2008 Subaru Impreza Road Tests

The 2008 WRX and WRX STi can legitimately be called all new, meaning virtually everything from the interior to the styling to the suspension and underlying structure have been overhauled. Both are somewhat larger than before, with a corresponding increase in interior and cargo space. The available engines and transmissions are essentially the same, though the extra-muscular STi gets a slight power increase.

The WRX and STi are higher-performance versions of Subaru's standard Impreza, though both are different enough that they might be considered separate cars. Both were developed within and made famous by Subaru's highly successful World Rally Championship racing program. While its roots rest in the smallest car line Subaru sells in the United States, the STi's price, performance and reputation make it a flagship of the company's lineup.

The WRXs have achieved cult status among driving enthusiasts and boy racers, but more than ever that image is too narrow and confining. These cars are also practical, with decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity. Measured in the full spectrum of vehicles available today, they get good mileage (though less than many comparably sized, two-wheel-drive cars). 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 primarily as a performance enhancement.

And now, the WRXs are even more refined. They're smoother, more comfortable, and easy to live with during the typical commute. Their cabins are roomier, with an overall improvement in appointments and finish quality. There's also an upgrade in the equipment available, including better audio systems and an optional navigation system for the first time. In short, the 2008 WRX models should appeal to a broader range of buyers.

The standard WRX is powered by a 2.5-liter, 224-horsepower turbo four-cylinder, with cylinders arranged in Subaru's familiar flat, or horizontally opposed, configuration (like a Porsche engine). Both body styles are available with an optional automatic transmission that doesn't substantially reduce the fun-to-drive factor.

The WRX is available as a four-door sedan with a conventional trunk or a five-door hatchback that more than doubles maximum cargo capacity and adds another level of flexibility. At about $25,000, both sedan and hatchback come well equipped, with automatic climate control, an 80-watt stereo and more power than all but a couple cars in this size/price class. The bang-for-the-buck surpasses many more expensive sports sedans.

The WRX STi is essentially its own car, and available only as a hatchback. Nearly every major mechanical system is unique to this model: 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. STi stands for Subaru Technica International, the high-performance division that made the WRX famous through considerable success in the World Rally Championship. Beyond its more powerful engine, the STi adds a host of mechanical and performance upgrades, including bigger brakes, more sophisticated chassis electronics and a unique, manually adjustable center differential.

The new STi is at least as fast as ever, but it's also quieter, more understated, and easier to drive quickly. It 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. We suspect that most buyers will be just as happy with the standard version.

Buyers seeking a smaller car with a lot of safety features should also like the WRX. Beyond all-wheel drive, all models come with a fairly comprehensive list of active safety systems, including Vehicle Dynamics Control anti-skid electronics and sophisticated anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). The WRX gets excellent ratings in National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, and all come with dual-stage front airbags, front passenger side-impact airbags and curtain-style head airbags for all outboard occupants.

The WRX comes reasonably well equipped, with a full complement of power features, cruise control, 80-watt audio with an auxiliary input jack, automatic climate control, interior air filter and 17-inch alloy wheels. The hatchback adds nearly 70 percent more cargo capacity, a rear-window wiper and a split/folding rear seat.

Options include the Premium package ($2,000) with heated front seats and an 11-speaker audio system with a 100-watt amplifier, among other things. The Navigation package ($4,000) includes the Premium package contents plus a GPS navigation system with seven-inch screen, satellite radio, digital sound processing, Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary video jack. Standalone options include body molding colors ($180), various deck-lid spoilers ($335), a battery warmer ($30), a subwoofer and power amp for the base audio system ($370), and XM or Sirius satellite radio hardware ($398).

The WRX STi ($34,995) is available only as a hatchback, and only with a six-speed manual transmission. The STi is equipped comparably to the standard WRX with Premium package, though the extra money mainly adds performance, starting with the 305-hp 2.5-liter engine.

STi options include forged, 18-inch BBS wheels ($2,000), in gold or silver, and a Navigation package ($3,800) that includes the navigation system, BBS wheels, and leather upholstery.

Safety features, in addition to all-wheel drive, 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. All models come with dual-stage front airbags with occupant sensors. Front passenger side-impact airbags and curtain-style head airbags for all outboard occupants are also standard. 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.

Both the WRX and STi are larger than their predecessors. Wheelbase has increased nearly four inches, to 103.3 inches overall, while width has increased more than two inches. In general, the larger exterior dimensions translate to more room inside the car. The WRX four-door sedan, developed specifically for the United States, is more than six inches longer than the five-door hatchback.

Some of the changes aren't apparent to the eye, including a new double-wishbone rear suspension. With this design, the suspension towers encroach less into the WRX's interior and allow more usable cargo space. Both the 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. The engine now sits slightly lower in the chassis, and that helps lower the overall center of gravity. It's a noteworthy consideration in a car designed to maximize performance.

Racy styling, of course, has always been a WRX calling card, full of wings and vents and boy-racer add-ons. In this respect, the 2008 models may disappoint some faithful fans, because all are more subtle, perhaps more holistic, than their predecessors. The aggressive look flows less from accoutrements on their bodies and more from their basic shapes.

The changes start in front and surge backward from there. The new grille and front end are wider and bit less vertical, with a more prominent logo. Subaru says the look is intended to create a connection to its heritage as an aircraft manufacturer. In side view, the most prominent bit of 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 rockers 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.

American buyers overwhelmingly prefer sedans to hatchbacks, but in the WRX's case we'll take the hatch, 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 a spoiler at the top of the rear glass, and its rear overhang is considerably shorter than the sedan's. The basic shape is reminiscent of the Audi A3 hatchback, only rounder and stretched out around the bottom.

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 its extra-wide tires, and all its various vents and air deflectors are functional. Yet like the other 2008 WRXs, the STi is more subtle than before. Its working air scoop flows more smoothly into the hood, and the integrated spoiler above its rear glass is far less obvious than the honking, two-stage rear wing of yore.

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. Yet the structure within all Impreza models has been thoroughly re-engineered for the first time in more than a decade. Subaru claims that, while the 2008 body shells are larger, stronger and less prone to flexing than their predecessors, they are also lighter.

The new Impreza applies 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 hydroformed sections and steel pieces stamped from tailored blanks. The idea is more strength and rigidity without an undue increase in weight, and it may help explain the Impreza's 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 front bucket seats in the standard WRX are upholstered with a soft, woven fabric, double stitched in the fashion of a luxury car. At least as important, these seats 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 leather/Alcantara 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.

Seat adjustments are fairly simple, but also effective, allowing people of various sizes to get properly situated. Overall, the WRX driving position is excellent. 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.

Overall the cabin is more subdued than before, with no embroidered logos to remind occupants what they're sitting in. The gauges are less garish, too, but easy to read and backlit with orange light. The trim is a metal-ized silver plastic. You can 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.

Subaru calls the dash a twin cockpit design. Translation: The size and shape are roughly symmetrical on both the driver and passenger sides, with a big, outreaching center stack in the middle. All the gauges are clustered in a single binnacle directly in front of the driver. The four dash vents are fully adjustable and large enough to move plenty of air.

An LCD information display 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 is the standard audio head or the optional nav screen. Both are good sized and easy to manipulate. While the audio knobs aren't as big as those for the air conditioning, most adjustments are replicated with buttons on the steering wheel spokes.

Interior storage is average and easily accessible. 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. A pair of cupholders sits in the center console, just right of the handbrake and hidden with a sliding cover in the STi. Another cupholder in each 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. Models with the navigation system also feature a video jack. This allows video games or DVD players to project on the nav screen, but only when the car is parked.

In all, this WRX feels less confining, perhaps more airy, than the previous generation. 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, coupe style. In front, the feeling of space is most noticeable in the extra distance between occupants' shoulders. In back it's a bit more hip room and more headroom.

The rear door openings are larger than before, and shaped in a way that eliminates the big head bob required to get into the previous WRX. Sliding in and out is easier. The rear seatback is not so upright, either, and reclined at a more comfortable angle. There's room enough here for a couple of six-footers to stay comfortable for a reasonable period of time, though not enough for three. If the outside rear seats are occupied, the middle spot is best left to a youngster.

Trunk space? With 11.3 cubic feet, the WRX sedan falls toward the lower end of its size class, with a bit less than the less-expensive Honda Civic Si sedan or the more expensive BMW 328i (both 12 cubic feet). 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 another story. The basic profile is different than that of the previous Impreza wagon, with more taper to the rear glass than a conventional, boxy wagon shape. Point being, there's less cargo space than the wagon offered. Nonetheless, 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 with the car. And when the rear seat is folded cargo capacity expands to 44 cubic feet, with easy access from the rear side doors to help push things in and out.

The refinement is apparent from the first turn of the key. Where the old STi had almost the hollow, reverberating sound one expects inside a stripped-out race car, the 2008 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. All WRXs now have windows framed into the doors, rather than a door structure that stops where the windows start sliding out. All models are 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.

This WRX continues Subaru's tradition of horizontally opposed engines, meaning the cylinders are laid flat with the pistons on each side moving in opposite directions (same as 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. Flat-four engines have a distinctive, loping vibration pattern that can quickly be distinguished by motorheads, though like all the vibrations in the new WRX, it's more muted than ever.

At face value, the engines don't seem to have changed much. Output in the standard 2008 WRX 2.5-liter four (226 horsepower, 224 pound-feet of torque) is identical to that of the previous model. Horsepower with the STi increases by 12 to 305 hp, with 290 lb-ft of torque. In both cases, it's a lot of power for the engine's size, yet the figures don't say much about improvements to the WRX engines. Both versions are now 50 pounds lighter than before (other things equal, that means better gas mileage), and fitted with the latest-generation control electronics to improve overall efficiency and reduce emissions. Perhaps more significantly, the power curve has been broadened, so the power is available sooner on the rpm scale, and over a wider range. The acceleration-producing grunt comes sooner, and stays strong as the engine continues to rev.

The same sort of transparent refinement has been applied throughout the WRX's mechanical and electronic systems. For the first time, a single management program controls the electronic throttle, the full-time 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 race-car engineer.

The leave-it-to-the-computer settings in the standard 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.

There's not much confusion when you step on the gas, even in the standard WRX. This compact 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 in the 2008 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 a tad 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.

The optional automatic transmission works fairly well, with nice, smooth upshifts and reasonably quick downshifts when you step on the gas to pass. Buyers who need an automatic should be happy, but we're reluctant to recommend it nonetheless. As five-, six- and even seven-speed automatics proliferate in the car industry, the WRX's four-speed seems dated, particularly in a car that's technologically advanced in other respects. Still, our reluctance has less to do with how the WRX automatic works and more with the fun a driver misses by forgoing the manual. The STi leaves no such option, because it's available only with a six-speed manual.

The STi 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 th

The STi's new found 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 accurate. With a little familiarity, the typical driver will have no trouble directing these cars in very precise fashion.

Is the ride soft? Not exactly, but it's softer than before, and it's missing the cruder, teeth-chattering shocks of the original STi. 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 sport sedan. The STi's suspension dampens body lean and fore-aft bobbing firmly (still more firmly than the standard WRX, but less firmly than the previous STi). 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 the driver everything he or she needs to evaluate what's happening under the seat, or to build confidence in the car's behavior.

Confidence in a car is a good thing at a race track, and we suspect a lot STi buyers will try their cars at a track day with the local owners club. We had a chance to sample the 2008 STi at Northern California's fast, deceptively simple Laguna Seca road course, where some of the world's best drivers have made some very famous mistakes. There, the STi demonstrated potential street driving rarely reveals, except perhaps in emergency situations where a car's capability can be the difference between a deep sigh of relief and disaster.

This new, more refined STi might merit the label unflappable, and it might be the perfect car for a beginner's introduction to a race track. At the track, the quality of its brakes and stability control electronics might be the difference between embarrassment and disaster, as when a beginner crests a hill and realizes the entrance to the next corner isn't where he or she thought it was.

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 STi's all-wheel-drive system allows the driver to get the front end to tuck into a curve by adding a little more gas. With the electronics doing the job they're designed to do, 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 electronics are always working 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 without strangling the joy out for skilled drivers, and it allows exceptionally skilled drivers to turn all the electronic aids off.

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. Meanwhile, 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.

J.P. Vettraino filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Monterey, California, after his test drives of the WRX and STi models.