Alright, so the styling is suspect and the engine and chassis are carryover pieces, but all is forgiven when you slide behind the wheel. The powerband is smooth and linear, much more so than one would expect from a flat-four turbo. The longer wheelbase, when compared to the outgoing model, makes for a smoother ride, and the overall feel of the chassis is nicely balanced for an AWD ride, even allowing for a bit of trailing-throttle oversteer.
The new WRX definitely raises the roof on the house of Impreza performance, but it doesn't feel any faster, mainly because there is less drama in terms of the sensory feedback sent to the driver. The flat fours of the 2.5RS and to a lesser extent, the old WRX, had this endearing mechanical cacophony under full boil. Purists would call it the telltale thrum of a finely tuned, horizontally opposed engine. Funny how Porsche's flat six doesn't make this sound. You know, the new WRX doesn't make this sound either. It's just smoother and more refined, much like everything else on this car.
And while this much refinement allows the Big Eye at Palomar to see far into the sky, it also allows Subaru to reach upmarket with its new WRX. All of this is good, and it does make for a better car, but there's a part of us that longs for the raw, unrefined nature and appearance of the WRX of old.
The Other Imprezas
If the $24,350 WRX is too much cheddar for your cheese platter, for $7,355 less ($16,995 if subtraction baffles you) you can drive off the lot in a brand new '08 Subaru Impreza 2.5i. Of course, you won't get the hotted up turbo motor; instead you'll be forced to make do with a naturally aspirated boxer four with 170 hp. You'll also be that much farther removed from dubage, as the 16-inch wheels are down an inch from the 17s on the WRX. The WRX also gets four-wheel discs, oil cooler, sport-tuned suspension, VDC, and some select aero add-ons.
At the other end of the Impreza spectrum is the upcoming WRX STI, which should debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, just as this issue will be available. If the prognostications are correct, the STI should bow with a hopped-up version of the current 2.5L turbo flat four making 300hp. And if the spy shots we've seen are any indication, it should have a more radical appearance than the standard WRX. Praise Jebus.