous WRXs has been subdued. Subaru knows this and has tried to create more of a typical WRX with a new special edition. Is the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec the best new WRX yet? Let’s find out.

How much does the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec cost to buy?

As before, the 2024 Subaru WRX range is offered in two body styles and three models for each, with the Club Spec we tested here a 150 unit-special edition that’s already sold out. Pricing for the Club Spec was $52,590 plus on-road costs or around $58,000 drive away, depending on location.

2024 Subaru WRX pricing (plus on-road costs):

• WRX sedan manual: $47,490
• WRX sedan CVT: $49,990
• Club Spec manual: $52,590 (new – tested here)
• RS sedan manual: $52,990
• RS sedan CVT: $55,490
• tS sedan CVT: $57,990
• Sportswagon CVT: $51,790
• GT Sportswagon CVT: $57,290
• tS Sportswagon CVT: $59,790

WRX Club Spec standard equipment:

• 19-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres
• Brembo brakes (six-piston front and two-piston rear) and drilled brake discs
• Dusk-sensing automatic steering responsive LED headlights with headlight washers
• LED front and rear fog lights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Keyless entry and push button start
• Heated and electric-folding mirrors
• Rear spoiler
• Rear privacy glass
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel/gearknob/handbrake
• Recaro front bucket seats with eight-way electric adjustment for the driver
• Suede and leather upholstery
• 4.2-inch trip computer screen
• 11.6-inch touchscreen
• Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• Bluetooth calling and audio streaming
• 2x front USB charging ports (1x USB-A and 1x USB-C) and a 12V socket
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Six-speaker sound system
• Alarm

WRX Club Spec safety equipment:

• Eight airbags (including a front centre unit and a driver’s knee unit)
• Auto emergency braking (AEB) with auto emergency steering
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keeping assistance with active lane centring
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Lead vehicle start alert
• Speed sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Reversing camera

WRX Club Spec colour range (all no-cost extra):

• Ceramic White
• WR Blue Pearl (on our test car)
• Magnetite Grey Metallic
• Crystal Black Silica

The main – and only, in our opinion – rival to the WRX Club Spec is the Hyundai i30 Sedan N, which is priced from around $57,000 drive away. Against the Subaru, the i30 features heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, auto high beam, front and rear parking sensors, a wireless phone charger, a digital driver’s display and an eight-speaker Bose sound system but the Subaru counters with adaptive cruise control, an electric driver’s seat and a larger infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Because of that, we think that the i30 Sedan N is better value than the WRX.

How powerful is the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec?

Under the bonnet of the 2024 Subaru WRX range is a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine making 202kW of power (at 5,600rpm) and 350Nm of torque (between 2,000rpm and 5,200rpm) – the i30 sedan N pumps out 206kW and 392Nm from its smaller 2.0-litre engine. The Club Spec is only available with a six-speed manual – the CVT on other WRX models is not available. As with almost all other Subaru models, the WRX is fitted with the company’s ‘symmetrical’ all-wheel drive system, which is fitted with a centre differential with a viscous limited-slip differential in the manual.

The claimed fuel consumption average for the manual WRX is 9.9L/100km, with CO2 emissions claimed at 225g/km – an i30 sedan N counters with 8.5L/100km and 198g/km claims. In our Club Spec manual, we averaged 10.8L/100km in mostly urban driving. The WRX range runs on 95RON premium unleaded fuel and it has a 63-litre fuel tank.

How fun is the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec?

We’ve previously driven – and mostly enjoyed – the current shape WRX. Unlike the slightly hard and raw previous generation WRX models, the current shape is actually quite comfortable no matter the situation and those expecting a typical WRX driving experience will probably be disappointed as it’s a bit soft. Thankfully, the Club Spec has returned suspension and steering, which has made it a bit stiffer and more dynamic as well. Thankfully, it’s not uncomfortable either, and can be quite fun – not quite as fun as the i30 N, but it is more comfortable for day-to-day use. The Brembo brakes have also made it better to drive thanks to their improved feel and shortened stopping distances.

The WRX Club Spec’s mechanicals are unchanged compared to the regular WRX range, with the company’s ‘FA24’ engine sitting proudly underneath the typically-WRX large bonnet scoop. As with the regular WRX, the engine is punchy and goes well – especially with the six-speed manual that’s standard on the Club Spec – but it’s still too quiet and non-WRX like.

The manual transmission is an improvement on Subaru manual boxes of the past, with a smooth gate manner and a clutch which is surprisingly easy and communicative to use. Because of the really short first and second gear ratios, which have you shifting twice before you hit 30km/h in normal driving, the WRX manual has quick acceleration. Subaru claims a 0-100km/h time of 6.0 seconds, but it feels quicker than that thanks to the short ratios. It would be nice to hit 100km/h in second gear, however – second runs out at just 86km/h, and the rev hang is improved but still annoying.

The biggest upgrade for the 2024 WRX, to us, is the addition of potentially life-saving features such as auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control to WRXs with manual transmissions – CVT WRXs had all of that plus more since this generation was released. While some buyers won’t want this equipment, we think it’s important and will make the manuals safer and more appealing for potential buyers. In person, the systems are nicely tuned and don’t feel like an afterthought like they do in the recent BRZ update, though the manual still misses out on some safety features like auto high beam, parking sensors and rear auto braking – features that the auto gets.

How practical is the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec?

The current shape WRX’s interior is a big step up on the car it replaced. The quality is better, it’s more comfortable, more technologically advanced and while it’s a clear evolutionary step over the last model, it’s a more cohesive and modern feeling cabin than has graced any previous shape WRX. While the interior design is more conservative than the i30, its quality is definitely better and it’s more practical too.

Material quality in the WRX Club Spec sedan is generally quite good, and feels quite plush in comparison to the basic i30 N sedan. Soft touch materials cover the tops of the doors (including the rear), dashboard and even the centre console, with stitched leather-like materials meeting your knees. The suede and faux leather Recaro seats are a highlight as well, thanks to their comfort and support. Club Spec-specific touches also include suede trim on the dashboard and a Club Spec sticker on the centre console – we’d loved to have seen more differentiation inside for the Club Spec, however.

It’s also a relatively practical cabin. Storage solutions include reasonable door bins (though not with the flock lining of the top-spec tS), as well as a nice tray ahead of the gearbox (though without a wireless phone charger), big cupholders and a small centre console box underneath the armrest. The WRX manual’s centre console is completely different to the automatic, and is flat – whereas the auto’s is angled. The manual also has a smaller arm rest, which is annoying because the auto’s arm rest is at a great height.

Centre of the cabin is a portrait 11.6-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and even a CD player. The screen’s resolution is good, it’s reasonably quick to use and it’s also fairly ergonomic as well. In front of the driver lies a traditional pair of dials and not the digital instrument cluster that’s found in the Japanese-spec WRX, nor a heads-up display, but they’re clear and legible. The six-speaker sound system is surprisingly good as well, and quite adjustable.

The back seat of the WRX is nice place to spend time with good leg, knee and headroom – even for taller folk. It’s well featured as well with door pockets, one map pocket and a centre armrest with cupholders – though the manual does not have rear air vents, which is very annoying. The rear seat space is similar to the i30 N sedan though, with slightly more headroom but less legroom.

The boot of the WRX RS measures a reasonable 414-litres, with the ability to fold the rear seats down helping increase the available space – an i30 Sedan N’s boot is slightly larger at 464L, but its rear seat brace makes it difficult when folding the seats. Aside from a space saver spare underneath the boot floor and space-hungry gooseneck hinge arms for the boot lit, the boot has little in the way of features – with no hooks, nets tie down points, etc.

How much does the 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec cost to run?

As with other Subaru models, the 2024 Subaru WRX is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty with 12 months of roadside assistance. Its service intervals are once-yearly/every 15,000km and five years/75,000km of servicing costs $2,672 ($534 per service).

Hyundai covers its products with a warranty of the same length as Subaru, but its roadside assistance lasts as long as the car is serviced at a Hyundai dealership. Servicing the i30 N sedan over five years costs a lot less at $1,675 ($335 per service), but it does have less convenient 10,00km service intervals.

Should I buy a 2024 Subaru WRX Club Spec?

Well, unless you find a used one or a dealer miraculously has one around not sold, you can’t buy one because they’re all sold. We think that’s a shame because if you’re looking for a new WRX that has the most typically-WRX character, this is definitely it thanks to its upgrades like the spoiler, Recaro seats and Brembo brakes. The suspension and steering changes have also made it more dynamic, while the manual is definitely the gearbox to have in the WRX range. Plus, that the manual gearbox finally offers most of the same active safety equipment as the auto model is even better for manual drivers.

Ultimately, the WRX Club Spec goes some way towards fixing the standard WRX’s lack of drama thanks to the new features, though there still isn’t enough noise from the drivetrain, while we think it could still be a bit firmer and a bit sportier. Overall, the WRX Club Spec is a good effort from Subaru and we hope that the next special edition WRX goes further in trying to get the WRX name back. It’s still quite fun to drive and can be quite quick too, while it’s also quite practical and is an excellent all-rounder – with a bit more noise and a sharper driving experience, it would be almost perfect.