Remember last year, when Subaru WRX sales fell to levels that looked like the rally-sedan might get canceled? Well, Subaru has taken two big steps to fix that problem, and now sales have fired up like a rocket. The WRX is set to finish a very solid year.
Not only did sales more than double last month, but the WRX also trounced every EV in Subaru’s lineup.
WRX Posts 137% Rise In October
Subaru posted its October results, and it moved 1,707 copies of the turbocharged WRX that month. That’s 137% more than the 720 WRXs sold in October 2025, putting the WRX on track to finish the year very strongly. Moreover, in the first 10 months of the year, Subaru has sold 13,734 WRX sedans, a 55% increase overall. It cements the return of the WRX to sales levels previously seen. Last year, clearly, was an aberration.
Subaru’s electric ambitions, on the other hand, are posting some very odd numbers. The Solterra, the only Subaru EV that was on sale this time last year, saw an increase of 1,023%. That sounds amazing, but the actual number of vehicles was only 146. October 2025 was right after EV incentives ended, and Subaru found only 13 buyers that month who wanted a discount-less EV.
Adding the sales of all three of Subaru’s EVs together – Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted – you get less than half of the WRX’s numbers. That’s just 843 units, or about a day and a half of Forester sales. The trio is at least outselling the WRX for the full year, though.
What Is Driving WRX Sales?
When WRX sales were tanking last year, CarBuzz asked about the decline. In short, a Subaru spokesperson explained the company was prioritizing Forester production (which has since been moved to the US) and avoiding tariffs led Subaru to essentially stop importing new WRXs into the US. Once Indiana Forester production got underway, the WRX dial was turned back up and the rally-inspired sedan started coming back.
Subaru also relaunched the Base trim it had briefly dropped, cutting the starting price from $36,920 with destination to just $32,495. And then, Subaru cut prices of all grades, so even that $36,920 Premium became $35,165. And as a result, sales quickly shot back up.
WRX has never been a runaway hit for Subaru. Since 2016, when it officially separated from Impreza, annual sales have only topped 30,000 twice. But Subaru continued to sell around 20,000 per year, or at least it did until last year’s self-inflicted slump.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
If you like AWD performance cars with a manual, then seeing WRX perform well is a big deal. At 10,000 a year, the car’s days were probably very numbered. With double that, the car makes more sense. It could also help show Subaru’s competition that maybe they should get back in the fun zone.
The EVs, on the other hand, are struggling. Don’t expect them to get the axe just yet, though. Subaru shared much of the development cost on these with Toyota, so the smaller automaker isn’t left holding the bag, and is also probably stuck with volume commitments made several years ago.