Jan

Subaru’s Impreza WRX STI Gone Soft? Think Again

Posted by admin Published in Subaru

I’ve read a good deal lately about the supposed gentrification of the Subaru WRX STI. I’ve heard that it is somehow softer, less involving, less wicked than the car it replaces. Well, after a week on public roads with one, I’m just not buying it. The old car was quick and visually extraverted, no question about it. But construct no mistake, the new STI is quicker and even more extraverted. It is a better car in every meaningful way. It simply goes about its commerce with less noise.

Subaru’s decision to build the STI on the Impreza’s five-door wagonette body style rather than the sedan is easy to question, but ultimately solid to fault. It’s tough to sign it a pretty car, with a longish snout topped by a gaping scoop, swollen fenders, and a pinched rear end that sports quad exhuast tips, clear-lens LED taillamps, and a awning-like spoiler by the rear glass. And yet, there’s no frivolity here, nothing added that doesn’t support the car’s raison d’être. And when you’re done for the day being a vehicular hooligan, it’s awfully handy to lift the hatchback, drop the rear seats, and load ‘er up. We loaded a six-foot stepladder, gobs of groceries, and various other whatnots with no trouble at all.

Continued after the break, with more photos, courtesy of Subaru.

Beneath the STI’s aforementioned hood scoop hums the latest version of Subaru’s familiar 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four, turbocharged and intercooled — with variable control of both intake and exhaust valves — to the tune of 305 horsepower (up 12 from the old model). Torque stays the same, at 290 pound-feet, but crests a useful 400 rpm sooner. It drives all four wheels through a revised six-speed manual gearbox &mash; with new synchros and lower-friction actuation, one of the sweetest on the market.

Inside, strange seats are wrapped in leather and Alcantara. The STI’s center console presents controllers for a rocker switch for the Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) and a knob for the SI-Drive system. In a nutshell, DCCD allows the driver to decide, how — and how much — torque arrives at the front and rear wheels, allowing for, say, a rear-wheel bias on the racetrack, or a fifty/fifty split for slick surfaces. SI-Drive modifies boost intensity and throttle response by three modes, from highway-friendly “Intelligent” to hardcore “Sport Sharp.” Both systems, inspired by World Rally Championship technology, have full motorized modes that will handily accommodate 90 percent of driving conditions. possibly a little gimmicky? Perhaps, but they are at least reasonably useful in real-world conditions (unlike the button in the

preceding model that sprayed water on the intercooler too chill intake air and purportedly boost horsepower for brief periods).

What’s surprising about the STI upon first drive is that it’s so, well, easygoing, which is surely why it’s been derided as softer than its predecessor. It’s nearly too friendly, considering that surly expression, those fenders, that scoop, and those gold-toned forged BBS wheels with 245-series Dunlop rubber. Oh, you sense it’s a fast car immediately, but unlike, say, the Ford Mustang GT, the STI doesn’t . The STI’s capabilities have to be discovered. Push a little deeper, rev a little higher, brake a little later, and the STI reveals its nature. It is quick and agile without being abusive. There is some body roll and understeer during particularly tough cornering, but never less than completely communicative. Cars that corner too flat often belie their limits of adhesion. The STI always lets you know how much grip is left, how fast you can dive into a corner, how much throttle it’ll take on the way out. (Invariably, the reply to all three questions is “plenty.”) The car’s heroic abilities inevitably exceed common sense and legality by a meaningful margin. Trust me: Your luck (or nerve) will run out before that car’s capability does.

The STI is by no means without its flaws. For one thing, it’s not cheap. Our electric-blue tryout car, which featured the BBS wheel package and the navigation system, stickered for a cool $39,440, placing it in some pretty lofty company, including the BMW 335i, the Audi A4 3.2 Quattro, and the Mercedes-Benz C350. The navigation system, an $1800 option, is a big disappointment. For one thing, although DVD-based, it uses regional discs, like the old CD-ROM-based systems. Why? My $350 Garmin Nuvi packs the entire U.S. and Canada, including about 5 million points of interest, into a case the size of an Eggo waffle. I think manufacturers need to get with the program when it comes to in-dash nav systems.

In the end, however, that latest iteration of Subaru’s rally-inspired hero car is just dizzyingly great. Has it grown up a bit? Absolutely. sign it more comfortable, sign it quieter, sign it better-equipped. Just don’t sign it soft.

2008 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI
Base price: $35,640
Price as tested: $39,440
Engine: Turbocharged 2.5-liter horizontally opposed 4
potential: 305 hp
Torque: 290 lb-ft
0-60 mph: 4.8 seconds (est)