Few cars have the same motor sport history that the Subaru Impreza WRX has. With the WRX, Subaru has won multiple manufacturer’s and driver’s championships in the WRC, and has also jumpstarted some of the greats like Colin McRae and Peter Solberg. Today’s’ stars in the USA, namely Ken Bloc and Travis Pastrana, pilot the new generation of these machines and are looking forward to a repeat of their successful seasons last year. 2008 marks the second coming of the WRX in the United States, and the bar is indeed set high by the previous generation model.
The new 2008 model has some pretty significant styling changes. Our 2008 model is a 4-door, and doesn’t share any of the same body lines that the previous generation had. It seems that where there were angles there are now bends, and where there was bends there are now angles. While the styling change isn’t a total departure from what we’d expect, it definitely is different and takes a while to get used to. The headlights for example are much closer to the last iteration than they are from the model’s best headlights, which they mistakenly only made for one year (2006). Overall the styling is still clean and attractive, and it certainly stands apart from its competitors.
Wheelbase has also changed and is increased overall, and weight has also been slightly reduced. This increases handling stability and overall agility, but also sacrifices some of the quick reflexes that the previous generation had. Suspension also seems to have been softened up a bit, which is a welcome departure from any motor sport infused system designed for track usage. This is true for the majority of WRX owners, as they’ll mostly pull street duty for hauling kids, groceries, and luggage for most of their life. Those who wish to tighten things up a bit have no shortage of aftermarket support which will likely be released sooner than later.
The interior is certainly a nice place to be. While Subaru may not win any styling awards, it is definitely attractive, and gives the driver a feeling of confidence. The sport bucket seats are wrapped in an upgraded cloth material, and give plenty of lateral and lumbar support to make long drives comfortable. All of the gauges and switches are within easy reach, as are the cup holders. Speaking of the gauges, Subaru has outdone themselves with their clever styling of the gauge cluster. Everything looks beautiful, and is easy to read with a clear display. Absent from the gauge cluster however was a boost gauge to help me in my geeky assertion that I’m driving a force fed beast, but in reality any stock vehicle equipped with a turbocharger doesn’t necessarily need one.
The back seats are also comfortable. There's plenty of headroom, in addition to leg and hip room being at a premium. The extended wheelbase not only added to vehicle stability, but in this case also allowed the interior cabin room to become more comfortable.
What hasn’t changed is the sweet, sweet engine and all-wheel drive system. The whole WRX package, which increases horsepower from a meaty 170 hp in naturally aspirated trim to a hearty 225 hp is easily felt. You defiantly feel the difference between the two, and know exactly where your extra money went. Power is direct, and there is almost no indication of any turbo lag, thanks in part to Subaru’s turbocharger design and size choice. The transmission shifts easily (although slightly notchy, which some may like) and gave no indication that it was fragile, as the previous generation transmission seemed to be notorious for (but I guess 5500 rpm clutch drops will hurt anything).
Driving the WRX on city streets is actually very comfortable. With the quick and torquey power delivery, passing isn’t a problem at low speeds or at freeway speeds, and the clutch effort is very, very easy (which wins points in LA traffic for sure!). The dark interior sometimes make you feel like you’re in the bat cave, but still feels higher quality than the Mitsubishi counterpart. Potholes are soaked up yet there’s still enough bite to have some fun on freeway on-raps.
Some may say that the WRX has lost some of its edge. Gone are some of the raw and brutal characteristics that attracted thousands upon thousands of American fans throughout the country, but new owners do have to look forward to one thing: refinement. Where the old WRX might have made you feel like a rally champion all the time, the new one does so only when you don’t feel like being in a comfortable cruiser. My vote? Definitely the one with the split personality!
