Along with Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Isuzu, Subaru is one of those Japanese brands that always seem to fly under the radar. However, they have one thing that seems to escape the other brands: brand loyalty. Owners, it seems, love their Subies.
It’s a brand known for a lineup of all-wheel drive sedans and wagons punctuated by a quirky oddball design that pops up every few years: the “windows” SVX sports car in the ‘90s and more recently the full-sized crossover B9 Tribeca. Both were particular style disasters, though Subaru has never been accused of building a vehicle that could actually be considered attractive or aesthetically pleasing.
In 2008, Subaru had a chance to completely redesign its popular Impreza compact, and with it another opportunity to depart from their lackluster history. Unfortunately, what Subaru has rolled out can be considered generic at best while some find it downright ugly. I am of the former opinion.
Aside from its appearance, there are good things here that help account for the brand’s loyalty and reputation. I suspect it has to do primarily with what’s under the WRX’s bizarre looking hood scoop.
Powered by the 2.5-liter, 224-hp horizontally opposed flat four-cylinder “boxer” engine, engineers revised the intercooler/turbocharger to give the little street racer more punch at the low end. Under full acceleration, I continually experienced traditional Subaru “turbo-lag” before the throw-you-back-in-your-seat punch kicked in. Zero to 60 is estimated in the mid-five second range and the standing quarter mile at 14.4 seconds. It’s what gave the original WRX its street muscle reputation when it was first introduced in 2002: maximum performance for minimum price.
Of course, back then Subaru was advertised as “inexpensive” and “built to stay that way”. However with a base price of $29,140 for the five-door hatchback, it pushes the limits of economy — especially considering the non-WRX Impreza is $10,000 less. That’s a lot of greenbacks for an extra 54 in horsepower over the 170-hp base model.
The new WRX is also available as a four-door ($24,995) and both versions come standard with a not-so-pleasant five-speed manual shifter; a four-speed automatic is optional. Both transmissions are one gear short of acceptability.
Inside, I was thankful that Subaru carried over the excellent bucket seats from the previous generation WRX. Though they’re well bolstered, those with a wider profile aren’t going to fit. Interior dimensions are 2-inches wider thanks to sculpted door panels. There’s a first-ever optional DVD based navigation option with a seven-inch flip-up screen that reveals a six-disc CD changer. A connector in the center armrest allows for an external DVD player or Xbox game, but it only works when the handbrake is engaged.
Subaru made steps to upgrade the economy-look of the interior. I thought it still looked cheap, especially the headliner, hard black plastic dash/door and the 1980s-reminiscent control knobs. Dash lights are an electroluminescent red.
Outside my hatchback had an understated rear roof spoiler with a lower rear diffuser and one chrome-tipped exhaust. The four-door WRX gets a modest rear deck spoiler and dual exhaust with chrome tips. Taillamps are mirror chrome with clear lenses. Seventeen-inch alloy-wheels are standard and look great.
Safety gear includes front and side impact airbags, head-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and stability control. The Impreza is the only small car to earn the “Top Safety Pick” award from the IIHS and the highest “Good” rating in frontal, side and rear-impact crash tests. It also earned the highest five-star crash test rating from the NHTSA.
The new WRX has noticeably softer ride and handling; some would say that’s an improvement. Noise levels also seem to be more controlled, perhaps because the frameless door windows did not carry over to the 2008 model.
Drivers who want the performance bang-for-the-buck equation and are attracted to Subaru’s quirky styling genre — or at least not offended by it — will find the new WRX is better than the last and pretty easy to get used to. But overall, Subaru does little to improve the previous generation and nothing to raise the bar for this class of vehicle.
