WRX Sedan

Make
Subaru
Segment
Sedan

If you're looking for a solid performance sedan (and with a six-speed manual!) that's drivable year-round and also affordable, the Subaru WRX should be at the very top of your list. With a base price of just over $27,000, you can drive a brand-spanking new 2015 WRX home from your local Subie dealer right now. Tack on all of the extras and you'll still spend less than $32k. You could even go for the even more potent WRX STI.

Now a good thing has become even better. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just awarded the 2015 WRX as a Top Safety Pick after putting the car through its rigorous crash test evaluations.

What's more, this is the first time the IIHS has given this award to the WRX. In the small overlap test, the WRX's structure held up, and the driver's space was also kept secure. The dummy driver also survived without any significant injuries thanks in part to front and side airbags. No smashed skulls or brain injuries there. The small overlap test simulates what happens when the front corner of a car collides at 40 mph with another vehicle and/or object. The WRX also achieved good ratings in all other major IIHS crash tests as well. So there you go. The 2015 Subaru WRX is now officially safe to crash.