2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon Review

We’re very big fans of wagons here at DiscoverAuto, thanks to their excellent practicality, car driving dynamics, value for money and relative rarity – the latter because of Australia’s (and the world too, it must be said) obsession with SUVs. Because of their lack of popularity, a new wagon on the car market is a rarity and an opportunity to celebrate. Is the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon all the wagon you could ever need? Let’s find out.

The WRX is a legendary name in the motoring world, and has been particularly successful in Australia since its release in 1994 thanks to its combination of performance, fun, practicality and rally car capability. The last few generations of WRX haven’t been able to capture the magic of the original cars, but regardless, we’re very happy that Subaru has made another one, and one with a wagon bodystyle. Should it be on your family car test drive list?

Price & Equipment: 9/10

While the entry-level WRX Sportswagon is priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs, we tested the top-spec tS, which is priced at $57,990 plus on-road costs (around $64,000 drive away, depending on your location). 

Standard equipment on the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon includes 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED exterior lighting, auto wipers, half leather and suede upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats with heating and driver’s memory functionality, a leather steering wheel with paddle shifters, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, an 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, satellite navigation, a six-speaker sound system, keyless entry and start, heated and auto-folding mirrors that dip automatically in reverse and feature puddle lamps, a power tailgate with kick-to-open functionality, a sunroof, heated and reclining rear seats with a centre armrest, 40:20:40-split rear seats, buttons to fold the rear seats, four USB-A ports and LED interior ambient lighting. 

Safety kit is extensive and includes eight airbags (including both centre and driver’s knee units), auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist, steering and intersection assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist with lane trace assist, auto high beam, driver attention monitoring, road sign recognition with an adaptive speed limiter, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, rear auto braking, lead vehicle start alert, front and rear parking sensors and front, passenger side and rear cameras (but not a full 360-degree image). 

There isn’t much equipment that the WRX misses out on, but we do think the sunroof should be panoramic, it should have roof rails, the Harman Kardon sound system from the WRX sedan should be on the wagon, a digital driver’s display and it should also have Matrix LED headlights.

Despite the wagon market – unfortunately – dwindling these days, there are a surprising amount of competitors to the WRX Sportswagon. The most obvious rival in size, price and overall performance is the Skoda Octavia RS ($57,490 drive away), but the slightly softer Mazda6 Atenza wagon (around $58,000 drive away) is also a great option with a high quality interior and excellent driving manners.

You could also consider the Volkswagen Golf R wagon (around $76,000 drive away) but it’s definitely harder, much faster and more expensive than the WRX. We think these competitors make the WRX look like relatively good value for money – it’s not cheap, but it’s very well equipped for the money.

Performance & Economy: 7/10

Under the bonnet of the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon is the same 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that does duty in the WRX sedan. Like the sedan, it makes 202kW of power (at 5,600rpm) and 350Nm of torque (between 2,000rpm and 5,200rpm) and in the wagon, is mated solely to the ‘Subaru Performance Transmission’ – that’s a CVT with eight stepped ratios to you and I. Of course, Subaru’s famed symmetrical all-wheel drive system is standard equipment. 

As we found in the WRX sedans, the engine itself is fine. Around town, it’s quiet, reasonably peppy and is a willing driving partner. But for a car with a WRX badge, it’s just not loud, nor fast enough. Even at full chat or on a cold start up, there’s none of the typical WRX throbbing noise. It’s far more mature than that, but is that a good thing? We think not, and cars like the Octavia RS prove that you can have a dual personality engine – one that’s quiet in normal driving, but opens up with more character when the mood strikes. It also doesn’t feel that quick, unfortunately. 

While Skoda’s Octavia RS puts out less power (180kW versus 202kW), it actually has 20Nm more torque at 370Nm. Combine that with its 108kg lesser weight (1,505 kg versus 1,613 kg) and snappy seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the Octavia RS feels much quicker than WRX Sportswagon. While we don’t love dual-clutch automatic transmissions for their typically confused low-speed behaviour, the VW Group’s DSG is far superior in sporty driving to Subaru’s ‘Performance Transmission’. In normal driving, the CVT does a good job of trying to be a normal automatic, but when you’re driving sportily, it cannot hide its rubbery dynamic. 

Subaru claims that the WRX Sportswagon will use 9.8L/100km on a combined cycle, and we achieved 12.4L/100km, which isn’t close to the already heavy claim. The WRX must use 98RON premium unleaded and it has a 60-litre fuel tank. 

Ride & Handling: 7/10

While the WRX name echoes a long heritage of rallying, we must keep in mind that the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon wasn’t actually developed to be a WRX – while Australia killed the Levorg name, it’s still used in Japan and that’s what this car was developed as. Because of that, it feels softer than the already-soft sedan and it’s also somewhat heavy at 1,613kg – an Octavia RS feels much lighter on its feet. The around-town ride quality is excellent, but show the WRX Sportswagon a quick set of corners and it becomes a little underdone.

Subaru’s traditional all-wheel drive system is excellent, however. There was simply no unsticking it in the week of colossal rain in which we had the car, which was quite impressive. What’s less impressive is the odd steering weight, which removes a layer of connection with the car when you’re really pressing on. Subaru’s ‘EyeSight’ active safety systems are effective, if a touch sensitive.

Interior & Practicality: 9/10

While the WRX’s mechanicals are only a slight step forward compared to the Levorg it replaced, its interior is definitely a big step up. The quality is better, it’s more comfortable, more technologically advanced and while – like the exterior – it’s a clear evolutionary step over the last model, it’s a far more cohesive and modern feeling interior than any last generation Subaru.

Material quality in the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon is generally quite good, though both the Octavia RS and Mazda6 offer better quality materials. 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 in hard cornering. The STI-branded suede and leather sports seats are a highlight as well, with excellent bolstering and – finally – a good range of lumbar adjustment.

It’s also a relatively practical cabin. Storage solutions include flock-lined door bins, as well as a reasonable tray ahead of the gearbox (though not with a wireless phone charger), big cupholders and a small centre console box underneath the armrest (where the CD player is). 

Centre of the cabin is a portrait 11.6-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio and even a CD player – remember those? The screen’s resolution is good, it’s 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 car, nor a heads-up display, but they’re clear and legible. Strangely, the speaker system isn’t the excellent 10-speaker Harmon Kardon system used in the WRX sedan – instead there is a six-speaker system which is unfortunately quite average.

The back seat of the WRX Sportswagon is nice place to spend time with reasonable leg, knee and headroom, even for taller folk. It’s quite well featured as well with door pockets, charging ports, map pockets, air vents, heated seats and a centre armrest with cupholders, though window shades like in the Octavia RS would be a welcome addition for kids.

The boot of the WRX Sportswagon measures in at 492-litres, which is smaller than the Octavia’s 640L space and the Mazda6’s 506L boot, but still healthy. Folding the rear seats unlocks 1,430L – smaller compared to the 1,700L Octavia and 1,648L Mazda6, but still reasonable. The WRX Sportswagon’s boot is well finished, with hooks and net tie points, as well as tabs to pull to fold the rear seats. Under the boot floor lies a space saver spare wheel.

Service & Warranty: 7/10

Like other Subaru products, the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and just 12 months of roadside assistance. Like the WRX sedan, the Sportswagon’s service intervals are once-yearly/every 15,000km (whichever comes first). Servicing the WRX Sportswagon is not cheap, with the five year/75,000km cost coming in at $2,366 (or $475 per service). 

Both Skoda and Mazda offer five year/unlimited km warranties too, with Skoda topping up roadside assistance with each yearly service (up to five years in total) and Mazda giving five years from the get go. Five years/75,000km of servicing the Octavia RS is expensive at $3,071 ($614 per service), but buyers can choose a service pack at time of purchase for $2,000. Servicing the Mazda6 is not cheap either at $2,115 for five years of servicing, but its shorter 10,000km intervals are 5,000km less than both the Skoda and Subaru, which increases costs further for buyers doing more driving.

The 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon DiscoverAuto Rating: 7.8/10

We absolutely love wagons here at DiscoverAuto, and a lot of us have grown up with WRXs as well. With that in mind, you’d think the 2022 Subaru WRX tS Sportswagon would be a recipe for success, right? Unfortunately not. While it offers a lot of good points like its value equation, everyday comfort, quality interior, practicality and handsome styling, it’s just not hard enough, nor fast enough, nor characterful enough to wear the WRX badge. Being completely honest here, a mid-00’s Liberty (/Legacy if you’re reading from overseas) GT wagon would run rings around it. 

We think it’s a great family car because it’s spacious and very safe, and it’s far superior to an equivalent SUV, but if you’re looking for a wagon with a sporty edge, you can get better wagons like the aforementioned Octavia RS and Mazda6 Atenza. If Subaru added the sedan’s suspension tune and an exhaust system that makes more than a quiet drone, the WRX Sportswagon would be a better option. However, until then, we don’t think it’s worthy of the legendary WRX name.