Here's the plan. Start in Old Town Auburn with a proper espresso, take Foresthill Road out to the canyon rim, pick up Highway 49 north through the oak and pine corridor, and finish at Buzz Thru Joe's in Colfax with a second cup and a breakfast burrito. Total driving time runs well under two hours, and that isn't the point. The point is the 2026 Subaru WRX and the specific character of these foothill roads, which happen to suit it almost exactly.
A fair note up front is that the WRX isn't a fuel sipper. The EPA rates the 2026 WRX at 22 mpg combined, and this route spends more time in canyon and surface-road conditions than on the highway. If efficiency is your primary metric, the WRX is the wrong car for this run. If the way a car moves through elevation change and linked corners is your metric, it's a very capable one.
What's the Route?
The route is four stops across roughly 25 miles of driving, not counting the Foresthill Road detour, and it runs mostly on two-lane roads through Gold Country. September is an excellent month to run it, since the peak foothill heat has softened considerably, the oak canopy is still full, and you're well clear of the first Sierra snowfall that typically reaches the I-80 corridor above 5,000 feet later in autumn.
| Stop | Drive from previous | What to do | What to pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Old Town Auburn / The Pour Choice | (start here) | Espresso, walk the Gold Rush district | Light layer; canyon mornings are cool |
| 2. Foresthill Road Overlook | ~10 min from Old Town | American River Canyon rim viewpoint; the WRX earns its keep here | Camera, water |
| 3. Highway 49 North Corridor | ~15 min from Foresthill Rd | Oak woodland driving through Gold Country; the drive is the stop | Playlist ready |
| 4. Buzz Thru Joe's, Colfax | ~20 min from Auburn | Espresso, breakfast burrito, drive-thru or walk-up window | Card or cash; kitchen closes at 3 pm |
The Four Stops
Stop 1: Old Town Auburn and The Pour Choice
Old Town Auburn is a genuine Gold Rush-era district. The buildings are original, the streets are narrow, and The Pour Choice is the kind of two-story coffee shop with an outdoor patio that people plan to spend 20 minutes at and stay for an hour. The shop's a well-established Auburn anchor with craft coffee and a full food menu.
Our dealership on Grass Valley Highway is a five-minute drive from Old Town, so this stop's a natural start. Park on Lincoln Way or Commercial Street and walk the block. Get the espresso drink. You'll want the caffeine on board before Foresthill Road.
Stop 2: Foresthill Road and the American River Canyon
Most driving-route guides skip this part entirely. Foresthill Road heads east out of Auburn and drops into the American River Canyon through a sequence of sustained, rhythm-based corners. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of curves where a car with genuine lateral grip and a responsive manual starts to make sense as a deliberate choice.
The 2026 WRX runs a 2.4-liter twin-scroll turbocharged BOXER engine that Subaru rates at 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That torque arrives at 2,000 rpm and holds through 5,200 rpm. Early and flat. On an uphill hairpin, that spread means you don't need to chase the rev limiter to get the car moving out of a corner. The six-speed manual keeps you inside all of it.
Pull over at the canyon rim viewpoint and let the American River valley do the talking for a minute. Then turn around, pick up Highway 49 north, and settle in.
Stop 3: Highway 49 North Toward Colfax
Highway 49 from Auburn toward Colfax rolls through Gold Country the way the road was built to be driven. There's no dramatic elevation here. What you get is texture, linked sweepers through oak woodland, open ridgeline views on the longer straights, and light traffic on a weekend morning. The road stays connected rather than stop-and-go.
On this corridor, the WRX's Subaru Symmetrical AWD and track-tuned suspension do something the spec sheet doesn't fully explain. The car reads the surface and tells you about it through the steering. It communicates. The Subaru Crosstrek handles these roads well at a different price point and a more relaxed pace, but the WRX's character on this corridor is its own thing (there's no real substitution for it).
No stop needed here. The driving is the destination.
Stop 4: Buzz Thru Joe's, Colfax
Buzz Thru Joe's sits at 504 South Auburn Street in Colfax, right off the I-80 corridor. Drive-thru or walk-up window, open seven days a week, specialty espresso drinks plus breakfast burritos, bagels, pastries, and smoothies. The shop's a local independent place with years of regulars. The kitchen closes at 3 PM, so plan to arrive with time to spare.
Park the WRX. Let it sit. Order the burrito and take five minutes to decide whether you want to return via I-80, roughly 20 minutes and efficient, or retrace Highway 49 south, slower but better. We'd go back the way we came.
Check Current WRX Availability
Tweak It to Your Crew
This loop runs comfortably in a morning, though it stretches if you want it to. Extend the Foresthill Road leg deeper into the canyon for a longer drive before coffee. Add a second stop in Old Town on the return. The WRX seats four adults without meaningful compromise and carries 12.5 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats, which covers day bags and jackets easily. It isn't a gear-hauling setup.
If you want this same route with more room for passengers or camping equipment, the Subaru Outback is the honest alternative: more cargo room, more ground clearance, genuinely capable AWD, and a ride calibrated for comfort over longer stretches. The Outback does this route without complaint. The WRX does it with more intention.
For crews who prioritize the drive itself, the 2026 WRX earned a 5-star overall vehicle score from NHTSA. It's the rare sport sedan that brings a real safety record alongside the performance character. That combination's what makes it a defensible everyday car on the I-80 corridor, not just a weekend toy.
The foothill roads between Auburn and Colfax are genuinely some of the better casual driving in the Sacramento region. In a 2026 WRX on a clear September morning, there's no reason to be in a hurry to get anywhere.