As much as I like an older enthusiast car with character, there’s still something alluring about a brand new set of wheels. Buying something with delivery mileage, you know it’s going to be safe and new and not have any picked boogers or crumbs in the footwells. Plus, it probably won’t go wrong for at least a few years, and even if it does, warranty coverage is there to help. However, why buy a boring new car when you can now finance a Subaru WRX at zero percent?
That’s right, Subaru’s sport compact car is getting discounted. We’re talking about a 271-horsepower turbocharged all-wheel-drive winter warrior with either a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission or, if you must, a CVT. Sure, the plastic-fantastic cladding is an acquired taste and the portrait-style infotainment system is occasionally as responsive as a PalmPilot, but throw a good set of winter tires on this thing, and it’ll get you where you need to go with a grin on your face.
For the most part, it’s an exceptionally well-calibrated car that’s delightful to row through the gears in. It shouldn’t be a surprise that discounts are relatively rare, so this subvented financing special isn’t something to sneeze at. Especially with a maximum zero-percent term length of 75 months. Over such a long period, you’d expect to save thousands of dollars in interest, but there’s a catch.
See, 2025 wasn’t a great year for WRX sales. Only 10,930 examples of this spicy sedan made it into American driveways, a decrease of 41.2 percent over 2025. Given how sales planning usually leans heavily on the volume of previous years, it shouldn’t be terribly surprising that there are a whole bunch of leftover 2025 models still on dealer lots in March. Some 257 from coast-to-coast, according to listings on Cars.com. As such, the zero-percent deal only applies to 2025 model year examples, as they need to move before 2026 WRX examples start to arrive. Especially because 2026 brings a value game-changer.
Back in late 2024, Subaru announced that it was discontinuing the cheapest base trim of the WRX for 2025. This meant that the least expensive WRX suddenly became the $36,920 WRX Premium, raising the barrier of entry by $3,065 over the base-model 2024 WRX. For 2026, the base trim is back with a sticker price of $33,690 including freight, while adding the previously-optional 11.6-inch portrait-style infotainment system—a significant usability upgrade over the dual-seven-inch screen setup of the 2024 base WRX. As such, a leftover 2025 WRX Premium isn’t going to be the cheapest way into a new WRX, even with the zero-percent financing deal.
Making matters more complicated, Subaru has also lowered the price of a 2026 WRX Premium by $3,730 over the 2025 model, and it doesn’t stop there. The 2026 WRX Limited is $3,110 cheaper than the 2025 model, the CVT-only 2026 WRX GT is $2,685 cheaper than the 2025 model, and the range-topping 2026 WRX tS is also $2,685 cheaper than the 2025 model. Simply put, just taking the finance savings on a leftover 2025 model might not get you the best deal on a new WRX.
However, it’s also worth noting that many of these leftover 2025 models have been on dealer lots for a long time, racking up interest charges due to the way dealerships finance their inventory. So, if you’re looking for a deal, the subvented financing can help level the playing field, while additional negotiation could make a leftover 2025 WRX worth it.
Top graphic image: Subaru