There was a Subaru event today at my mall and I decided to go check out the new Subaru's. It's a turbocharged 2.5 liter engine producing 224 hp and a lot of torque. My first impression sitting inside is that they really improved the quality of the looks (on the inside). There is decent leg room in the rear. But because of the round shape of the car, the car looks like just a bigger Corolla, especially the sedan version. And the trunk? Well, I can certainly put more stuff in my GTI than the WRX. The front bucket seats are interesting too look at, while the ones in the back looked dull.
Let's get to the drive. The clutch was surprisingly softer than I had imagined. Even other previous Subaru owners said it was a lot lighter than the older gen WRX's. The steering was decent. The shocks were actually very good at absorbing the bumps on the ground. What I didn't like was the soft suspension. When we went around the cones I was tossed around like a blender making a smoothie. Also, the ABS cut me in when I didn't want it to and the car jerked quite suddenly when I took it about. However, the thing I hated the MOST about the new WRX is the flimsy gear box. If you aren't paying attention, I guarantee a mis-shift without a doubt. I didn't feel connected to the car as I shifted gears. In addition, when I was sitting in another WRX that was on display, it had a even worse gearbox because when I went through the gears and it was ... not really knotchy, but more like unsure if it was in the right shift gate. Only other explanation to compare this to is like the Honda 3rd gear. Sometimes you go into 3rd and you think you are in, but you can push the gear lever further in. All the cars had Momo shiftknobs though. Maybe it was because it was near the end of the day and the cars had been driven the hell out of them... but they ONLY had a few k miles on them though.
It is a good daily driver and a fun car when you need it to be. They toned down the looks of the WRX in order to appeal to a wider audience. I don't know about you, but I prefer this knew look to the older one. It won't attract cops with a huge wing; it has a European taste; it is stylish. The quarter mile comes in 14.4 seconds I think. 0-60 in under 6.
In addition, I checked out the Subaru Legacy. Let me tell you one thing, for a 20-35k car, I expect a lot more rear room. I'm 5'4" and I felt a little trapped for a passenger in the back. This other guy who was checking out the car at 6 foot did NOT like the back at all. I was surprised the WRX had more head room than the Legacy.
Our stock GTI's have cannot take this car on a straight race.
Let's get to the drive. The clutch was surprisingly softer than I had imagined. Even other previous Subaru owners said it was a lot lighter than the older gen WRX's. The steering was decent. The shocks were actually very good at absorbing the bumps on the ground. What I didn't like was the soft suspension. When we went around the cones I was tossed around like a blender making a smoothie. Also, the ABS cut me in when I didn't want it to and the car jerked quite suddenly when I took it about. However, the thing I hated the MOST about the new WRX is the flimsy gear box. If you aren't paying attention, I guarantee a mis-shift without a doubt. I didn't feel connected to the car as I shifted gears. In addition, when I was sitting in another WRX that was on display, it had a even worse gearbox because when I went through the gears and it was ... not really knotchy, but more like unsure if it was in the right shift gate. Only other explanation to compare this to is like the Honda 3rd gear. Sometimes you go into 3rd and you think you are in, but you can push the gear lever further in. All the cars had Momo shiftknobs though. Maybe it was because it was near the end of the day and the cars had been driven the hell out of them... but they ONLY had a few k miles on them though.
It is a good daily driver and a fun car when you need it to be. They toned down the looks of the WRX in order to appeal to a wider audience. I don't know about you, but I prefer this knew look to the older one. It won't attract cops with a huge wing; it has a European taste; it is stylish. The quarter mile comes in 14.4 seconds I think. 0-60 in under 6.
In addition, I checked out the Subaru Legacy. Let me tell you one thing, for a 20-35k car, I expect a lot more rear room. I'm 5'4" and I felt a little trapped for a passenger in the back. This other guy who was checking out the car at 6 foot did NOT like the back at all. I was surprised the WRX had more head room than the Legacy.
Our stock GTI's have cannot take this car on a straight race.
