Subaru Impreza WRX 2005 Review

Leaked photos revealed the new Subaru nose, a big snout with two wings either side. It wasn't pretty.

Now it's here, the Impreza doesn't look so bad. Maybe we are just used to it, maybe it looks better in the metal.

Subaru does well selling base Imprezas, but the turbo WRX and even-more-potent STI are the poster cars.

The WRX and STI used heavily turbo-boosted 2.0-litre engines that went like stink when the turbo spooled-up, but were gutless low in the rev range.

Now Subaru has introduced a bigger, more torquey 2.5-litre engine for the WRX and STI.

The new WRX inches up to 169kW and torque improves from 300Nm to 320Nm, which is available at 3600 revs.

The new STI also gets a stronger engine, which has 11kW more power for a total of 206kW, and torque moves up from 343Nm to 392Nm at 4000 revs.

Subaru says all Impreza engines sound throatier thanks to a redesigned exhaust system.

The new engines are the biggest part of the Impreza upgrade, but there are other changes.

Side airbags have been added as standard equipment across the range except for the fastest in the range, the STI.

The new STI has a smaller turbo scoop on the bonnet (now the same size as the WRX scoop), which Subaru says is more aerodynamically efficient.

Like the WRX, the STI is available only with a six-speed manual transmission and the STI's gearbox has been improved slightly.

The STI comes standard with some hi-tech wizardry that manages torque distribution between all four wheels.

This system uses a range of sensors to measure how the car is operating and controls where the torque goes to maximise traction.

Subaru has added a torque-sensing, electronically controlled, centre-limited slip differential and a steering wheel angle sensor.

The driver can manually control the differential and manage some of the torque split between the front and rear wheels.

Unless the driver intervenes, in normal conditions 41 per cent of torque goes to the front wheels and 59 per cent to the back wheels.

The STI comes standard with hefty Brembo anti-skid brakes with four-pot calipers at the front, two-pot calipers at the rear and sits on 17-inch gold alloy wheels.

Other standard features include Xenon headlights, six-CD sound, a wild body kit with a large plastic rear wing and aluminium spoiler strip at the back of the roof and a new bigger exhaust outlet.

It also features a driver-adjustable shift warning (which flashes and beeps when it is time to change gears) and an intercooler water spray.

ON THE ROAD

The STI is not good for everyday use. It is difficult to drive smoothly in stop-start traffic and is a nightmare to park because its all-wheel-drive components contribute to a poor turning circle.

Then there is the rock-hard suspension that can make a highway feel as bumpy as a run down a country road - it is that bad.

But for all its flaws, the STI is awesome. Its traction in wet and dry, on tarmac or dirt, is stunning.

Subaru has fine-tuned the AWD system and it can make a bad driver seem good.

You can pitch the STI into a turn, at a pace you think may unsettle the car, and the Subaru just sorts it all out and takes you through.

The pace this car can handle around a bend is so far above what is acceptable on public roads that most owners will never be able to take advantage of the STI's true ability.

Though it has been designed as a road car rather than a rally weapon, this car is actually at home on the dirt, where it accelerates nearly as quickly as it does on tarmac.

The engine has even more meat than before, thanks to the increased displacement.

It offers a much more progressive power delivery than the previous engine, which had little torque low in the rev range before it went into hyperdrive when the turbo spooled up.

Now there is adequate go down low, but the real sweet spot is from 3000 revs onwards.

It is great fun to accelerate hard and change just before the rev-limiter cuts in - just as the change alert beeps and flashes.

Subaru has fitted the STI with track-ready tyres, which are more like slicks with far fewer grooves than a regular tyre and work well in wet or dry, but are noisy.

The Brembo brakes are superb and pull up the car in an instant.

The STI might have a smaller front scoop, but it is still cop bait with its skyscraper rear wing, big gold wheels and large exhaust.

The wing is so tall you can actually see a fair amount of the following traffic below the top of the wing in your rear-view mirror.

The top plane of the wing does tend to wobble in the wind at more than 80km/h, unlike the Mitsubishi Evo IX, which uses a carbon-fibre top section.

The seats are fairly comfortable, but don't offer as much support as the Recaro seats in its Mitsubishi rival.

The STI is a great showcase of automotive achievement, but anyone who buys one and doesn't spend some time at a track day, is wasting their money and should consider a regular WRX instead.