High performance, all-season practicality.

Introduction

The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI are engaging, appealing cars, and almost unique in the marketplace. They are fast and fun to drive yet practical. Based on the Impreza compact, they are economical to operate (given their performance) and, more than ever, they make excellent cars for commuters who like a little spice in their daily drive. 

The WRX models are superb and seem to get better every year. Subaru completely redesigned the WRX for 2008. The power was increased and the suspension was retuned for 2009, and more aggressive body cladding returned. For 2010, WRX gets more aggressive side sills between its wheel wells, while the STI gets black Alcantara upholstery with bright red stitching. 

A new 2010 STI Special Edition is aimed at those willing to trade a few amenities for more handling performance. The suspension is adopted from the Japanese market STI spec C, which adds a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded springs. The front springs are 16-percent stiffer, while the rear springs have been stiffened by 29 percent. 

Despite their racy appearance and serious performance, the WRX is quite refined. The current WRX models are smoother and more comfortable than pre-2008 versions, and easy to live with during the typical commute. Their cabins are roomier than previous versions, with an overall improvement in appointments and finish quality. They're offered with high-grade audio and an optional navigation system. 

The WRX and STI have achieved cult status among driving enthusiasts and boy racers, but more than ever that image is too narrow and confining. These cars have decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity. Their all-wheel-drive system can legitimately be considered a safety and foul-weather advantage, even if, with the powerful, turbocharged engines in the WRX, it's marketed as a performance enhancement, a role it also fills. 

These are drivers cars. They aren't available with automatics and leather upholstery is not an option. Yet buyers seeking a smaller car with lots of safety features should like the WRX. All-wheel drive comes standard. All models come with Vehicle Dynamics Control and a sophisticated anti-lock brake system with electronic brake-force distribution. The WRX gets excellent ratings in crash tests. 

The WRX is available as a four-door sedan with a conventional trunk, or as a five-door hatchback. The hatch adds nearly 70 percent more cargo capacity. 

At about $25,000, the WRX models come well equipped, with nice seats in carbon black checkered accented by red stitching, automatic climate control, a good stereo and more horsepower than all but a couple cars in this size/price class. Both are powered by a 2.5-liter, 265-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, arranged in Subaru's familiar horizontally opposed, or flat-four, configuration. The WRX offers a bang for the buck that surpasses many more expensive sports sedans. 

The STI version is essentially its own car, and available only as a hatchback. STi stands for Subaru Technica International, the high-performance division that made the WRX famous through considerable success in the World Rally Championship. Nearly every major mechanical system is unique to the STI: six-speed manual transmission, special suspension and brakes, unique interior appointments and a high-tech, manually adjustable all-wheel-drive system. Yet the STi's centerpiece is a higher-tech, higher-boost version of the 2.5-liter four, generating 305 horsepower. Its acceleration times match those delivered by exotic sports cars such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. 

The STi is faster than ever, but it's also quieter, more understated, and easier to drive quickly. On a closed course on Vancouver Island, we found we could overdrive corners in a big way and easily maintain control. The current model reeks refinement when compared to the STi that first went on sale in the United States in 2004. It's grown from an in-your-face, sport-compact icon to something more like a true, brand-building performance flagship. It also starts $10,000 higher than the base WRX. Many buyers will be just as happy with the standard version. We can attest that while driving the WRX we never felt like we were short-changed or missing something by not having the STi. 

To be sure, the WRX costs more than your typical front-wheel-drive compact, and the performance and all-wheel-drive come with a mileage penalty. Still, we think the WRX models are a great deal, offering lots of performance for the dollar in a car that's easy to live with every day. 

Lineup

The 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX comes as a sedan ($24,995) and a five-door hatchback ($25,495), powered by a 265-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with five-speed manual transmission. WRX comes with fabric upholstery (carbon black checkered accented by red stitching), automatic climate control, 80-watt audio with an auxiliary input jack, cruise control, interior air filter, 17-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires. The hatchback comes with a rear-window wiper and a split/folding rear seat. 

The WRX Premium sedan ($27,495) and Premium five-door ($27,995) have more standard equipment, including a more powerful stereo with 10 speakers and CD-changer, heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, a wiper de-icer, power moonroof and fog lights. The Navigation Package ($2,000) includes a GPS system with seven-inch screen, satellite radio, digital sound processing, Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary video jack. 

The WRX STI ($34,995) is available only as a hatchback, with a six-speed manual transmission. The STi is equipped comparably to the standard WRX Premium, though the extra money mainly adds performance, starting with the 305-hp 2.5-liter engine. Options include forged, 18-inch BBS wheels ($2,000) in gold or silver, and the navigation system. The WRX STI Special Edition ($32,995) features a sport-tuned suspension. 

Dealer-installed accessories are numerous, ranging from wild spoilers or footwell illumination ($86) to short-throw shifters ($295) and Subaru Performance exhaust systems ($800). Dealer-installed parts feature full factory warranty coverage. 

Safety features include dual-stage front airbags, front passenger side-impact airbags and curtain-style head airbags. The WRX has achieved some of the best ratings in its class in National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, with five stars for front impacts, five stars for front passengers in side impacts, and four stars in rollover tests. Active safety features include Vehicle Dynamics Control anti-skid electronics and four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). EBD keeps stopping power balanced between wheels regardless of the traction underneath. 

Walkaround

Racy styling full of wings, vents and add-ons has always been part of the WRX appeal, and Subaru seems to once again have accepted this inevitably. 

When the current-generation Impreza WRX cars were introduced for 2008, they were more subtle, perhaps more holistic, than their predecessors. The aggressive look flowed less from accoutrements on their bodies and more from their basic shapes. That changed quickly. A year later, Subaru made the optional Aero Package standard equipment. That added front and rear under-bumper spoilers and aerodynamic-looking side-sill grounds effects. For 2010, the side sills are even more pronounced. 

The current-generation are the largest WRX models ever, which translates to more room inside the car. The four-door sedan, developed specifically for the United States, is more than six inches longer than the five-door hatchback. 

In side view, the most prominent bit of WRX design is a sharp crease that extends from the front wheel arch and runs just above the door handles all the way to the rear. It helps create the impression of a wedge, and emphasizes the aggressive flare of the side sills between the wheels. 

From the rear, the WRX sedan and hatchback are distinguished by more than the obvious trunk lid, or lack thereof. The sedan has conventional red taillight lenses, while those on the hatchback are clear. The four-door has a low-profile rear trunk spoiler, while the five-door shares an even more aggressive rear spoiler and diffuser with the STI. The four-door features dual tailpipe outlets, and the five-door has a single, larger exhaust outlet. 

American buyers overwhelmingly prefer sedans to hatchbacks. In the case of the WRX, we will take the hatch, however, and not just for its practical benefits. We'd say it's the more handsome car. Its roofline runs in a single, elegant curve from the base of the windshield to that spoiler at the top of the rear glass. Also, its rear overhang is considerably shorter than the sedan's. Shorter overhangs are generally better for handling, in addition to other benefits. 

WRX and STI have an aluminum hood, which reduces weight in front and helps distribute the car's mass more evenly over the front and rear wheels. Both cars feature the latest evolution of what Subaru calls its Ring Frame Reinforced body design. Think of RFR as a safety cell in roughly a cube shape around the passenger compartment, made of stronger, hydro-formed steel sections. The idea is more strength and rigidity without an undue increase in weight, and it may help explain the excellent ratings in NHTSA crash tests. The first objective of RFR is better occupant protection, but the structural improvements pay dividends in many respects, from more responsive handling to improved smoothness in just about every aspect of the car's operation. 

The STI is available only as a hatchback, and it's the raciest looking WRX of all, particularly with the optional forged, thin-spoke BBS wheels. The STi was first created as a homologation car, or a required street-legal copy of Subaru's winning World Rally Championship competitors. Its fenders bulge more prominently than those on the other WRX models to stretch over extra-wide tires, and all its various vents and air deflectors are functional. The STI unitbody also has some significant enhancements compared to other WRX models, starting with extra high-strength steel at suspension mounting points and key structural joints. 

Interior

When the WRX and STI were redesigned for 2008, their interiors were more understated, or subdued, than they'd been in years. Since then, however, Subaru has re-introduced details such as aluminum alloy covers for the foot pedals, red stitching on the seats and steering wheel for 2009, and embroidered WRX logos to remind occupants of what they're sitting in, in case the howl of the free-revving turbocharged engine isn't enough. For 2010, the line-topping STI model gets new black Alcantara upholstery with red stitching, instead of gray Alcantara with silver stitching, for a bolder presentation. 

In general, this WRX line feels less confining, perhaps more airy, than its predecessor, the pre-2008 models. The glass seems more expansive, even though the side windows are now framed in the doors, rather than pressed against weather-stripping on the roof and roof columns, as they were on the previous generation. Features, too, are more upscale. Niceties such as a sophisticated anti-theft system, cabin air filtration and an outside temperature gauge come standard, while a navigation system is optional. 

The front bucket seats in the WRX are upholstered with a soft, black-checkered fabric, double stitched in the fashion of a luxury car, and they provide a good compromise between support and comfort. There's enough side bolstering top and bottom to keep occupants snug during fairly aggressive driving, but there's also plenty of give in the cushions. 

The seats in the STi are more like aftermarket performance seats, which means harder and more heavily bolstered. They're even better for hard driving, but the snugger fit leaves less squirm room during longer, more relaxed travel, and they demand more energy to climb in and out of. The seats come in black Alcantara with red stitching. 

Overall, the WRX driving position is excellent. In front, a feeling of roominess is noticeable in shoulder room. Seat adjustments are simple, but they allow people of various sizes to get properly situated. Most drivers will be able to reach all controls, including those for adjusting side mirrors, without lifting head or shoulders from the seatback. One minor gripe regarding the armrests: They're positioned such that each elbow rests at a slightly different height. Then again, serious driving doesn't involve armrests. 

Gauges are easy to read and illuminated in orange. The trim is a metallic silver plastic. You'll find more attractively grained plastics and maybe richer looking trim materials in this price range, but nothing in the WRX looks cheap enough to kill the deal. That's at least partly because the dashboard layout is so straightforward and effective. 

The size and shape of the dash is roughly symmetrical on both the driver and passenger sides, with a big, outreaching center stack of controls and displays in the middle. All gauges are clustered directly in front of the driver. The four dash vents are fully adjustable and large enough to move plenty of air. 

An LCD sits under its own hood at the top of the center stack, with temperature indicator, time and other information. At the bottom sit three big climate-control knobs: one each for temperature, airflow direction and fan speed, easy to grab with barely a peripheral glance, operating with a nice tactile sensation that conveys the amount of adjustment. In between are the standard audio controls or the optional navigation screen. Both are good sized and easy to manipulate. While the audio knobs aren't as big as those for the air conditioning, volume, source and tuning can also be adjusted with buttons on the steering wheel spokes. 

In back there's decent hip room and headroom. The rear door openings are large, and shaped in a way that eliminates a big head duck required to get in. Sliding in and out is easy, and the rear seatback is reclined at a comfortable angle. There's room enough in the back for two six-footers to stay comfortable for a reasonable period of time. There's not enough space for three, however, the middle spot is best left to a youngster. 

Cargo capacity in the WRX is pretty good. With 11.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the WRX sedan falls toward the lower end of its size class, a bit less than what's found in the less-expensive Honda Civic Si sedan or the more expensive BMW 328i. Still, the WRX's rear seatback splits and folds forward. With the 60-percent portion laid flat, there's enough room to slide two golf bags in through the trunk, and still leave room for a third passenger. 

Cargo space in the five-door hatch is much better. With 19 cubic feet, rear seat up, there's a lot more space than what's available in the typical small sedan's truck. The hatchback also allows taller objects to be contained within the car. When the rear seat is folded cargo capacity expands to 44.4 cubic feet, with easy access from the rear side doors to help push things in and out. 

Cubby storage is average. The glove box is deep, holding more stuff than most, and there's a lined bin in front of the gearshift for phones, openers or glasses. There's a pair of cupholders in the center console, just right of the handbrake and hidden with a sliding cover in the STi. Another cupholder in each front door pocket is large enough for a 24-ounce bottle. The box in the center console has jacks for MP3 players and a power point. WRXs with the navigation system come with a video jack. This allows video games or DVD players to project on the navi screen, but only when the car is parked. 

Driving Impression

The all-around performance of the WRX is amazing, and all aspects of it: acceleration, handling, braking. Yet the WRX is a complete package. Even the STI is fairly easy to live with for daily driving. 

The refinement is apparent from the first turn of the key. Where the old STi had the hollow, reverberating sound one expects inside a stripped-out race car, the current WRX sounds more like the typical family sedan inside, except for the more aggressively tuned exhaust tone. And it's not just a reduction in engine noise. The WRX is fitted with a full undertray that smoothes airflow beneath the car, and we suspect there is more sound insulating material than ever. Road and wind noise have been reduced considerably at all speeds. 

Subaru's engines use a horizontally opposed design, meaning the cylinders are laid flat with the pistons on each side moving in opposite directions, similar to the engines in Porsche's sports cars. Like all engine designs, this one has advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is compact size, and the prospect of installing the engine low in the car. This gives the WRX excellent handling. Flat-four engines have a distinctive, loping vibration pattern that can quickly be distinguished by motorheads, though like all the vibrations in the current WRX, it's more muted than ever. 

The 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the WRX is rated at 265 horsepower and 244 pound-feet of torque. The STi bumps engine output to 305 horsepower and 290 pound-feet. In both cases, it's a lot of power for the engine's size. As significantly, the power curve is broad. 

Step on the gas and the WRX just goes, noticeably more quickly than the vast majority of cars in its size or price range, with a swoosh from the turbocharged engine that makes a viscerally satisfying experience. Yet power delivery is more linear than ever, so you don't have to get the engine screaming at 6000 rpm to feel the pull. The WRX will jump as readily if the engine is humming at 2500 rpm when the driver steps on it. 

The weak link in this gas-and-go process might be the gear-change for the five-speed manual transmission. The shifter has nice weight and resistance, with reasonably short transfer between gears slots, but the movement is more stretchy than we might like in true high-performance car. Nonetheless, the driver adjusts quickly, and working the gears in the WRX is a very pleasant experience. Starts are aided by Subaru's Hill-Holder feature, which keeps the car from rolling backward as the operator releases the clutch pedal on an incline. 

Moreover, the shifter action is something that can be addressed with some of the many port-installed performance options offered by Subaru. One of our test cars had several, including a short-throw shift linkage for the standard WRX five-speed. It gave the car shift feel like a true sports car. In general, the performance upgrades will be appreciated most by sport-compact enthusiasts who consider the WRX the stuff of legend. 

The STI is really quick: Ford Mustang GT and Aston Martin V8 Vantage quick, or 0-60 mph in about five seconds flat, with an engine about half the size. Yet even more than in the standard WRX, the STi's refinement is apparent. The power comes smoothly and more evenly than ever before. 

The STI's relative civility is apparent in all its dynamic characteristics. Its suspension tuning, or the mix of overall ride comfort, sharp handling and pavement-sticking grip, is one of the highlights. Steering in both the standard WRX and STI is lighter than we'd expect in most performance-tuned cars. But it's also fairly quick, so the car turns a lot with small movements on the wheel, and it's accurate. With a little familiarity, the typical driver will have no trouble directing these cars in very precise fashion. 

With introduction of its Impreza 2.5GT model, Subaru has made the suspension on the standard WRX stiffer. Still, even the ultra-performance STI is softer than that of the previous-generation (pre-2008) version, missing the cruder, teeth-chattering shocks of the original. We'll call the suspension movement controlled compliance, with enough give to be comfortable on all but the Midwest's worst roads, much like the typical European sports sedan. The STI suspension dampens body lean and fore-aft bobbing firmly, yet it allows the car to settle smoothly after big bumps, protecting those inside from big jolts or repeating, annoying up-down motions. And it still offers everything the driver needs to evaluate what's happening under the seat or to build confidence in the car's behavior. 

At its handling limits, the STI has a slight inclination to understeer, or to generate the feeling that its front wheels are pushing off the road. Yet that tendency is less than in the typical front-drive car, and the all-wheel-drive system allows the driver to get the front end to tuck into a curve by adding a little more gas. The STI stays planted under rough, abrupt or heavy-handed inputs on its controls. Whether braking hard into a curve, or panic-braking with a sudden twist of the steering to avoid an accident, the anti-skid electronics work to keep the car's weight balanced and the tires on that fine line between maximum grip and skid. The STI helps take care of the beginner at a WRX club track day without strangling the joy out for skilled drivers, and it allows exceptionally skilled drivers to turn all the electronic aids off. It's a great setup. 

Full-time all-wheel drive in the WRX is pitched primarily as a performance feature, and it's exactly that. Yet it can also be considered a safety feature, helping keep the car balanced steady and true in a driving rain, for example. The standard performance tires aren't much good for cold, slushy conditions, but with winter tires the WRX is hard to beat in winter's worst. Enthusiasts living in the Snow Belt might want two sets of wheels and tires. 

Overall, the mechanical and electronic systems are refined, and more than ever. A single management program controls the electronic throttle, the all-wheel-drive, and the Vehicle Dynamics Control. Even the antilock brakes are integrated. That allows a host of possibilities that can enhance safety and improve handling and overall performance. The standard WRX takes care of just about everything for the driver, leaving the choices to the computer chip. The STI, on the other hand, lets the driver sort through a bunch of options using a series of buttons on the center console. 

One STi feature, called SI-Drive, allows a choice of three maps for the electronic throttle, ranging from commute grade to extra aggressive. This allows the driver to control how much the engine accelerates with a given movement of the gas pedal: smooth, mild response to big dips on the pedal, or major acceleration with small dips. The VDC also offers choices: Standard, Off, and Performance, which allows enough wheel slip to slide the car but still tries to gather things up if it gets too sloppy. A manual adjustment for the center differential controls how much of the power is sent to the front or rear wheels, as it is in a real World Rally Championship car. Between the various throttle maps, stability and differential settings, there are almost enough permutations to confuse a racecar engineer. 

The leave-it-to-the-computer settings in the WRX will be fine for the majority of drivers, but we suppose those paying an extra $10,000 for the STi might expect some tangible features to impress their friends. In the right conditions, driving enthusiasts will have fun playing with the various settings, and those stressed out or confused by the adjustments can go with the default, automatic settings in the STI. 

The brakes on these cars are outstanding. On both the WRX and STI, the rotors are larger than those on the typical small car, but especially so on the STI. Its brake hardware is supplied by Brembo, which also makes the brakes for Ferrari and other ultra-high performance car builders. The ABS on these cars is among the most sophisticated available. It uses various sensors to control the braking force at each rear wheel independently, which in turn can help keep the car's rear end from sliding around while braking aggressively in a curve. 

Summary

The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STi are fun, fast and well built, with standard all-wheel drive and overall performance that's rare in their class. They're also practical, with decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity, and they've achieve excellent scores in NHTSA crash tests. Recent refinements haven't significantly diluted the character and enthusiasm that have made the WRX so appealing over the years, but they have raised the bar on comfort and quality. The WRXs cost more than many cars of comparable size, and they give up some fuel economy for the performance, but those who appreciate this car's strengths probably won't mind. 

J.P. Vettraino filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Detroit; with Mitch McCullough reporting from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

Model Lineup

Subaru WRX four-door sedan ($24,995), five-door hatchback ($25,495); WRX Premium sedan ($27,495), Premium five-door ($27,995); STi ($34,995). 

Assembled In

Ota Gunma, Japan. 

Options As Tested

Navigation Package ($2,000) includes Sirius satellite radio hardware and GPS navigation with single CD player, auxiliary video input jack and hands-free Bluetooth connectivity; port-installed SPT Performance Exhaust System ($800); STI Lip Spoiler ($370); Chrome Sport Grille ($368); STI Short Throw shifter ($295); Strut Tower Brace ($230); Chassis Brace ($200); STI Shift Knob ($170); Footwell Illumination ($86); STI Shifter Bushing ($25).