IMPREZA STI
Canada just got a taste of the fun us Europeans have been having. Nauman Farooq reports.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. The Subaru Impreza WRX STi is not a good car. The Subaru Impreza WRX STi is a great car. It is simply magnificent.
The Subura Impreza Turbo has long been a performance icon in Asia and Europe, yet these turbo charged versions of the humble Impreza are new to Canada.
2001 saw the Impreza WRX set its tires on our tarmac, and now in 2003 we finally have the big, monsterous STi version arrive at our shores. Having read all about the STi in European mags, I had expected a lot from this car. I wasn't expecting this much though.
Power Plant
There are soo many appealing features of this car, but the heart of its appeal is its heart. For the North American market, the STi has a 2.5 liter, "boxer" flat-four cylinder engine, pumping out 300 hp and 300 lb/ft of torque.
That power makes its way to the active four-wheel drive system via a six-speed manual gearbox. This has got to be one of the finest gearboxes on the planet. The shifts are effortless, and as soon as you get it out of one gear it seems to automatically fall into the next gear.
It's amazing, you have to try it out to really see how good this is. Making matters even better is its clutch. Yes it is a bit on the firm side but its action is smooth and it engages the gear the very moment you start pulling out the clutch.
911 Fast
All of this just means that making blistering runs in this car is a piece of cake. It really is blisteringly fast too. The famed 0-60 mph run just takes 4.8 seconds, and it will top out at around 160 mph. That is not only faster than a Porsche Boxster S, it'll keep right up with a 911 C4S.
Not only is it 911 fast, it is just as stable too making high speed antics safe and a laugh. If someone told me a month ago that this STi is a four door alternative to a 911 for 1/3rd the price (in Canada, an STi is $47,000 while a 911 C4S is $139,000), I would have laughed and told them to go lay an egg. Now I can tell you honestly, this STi can seriously irritate anyone in a 911.
Through the Bends
The really irritating bit is that it'll keep up with any supercar through the twisty bits. The STi with its active all-wheel drive system is sensational. It forgives stupidity and rewards your occasional talents superbly. On the center console, near the hand brake, you'll find a switch that allows you to control the center differential. With this, you can choose how much of the power should be sent to the rear wheels. This is simply brilliant. However, I liked keeping it in the auto setting and let the computer sort it all out.
All of it's qualities just help in making every journey an event. Every corner, every overtaking manouvere makes you feel like you are on a rally stage.
The only painful bit is the ride harshness. This car is very stiffly sprung, and the small tire walls don't absorb the bumps either. That can make trips on unnurished roads a bit of a back breaker.
Interior
The seat does try its best to not only provide comfort but also support you in all the right places. The STi's sport bucket seats are very well padded and the driver gets a heated seat too while the passenger doesn't.
The ergonomics of this are very decent too. Not only will you and your friends find it roomy, but you will also find the car very nicely equipped. The full assortment of power windows, mirrors and locks are here, so is cruise control.
The HVAC controls are well placed, not that you can say the same for the dash mounted cup holder. Put anything in that cup holder and you'll for sure spill it, and that means your drink will be swalloed up by the CD player. That's okay actually, the CD player is crap anyway.
The instrument binnacle on the other hand is not. The dials are nice and clear, with the electro-illuminicent gauges not only making them look good but also very easy to read.
The rev counter has a light in it to remind you to change up 'cause you've red lined it. The 160 mph speedo sits on the right of it.
Missing in action however is a boost gauge. Give a dealer here $500 and they'll install one for you, but it really should have been standard.
One of the coolest gadgets in here has to be the button to spray ice cold water onto the intercooler, just for that extra fine tuning.
There is no question that this is one of the best cars on the road today. However, the looks rasie many questions. Yes, it certainly isn't a handsome car, nor is it a pretty one, and with it's big wing in the back and it's huge air intake on the hood, it certainly isn't a shrinking violet either. But believe you me, after driving it, it begins to look beautiful.
I have driven many cars this year, and every time you approach a car, it either turns out to be as good as you expected it to be, or falls short. Very rarely a car has exceeded my expectations. The STi certainly exceeded mine.
Links
Special thanks to Clifford DeSilva at Subaru of Mississauga for providing the test vehicle