Wow — fasten your seat belt, grab hold of the six-speed stick and let the clutch fly! We're driving the 2015 Subaru WRX STI.
Once the plaything for folks who liked spirited driving at a relatively low cost and the king of rally racers, the newly redesigned WRX is a rocking fun sports sedan that comfortably seats five.
Everything about the WRX screams "Let's get going." The rippling exhaust notes and growl of the powerful 305 horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine and re-engineered STI suspension mean business. Subaru claims 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds — hit the downshift while keeping the revs up and the car slingshots into traffic with the bravado of a racing champion. A dazzling dashboard with red tach and speedometer and a separate turbo pressure gauge leap to life when you stomp on the accelerator. Mileage is only OK, rating to 17 miles per gallon in the city and about 23 mpg on the highway.
All the scoops and vents are working elements of design and the supportive race-inspired performance-styled seats evoke pure fun. What makes this car so different from the stock Impreza it's based on is the engineering on the chassis. It's stiffer, features firmer springs, has the STI-only inverted strut front suspension and aluminum front- end components turning this docile commuter into a high-performance racer. Add the massive Brembo brakes and you'll have this car practically turning on a dime.
The leather-wrapped racing-designed steering wheel with its squared-off bottom makes short work of tossing this car into a turn and the all wheel drive digs into the road, pulling the car flat and confidently through the twist. The quick steering feedback is just right, with only 2.5 turns from lock to lock, and the WRX loves to let you know it likes being driven in a spirited style. You're going to feel some of the road bumps because of the stiffened suspension, however it was not a tiring ride on the open road, just a bit noisy.
I really liked the aggressive styling of the WRX STI. Earlier models had more of a toy model kit look to them and, even now with the functional oversized wing on the rear deck, the 2015's curb appeal is eye-catching for young adults and mature enough to scoot into the executive row without making the BMWs, Audis and Infinitis shy away. Open the door and you're greeted by red stitched cloth seats, soft-touch faux leather dash and door panels, brushed aluminum and carbon fiber inspired trim pieces, which are tasteful and complete the interior upgrade. The shocker — plenty of rear seat leg room and a trunk large enough to easily store a couple of sets of golf clubs because the body is bigger than earlier versions.
The electronics of the STI took a bit of getting used to. The cellphone interface needs two screens to complete, but, once connected, worked flawlessly. A 6.1-inch touch screen, an upgrade that is available although our tester did not have it, comes with navigation and the Harman/Kardon sound system so you can channel some "hip" low bass thump through the subwoofer.
A MSRP of $35,290 slides you up against the VW Golf R and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution but the STI's all-wheel drive feature rates it ahead of those front wheel-only offerings. A couple of other competitors at a slightly lower entry point would be the Ford Focus ST and the VW GTI. All are fun drivers, but for pure exhilaration of driving the STI may be worth the investment.
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