Subaru WRX

How it looks when you see on the street: Subaru WRX is a comfortable, nimble get-around-town sedan infused with historic zest. The WRX first debuted in 1992 and popularized the term “pocket rocket,” as its stood for the World Rally Experimental, a tip of the hat to its rally racing intentions, and a close relative of the Subaru Impreza. Its sixth generation was introduced for the 2022 model year.

How it makes you feel when you get in: It feels like a means-business cockpit. A screen dominates the interior. Our tester had a sporty edge, laced with performance designed front seats made with an 8-way power adjust trimmed in ultra suede.

How it drives: Googling the WRX leads to a lot of technical talk, because of its historic rally racing roots. Enthusiasts obsess about the leaps, bounds, spins, and cornering that each WRX model can execute, especially one with a turbo-charged 2.4 liter boxer engine. Some quibble about the meager improvements from the last generation, but for folks seeking a responsive ride and even a manual option, its an assertive compact contender on the roads made with all-wheel drive. Safety features such as a whiplash reduction and blind spot monitoring add extra safety assurances

How its set up: It has three available trims. We drove the GT model that added in a long list of performance attribute.

How much does it cost: Our test vehicle was $41,885.