When the WRX arrived, it seemed like going back in time, it was saying, welcome to late 1990’s. It was around this time when Subaru were in their heyday with the Impreza WRX being the “Boy-Racer” car of choice for the Colin McRae and Richard Burns wannabes. But unfortunately for Subaru and other sports saloon manufacturers, times were getting hard and this type of vehicle dropped out of favour for many, with only the true hard-core enthusiast remaining loyal and in very limited numbers. Japanese manufacturers also suffered more than other manufacturers as the Pound fell against the Japanese Yen, making the imported car prices very uncompetitive.

When we saw it for the first time, the only thoughts were how uncomfortable was it and more importantly, how noisy was it? Both of those were issues on every other Subaru hot-saloon we had driven; so would this latest version be any different?

The WRX STi is powered by a 2.5 litre DOHC, horizontally opposed flat four petrol engine with dual AVCS (Active Valve Control System), a twin scroll turbocharger and large capacity intercooler (well that what it says on the spec sheet!). The engine produces 300ps, which translates in to a 0-62mph of 5.2 and a 159 mph top speed. It has sky-high emissions, with the CO2 being up at 242g/km. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 27.2mpg and driven very steadily, with no foot to the floor stuff, it will nearly achieve this, according to the on-board computer. But just put your foot down every now and again, then it can easily drop to below 20mpg.

The list of standard equipment is very impressive; LED headlamps, pop-up headlamp washers, leather and alcantara seats, 60:40 split fold rear seats, aluminium pedals, 3.5-inch colour screen Brembo brakes . It is a very extensive list, but it does not come with Sat Nav as standard…

The WRX, as usual, is all-wheel-drive which helps keep that 300ps under control, especially in the wet. We tried it a couple of times and even under power it does not move an inch away from where you want it to go. The engineering and the system is superb and it works extremely well. You do feel like it is on rails and does exactly what you want it to do, it feels solid and safe.

The car we had was bright blue, a colour that has become associated with Subaru and the WRX. It had a huge rear spoiler that looked like it belonged to a plane rather than a car. To say you couldn’t miss this car would be an understatement. It has its disadvantages though, in most other more “normal” cars drivers tend to let you join the flow of traffic at junctions, roundabouts and where two lanes reduce to one. But it was very noticeable in the Subaru that other drivers were having none of this, they went out of their way to make it awkward for you and you could almost hear what they were thinking.

In the cockpit, we were very surprised to find just how comfortable it was, or at least much better than expected, yes it is on the firm side but not uncomfortably solid. There are more meters and gauges on the dash than you could imagine: there are meters, metering things you did not know existed, and probably don’t need to know about.In the end, hot Subaru’s of the past did have a sort of stigma attached to them as they aged in the used car market, or certainly the drivers of them did.  Other drivers had their opinion about them, or let’s be honest, just about every driver had an opinion. Unfortunately, during the short time we had the car, it seems memories are long and in most cases unforgiving. You couldn’t hear what they were mouthing, but you can certainly guess.

The engine noise and exhaust note were nowhere near as loud as we were expecting. It looks like Subaru have gone the same way as F1 Racing with regards to engine and exhaust noises!

During the few days we had the WRX STi we took it on motorways, around town and on some cross country roads. Overall it achieved around 26mpg, which we thought was a good result for all that power. But that was with a steady driving style and not really using the full power. The car was virtually brand new and had only covered a few hundred miles when we got it, but the gear-change was very stiff and with it being a short shift it was difficult to select the correct gear. But I guess after more use it may loosen up a bit. 

Overall the Subaru is enjoyable, considering that this type of car is not really to many people’s tastes. The set up all worked well, it was more comfortable than expected and not silly on fuel. But it left you feeling awkward driving it with the attitude of other road users, but I can fully understand their feelings.

The most surprising thing about this Subaru is the price, which is £28,995.00 OTR. It sounds like a bargain for all that standard equipment, power and that legendary four wheel drive system. 

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager