5 Subaru Models With The Most Horsepower, Ranked

Subaru is known for their rugged, outdoor-friendly vehicles. Many Subaru models have impressive off-road capability and exceed expectations when the pavement ends. The spacious interiors on Subaru models give you plenty of room for your gear and their entry-level sports car, the BRZ, is one of the most engaging cars in its price range. But when you think of Subaru, you probably don't think of high-horsepower vehicles. Most of their cars and SUVs are adequately powered, but there aren't a lot of burnouts in their ad campaigns. These models, though, are the top North American production Subarus when it comes to horsepower

 This list doesn't cover things like concept models, future vehicles, or tuner versions of Subarus. The Project Midnight concept shown off at the LA Auto Show in 2024 is great, and 670 horsepower is an impressive number, but it's not a production car, so it doesn't get a spot on this list. Moreover, no matter how cool an LS-swapped WRX might sound, tracking down and confirming numbers for all the modified Subarus around the world just isn't practical. 

Also, we've tried to eliminate duplicates, so this isn't just a list of all WRX STI's. Finally, these are cars that were (or are) available for sale in the United States now — the 375-hp Trailseeker EV is a 2026 model that you can't get at time of writing, and while there are some spicy Subaru variants available in Japan, we've excluded those too. Now, on to the cars. 

There aren't any six-cylinder engines currently in Subaru's lineup — all the internal combustion done via their vehicles is done via a four-cylinder powerplant. But that wasn't always the case. Some Subaru models used to come with flat-six engines, including icons of strange and fantastic design like the forgotten SVX performance coupe. Another, more recent six-cylinder engine worth noting is the one that powered both the Outback and the Legacy. The 3.6R engine was available as an option, and it made 256 hp and 247 lb-ft in both models, outgunning their standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines significantly — the smaller four-cylinder only had 175 hp.

Thanks to the robust 3.6-liter flat-six, the Legacy became one of the fastest Subaru models as well, reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 139 mph. That's a lot more speed than you might expect from a relatively sedate family sedan. In 2019, the last year the 3.6R powertrain was available, you could get a top-trim Legacy Limited for $32,430 (including a $885 destination fee) which was pretty impressive for the time. The Outback 3.6R Touring cost a bit more at $39,970, but it was still a performance deal worth considering.

Even though there aren't any six-cylinder engines in Subaru's lineup anymore, that doesn't mean the power levels in its most popular vehicles have dropped. Three current Subaru models use the same four-cylinder powerplant and pump out the same numbers, all of them more powerful than the old 3.6-liter engine. The 2025 Outback, Legacy, and Ascent all use a turbocharged 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that makes 260 hp and 277 lb-ft. It's not exactly a massive leap, but it's more power and a significant increase in torque.

The added torque meant a big boost in acceleration for these Subaru models. When Car and Driver tested the 2019 Legacy 3.6R, for example, it sprinted from zero to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. The following year, the 2020 model made the same run in 6.1 seconds – a full second faster. Compared with the old six-cylinder engine, the four-cylinder is more efficient too. Fuel economy has increased, with the 2025 Legacy returning an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined, while the old 3.6-liter engine could only muster 23 mpg combined. We might lament the loss of the six-cylinder engine, but with better acceleration and better fuel economy, it's hard to come down on the new turbocharged four banger. 

There are a lot of WRX models that could make their way on to this list, but we've done our best to limit them for the sake of diversity. After all, some model years like the 2018 WRX would've already beaten out the Legacy, Outback, and Ascent models listed earlier by providing 268 hp. That being said, we can't hold off the WRXs any longer. The current 2025 Subaru WRX, which stands for World Rally Experimental, is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four boxer engine. It makes 271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and it's available with your choice of transmission — either a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic. 

Like most other Subarus, the current WRX comes standard with all-wheel drive. There's no upgraded STI model like there has been in years past, but the STI-tuned tS trim does its best impression of an STI, albeit without the benefit of added power. Regardless of trim, all current WRX models get the same powertrain with the same power output, so you could purchase the least expensive model and still have a pretty swift car. The base WRX Premium has a starting price of $36,920 (including $1,170 destination fee) while top tS trims jump up to $46,875, but they do add goodies like electronically controlled dampers, Brembo brakes, and unique Recaro seats.

A limited edition version of the 2018 WRX STI, the Type RA added power and reduced weight compared to the standard model. It used the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that was in standard WRX STI models, but it pumped things up from 305 to 310 hp, whiletorque remained the same at 280 lb-ft. RA stands for Record Attempt, and it referred to a vehicle Subaru was using at the time to attempt timed records at the world-famous Nurburgring.

To get the weight down as low as possible, Subaru used a carbon-fiber roof and wing, the spare tire was gone, and the Type RA also came with lightweight BBS wheels. Other hardware changes included revised gearing, a short-throw shifter, Bilstein suspension dampers, Recaro seats, and Brembo brakes. Naturally, all this extra equipment, paired with the fact that Subaru only made 500 examples of the Type RA meant it was pretty pricey. It had an MSRP of $49,885, including an $860 destination fee, which was quite the jump over the standard WRX STI's starting price of $36,955. In terms of straight-line speed, the Type RA was a bit disappointing compared to its standard WRX STI counterparts. When Car and Driver tested the Type RA from 0 to 60 mph, it took 5.7 seconds, while the standard STI made the blast in 5.3 seconds.

The STI S209 is quite a rare vehicle. As the name suggests, only 209 of them were ever produced, and they were made only for United States customers. Under the hood was a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that produced a record 341 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque, more than any Subaru in history. By some other automakers' standards, that's not a lot of power, but the S209 certainly made a lot out of what it was given. When Car and Driver tested one, it went from zero to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds – fast enough to keep up with sports cars packing more power. 

Performance upgrades like increased boost pressure compared to the standard WRX STI, a larger turbine and compressor, and a high-flow intake system all contributed to the S209's overall performance. More than just fast in a straight line, the S209 was designed with corners in mind as well. S209 models came with a widebody kit, canards in the front fenders, a massive rear wing, upgraded Brembo brakes, lightweight BBS wheels, sticky Dunlop tires, upgraded strut-tower stabilizer bars, and reinforcements to the subframe. 

With the limited production numbers, they don't lose much in value either — low-mileage examples of the 209 have actually sold for more than their original price of $64,880. Several have sold on the auction site Bring A Trailer for over $90,000, with one ultra-low-mileage example selling for $104,000.