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The Hot WRX Just Got Embarrassed By Subaru’s Worst-Performing Model

When you think it can’t get any stranger, the WRX was beaten by Subaru of America’s worst-performing model in the all-wheel-drive lineup. Check out which model passed the WRX in July.

The 2023 next-generation WRX has been on an upward trend all year, but something strange happened in July. The 2023 Subaru Legacy has been Subaru of America’s worst-performing model in the lineup, but the slow-selling sedan passed the WRX for the first time we can ever remember.

The Legacy surprised everyone and passed Subaru’s sportiest model. In June, The Subaru Legacy midsize sedan was the only Subaru of America model with negative sales in 2023. But in July, strange things happened. 

2023 Subaru WRX is behind the Legacy sedan in July

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

Related Story: Legacy Sedan Is Now The Only Subaru Model With Fewer Sales Than Last Year

What happened in July?

As far as we know, it’s the first time the Legacy sedan sold more models than the Subaru WRX performance sports car. The Legacy moved past the WRX to take the sixth spot in the lineup in sales performance in July.

The 2023 Subaru WRX had 1,894 performance models delivered to customers in July. That is 276 less than the Legacy, which has been trending down all year. It’s strange because the WRX has been trending up in the first seven months of 2023.

2023 Subaru WRX is beaten by the slow-selling Legacy sedan

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

Check Out This Related Story: Can It Get Any Stranger? The Legacy Sedan Jumps Ahead Of Subaru’s Sportiest New Model

The hot Subaru WRX is still ahead of the Legacy year to date, with 17,267 sports cars delivered to customers in 2023. But the Legacy sedan is closing the gap with 14,130 models sold to customers in the first seven months.

The strange phenomenon could be that the WRX supplies are lower in the summer after strong sales in May and June. In May, the WRX was up an impressive 78.2 percent and the second best-performing carline for Subaru of America. The 2023 Subaru WRX was up 58.8 percent in June. 

Related Story: Does Subaru Still Miss The Hot STI? Not As Much As Everyone Thought

It’s likely Subaru Corporation has been unable to keep up with the demand for the WRX and ran out of inventory for U.S. customers. 

What’s next for the WRX?

The WRX should get a mild refresh if the Subaru life cycle stays according to form. The 2024 Subaru WRX performance sedan WRX will be in the third year of its production life cycle. The 2024 WRX could get some upgrades to its options and trim packages. We expect no significant improvements until the 2025 models. Stay tuned. 

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Denis Flierl brings over thirty years of combined auto industry and automotive journalism experience to Torque News readers. He is an accredited Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) member. The last twelve years have been spent with Torque News, covering Subaru vehicles and the latest news. Check back daily for his expert Subaru analysis. You'll find the latest stories on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

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Photo credit: Schumacher Subaru