Nowadays, the Subaru WRX is very far removed from the near-deified rallying icon it once was, but it remains a pragmatic performance car nonetheless. You still get the practical four-door configuration, up to five seats, all-wheel drive, exciting handling, and a turbocharged flat-four engine with plenty of power. Take the 2020 model. It is part of the VA-generation WRX that spanned the 2015-2021 model years and, as such, has a 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo flat-four producing 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque in the regular models.
The WRX STI amps up those numbers to 310 hp and 290 lb-ft courtesy of a larger 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four. This makes the WRX one of the more practical choices for those seeking a performance car that can handle common everyday activities like grocery shopping or school runs. And it shows in the way it holds its value. According to CarEdge data, the 2020 Subaru WRX has managed to keep around 67% of its original value after five years, which translates to a five-year depreciation of about 33%.
All this assumes a $32,507 price at new for the 2020 WRX, the vehicle is still in good condition, and the average owner drives 13,500 miles per year, meaning a current resale value of $21,813. However, different trims depreciate at different rates, and resale values from KBB show the rate of depreciation is much higher for certain versions. With that in mind, we’ve looked at how much the individual 2020 Subaru WRX trims have depreciated over the last five years, as well as how the four-door sports sedan’s depreciation compares to its major rivals below.
Five-year depreciation for the 2020 Subaru WRX
Based on current values, the 2020 WRX depreciation hovers between 33% and 44% over the last five years, per KBB. The STI suffers the least depreciation out of all the 2020 Subaru WRX trims, holding onto around 67% of its original $38,022 value at $25,543 after half a decade. This keeps its depreciation rate at an impressively modest 33%. The base model is the next least depreciated WRX, at around 39%, given its starting price of $28,519 and resale value of $17,425 after five years.
By comparison, the WRX Premium trim has seen slightly higher depreciation, at around 40%. This takes into account its original price of $30,819 and resale value of $18,529 in 2025. If, on the other hand, you own the Limited trim, which began from $33,119 when new, it would still be worth $19,456 as of late 2025, translating into a depreciation of around 41%. That leaves the STI Limited as the 2020 Subaru WRX trim to have experienced by far the most depreciation over the last five years, at 44%. It was priced from $42,722 originally, with a resale value in 2025 of $23,869.
The plus side of this, of course, is that you can snap up one of these for far less than they were worth when they first came out. But it’s also worth bearing in mind that actual prices will vary based on factors such as mileage and market conditions. As if to prove the point, 2020 Subaru WRX Premium versions have gone up in value by $721 since the turn of the year.
2020 Subaru WRX depreciation vs major rivals’
The Subaru WRX’s depreciation rate of 33% puts it in the middle of the pack of the popular sport compact cars that were offered for the 2020 model year. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R is the best performing car in the segment for value retention, holding onto 76% of the $37,950 it sold for when it launched. That, of course, is as a result of its resale value of $28,846 as of 2025, per KBB data.
The 2020 Honda Civic Si Sedan is another model with a lower depreciation rate, as KBB figures show it has held onto around 70% of its original value in five years. This is based on its $26,155 price tag when new and $18,313 resale value in 2025. Interestingly, both Honda cars are currently seeing a significant boom in value, with the 2020 Type R gaining $854 so far in 2026 and the Si Sedan increasing by as much as $937 over the same period.
The 2020 Golf GTI has also seen its value go up by $778 recently, but that came after KBB data showed it had lost around 45% of its value after five years. The figures put the German car’s 2025 resale value at $16,772 against a starting price of $30,315 when new. In its estimates, CarEdge found that the 2020 VW Golf GTI does a smidgen better in terms of resale value, putting its depreciation rate at around 41%.
