From the category archives:

Subaru WRX Reviews and Specifications

Subaru WRX 2006 Sport Wagon, a car with power and style

February 14, 2006

“There aren’t many cars on the market that can match the WRX’s combination of low price and great performance. I can’t think of a small SUV that comes close. The most basic WRX sedan starts out at $24,620, but if you’re looking for an SUV alternative you’ll probably want the WRX Sport Wagon, with a base price of $25,120.

My test car, the WRX Limited wagon, which has such luxury features as heated leather seats, starts at $27,520. (If you’re a real performance nut you can go with the Porsche-fast STI version of the WRX sedan, which starts at $33,620. But, hey, let’s be practical.)

Whichever model you choose, it’s a pretty penny to pay for a small station wagon. But this isn’t just any small station wagon. That’s obvious from the big muscle-car-style air-scoop on the hood. As of the 2006 model year, the WRX got a 2.5-liter, 230-horsepower engine. In terms of horsepower, the new engine is only marginally bigger than the previous one, but it delivers far more torque at lower speeds. The result? The ’06 WRX jumps from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds.

The WRX doesn’t lack for creature comforts, either. The interiors of all Imprezas were upgraded as of the 2005 model year, and they’re cleanly designed and functional, if not particularly fancy. With the leather upholstery and trim, the WRX’s interior actually verges on being luxurious.”

“Going with the turbocharged engine reduces fuel efficiency. The WRX wagon is rated to get 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway (not particularly good for a small wagon), and uses pricey premium gasoline.

Another downside is that the only automatic transmission the WRX comes with is an unrefined four speed. I would definitely recommend going with the manual transmission on a sporty car like this, though the one on my test car wasn’t as tight as the stick shift on, say, the Volvo S40 (see BW Online, 1/25/06, “A Hot Volvo for a Cold Road”). It would probably help a lot to go with the short-throw shifter, a $345 option that my test WRX didn’t have.”

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Subaru WRX 2006 recommended as a post-graduation vehicle

February 10, 2006

Echo Online recommends three cars as post-graduation vehicles:

  • Honda Civic Si
  • Volkswagen GTI
  • Subaru WRX

Here’s their take on the Subaru WRX 2006:

Subaru Impreza WRX TR: When you need all four wheels driven look no further than the Subaru Impreza WRX TR, TR stands for tuner ready.

New for 2006 the TR is an entry level WRX sedan that cuts out some little things that are not needed for the driving enjoyment, keeping only performance and technology features, according to Subaru.

Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is what allows equal amounts of power to reach all four wheels, unless there is wheel slippage and then power is diverted from the slipping wheel and sent to a tire with more grip.

All WRX models, except the STI, receive new engines for 2006. A 2.5-liter flat four that replaces the 2.0-liter that had previously powered the rally inspired car. This increase in engine size also translates to an increase in power and torque, 3 hp and 18 lb-ft of torque have been added to make a total of 230 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. Subaru says that this increase in torque will help the WRX perform at lower to mid range engine speeds. 17 inch wheels are now standard for all WRXs, up from 16 inch.

Subaru made changes to the Impreza’s exterior this year as well. They adapted the “three-section mesh-type grill inspired by the company’s aircraft heritage” for the 2006 Impreza.

According to the EPA the WRX gets 20 miles to the gallon of gasoline in the city and 26 on the highway, if you go with a manual transmission.

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Subaru Tribeca B9 and Subaru WRX 2006 Review at Pacifica Tribune

February 8, 2006

On the Tribeca B9 2006:

The biggest problem styling wise is the nose of the Tribeca. I have absolutely no idea what the designers were thinking. The grille, which is the center point of the car (literally and figuratively), looks like a cross between the grilles of an Edsel and a Bugatti and comes across like the mouth of a sucker. But enough carping. If nothing else, it is distinctive.

[...]

The Tribeca uses Subaru’s 3.0-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. The engine is all aluminum with DOHC, 24-valves, and all the electronic goodies that go with a modern engine to make it clean and powerful. The engine makes 250 hp and 219 lb-ft of torque but does require premium fuel. If you have never driven a Subie with this engine you will be amazed; it is one of the smoothest engines available anywhere.

On the WRX 2006:

I also drove a 2006 Impreza WRX and it reminded me of what a great car it is. Yes Subaru has stuck the new Subie grille (a mini-Tribeca grille) on it but underneath is the same exciting WRX.

The WRX comes in three flavors. The base, build it yourself WRX TR, and the regular WRX; both equipped with a 230 hp 2.5-liter flat four. Then there is the WRX STi, the 300 hp, get the heck out of my way version. I am talking about compact 4-door sedans that weigh no more than 3,351 lbs. The TR starts at $23,995, the WRX at $24,495, and the STi at $32,995.

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Subaru WRX 2006 – Personal review by a mother

February 6, 2006

Peta Lee has posted a personal review of the Subaru WRX 2006 at motoring.co.za. Here are some highlights:

“My mom’s driving a racing car,” I heard my seven-year-old daughter Jordan telling a friend last week.

You see, what really knocks my socks off is having a performance car such as an Impreza WRX that’s equally at home as a family sedan.

And when you pull off, that rally performance will blow you away. Come dirt or tar, wet or dry, the famous Subaru all-wheel-drive keeps you firmly stuck on whatever surface you’re on, and you feel absolutely secure in the car.

Its stunningly quick acceleration, grip and performance are impressive, and it’s blisteringly quick on the open road. Technical fundis will want to know it has a turbocharged, 2.5-litre, flat-four motor and 169kW at 5600rpm.

I’m glad to know that women are enjoying this car as much as I do ;)

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Subaru Impreza STI S204 Preview

February 1, 2006

Auto Express has a preview of the Subaru Impreza STI S204:

Set to arrive in the UK as a grey import, the S204 is said to have the power and the pedigree to make the company’s latest dream come true.

[...]

On the road, the S204 is sensational. Inheriting a reworked 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder boxer engine from its predecessor, the S203, the car puts out 320bhp at 6,400rpm, while torque is 432Nm at 4,400rpm. The 0-60mph sprint is expected to take around 4.5 seconds, and the top speed is 155mph.

[...]

The best-handling STi so far, this car devours corners, helped partly by the grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, which combine effortlessly with chunky four-piston Brembo brake calipers.

Inside, though, it’s a different story. The cabin is based on a stock STi’s, but designers have only added two leather Recaro seats – which are too tight across the hips yet cost 2,700 – and a few extra yards of high-quality leather.

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Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sedan Review

January 24, 2006

di-ve.com has a review of the Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sedan, which you can read here.

An excellent daily and family runner which is stylish, roomy, practical, safe and relatively economical. Change your mood and the Impreza becomes a fast, sporty, aggressive and perfectly balanced performance-oriented machine offering even the most demanding enthusiast a truly thrilling drive.

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Subaru WRX 2006 interior starting to show its age?

January 21, 2006

TheStar.com has a review of the Subaru Impreza WRX 2006. They’re praising the car’s driving and responsiveness in poor weather, but they say the car’s interior is starting to show its age.

Still, this is the WRX’s second facelift, and the car is starting to show its age in some areas.

While the interior has been upgraded beyond the new seats – there’s new trim on the centre console and redesigned gauges, as well as an easier-to-use stereo – the quality of the materials isn’t the best, and the design’s beginning to feel a bit old.

More important, the small size that gives the WRX its nimbleness also means that its back seat is claustrophobic, with very little legroom if whoever’s up front is taller than 6 feet.

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Subaru WRX 2006 Review at Automedia

January 20, 2006

Automedia.com has a review the Subaru WRX 2006.

[...] the only real flaw in the first and second-generation Subaru Impreza WRX, as sold in America, was that the turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four had a big hole in it where low-end torque should be. Subaru has taken a great step to mend this, now equipping all WRXs with the larger 2.5-liter boxer motor as has been available in the WRX STi since the 2004 model year.

Public opinion of the new WRX is split. Technical types love it. It’s got the big STI motor with all the trimmings sans the bigger boost, it comes with bigger brakes (four-pot in front, 11.4 inches) behind attractive new 17-inch wheels (which house a larger bolt pattern and better hub bearings, first introduced on the 2005 STi), faster steering gear and a number of other small-scale improvements that will undoubtedly make this an even better rocket. On the downside, the same techies will lament that Bridgestone’s RE92 Potenza is still the OEM tire, and indict the TR’s low-end seats, and, of course, the front-end.

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Subaru WRX 2006 Reviewed By Autochannel

January 12, 2006

The Auto Channel has reviewed the Subaru WRX 2006. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

Perhaps never has one car changed its makers’ image in the public mind more than the WRX. Pre-WRX, a Subaru was what your aunt in Vermont drove. After, it’s what your teenage son dreams about.

Read the full review here.

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