Can You Import A New Subaru WRX Sportswagon From Mexico?

The Subaru WRX is one of those iconic nameplates that needs no introduction. For over three decades, the WRX has been Subaru’s bridge between its hardcore rally prowess and its mass-market civilian vehicles. The recipe has always been to combine their extensive knowledge of rally racing performance with the easy-of-use and practicality of an everyday car. The WRX is also one of those cars with a rich heritage of offering enthusiasts a wagon version, appealing to the need for sportiness and practicality in equal measure.

But America hasn’t received the WRX wagon for quite some time, which is why it came as bittersweet news this week when we learned the WRX Sportswagon is coming to North America, but only to be sold in Mexico, not the USA. That got us thinking, how hard would it be to import a WRX Sportswagon from Mexico, and is it even legal?

Is It Legal To Import Cars From Mexico To The USA?

Importing a car is much easier if it’s 25 years old. Each year an entirely new list of legendary vehicles becomes eligible for import into the USA without having to jump through too many hoops. If a car is younger than that, the process becomes a lot more difficult. There are three ways you can possibly go about it.

Do It Via Registered Importers, Or By Yourself

Any and every car newer than 25 years old must be brought up to US safety standards, regardless of make, if it is to be imported legally. These standards may require the alteration of things like bumpers, side marker lights, and even tail light color. The import duties on the car also have to be paid prior to the vehicle entering the US.

The vehicle must also meet US emissions standards. Our emissions standards are normally stricter than most other countries, and this includes Mexico.

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Officially, it’s the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, but we all know it as the reason we have to wait 25 years to own our JDM dream cars.

Because the WRX Sportswagon isn’t sold in the US, you will potentially have to spend quite a lot of money altering the engine and emissions systems to bring it up to the US emissions code. This is not something you want to lie about, as the Department of Transport will do checks, and will require you to fill in loads of paperwork.

If you’ve spent the money on the expensive custom engine, safety, and body work to get your Mexican market vehicle up to the US code, it’s now time for several forms to be filled out and duties to be paid. A list of common required import forms includes:

• Bill of lading and/or bill of sale
• Mexican registration
• Proof of ownership
• DOT Form HS-7
• EPA Form 3520-1
• Manufacturer engine label with emissions certification

Show And Display Imports

While the WRX Sportswagon doesn’t fit this description, we feel it’s important to touch on another popular form of vehicle importation. In short, Show and Display imports are vehicles newer than 25 years old that are allowed to be imported to the United States without any alterations, and you have Bill Gates to thank for that. This may seem too easy, but there are a few criteria a vehicle needs to fulfill to be considered a Show and Display vehicle.

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The basis of the Show and Display import is the vehicle’s importance to motoring as a whole. If it can be proven the car in question carries some sort of cultural, technological, or otherwise important significance, it may qualify for the Show and Display categorization, which then allows the vehicle to be imported without any problems. However, it will be illegal to drive said car more than 2,500 miles per year. We get why somebody would use the Show and Display loophole to import a Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 as it likely won’t do 2,500 miles per year, but a Subaru wagon with the same restrictions simply won’t work.

Import It As A Track Car

The above regulations are only applicable to street-legal cars. You can import a car for track-only purposes, and you must tow it to the track and back. As you can imagine, this method is not applicable, and not just because officials will see right through your ploy. Surely the appeal of the WRX Sportswagon is the additional cargo space, which you wouldn’t be able to use. This rule was created for track monsters like the KTM X-Bow GTX, which you wouldn’t want to drive on the road anyway.

Yes, You Can Import A New WRX Sportswagon From Mexico

Yes, it is possible to import a Sportswagon from Mexico into the US. However, as we discussed previously, it’s a task fraught with complications and red tape. In order to begin the process, you’ll have to get the Sportswagon cleaned. Not just detailed, but disinfected, inside and out, which can get expensive. The reason being foreign soil may contain foreign pests which the US would rather keep out.

However, the bulk of the work begins at the bureaucratic level. Before you actually begin bringing your Sportswagon over the border, you’ll have to bring it up to US safety and emissions standards. With cars that are also sold in the US, it’s not much of a task. However, since the Sportswagon isn’t sold here, it will potentially need an extensive, and expensive, emissions overhaul to get it up to the strict US emissions standards. We don’t think there’s anything to worry about on the emissions front, as the engine appears to be the same as used in the WRX sedan, already sold in the USA.

It will also need to have the proper exterior safety lighting retrofitted, which could possibly require extensive body modification. Once you manage to acquire and complete all the proper forms, it’s time to pay up. Typically, import duties from Mexico are at least 2.5% of the vehicle’s total value, which, in the WRX Sportswagon’s case, is just shy of $50,000. That’s $1,250 and just the beginning. There are also state taxes, and any additional fees that can be accrued at the federal or state level.

It’s impossible to calculate the full cost, because it’s not clear how much work needs to be done to make the car road-legal in the USA. We know wagons are cool, but this scenario simply isn’t viable.

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No, It’s Not Worth Importing The Wagon

You’re not alone in pining for a new WRX Sportswagon. It seems almost unfair that Mexico gets it, and we don’t. However, after we’ve broken down the process and cost of importing a foreign-market car, it’s not worth the trouble and expense.

The cost is just too high to warrant importation. The 2024 Subaru WRX Sportswagon’s starting price is $48,500 (MX$819,900), which is already somewhat expensive for what it is, especially considering a brand-new US-spec 2024 Subaru WRX sedan is just over $33,000. An extra bit of body over the rear end shouldn’t equate to an additional $15,000. It might be different if the Sportswagon had a few more horses, or some gold bars in the trunk, but alas.

Regardless, the WRX Sportswagon would end up easily costing you somewhere in the region of $60,000 when all is said and done. For that price, you’re better off looking into some new domestic alternatives. You can even get cars with supercar-like performance on the used market for roughly $45k.

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Alternative Subaru (And Cadillac) Models To Consider

Despite Subaru USA’s lack of a WRX wagon, the Japanese automaker still offers a few vehicles that could scratch the itch. For example, the new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness positions itself as a capable SUV with a wagon-like countenance. Sadly, you only get 182 horsepower from a 2.5-liter flat-four engine. It’s a good car, but not especially thrilling.

The standard WRX sedan is your best bet should you find yourself in need of some Subaru-powered fun as a US citizen. With the WRX sedan, you get the same 271-horsepower 2.4-liter Boxer engine that you’d get in the WRX Sportswagon. The best part about going with a domestic WRX is the price.

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And the worst. Never forget the worst.

We mentioned previously the domestic WRX price beginning at just over $33,000, about $15,000 less than the Mexican WRX Sportswagon.To us, a savings of $15,000 and to be spared the bureaucratic hassle that importing a WRX Sportswagon would entail is worth the compromise.

If you have your heart set on a wagon, we recommend shopping around on the used market. For $45k, you can buy a decent Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon, complete with 556 supercharged horses, magnetic ride control, and Brembo brakes. It’s one of the coolest Cadillac V-Series cars ever made.