Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Nick Hall really didn't want one. Then he drove one. Now he does.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi
My old man has a natural, in-built resistance to change. On any visit I can genuinely emerge believing that, if I just picked up the phone now and again, I probably could do without e-mail. While I can dismiss his more rational railing against the dying of the light, some of his less well-founded beliefs slipped through the net.
Which brings me to the Subaru Impreza WRX Sti.
I used to be opposed to the rice burning rally car for the road, on the grounds that the car would do the driving and make the whole experience a little tedious. It was a belief passed from father to son: the only real driver’s car is rear-wheel-drive, preferably mid-engined with bags of horsepower.
So I had studiously avoided any proper chance to drive one beyond a mile or so through town. In truth I guess I kind of knew I’d love it and that, like ordering a top and a dash of lime for your lager, is just not right.
But now, after finally caving in to peer pressure and spending a week in the Subaru’s presence, I have confirmed my innermost fears and am publicly munching on humble pie, in a hessian dress, on the road to Damascus that I’ve been told is home to an excellent Subaru showroom.
Performance
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 Subtle as a smack in the mouth |
The STi is mind numbing, ball shrinking quick, yet can be treated with all the finesse of a rhino on ice skates. Plant the throttle from a standing start and sidestep the clutch and the Sti will rip down the road with Tasmanian Devil intensity, gnashing its teeth and spinning every one of its 8x17” Bridgestone Potenza wrapped wheels screaming in protest as it spins in turn.
Subaru claims just 261bhp and 252lb ft of torque for its latest rice-burning road warrior, with a 0-60mph time of 5.5s. My dad will trade on e-bay before I believe that. An American mag timed the Sti at 1.3s to 30mph and 60mph in 4.7s, factoring in that it only does 58mph in second gear and they had to snatch third. That felt far more realistic from the hot seat.
In-gear acceleration, too, is ferocious, providing you’re in the right gear. The Subaru’s powerband is limited and, unlike some of the cars it destroys when driven properly, it’s a lumpy disaster when running on low revs. It’s on or off, which is bad for fuel economy and relaxed progress – something you’ll probably learn to live with.
Incidentally, there’s a £2000 Prodrive package that takes the horsepower up to 300bhp, or more, depending on how much you trust them.
Conservative figures are par for the course and in Japan a bizarre gentleman’s agreement was installed whereby Subaru and Mitsubishi agreed not to put out cars with more than 276bhp. Neither abides by the rules and it’s common knowledge. So it’s not unreasonable to assume the 152mph published top speed came from a Harry Potter book, too, and 160mph should be more accurate.
Chassis
Other changes over the old model, aside from the obvious new styling, include a new front diff, new damper settings and a 10mm longer wheelbase. The tyres are the same size as in the previous Sti, but the wheels have half an inch more width and that, apparently, firms up the sidewall, squares off the shoulder and adds to the cornering speed.
We’re well into the realm of diminishing returns here. All those changes were worth seven seconds on the Nordschleife, allowing the Sti to break the eight minute barrier, so that’s less than a second a mile. Not worth chopping in your old car then, but you’ve got to admire the attention to detail.
Subaru devotees reckon the turn-in is a little crisper, and the ride quality has certainly improved. That’s not to say it’s soft, though.
On rough roads, despite its rally ancestry, it will bounce loose ill-fitting fillings. TVR and Morgan Roadster drivers might find it slightly soft; nobody else will.
On the first day’s running I gave so much space to parked cars for fear of the surface knocking the car out of line on a broken road that I was stopped by police doubting my sobriety. To be fair they were also deeply interested in the car’s ownership. Subarus are extremely popular with thieves, so it’s good to see positive police action even if it does mean standing by the side of the road while hatchback driving librarians provided that ‘string up the wideboy racer’ look.
Handling
No police on my preferred test route, thankfully, which is where the harsh ride paled into insignificance beside the road holding capabilities of this brute. Its cornering skills defy belief and, providing you’re not on the brakes at the apex, it’s nigh on impossible to spin this car with the electronic traction taming in place. You can go all day on the loud pedal round hairpins if you want and the car will catch the slides.
Turn them off and it will give the most lurid powerslides known to man and spin on a sixpence, as it did when setting a new world record for the number of donuts in a minute recently.
When stretching its impressive legs, another dimension becomes apparent. It may be easy to drive a Subaru fast, but smooth progress with the electronics on, well that’s harder than shooting flies with a nail-gun.
Turn in a fraction too hard, ham-fistedly hammer the throttle, unsettle the car by just a fraction, and the traction control strangles the lumpy, aggressive boxer beat and the car redirects power to the front. Keeping the car on the limit without an excess of electronic involvement, that’s the hard part.
The Subaru transfers power from the back to the front when the rears start to slip, while Mitsubishi’s Evo moves the force from side-to-side. During normal progress the Sti puts 65 per cent of its power through the rear wheels, adopting a normal sportscar approach.
Of course you can change this balance with a dashboard-mounted control, but this is best left for track day curiosity than real road use.
The philosophy of dragging the car out of slides makes it a more natural driving experience than the Evo and also, according to the experts, makes it far more adjustable mid-corner than its nearest rival. The Mitsubishi is quicker, in experienced hands, but the Sti is ultimately more user friendly, which makes it quicker for the rest of the world.
The Brembo brakes are just as user friendly, allowing the Impreza to slow deep into the corner well past the point that others have gone off the road entirely. It provides an abject lesson in doing more or less everything extremely well.
Styling
As for the styling, it’s as subtle as a punch in the face. There is a distinct whiff of a Daewoo crashing through a Bostik factory and landing in Halfords’ warehouse, but the wing, scoops, and pink Sti badges do fit the naked aggression of the Impreza’s underpinnings.
It’s interesting, though, who loves this car and who doesn’t. The police clearly don’t and nor do posh people, but driving this car through a council estate was like bringing the WRC to their door. Shell-suited gentleman doffed their fake Burberry caps and one ‘big-boned’ girl even asked for a ride, but I feared for the dampers.
Overall
It’s not perfect on a number of levels. It’s too focused for most, drinks like that smelly bloke in Woolworth’s doorway, the doors close with a tinny note and the wing shook violently every time I closed the boot. The interior, too, bar the Momo wheel and superb seats, is adequate rather than brilliant. But nothing is terrible and, considering Subaru has taken £2,500 off the price off the old Sti and put it up for sale at £26,400, that’s a real achievement.
It’s relatively easy building supercars in small numbers with telephone number price tags. Mass producing them with four seats and the price of a specced up Golf GTi, is something else and Subaru has done it with class.
So it took just a week to convert this purist into a four-wheel-drive rally car fan, and next time we’re heading for Wales. My dad still thinks they’re crap, but I have e-mailed him with the news.
I was knocked out when I first drove an STI and expected to buy one.
However slowly but surely, I became convinced that the image that the car presents wouldn't rest easlily, with that of someone in his late forties.I know image isn't the primary when eveluating cars, but I just didn't want the 'Just Divorced' look.
So I ended up paying twice as mich for an RS6, which isn't as involving, nor as satisfying to drive.
The STI is the more admirable achievement,as it's brought reliable and real performance to a wider audience.
Just call in the packagers Subaru - you' already done the important stuff.
I have a 2000 Turbo estate, which is an absolute diamond, and infinitely more rewarding (and reliable) than my TVR Chimaera was before it.
I got it for 9 grand with 70k on the clock. It's now done 100k and it's still as tight as a drum, handles like an absolute dream, and will take all of my junk to the dump on a Sunday.
But my wife & I are constantly debating what we should chop it in for, purely because we don't feel that the "ultimate chav chariot" image is what we want to drive around in. We've also looked at RS4s, 5 series touring, even
Cayenne, purely because we want something that fits the image we want to project. Sad, I know (although I'm sure most of us are the same if we admit it), but the saddest thing of all is that I don't think I'll buy another Subaru. And that's a real shame.
But the biggest change would be from the refinement and quality of the Merc to the poorer quality interior, the narrow power band and stiff suspension of the Subaru.
Will I be able to live with that or am I getting too old and should I stick with someothing German too? I can't afford an RS6....
I had an STi for a day and found it very thirsty (16mpg) and the ride in it was absolutely jarring. It was a 2004 and I'm told the ride is now more supple.
Turbo lag was very pronounced (apparently the Prodrive pack smooths this out). You'll really notice the difference in tractibility between it and your 3.2L merc.
Of course, if you want the full monty go for a Spec C
I found as the revs rose on the STi, after a certain point (around 6500rpm ISTR) the power diminished. It was better ro change up at this point rather than use all of the revs available.
Hard to put into words. The only way you could tell the difference would be to drive the pair of them.
Another thing I noticed (on a private road of course) was that at 120mph there was a really load whistling sound which I assume came from the rear spoiler.
I used to have a 1999 turbo 5 door, thought it was the bees knees and still hanker back to it.
The 5 door was my choice as it had a little less in the way of "the halfords look" about it. Bit more subtle
It’s a shame but in the end I went for a S2000 a totally different car I know, but the image of the STI was the main factor. I had everyone calling me a chav for just test driving one.
Another problem would be a tow bar - as far as I could see you couldn't fit one without blocking the view of the number plate.
On the plus side the seats were nice, the wheels (17" gold - but still with big gaps to the arches?) were nice and the engine sounds sweet, the 6 speed gearbox felt great.
But no leather, cruise, climate, xenons, rear head rests, 6CD, computer, satnav, etc. I'm not so sure that being fast is the only thing that matters for an everyday car - even if its as fast as this thing is.
rsvmilly said:
Smifffy, the P1 is supposed to be a peach.
Ta
rsvmilly said:
I found as the revs rose on the STi, after a certain point (around 6500rpm ISTR) the power diminished.
Hmm, maybe it has more restrictive cats? Whatever the reason it's a shame. I naturally upshift at around 6-6.5k rpm as that's where the torque curve starts to flatten a little and I like the "woofle" of the flat 4 at lower revs, but it's still fairly linear to 8k. I'm also trying not to kill the engine
rsvmilly said:
Another thing I noticed ... was that at 120mph there was a really load whistling sound
Not something I get on mine, but after about 120 mph you do get alot of wind noise 'cos of the lack of B pillars on the P1.
rsvmilly said:
Another thing I noticed (on a private road of course) was that at 120mph there was a really load whistling sound which I assume came from the rear spoiler.
Mine used to do that, turned out to be a tiny hole in the intercooler, got to (aahumm)MPH and it'ld like whistle Roger Whittaker with a sheep-dog
>> Edited by mega_stream on Monday 2nd May 10:36
peterpeter said:
ive just ordered one. the prodrive kit is free at the moment from certain dealers so Im paying £25400 for a new prodrive car (with prodrive lowering springs and painted wheels).
i think its a bargain.
I was *THIS* close to buying one - 300bhp. The PPP kit smooths the turbo response and gives a better spread of torque.
However, it does have a fairly cheap interior, the ride is terrible when you are not hooning it and the fuel economy is terrible (22mpg on the motorway, 20mpg round town, 15mph on b-road hoon, 7-10mpg on the track (ouch!
)) but there are not that many cars that car take a family and a boot full of their stuff and still deliver this kind of performance, and almost none can do that and compete on price. The standard car has a big fat inefficient cat (the costs have to be cut somewhere) which means that it's not on full boost until 4000rpm and it's all over by 6500rpm. That is the narrow power band people speak of. I only rev it beyond 6000rpm when I need to hold on to the gear (overtaking, between bends etc.) as there is no point not taking the next gear otherwise.
The PPP, or better, an aftermarket tuning kit solves this problem though where a decent sports cat and remap transforms the car and the useable powerband goes from 3000rpm (full boost) to 7500rpm (redline) whilst providing figures in the region of 320bhp/320ft-lbs torque
(PPP 300/299 off the top of my head) The handling is very benign (which is it's attraction to many) but can easily and cheaply be improved for anyone looking for a more involving drive.
The image doesn't bother me and TBH, I think it a little sad if that alone is enough to stop someone owning a car this good at the actual driving
Would I buy another one (this is my 2nd), maybe but TBH, as I have quite a few cars, I'm not sure I'd bother buying anything so focused next time as it's becomming increasingly harder to use it in this country, and it only really properly works when it's being properly used!!
Matt
If an 'American Mag' tested an Sti it was more than likely that the test was carried out on an USDM model...which has a 2.5 litre engine and 300 brake out of the box...rumours are that we'll be seeing an official version of this car in the UK in the not to distant
Personally despite the improovements to the chassis dynamics I still prefer the 'classic' shape Impreza because it is more compact and nigh on 200kg lighter! That's why after 6 1/2 years I still own mine
Image is certainly becoming a problem for classic Imprezas becuase they are now relatively cheap, and, with so many imported WRX's landing on our shores, common...especially when fitted with some really tacky graphics, a loud exhaust and a vent to atmosphere dump valve...
That's mainly why my car is currently undergoing a minor face lift...to make it look like the Sport model. The front mounted intercooler helps with this disguise of course...although I'm not entirely sure how to disguise the exhaust system required for the 2.5 engine and Garrett GT30 hybrid turbo with it's external wastegate
>> Edited by Slooby on Saturday 7th May 12:33
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