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Upon starting the car you are introduced
to a wonderfully unique and confident burble coming form the boxer
engine. The engagement there after is effortless and docile, not
unlike many other compact sedans in this price range. Just tooling
along in the WRX gives one a feeling of solidity and a crisp steering
feel, while not being rigid or rough over bumpy surfaces. The
engine pulls along nicely with no loud protests and the gearbox
is tight and smooth. This really feels like any other car out
there...only slightly more crisp. But when you get on the gas,
the drama unfolds. Once past around 3000RPMs the turbo comes on
at full song with plenty of torque and a growl as the power is
put down effortlessly to the ground via all four wheels. The car
thrusts you forward with a very appealing vigor and seems to have
very long legs indeed. The whole time you are treated to an audio
feast of engine and drivetrain noises that are very reminiscent
of the rally and racecars that this "Road Car"is based
on. When you grab another gear you are treated to the whole experience
all over again, only this time you better look down at your speed
and take a stab at those brakes, because you're already past most
legal limits. (Save it for the track and get some use out of that
SCCA membership. ^_^)
| The cornering
ability of the WRX is among the best in the world let alone
dominating it's class. The turn in is crisp (somehow this
word really helps describe this car) and fast, however you
are going to experience some moderate understeer in most turns
if you push it too hard, and due to the AWD's super grip,
don't bet on the rear coming around without warning. The car
is completely controllable with understeer seeming to be it's
main line characteristic. The 16 inch wheel/tire combo leaves
a little to be desired from my perspective, but at the same
time are suited for the stock comfort and drivability of the
WRX. For the track or any other kind of regular highly spirited
driving I would recommend thinking about some better rubber. |
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After all of the good things this
car does, it's tough to say that I just had some real gripes about
how I felt while experiencing the WRX. While the car does most
everything just right, I can't say with confidence that it FEELS
great to drive. Let's see if I can convey my thoughts without
them coming out all wrong. Under Hard braking and downshifting
one normally applies the heel & toe technique to control the
composure of the car through turns, but the way the WRX's pedals
are set up, I had a slightly difficult time heel & toeing
efficiently. It seems that the pedal placement is a little peculiar
to the Subaru line up and the gas pedal is just about 1/2 to 1
whole inch too short for me. I have to really tweak my ankle in
to hit the pedal just right without my heel missing the gas, or
slipping off into oblivion defeating the whole purpose of the
maneuver and destroying the car's composure. Perhaps it's just
limited to this driver, but I am willing to bet more than just
I had a slight complaint about the pedal positioning. My other
main gripe is that I just thought that while the car was accelerating
around bends and corners it felt "floaty"and a little
disconnected. That's not to say the car was having a problem,
just that my perception of was going on through the wheel, suspension,
and chassis was muted and felt numb. There is not a whole lot
of feel being transmitted to the driver, and the whole time I
felt like I was driving a highly tuned sedan instead of a sports
car. "Duh, McFly! That's what it is!" you say. I realize
that the WRX was not designed to be a sports car and I might be
way off when expecting it feel like one, but I just can't help
but think I should be getting more feel as to what the car is
doing. The ride height is just a little too high for my comfort
while driving aggressively, but at the same time it's not objectionable.
This is the weird part about the whole experience, in that at
times I felt uncomfortable and disconnected, and at those same
moments I knew exactly what was going on and how the car was going
to react to my inputs and the road's inconsistencies. It's very
hard to explain, but overall I would have to say that the Subaru
WRX lived up to and exceeded my expectations while at the same
time left me scratching my head. Especially when I was initially
disappointed in the on paper aspects of the U.S. version of the
famous and capable "WRX".
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Maybe I just
need to go out and drive the WRX some more. Wait...am I
just making excuses to keep driving this thing!? ^_^ That
would make sense...I mean this has to be one of the best
driver's cars to exist for the price and with minor adjustments
and maybe just a thorough break-in and "get to know
you" stint behind the wheel one could get better lap
times than just about anyone else out on the track, auto
cross, or other event. Heck, I think with just a little
more driving, I could get over my little personal problems
with an otherwise flawless machine too. Maybe I should go
drive another WRX...yeah that's it! It's that kind of car...you
just want to keep getting in and taking it for a spin. Not
literally of course. ^_^
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