Consumer Reports recently looked at the 2022 Subaru WRX, and while it’s still an affordable sports car, the WRX had a few big issues. In fact, these issues were so significant that they resulted in the CR reviewers giving the WRX an overall score that was reasonably positive but missing out on the coveted Consumer Reports recommendation. Here’s a look at the three big problems that the 2022 Subaru WRX has, according to CR.

1. The 2022 Subaru WRX has a stiff and uncomfortable ride quality

While the Subaru WRX is a sports car, many owners may end up using it as a daily driver, which is where the sporty Subaru falls short, according to Consumer Reports. The car critic had hopes that Subaru would improve the WRX’s practicality, and Subaru did make some improvements, but not enough. That’s especially true in terms of its ride quality.

The WRX is not well-known for having a good ride quality, and that’s reflected in its sales. Subaru tried to fix that by improving the car’s ride quality for the 2022 model year, and while there are some improvements, it’s still not great. The WRX continues to have an uncomfortable ride, and this resulted in a low score for its ride quality. On top of that, the Subaru’s ride quality is so poor that it can make it difficult to press the right buttons.

2. It also has a loud and noisy cabin

Overall, the Subaru WRX’s interior and comfort features aren’t great, and another area where it falls short is in terms of noise. The sporty Subaru has one of the worst cabin noise ratings in the class, and this will make it an irritating car to drive every day. Consumer Reports gave the WRX the same score for its noise levels as the car got for its ride quality, and this shows how Subaru has failed to improve the car in those two areas.

When on the road, drivers and passengers will hear a lot of road and wind noise, and this is especially true when the car is going at highway speeds. That being said, the WRX’s 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine has a nice noise, so sports car enthusiasts may enjoy that (when in the mood for it).

More often than not, though, drivers and passengers will probably have to speak loudly when they’re in a WRX. Anyone trying to listen to the radio or a podcast will also have to pump the volume up.

3. Subaru gave the WRX a slow-to-use infotainment screen

One thing that Subaru upgraded on the WRX was its infotainment system, but this new infotainment system has its share of issues too. To be fair to the Subaru WRX, this problem is not exclusively a problem with this specific sports car, but more of a Subaru problem in general, as other Subies, such as the Outback or Legacy, have the same infotainment system and critics have the same criticisms of those models. 

The standard WRX gets a 7-inch touch screen, while higher trims can get an 11.6-inch touch screen, but the issue with these screens comes down to software. To do anything, drivers or passengers must press multiple buttons, meaning simple tasks like climate control end up needing multiple button presses.

For example, if folks want to turn on their seat heaters, they’ll have to press multiple buttons and go through a pop-up screen. On top of that, while Subaru gave the car physical buttons for climate control, many of the buttons are small, so folks may have to fiddle around to get the car to do what they want.