The fourth generation of the Subaru WRX is just a hair faster than the car that replaced it. At its peak, the turbocharged four-cylinder boxer in this model pushed 305 horsepower. That’s higher than the fifth generation, but this version of the car was also, on average, slightly heavier as well. Like the fifth generation, the fourth generation had four trim levels along with the STI variant, which had three trim levels of its own. Altogether, there were up to seven variants of the WRX in any given model year.
For zero to 60 times, the fourth generation was capable of doing it in under five seconds. Most reviewers could get it at around 5.3 to 5.5 seconds. However, we found several examples of the STi models going as fast as 4.6 seconds, although it remains entirely possible those vehicles could have been modified in some way. Even so, on average, the fourth generation had faster times than the fifth generation in reviews.
Some of the fastest WRXs ever were fourth generations, though, so the engine can definitely output a lot more power with aftermarket considerations. The aforementioned Subaru set various lap records modeled after the 2017 model year. Yes, that car likely has tens of thousands of dollars worth of mods, but it’s still possible. Despite having pedestrian numbers as a stock model, the fourth generation is among the most iconic in the WRX family.
