"Lousy" might be too strong a word, but it would at least be fair to say that the Subaru WRX didn't have a great sales year in 2025. Subaru sold 10,930 units last year, which isn't terrible, but it represents a massive sales dip from the 18,587 units Subaru sold in 2024, and the 24,681 units it sold the year before that. Throughout most of 2025, Subaru wasn't even selling 1,000 units a month.2026 looks to be a comeback year for the Subaru WRX. In the first four months alone, Subaru has already sold 4,680 units. The brand moved 1,178 WRXs in April alone, where the brand struggled to sell just 772 units in 2025. If this pattern continues through the rest of the year, the car's slow sales year may turn out to be little more than a blip on the radar, which has us asking what it is that Subaru is doing right this time around. The Subaru WRX Is More Affordable In 2026 Subaru It's not hard to figure out how the WRX has rebounded from its sales slump if you look at the trim lineup. First, let's take a look at what was available for the 2025 model year.While this price range isn't terrible for a sporty, 271-horsepower sedan, these MSRPs are high enough to have you looking at a $28,400 Toyota Camry and wondering if you really need all-wheel drive. Or, if you have premium money to throw around, the Honda Civic Type R was selling for as low as $45,895, with a 315-hp powertrain under the hood. The value proposition just wasn't making a lot of sense for potential WRX buyers in 2025.Now, if we look at the 2026 lineup, it's a whole different story.The Premium trim is $3,775 cheaper than it was a year ago, and the top-shelf models are $2,710 cheaper. This isn't rocket science: if affordability is a big part of your brand, charging your customers more is just going to send them elsewhere. It's the fast food inflation story all over again. If a burger and fries costs the same at the drive-thru as it does at the diner, why not just go to the diner? Bargain-minded buyers are looking for a bargain, and they're not interested in spending BMW prices on a Subaru. Sedans Are Having A Moment Subaru The Subaru WRX's rebound is really one small chapter in a much bigger comeback story, being that of the sedan. Over the last 20 years or so, sedans have become increasingly niche. 52% of all new vehicles sold in the US in 2025 were SUVs, while sedans have become the domain of enthusiast cars and budget models.Check the latest numbers, though, and you'll find some surprises. For instance, RAV4 sales were actually down by nearly 50% in the first three months of the year, while the Toyota Camry was up 13.2% for the year, becoming Toyota's best-selling vehicle. The Elantra was up 13% in April, with 14,778 sales. The Sonata is up 18%. The Accord is up a whopping 43%. The list goes on.It's not hard to guess what's pushing people back towards smaller cars. Gas is seven bucks a gallon in some parts of California. The average price of a new vehicle is over $50,000. Who the heck wants to spend all that money on a three-row SUV, at the dealer or at the pump, in 2026? For a Subaru driver looking to downsize, a WRX makes a fine alternative to a mid-size SUV like the Subaru Forester, or a seven-seater like the Subaru Ascent. It's The Perfect Time To Buy A New WRX Subaru Australia Whether you've always wanted your own Subaru rally car, or you're looking for an off-roading sedan that can do (almost) everything your old crossover could do, Subaru's latest price cuts make the entry-level WRX more attractive than ever. Whichever trim you're buying, you're getting a 2.4-liter flat-four, generating 271 hp and 258 lb-ft. Every WRX is all-wheel drive, and the base model packs a six-speed manual transmission.The Build & Price configurator on Subaru's website lists the Premium WRX as the entry-level model. Standard features in this trim include the following. LED fog lights Keyless access and push-button start 18-inch alloy wheels Adaptive cruise control Remote trunk release Dual-zone climate control EyeSight Driver Assist Technology The Premium model is available with a single package option, the simply named "Optional Package," for $1,865, adding Harman Kardon premium audio and a power moonroof. Not the biggest upgrade in the history of upgrades, but a fair deal for the price. A Brand-New WRX Is More Affordable Than A Year-Old Model Right Now Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet Checking in with our price-tracking tool, we find that a 2025 Subaru WRX is still selling for around MSRP after a year on the market, even with a few miles on the odometer.If we look at Subaru's inventory page for examples of what dealers are charging for unsold 2025 models, we find the following items for sale at various dealerships across the US. A 2025 WRX tS is selling for $50,050. A 2025 WRX GT is selling for $49,817. A 2025 WRX tS is selling for $50,879. A 2025 WRX GT is selling for $50,206. A 2025 Premium is selling for $39,679. Every single one of these listings is thousands of dollars more expensive than the MSRP, meaning that there's no good reason to buy a 2025 Subaru WRX at the moment.Now, if you want to buy a slightly older model, that's another story. You could save more than $5,000 on a mid-range 2021 Limited model, for instance, according to our price-tracking tool.So, the good news is that used models are still very affordable, and the newest WRX is priced fairly. The bad news is that anyone who bought a 2025 Subaru WRX a year ago is likely kicking themselves at the moment. But look on the bright side, you still get to drive a Subaru WRX. Subaru Hasn't Been Having A Great 2026, But Things May Be Looking Up SubaruSubaru's sales numbers for 2026, at a glance, look to be on the decline from this time a year ago. If we look at overall first-quarter sales for the brand, and its top sellers, here's what we find.What we see across the board is generally that Subaru sales are down for the first quarter of 2026, with a notable exception of the Forester, clearing last year's numbers by more than 4,000 units. Car sales are down this year, with Cox Automotive reporting a 2.4% dip back in January. Subaru, meanwhile, has lost nearly 15% in total units sold. And yet, the brand has actually seen market share growth of 3.86% in the US.At present, it's easy to predict a strong year for Subaru. To go over some key points. Subaru specializes in SUVs. SUV sales are down, but they still dominate the American marketplace. Subarus are typically more fuel-efficient than average. Subarus are generally more affordable than their competitors. While Subaru sales are down overall, key models like the Subaru Forester and the WRX are seeing strong sales figures going into the second quarter. A rising tide lifts all boats, and the inverse is true, as well. Subaru is not immune to the peaks and valleys of the automotive market, but it's not hard to predict that affordable, fuel-efficient, and reliable crossovers and sedans will continue to sell even as Americans are buying fewer new cars in general.