Subaru WRX vs Kia Stinger

What's the difference?

The new-generation Subaru WRX is a more accomplished, complete and mature car than ever before. If all of that sounds good to you, you’re going to love it - but I’m also totally going to understand if that would put you off, because it isn’t necessarily the same sort of car we’ve come to expect it should be.

But as the latest example of the breed, the WRX - especially as a sedan - is an engaging, fun car to drive. I just think the wagon would ultimately prove a lot easier to live with.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The Stinger GT-Line is a great machine. It looks good, feels good to drive and while it's not the cheapest large sedan, it's also not a Camry. With a strong European vibe, it's a nice bridge between boring-dependable and out-of-reach European. Boasting a strong link to Europe in its chassis DNA, it has it all apart, maybe, from the badge.

But Kia has a habit of doing unexpected things and the Stinger was a bold move worth making just for the halo effect of having such a cool car in the range. It has done good things for the company's reputation, as though the rest of the range isn't proof already.

You are going to make up your own mind about the look of the Rex. Let me just say this - don’t judge it by the pictures. It looks a lot more, er, agreeable in person. 

I’ll admit it - I was a bit uncertain about whether I would like it. I saw the pictures online and thought it looked a bit awkward. Those squinty headlights, the hexagonal wheel arches, the tapered rear quarter panels and small tail-lights… All of that makes it a bit hard to pick a “good” angle of the car. 

But in person it is a more cohesive piece of automotive design than it might appear at first glance. And look, the choice by Subaru to fit the WRX with the more aggressive looking lower body kit/rugged plastic finishes to the sedan, rather than the wagon, might seem weird to you.

But the brand insists the decision was made because the WRX sedan is more aimed at those who want the more angry look, while the wagon is more aimed at parents and family buyers.

Now, look, I’m a parent, and a potential buyer of a WRX wagon, and I’m frustrated Subaru doesn’t have a wagon with that lower body effect package. It looks narrower and less purposeful on the road as a result, and there’s even more reason for that - the wagon is narrower in the body, with skinnier front and rear guards.

You might be fine with the look of the wagon, compared to the sedan. But I think it would have benefited from less of the Levorg look, and more of the real Rexxy raucousness the sedan gets.

Now, Subaru has said it might consider customer feedback if there’s enough customer demand for a more macho wagon. And hey, the brand has a history of listening to customers and making the cars more appealing as the generation evolves - think about the third-gen WRX which launched with a narrow body but soon fattened up to look meaner…

Other notes on the design: the WRX wagon has different wheels, which are fitted with narrower, less aggressive tyres - it runs Yokohama Blue Earth GT tyres in 225/45/18 size, while the sedan, in keeping with its more intentful bent, runs far superior Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 245/40/18 tread. As a result, the wagon has a narrower front track (1550mm vs 1560mm) and rear track (1545mm vs 1570mm).

I’d love to see a more hardcore looking WRX wagon. Tell me if you agree or disagree in the comments below.

For context, here are the dimensions of the new WRX in sedan and wagon body styles:

The Stinger looks fantastic. I know the car has its detractors, but there's a massive Euro influence here that sits well in my visual cortex. It's maybe not as ooh-aah as the A5 or the outgoing BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, but the Stinger can and should be mentioned in the same breath. It looks terrific, even if it is a bit fussier in the details.

From the signature grille, the low beltline, big wheels and sports coupe roofline, it looks sleek and sophisticated. 

Inside is a bit more conventional, with some real classic touches such as circular air vents, conventional-looking gear selector and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. It's cool, clean and, with the big new screen, a bit more techy-looking than before. There are lots of nice materials and the odd rogue one, but it's a good cabin that feels well put-together.

Obviously with a proper station wagon as part of the range now, it’s a much more practical WRX than we’ve ever seen before. But that doesn’t mean the sedan is impractical - rather, both are really quite well packaged and thought out for the most part.

Let’s start at the back, with the boot space. Cargo volume for the wagon is 492 litres with seats up and 902L with the back seats folded down (and 1430L to the ceiling). The cargo capacity of the sedan is 411L (RS and tS) to 414L (base model).

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see how they fare with the CarsGuide luggage and / or a pram soon, but the boot openings for both versions are big and the load lips easy enough to contend with. All models have a space-saver spare wheel, too.

Back seat space is good for anyone who isn’t much taller than me. I’m 182cm (6’0”) and found my head was almost brushing the ceiling in the sedan, but I had a bit more head room in the wagon. Leg room with the driver’s seat set for me was good, and the toe room was only just adequate (I’ve got pretty big feet). 

Storage in the back is okay, with map pockets, bottle holders in the doors, and a flip-down armrest with cup holders. 

Parents will appreciate the ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the outboard seats, three top-tether hooks, and adjustable air-vents in all grades - so long as you buy an automatic model (manual versions miss out on rear directional air vents). The top two variants also have heated outboard seats and rear USB ports to keep occupants of all ages happy.

Up front the space is good, with a roomy feeling cabin courtesy of big windows and thin windscreen pillars.

The dashboard is dominated by that large 11.6-inch touchscreen, and it looks typically bold and colourful from Subaru. It’s mostly a really usable screen, with some hard buttons for the dual-zone temperature settings, demister, and volume and tuning knobs as well. The button that’s missing that I found myself cursing was air-con recirculation - it’s instead two touchscreen presses away.

There’s the requisite smartphone mirroring tech with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the top models have sat nav. The top two specs also have a CD player hidden in the centre console bin, which is odd - but maybe the customer who appreciates built-in nav also likes CDs still… what was I saying about this car appealing to an older demographic…?

Storage is okay up front, with bottle holders in the doors, cup holders between the seats, that centre console bin, and a good glovebox. But a lack of wireless smartphone charging is a disappointment, and the section in front of the gear selector is too small for most smartphones.

This is really a four-seater car. While there is good legroom in the rear, the falling roofline, small door aperture and huge transmission tunnel box you in a bit, almost rendering the middle seat useless for all but the shortest of folks. You do get your own air vents, though, which is generous.

The low roof also means limited headroom, made a little worse by the standard sunroof. I had room but taller people might brush the headlining. There are two cupholders front and rear for a total of four and each door has a bottle holder.

The boot is a modest-for-this-size 406 litres, rising to 1114 litres with the seats down. Access to the boot is good if not spectacular; the hatch opens wide but a slightly narrow aperture means loading and stowing flat packs and things like that could be a struggle.

As is the custom at this time of the year, the Stinger scored a mild update for that minty-fresh taste at the dealer. Not much has changed in the looks department (good) and the most obvious tweak is the brand-spanking new media system already seen in the brilliant new Sorento.

The GT-Line is one of two four-cylinder variants of the Stinger, priced at $57,230 or $60,690 driveaway, a solid $7000 more than the 200S and it's $730 more than the MY20. It's also uncomfortably close to the 330S, which has the delicious twin-turbo V6, but obviously a lower equipment level.

For your money you get 19-inch alloy wheels, a 15-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, camera package that includes a reversing camera, side cameras and front camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, powered heated and ventilated front seats, sat nav, automatic LED headlights, head up display, leather seats and wheel and even more besides. It's a lot, which is fair given the price.

The 15-speaker stereo is run by the excellent new media system on the excellent new 10.25-inch touchscreen. It's great to look at, has some really cool ideas in it (including the hilarious soundscapes list which includes, for some reason, a noisy cafe environment), DAB and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Gone is the old 2.0-litre engine of the previous WRX, and in its place is a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ horizontally-opposed motor, with a power bump for this generation.

It now pushes out 202kW of power (at 5600rpm) and 350Nm of torque (from 2000-5200rpm), which represents a modest 5kW increase and the torque figure is dead on what it used to be.

You might be scratching your head at that, thinking Subaru has somehow made a mistake. The engine has 20 per cent greater displacement, but yet no significant difference in terms of the outputs? 

I questioned the brand’s boss and engineers about this, and they said “you don’t drive a spec sheet”. That is to say, the usability and drivability of the new engine is where you notice the more linear delivery of the torque, so admittedly, it’s not a wow-factor moment … until you drive the car.

There is a choice of a six-speed manual gearbox (sedan only), or a continuously variable transmission if you choose the wagon or one of the auto variants. Subaru insists it’s not like the CVTs of old, and in fact insists upon calling this gearbox the Subaru Performance Transmission. It has paddle shifters and throttle blipping, and eight ‘ratios’ available, with stepped ‘shifts’ as you accelerate decelerate.

It still sends power to all four wheels using Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system - manual versions come with a locking centre diff and viscous limited slip diff, where CVT models run a variable torque distribution system.

If you’re wondering, the 0-100km/h time for the manual is 6.0 seconds (identical to the last WRX) and the auto is 6.1 seconds (was 6.3). The auto figure is for both sedan and wagon.

Under the GT-Line's bonnet is Kia's Theta II 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. It's the same as before, with a stout 182kW and 353Nm. Driving the rear wheels is an eight-speed automatic from the Hyundai-Kia empire.

It's pretty rapid, knocking out the 0-100km/h spring in just six seconds, a mere 1.1 seconds slower than its faster sibling's 4.9 for the benchmark.

What price do you pay for WRX levels of performance when it comes to the pump? That’ll depend on the transmission you choose.

The automatic versions are better on the official combined cycle, with a stated figure of 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres. Choose the manual sedan and that figure jumps to 9.9L/100km.

On the test loop for the launch - which was hardly what I’d call “regular roads with a normal driving manner” - I saw 13.4L/100km indicated on the dashboard of the manual sedan, and an impressive 9.8L/100km for the auto wagon.

All models have a thirst for the good stuff, though, with 95RON premium unleaded required.

Fuel tank size is decent at 63 litres, so even if you’re driving it pretty hard you should be able to get more than 450km to a tank. 

Kia's claimed combined cycle figure is 8.8L/100km. As the Stinger goes without trickery like stop-start or mild hybridness, it's no surprise that my week with it yielded an indicated 10.4L/100km, which isn't bad for a 1750kg sports sedan that was not molly-coddled and also spent some time in a resurgent case of crap traffic in Sydney.

It also drinks standard unleaded, which is a nice touch.

If you’ve scrolled down past all the other sections of this review to the driving part, I understand who you are. You’re the sort of person who actually cares about how a WRX drives – and the good news is that his new generation model drives very, very well. Well, actually, that depends on what you define as a good drive.

If you are after the immature, extremely enjoyable edge-of-your-seat experience that we’ve come to expect from the WRX, then you might think this new generation model has gone soft. And in some ways it has. 

The wagon, for instance, has a different suspension tune to the sedan. And it is indeed softer – and that’s intentional. Subaru says the buyer type for the Sportswagon is one who expects a level of comfort and ease of use that isn’t necessarily high on the priority list of the customer looking at the sedan.

As such, the sedan model has a more rigid suspension setup with stiffer springs and firmer dampers to ensure that the boy/girl racer is still appeased by the drive experience. And in the sedan you do feel a lot more of the road surface below you, with a firmer, more unapologetic ride. Where as in the wagon it is more disciplined and comfortable in almost every single situation.

The difficult bit is that the wagon in top-spec guise has even more intent to its suspension, because it is offered with the adaptive chassis control system. That means that it rides as firmly as the sedan when it’s in its sportiest drive mode setting. So, if you are after a more aggressive drive and you want a station wagon version of the WRX, then unfortunately you’re going to have to opt for the top spec wagon. That’ll leave some customers upset, because the extra $10,000 may not be easy to come by.

You need to consider that the tyre package is different between the two body styles as well. Even in the top-spec version of the wagon, you get a less aggressive tyre, and that means that it doesn’t have the same level of aggression in corners and isn’t as grippy, either. The easy solution in my mind would be to select the wagon but see if I could option a set of the sedan's wheels and tyres to improve the drivability and grip in the corners.

That isn’t to say that there isn’t enough grip, just that you can feel the wagon shimmy more in tight corners than is noticeable in the sedan, which has a significantly more sticky road presence. The Dunlops do it justice. The Yokohamas? Not so much.

The steering in both models is quite light and quite darty, and while I wouldn’t say that it’s the best steering of any car in its class, it does seem to be an improvement over the existing model. The drive modes can affect the way the steering behaves, and if you do happen to choose the top spec tS version then you can individually adjust the steering (as well as the suspension, power train, air conditioning, and safety systems). Even so, in the wagon the steering is still more likely to exhibit a bit of push-on understeer in tighter, faster bends. Not as evident in the sedan.

What about the elephant in the room then – it’s a bigger engine but with not a big power increase and has zero per cent torque adjustment over the existing model.

It is a better engine than before – like I said, it lacks that whip-crack personality of the old one, and it has removed a bit of the guesswork as to when you’ll be able to get the turbo to sing the tune that you wanted to. But, it is more linear in the way that it builds speed, and while it isn’t as visceral experience (a sports exhaust option would definitely be welcome, Subaru Australia!), it is a more refined and easy car to drive fast.

The other elephant in the room (yes it’s a big room) is the CVT automatic. This isn’t a new transmission – the last WRX auto had a CVT – but this one has been significantly reworked for a more aggressive characteristic and it is noticeably better. I wouldn’t say that it’s as technically pleasing as a dual-clutch automatic, especially in spirited driving, but it is definitely well suited to the character of the new car.

The auto does have paddle shifters so you can take matters into your own hands, and Subaru boasts that the up- and down-shift response times have been significantly improved. However, I didn’t like that the paddle shifters still overruled me in some situations - I felt like it took a bit of control out of my hands (no doubt in the name of mechanical sympathy, but even so, this is a sports car, right?).

The manual version remains a pick for those who really want to drive their WRX as a WRX ought to be driven. It’s the most engaging of the drivetrain options, and the shift action has been improved over the last model to offer a quicker feel between the gates, and the clutch action is nicely weighted as well. It is a serious shame that Subaru has missed the opportunity to sell a manual Sportswagon version of the WRX, and I sincerely hope that the brand rethinks that strategy at some point in the future. I know that for potential customers like myself, that would make the car even more appealing as a station wagon.

So, in summary, the fifth generation WRX is a more mature and high-tech drive experience than ever before. That comes at the expense of the larrikin nature of the earlier versions – but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you ask me.

I have driven and loved the Stinger GT. It's tremendous fun, goes like a rat running away from a cut snake, which itself is being chased by a mongoose with its bottom on fire, and it handles like a proper sports sedan.

The GT-Line is obviously not that quick, but it's not slow, either. But it does take a bit of the GT's DNA and delivers a driving experience eerily reminiscent of an E90 BMW 3 Series. That seems like an out-of-date reference, but it was a beautiful car to drive with a lovely balance of ride and handling.

The steering has good feel and you know what's going on underneath the front wheels. You sit towards the centre of the car, also a BMW trademark. Turn the wheel and the car goes with you, despite its bulk, and it's happy to dance a bit with its limited-slip diff.

The 2.0-litre turbo does a good job in most conditions but you feel it coming up short when you're hustling it. It's never breathless, but the torque deficit to the turbo six is clear. If you've not driven the faster Stinger, you may not notice, but there's a touch of lag in the 2.0 that contributes to the idea it's working hard to move the big sedan.

But back off a little and it becomes a fluid, fun drive. In town it's firm but very comfortable, gently bumping rather than crashing into potholes. The rear suspension is a complicated five-link set-up that costs money and eats into boot space but delivers the goods.

Given its length the Stinger is a bit tough to manoeuvre in tight spaces and its 11.2m turning circle isn't too flash either, but you soon get used to it.

The Stinger ships with an impressive safety package that includes seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, high- and low-speed forward AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, intersection assist, lane-keep assist, steering assist, driver attention alert, high- and low-speed forward collision warning, front cross traffic alert and rear cross traffic alert.

You get two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors.

The Stinger scored five ANCAP stars in 2017.

Subaru offers a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty covering the car, but just be aware that if you drive your car on the track, you might void that. Subaru says it has no plans to follow the lead of Hyundai N to cover track driving, but insists the brand will back its customers. 

Either way, the warranty cover is par for the course these days, and roadside assistance is included for one year from purchase. Other rivals offer years more coverage.

What has improved for this generation of WRX is the servicing situation.

There is capped price servicing for five years or 75,000km, meaning the intervals are finally set at 12 months/15,000km - no longer the pesky six-month/10,000km maintenance schedule of the previous model.

It depends on whether you choose manual or auto as to what price you’ll pay for maintenance, but there’s not a whole lot in it. The six-speed manual versions average $487 per annum over the five-year capped price period, while the auto versions are a little more affordable to maintain, at an annual average of $473.

Kia's ground-breaking seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty along with roadside assist for the first 12 months. Each time you service your car at Kia, you get an extension on your roadside assist for up to eight years.

Perhaps the only thing that makes you go, "Oh, what?" about the Stinger is the 12 months (Good)/10,000km (Oh...) service intervals. That's pretty common with Kia's turbo engines but is a little inconvenient. Then there's the cost - prices range from $312 to $685, which adds up to $3459 over the first seven services. If you stay under 10,000km/year, that's not bad going at under $500 per year for servicing, but if you're a high-miler, it will add up.

The servicing isn't outrageous - and the prices are capped - but it's not cheap, either.