Compare the2022 Lexus ISVS 2021 Subaru WRX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/04/24

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Subaru WRX doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The IS’ optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The WRX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Lexus IS has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The WRX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The IS has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The WRX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The IS offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The WRX only offers a rear monitor.

The IS has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the WRX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the IS has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the WRX Limited offers a rear cross-path warning system and it costs extra.

Both the IS and the WRX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus IS is safer than the Subaru WRX:

	IS	WRX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	99	118
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	235
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	806 lbs.	884 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the IS its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 75 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The WRX is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Warranty

The IS comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The WRX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the IS 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the WRX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the WRX ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The IS’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the WRX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the IS’ reliability 15 points higher than the WRX.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS third among compact premium cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The WRX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 24th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 44 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Subaru is ranked 8th.

Engine

The IS has more powerful engines than the WRX:

	Horsepower	Torque
IS 350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	311 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8	472 HP	395 lbs.-ft.
WRX 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	268 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
WRX STI 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	310 HP	290 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the IS gets better mileage than the WRX:

			MPG
IS
RWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/31 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
AWD	Auto	350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
WRX
AWD	Manual	2.5 turbo flat-4	16 city/22 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo flat-4	18 city/24 hwy

The IS has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the WRX (17.4 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus IS higher (5 out of 10) than the Subaru WRX (1). This means the IS produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the WRX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Lexus IS comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the WRX.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the IS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the WRX:

	IS	IS 500	WRX	WRX STI
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	14 inches	12.4 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	11.7 inches	12.7 inches	11.3 inches	12.8 inches

The IS’ standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the WRX are solid, not vented.

The IS stops shorter than the WRX:

	IS	WRX
60 to 0 MPH	110 feet	112 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the IS 300 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the WRX.

Suspension and Handling

The IS offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The WRX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the IS’ wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the WRX (110.2 inches vs. 104.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the IS is 2 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the WRX.

The IS’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the WRX’s (58.4% to 41.6%). This gives the IS more stable handling and braking.

The IS 350 F Sport handles at .93 G’s, while the WRX pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the IS’ turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the WRX’s (34.2 feet vs. 35.4 feet). The IS AWD’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the WRX Premium/Limited/STI’s (35.4 feet vs. 36 feet).

Passenger Space

The IS has 1.5 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .9 inches more rear hip room than the WRX.

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the IS offers cargo security. The WRX’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 52% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the IS, the optional memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat (memory seat optional for the front passenger), steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The WRX doesn’t offer a memory system.

The IS’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The WRX doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The IS’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The WRX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The IS’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The WRX has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The IS’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The WRX’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the IS the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the WRX can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The IS’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The WRX’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The IS has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The WRX has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/STI/Limited.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the IS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The WRX doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

When the IS with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The WRX’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The IS’ optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The WRX offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the IS keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The WRX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the IS’ optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The WRX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The IS has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the WRX STI.

Both the IS and the WRX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the IS has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The WRX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Model Availability

The IS is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The WRX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus IS, based on reliability, safety and performance.

See Available Inventory