Nissan Versa vs Subaru WRX

It’s getting hard to find a basic subcompact sedan, but Nissan is keeping the faith.

The Nissan Versa was introduced for the 2007 model year as the automaker’s entry-level model, slotting below the Sentra in the lineup. It was last redesigned for the 2020 model year, and for 2023 it gets a handful of updates, including freshened styling, more available tech features, and a new S Plus Package for the Versa’s base trim level. In addition to the Versa S, the lineup includes SV and SR models; we tested the latter for this review.

Since the Versa has been on sale, the ranks of subcompact cars have thinned considerably. The Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, and Toyota Yaris are no longer sold in the United States. That leaves the Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage G4 as the Versa’s main competitors. But, as is always the case in this market segment, shoppers must also consider whether to buy a new car like the Versa or a potentially better equipped used car for similar money.

Subaru's image is centered around rugged station wagons, outdoor activities, and cute dogs, but the automaker also has a sporty side—exemplified by the 2023 Subaru WRX.

The WRX first appeared in the 1990s as a homologation special for the World Rally Championship (WRC), which at the time required cars to be closely related to production models. Subaru viewed rallying as the perfect way to show off its all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles so, after a trial with the Legacy midsize sedan, it launched the Impreza-based WRX with the goal of becoming more competitive. It worked: Subaru has won multiple rally championships and the WRX has endeared it to car enthusiasts.

Subaru didn't begin selling the WRX in the United States until the 2002 model year, but it's remained a fixture of the automaker's U.S. lineup every since, competing against other sporty compact cars like the Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Elantra N, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Jetta GLI, and other derivatives of those models.

The current, fourth-generation WRX was introduced for the 2022 model year, so there are no changes to report for 2023. The lineup includes base, Premium, Limited, and GT trim levels. For this review, we drove the WRX GT, which sits at the top of the range.