2023 Subaru WRX GT: The Automatic Is Way Better Than Expected

Today I drive and review a 2023 Subaru WRX GT!
Ask For Brock: www.natewade.com/
Learn How To Save Time And Money The Next Time You Buy A Car: benjaminhardy.podia.com/learn...
Help Support The Channel: www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=52...
Second Channel: / @thebenhardyshow
Instagram: ben_hardypl
Facebook: @benhardycar

[@dannygoats6887]

im extremely bad at driving a Manuel, but my dream car is a WRX. Im so happy that they got an auto

[@adbeepat]

Just bought the 2023 GT. It's been my dream car since the first Gran Tuismo game. I can't drive a manual due to a knee injury. This is exactly what I needed. You won't be disappointed!

[@Tomas.X]

"For the price you can get..." Jesus Christ, people, some of us want a goddamn Subaru. No cross shopping. I consider my GT the car Subaru thanks us true blue fans who were in love with the WRX since 1992. We ain't kids, and most of us have spent more years driving manuals than millennials have had a driving license. And hate to ruin the day for all the "real men" but my GT accelerates faster and never misses a shift...and sounds better blipping gears...even in full auto Sport+ mode. Finally, my wife can drive our other car, and in Comfort mode she's incredibly happy to no longer ride on coilovers. How about being happy this option exists, and it's a fantastic car, instead of (never trying it) yet bitching about it?

[@mistamaog]

But some of the complaints are valid, $44k is a lot considering how that's more than what the STI limited was. If it was just under $40k, that would make more sense. Another complaint is that you can't get the GT trim with a manual, I get why they offer the automatic, especially for your situation, but there was no reason to not offer it in a manual.

[@KingCobra_45]

Exactly 💯 . I've had mine for 3 weeks now and love it. Besides being 6ft3 and past knee surgery I'm not missing clutching 😅 and to find out the automatic is the top trim is a plus for me.the black cladding look great with the Blue.

[@KingCobra_45]

@@oneskillpoint4669 you'll have fun definitely. Only mod I'm doing is an interior lighting kit and find a cat back exhaust that utilize the quad tips.

[@deej628]

Test drive one of these a couple days ago. Coming from a manual 18 limited and a 17 golf r dsg…I was impressed with how fast it felt and how snappy the cvt shifted. Still not a huge fan of the new gen looks but the darker colors aren’t as bad with it.

[@Aschoolbusandsimulatorfan2219]

My everyday sedan!! Amazing review Ben.

[@shaithetradingguy9917]

Just test drove the automatic and I absolutely love it!! From the first moment was actually enjoying every minute of driving it, should be super fun to take it off road.

[@jmsmikey]

Jeez~ it's ALWAYS snowing there. I'm not far off in Vegas & we never get any~

[@johnb6680]

I took a WRX GT (automatic) out for a spin at my local Subaru dealer... My other half enjoyed driving it as well, she drives daily to the city and is getting tired of shifting. We were impressed with the engine response. The only thing Subaru needs to stop, is the goofy fender cladding. The car looks good, but the goofy shape of the cladding is an eyesore!! Recommend darker exterior colors, hides the fender cladding!!

[@tellyawhatmate]

Big improvement over the previous gen. Gearbox heaps better. Car is more solid and smoother. Kind of like a fast liberty..

[@richierich890]

i got the Subaru 2014 legacy in the road it moves like a ninja!

[@kevinzheng-ej4wg]

What if I don’t know how to drive mt? Is it smart to buy one brand new off the lot

[@tylermarcinick3472]

Can I order a regular Subaru wrx in a automatic?

[@Tomas.X]

I do wish for a day when Subaru realizes their (turbocharged) cars have never been terribly fuel efficient, heavy, and need to lose weight. A Subaru with a Saturn plastic exterior would accomplish a lot AND truly be more "rally ready". My father was a huge believer in "adding lightness" and ordered an SC2 the day they went on sale and owned it until he passed in 2020. Extremely light, felt as quick as the Chevrolet Beretta GTX I owned in 1991-1993 and handled crappy roads really well. Plastic & aluminum would be crazy good, stretched over the extremely stiff body.

[@rogerzheng2814]

will never pass crash test

[@neofx22]

Subaru can still maintain their boxer engine in future lineups and still get decent mpg. All they really had to do was to add a few electric motors in the front and rear drivetrain. At least make it into this configuration and they could have easily added more HP to a hybrid setup with 300 plus HP. Till the all electric mandate takes effect this seems to be the ideal setup with decent HP and gas mileage.

[@JackdawGift]

I’m just curious how do you expect a Subaru to be more efficient by adding more weight and parts to some thing when it is unnecessary, The idea of electric differentials is actually quite absurd on a Subaru if you know anything about how the all-wheel-drive drive train is laid out, particularly the fact that even if the car had an electric motor driving these differentials it would still make no sense whatsoever to put any kind of electronics on a fluid filled DIff. If there is any particular thing like what you were talking about please give me a link or something because this comment I’m having trouble with

[@Aiken47]

Have you really bought into the EV rubbish? So sad, take a look where the cadmium and lithium are mined and by who. There’s nothing environmentally friendly about them.

[@LongLiveJapan87]

Serious question: Why get a CVT WRX over a Legacy XT? 🤔

[@2JZ-it8ug]

Is the GT model available here in the philippines?

[@baldygrey2779]

Did they remove the boost gauge or is it just included in the center stack/screen?

[@Altezza447]

Yea its gone in digital in the display where see the speed you have open up the screen for it there no dedicated gague that always showibg

[@holeshot1721]

What are they shifting then when they hit the paddle if its cvt . Is the trans actually 6 speed?

[@deej628]

8 fake gears.

[@josephpereira75]

I beat the sti from a dig with the cvt plus rolls on highway. Like I said these new 2.4 are underrated or the tune is much better than the older generation. Just saying. Plus in person the car looks amazing. The cladding actually looks good. Just my opinion who actually had a brand new one and actually tested it out in the real world. Thanks.

[@JonTran75]

The Elantra N steps away from it.. the dct is on another level to a cvt

[@josephpereira75]

Don’t believe the hype. Got my gt top of the line 2023 Wrx cvt. Last week My best friend has a 2020 Sti 6 speed. Sorry guys. Doesn’t matter 6 speed or not. If u are not going to modify anything the 2023 cvt is the champ. The new engine tune is amazing. Sucks u back in your seat more than an sti with more hp. The pills are amazing. This new engine in the 2022 and 2023 is underrated. Unbelievable power and pull even with the cvt. Love it. Have mine in the rally blue pearl obviously. I’ve had many subies in the pad but this rock and rolls!

[@josephpereira75]

**pulls

[@mnloring7867]

Somewhere an STI is rolling in it's grave

[@Kenneth_R]

Subaru has had many many years of perfecting their CVT. Since its an in-house design and build they have had full control of it for many years. The WRX is not a track car so this CVT makes sense in this type of vehicle. The 6-speed manual is the enthusiast's choice but even that car needs quite a few mods to make it a viable track car. For daily driving either is great.

[@noob.168]

I heard the GT is sold below MSRP at many places because many people don't want CVT. Plus you save on insurance cuz it includes eyesight. Pretty good deal for people like me that don't drive manual. Waiting for the refresh to come in a few years. Hopefully with wireless android auto/apple carplay and usb-c ports and perhaps a few design upgrades.

[@Kenneth_R]

@@noob.168 Its a great buy at or below MSRP if you want that type of vehicle. Awesome all-weather daily driver.

[@djstentorian]

This is a great start in the non manual market sports car ish. I mean look at Audi, MBenz, BMW, Cadillac etc all have automatic sports cars. The STI needs to go this route but also have the manual option. If the STI had a good sport "CVT" like transmission plus at least 400hp/tq+ I think it could take more of the market. That's where my next purchase is. Or maybe just a WRX in manual or gt but that is a downgrade from my current.

[@holeshot1721]

Wrx is the race edition. You are wrong. There run of the mill is a base model Impreza. They have other models that are not rally backed by wrx name tag

[@dann1483]

Hey buddy I just bought a 22 limited automatic and it’s fully loaded. What’s the major difference between this and the gt

[@deej628]

Recaros and adaptive suspension?

[@braveheart9658]

I need AWD… Getting this over Elantra N, GTI because of this. Golf R is also 12-13k more than this. Gonna get it in black so it blends the cladding in the rear lol. Looks better IRL

[@theejoeylee]

Im from "up Nort" Ditto on the AWD

[@braveheart9658]

@@theejoeyleeRoads here are junk and we get some of the worse weather. Sadly I commute a lot...

[@tellyawhatmate]

Add some tint, lower springs and some 2016 2017 sti rims. Will look awesome

[@monogee]

I want one!!!

[@hellsbells2992]

Why they do you like that with the tank on E bro

[@tpolerex7282]

That’s the deliberate level of nearly every dealer’s car on the lot to prevent/excuse you as a customer from being able to take it for an actual test drive of enough distance to adequately assess the vehicle.

[@ranran2218]

Might be better than expected but still not great. Also 44k for a cvt like come one. At that price you can get a golf r with the DSG which is better in every way possible. 44k is more expensive than the sti limited in 2021. That's insane.

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

$44k fully loaded. Everyone can go to the VW website and see what a comparably equipped Golf R costs... Also Subaru is sold with discounts, Golf R not, is that even possible to get without mark-ups?

[@edwardzdankiewicz9068]

You are not getting a Golf R for that. They are building less than a thousand for U.S. most dealers will only get one all year and they are sold before they hit the lot for a hefty mark up.

[@ranran2218]

@@edwardzdankiewicz9068 it not hard to get for msrp. There is a gr corolla for msrp about 60 miles from where I live. It's called shopping around.

[@ranran2218]

@Mgoblagulkablong it's still underwhelming for 44k. Garbage cvt transmission and the junk subaru eyesight safety tech which you have no choice to have with the cvt models. Manual versions don't get them. Wrx don't sell very well also. Not a high demand for the car.

[@Kevin83184]

Cvt belongs in a Prius

[@mickeybrumfield764]

There must be something to the transmission that allows the car to get lower mpgs than the much larger Ascent with the same engine.

[@pabloromo3921]

It’s called the tune

[@markmalander9521]

That's the one I wanted. Blue with Automatic trans. Great review Ben.

[@landom9080]

At this price point: Toyota Corolla GR Circuit Edition with a manual transmission.

[@grriceman782]

It’s a 2022

[@PZZZ2022]

What’s the point of the clips at the beginning of your videos?

[@BenHardyCars]

To let people know if I drive a car or not for a review

[@SoulEraser000]

It's still an automatic though. I really wish they had a manual for this trim level.

[@ucrain4971]

they do tho lmfao

[@SoulEraser000]

@@ucrain4971 not for the top trim level , cvt only

[@ceansilorcaso5820]

how can you tell if is good when you never actually drive it like a real WRX? Drive it like a rally car. I have 17 STI and I drive the hell of it.

[@chadfortman8098]

43k if you drive it says I got more money then brains

[@bdcooper5855]

Ben, please slow down with your speaking and enunciate more. There were times that we were missing 25-30 % of what you were saying.

[@pwj86772]

I can’t imagine why anyone would buy this…at 43k, there are so many better options. Subaru’s famous reliability and qc has fallen off over the last 5-10 years. The styling alone makes this a pass for me.

[@D_Roadtrip_Productions]

2024 all models Subaru discontinued Manual Trans

[@jasonlewis2990]

AS someone who owns one of these, i can categorically tell you that the SPT S U C K S, its the worst thing Ive ever experienced in my 25 years of owning cars. The fact that the GT/TS Trims don't come in a manual proves just how far off the pace Subaru are with their driver base

[@tpolerex7282]

Did you actually test drive it before buying it?

[@robertcurtis3807]

They need to use the RS hatchback chassis. That sedan is UGLY!

[@itstime3088]

For the price I would also take the manual.

[@sjohnsonnc06]

And still no remote start...

[@KingCobra_45]

It does have remote start, that comes with Starlink. Also vehicle lock/unlock and engine disable if needed. Talk to your dealer, my car has it all

[@javi3830]

@@KingCobra_45 Paid subscription for that, but yes.

[@KingCobra_45]

@@javi3830 yes and dang near way less than to fill up the tank lol

[@ImThatGhostz]

Hard pass on this subaru has lost their ways for sure

[@alexchan-kai8847]

I'll never buy a CVT WRX. Too heavy and laggy compared the manual. it adds an additional 120 pounds while taking away the RAW mechanical engagement one of the main factors that made the a WRX fun car in the first place. if I wanted something refined AWD and with paddle sifter id get the Golf r/GTI from VW. but in manual form the WRX/STi is way better than either golf with DSG when it come to RAW visceral analog driving experience. Also automatic WRXes lose value alot very fast compared to their manual counterparts which hold value really well.

[@TheGreatBender]

Is this why WRX sales are failing? I believe it's because Subaru lost their direction with actual fun to drive quirky cars... now they are just attempting to pander to the Corolla/Civic crowd.

[@lucian7182]

I will say this, the new Wrx is butt ugly as is off the lot. However, they can be made to look really good although pricey. 2 k in paint work, 3k in suspension work, 3-4K in wheels and tires, 1500-2500 in cosmetic aero. 3 k in brake work, 3-4K in performance and tuning. So for about 12-14k you will have a car that looks like what the next gen sti would have been, with sti level braking and handling, and about 360-380 whp and 400tq. That would blow the doors off my 320 whp 21 sti.

[@stevemt3422]

Waste of money lmao

[@marcusfieldfield4069]

😂 thanks for that Financial reality sti's will always be badass

[@MyNameIsMyName.]

🤣

[@pwj86772]

Yeah and at that price you’re approaching m340i prices and acura tlx type s

[@davidvick749]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dragonquake]

Sigh… Wrx is dying like the Mitsubishi evo x

[@patbecker1752]

Tail lights look like a Honda Civic.

[@bibble05]

Honda owners only see those taillights

[@chop2093]

Lol. 44k no way. I get the cvt might not be bad but why not put a nice DCT tranny in it and make it better ? This generation is too ugly , expensive and the cvt is a disappointment. I’ll stick with my 2014 wrx.

[@pabloromo3921]

You know how much money it would cost to make an entire assembly line and engineer a brand new transmission in a time when ICE vehicles are already being phased out? During supply chain shortage ?

[@MrGsxrme]

Buy a CVT WRX is like buying a V6 Camaro.... Why .....

[@CommanderCronus]

the Camaro probably costs less

[@CitizenDrew]

Dude. Slow down. Can barely understand what you’re saying.

[@Aiken47]

Dont come to Australia, you’ll think we don’t speak English 😂😂 this is average speed.

[@FastRedDragon1984]

can't stand all the plastic trim on the outside

[@JackdawGift]

New Subaru? Hard pass

[@3wheelmannc860]

At that price point and poor gas mileage, that is a full pass for me. Subaru needs to wake up to the market and Hybrid usage.

[@M.A992]

Bro a wrx isn’t a fuel economy car. It’s been known for 20 years.

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

There isn't a single performance car in this categroy that is a hybrid, neither do customers want one.

[@braveheart9658]

Performance AWD vehicle..? Not suppose to be about economy

[@akibungi2633]

Aer you stupid or something go buy prius if you want gas mileage hwo the fuck looks at wrx the rally racing legend if they want an economyc car...

[@cjbr1989]

Hybrid? Go buy a Prius nerd