My wife is a cautious driver, so it was a bit of a shock when she seemed genuinely interested in having me redline the Subaru Impreza WRX I was testing. Who knew she liked having her head pinned to the back of the seat?
The go-fast designers had their way with the Impreza WRX, adding on the all-important sport wheels, trunk spoiler and hood scoop. So even though it’s based on an economy part, it looks the part. Think of the high-school god’s Pontiac GTO and then grandpa’s LeMans.
There are two levels of WRX. The test car was a base model, featuring a 227-horsepower 2-liter four. It’s a decidedly performance-oriented car, capable of 5.7-second zero to 60 times. There’s even a station-wagon version, one of my favorite forms of pocket rocket.
More likely to be in Vin Diesel’s garage, however, is the WRX STi, which boasts a six-speed transmission to the base car’s five-speed, 2.5-liter displacement and no less than 300 horsepower. Here’s just a partial list of what makes it go faster, as in 4.7 seconds to 60 mph: a high-boost turbocharger, functional hood scoop with manually operated water-cooled intercooler, drive-by-wire throttle, forged aluminum pistons, high-carbon steel connecting rods, composite intake manifold, etc. Pretty heady stuff for a 16-valve four-cylinder engine!
Subaru says it made the WRX STi available in the U.S. because of popular demand prompted by Europe- and Japan-only models. "The 2.5-liter turbocharged powerplant is the largest displacement engine ever installed in a WRX STi model and is exclusive to the North American market," the company says. "It is the most powerful four-cylinder engine available in the U.S. The success of the WRX prompted strong demand from American consumers for an even more extreme performance version of this car."
The STi is the one that will inspire Road and Track readers to fits of lust, but from what I hear it’s not all that easy to live with, largely because of road noise from the high-performance tires. The gearbox is stiff and requires both plentiful shifting and careful handling. The race-type seats aren’t exactly coddling. There’s no stereo!
The base WRX is enough car for most drivers. Like the STi, it’s turbocharged and intercooled, and there’s even a race-type boost gauge mounted on the Momo steering wheel so you can keep it on the boil. You’ll get all the performance you can reasonably expect to use, with better fuel economy (20/27 mpg) and comfort than Big Brother. Sure, the Fast and Furious set will know that you’re driving a $24,000 WRX instead of a $30,000 STi, but if you’re secure in yourself you’ll be able to live with the shame.
If the WRX has a drawback, it’s in the relatively close cabin, where the back seat and the front are in competition for legroom. I’d like to see if this problem is solved in the wagon model.
As my wife pointed out, one of the great joys of cars like the WRX is their ability to summon killer acceleration without even exceeding the speed limit. As a stoplight cruiser, this car is unparalleled. Unlike European autobahn cruisers that don’t really come alive until they top the ton (100 mph), the WRX can call on great reserves from a standing start. I couldn’t believe how quickly the scenery flashed by, and John Law was kept at bay. As the songwriter Jesse Winchester used to say, that’s serious fun.
