The introduction of the third-generation Impreza, introduced in 2008, signalled Subaru’s intention to apply a more mainstream approach to its business practices. Pre-rework, most of the company’s offerings were, to be polite, a little left of centre. Long admired for its all-wheel-drive ability, Subaru’s quirky nature turned off many potential punters — it was, for want of a better description, a Japanese Saab. Nothing wrong with that except it put a crimp on Subaru’s true potential. The 2010 Impreza WRX is a fine example of what happens when sound engineering meets attractive packaging.
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The 2009 Subaru WRX was reviewed by Alvarado Post, and it looks like they enjoyed the car a lot!
“Subaru has definitely raised performance and handling to a new level because this car is an absolute blast to drive.
Handling is outstanding — simply outstanding.
While I could literally gush over how crisp the re-tuned suspension and steering systems perform, I’m even more impressed with the increase in performance Subaru has managed to deliver in the 2.5-liter Boxer turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
With a base price starting around $26,000, the Impreza WRX includes a long list of standard features, including: 60/40 split fold down rear seat back, audio system with CD player, automatic climate control system, cruise control, digital clock and outside temperature gauge, electroluminescent instrument gauges, incline start assist, leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for cruise and audio systems, performance-designed front seats, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry, tilt-and-telescoping steering column and intermittent wipers.”
Wow! Intermittent wipers!
Car and Driver has a long term road test of the 2008 Subaru WRX STI. It looks like they got a bunch of mechanical issues with the car. The review is pretty extensive and is worth a read.
“The first few months with the STI were smooth sailing. [...] Around the 11,000-mile mark, second gear began repeatedly popping out of its engagement, and into service the STI went.”
“Engine problems cropped up with just 23,000 miles on the clock. [...] An air-fuel-ratio sensor was initially suspected and subsequently replaced, but the new sensor proved no fix. Finally, after months of trying to track down the unhappy ghost in our engine bay, a new engine control unit was installed, curing the problem. [...] It took so long to identify the issue that Subaru asked the dealer to do a compression check on all cylinders, to make sure driving the car with the surging issue hadn’t caused it to go out of spec. As it turned out, the compression was indeed out of whack, so a new short block (which really means most of the engine beyond the cylinder heads) was installed at 32,066 miles.”
“[...] when the car was functioning properly, it was an extremely capable and fun-to-drive machine.”
“The all-wheel-drive system proved fantastic during the winter months and the suspension provides a much more civilized ride than that of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.”
[...] the 2006 WRX sedan that was the test car seemed to strike a nice balance of spunky power and ride comfort. [...] The test WRX sedan with five-speed manual seemed to be rarin’ to go and didn’t need much time to get up to speed and effortlessly zip along. There was a bit of turbo lag at times, as I stepped on the gas and waited for the power to come on. But once it did, there was strong power delivery.
More at Road Test: Subaru breaks new ground
IGN has a review of the 2006 WRX STI. They tend to compare the WRX to the EVO a lot, because they absolutely love the Mitsubishi EVO.
Many have said that the EVO is the more “precise” machine of the two. We’d have to agree with that statement, as the Subaru just doesn’t have that razor sharp feeling. However, the EVO is the most sensitive car we’ve ever driven, so it would be hard to find a car that just feels that telepathic… The STI has a lot of power and is more than capable of holding its own against the EVO, so one can only claim one car to be the winner when it comes to small personal preferences. Personally, we love both cars, but we happen to like the interior of the STI a lot more. It’s not as plastic-y feeling as the EVO’s cockpit, so if we had to choose between the two cars, we’d go with the STI.
