--- title: "2026 Subaru WRX Gets $5,000 Cheaper With Return of the Base Model" date: "2026-01-20" modified: "2026-01-20" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/2026-subaru-wrx-gets-5000-cheaper-with-return-of-the-base-model" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Subaru News" tags: - "Subaru" - "Subaru WRX" --- # 2026 Subaru WRX Gets $5,000 Cheaper With Return of the Base Model ![2026 Subaru WRX Series.Yellow]() *\Subaru\* If you're thinking about buying a [new Subaru WRX](), wait until your local Subie store has 2026 models on the lot. Or, print this article out and show your salesman before you start negotiating. Not only is the base model back for 2026, dropping the entry price from $37,750 to $32,495, but the Premium, Limited, GT, and even [tS]() models are also now listing for less money than they did in 2025. It seems that Subaru is eager to [stoke WRX sales out of their slump](), and this just might do the trick. Destination and delivery is $1,195 for WRX; slightly higher in Alaska, and "may vary" in nine other states (CT, HI, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, and VT) [according to Subaru](). For simplicity, let's just compare MSRPs between 2025 and 2026 model-year WRXs: | WRX Trim | MY2025 | MY2026 | | --- | --- | --- | | Base (6MT) | N/A | $32,495 | | Premium (6MT) | $37,750 | $33,995 | | Limited (6MT) | $42,130 | $38,995 | | GT (CVT) | $47,705 | $44,995 | | tS (6MT) | $47,705 | $44,995 | | Series.Yellow | N/A | $45,995 | The 2026 WRX still has basically the same look and 271-horsepower boxer engine it was introduced with as [new-for-2022](). It's still built at the same factory in Gunma, Japan. The new prices above are the big news for model year 2026 so far, but some options and equipment loadouts have changed slightly as well. There's also a new Series.Yellow model, which is a tS in a special color (guess what color) (it's yellow), limited to 350 units. All 2026 WRXs have that huge (11.6-inch) portrait-oriented center screen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and EyeSight driver assistance. ![WRX Series.Yellow interior.]() *Here's what the interior of a Series.Yellow WRX will look like—note the subtle yellow in the seats. *Subaru** "The base trim level offers 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and Keyless Access with Push-Button Start, which were previously unavailable on the base model. It also includes 245/40 summer performance tires, a sport-tuned suspension, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System with individual tire display and automatic individual wheel ID registration," Subaru shared in a press release. The Premium trim adds heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield wiper deicer, LED fog lights, premium cloth upholstery with red contrast stitching, dual rear USB-A and USB-C charge ports, and a trunk lid body-color rear spoiler. For another $1,865, you can get a Harmon Kardon stereo and sunroof. Limited gets the stereo and sunroof by default, plus LED steering-responsive headlights, red seat bolsters, power-adjustable front seat, and some other niceties. As with previous years, the GT is automatic-only but has nice Recaro performance seats, a digital gauge cluster, and electronically adjustable ride control. The tS is the same setup but with a manual transmission. The Series.Yellow model is really just a special color plus special 19-inch wheels. Looks awesome, though. I love that shade—not quite school bus or construction-equipment yellow, but looks more serious than obnoxious. I'm still holding out hope for a factory option to paint the fenders. But by all accounts, it looks like the 2026 model-year WRX is a much better buy than the 2025 model. From where I'm sitting, Premium is still the one to get—heated seats are important in places where Subarus tend to be popular. *Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()