funkdaddysmack's Full Review: 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX
A few months ago my friend had traded in her Mazda 6 on a 2005 WRX STI. I feel I've had more than enough seat time driving and riding to write a review about it. As a side note, I am a car enthusiast and this is written from and enthusiasts perspective, though I try and keep every day sensibility in mind.
The car is a beautiful white with gold wheels, my favorite color combination of the STIs. The only dealer-installed options on this car are the short-throw shifter and the dash-mounted gauge pack. They were immediately disappointed with the gauge pack, they look rather cheap (though it was a ~$400 option). Delphi makes a gauge pack that actually matches the stock gauges very well for nearly the same price. Just a little info for you.
At a glance:
The styling is love it or leave it. I love it. The monster hood scoop and wing are a hint of what is to come. A lot of import-haters may just assume it's another riced car on the road, but both the hood scoop and the monster wing ARE functional. Yes, the rear wing does provide some downforce at speed.
The interior is a two-tone blue/black for all the STI models. At first I didn't much care for it, but it has since grew on me. When I went along for the test drive, I could have sworn the new car smell made me sick (care of the interesting upholstery), but in hindsight I believe it was more the driving. The center-stack is straight-forward and appealing to the eyes, apparently is has been redesigned a little bit for 2005, and the stereo is now standard equipment.
The fit and finish of the interior components is quite nice, I've had no complaints being the passenger or driver.
Things are a little tight in the back, especially if there is a tall driver. But to be fair, it is a compact car.
On the road:
As soon as the car starts up, you know this thing means business. At idle, the boxer engine has a quiet growl. The surprising thing is that it seems to idle louder than it is going down the road. Once you're moving the exhaust note is quiet and subdued. I would prefer a bit more volume. On the outside it's the same way, even during hard acceleration, the car isn't much louder than most other cars on the road. Bring on the aftermarket exhaust, please!
Ok, ok, enough teasing. This thing is a monster. 300hp, 300tq, and high-geared 6 speed makes for some brisk acceleration. The night my friend got the car, there were three of us in the car and it still had more than enough grunt to throw you back in the seats (and this was shifting before 4500 rpm). The first 4 gears are geared pretty high, but to be fair this is a street legal rally car. 5th and 6th gears are geared a bit lower, but still have plenty of pull when needed.
The handling is great for the average driver. It goes around corners very quickly, and has very little body roll. The only problem is when you really start to push the car you will get a lot of understeer. If you're not used to driving AWD and understand the cornering characteristics (give it gas to pull through the corner, curing the understeer), you can get into some trouble pretty quickly. But like I said, you have to really be pushing the car to get to that point. You should never reach those 'limitations' on the street, anyway. Safety first! Steering feel is also-spot on, you get ample feedback through the wheel and the assisted steering is never intrusive.
The ride is surprisingly good. It's a little rough, but I certainly wouldn't call it harsh. You'll feel the bumps, but you don't get that nice kidney-jarring sensation from a pothole in the road, the suspension soaks it up quite nicely. Along the same lines, the seat comfort is extraordinarily good, I can't stress that enough. The side bolsters hold you well, and the honest truth is you won't get seat-fatigue on long road trips with these seats. They're quite firm, but surprisingly enough don't wear you out at all. After two 5 hour road trips in this car I'm still amazed by that fact.
Speaking of road trips, I will have to disagree with the one reviewer's complaint about terrible gas mileage. Around the city the average mileage has been around 17-20mpg, and on longer trips the car gets 23-25mpg. Yesterday our return trip from VA was blistering hot. The AC was on the whole way, there were three people in the car, and we had about 300lbs of cargo in the trunk and back seat, yet we still managed to squeeze nearly 24mpg. We certainly weren't easy on the throttle, either.
Pros:
- Power. This thing has got plenty. Even at highway speeds this thing will pull like a monster.
- Comfort. Long road trips are no problem in this thing, no seat-fatigue!
- Looks. Very aggressive. Even though the hoodscoop and wing are cartoonish, they do still have some function.
- Economical-ish. The gas mileage isn't terrible, unless you drive it really hard.
Cons:
- Rear visibility is reduced a bit by the wing. It's not horrible, but it's certainly worse than many cars.
- The high-gearing in the first few gears means a lot of gear changes and touchy throttle control. It certainly makes things fun, but in everyday driving it's less desirable.
- Attention. This car gets a lot of negative attention from people who hate imports and the import scene. A lot of it is ignorance at it's best, most people don't know what the car can do.
- No clock on the interior? They have the 6-disc changer and there seems to be no clock anywhere. You can tell what direction you're moving and the temperature it is outside, but not what time it is.
- While I haven't driven it in the wet, I hear it has some iffy traction issues with the factory tires.
- Road noise is a bit much.
Overall:
This car is brilliant. It performs astoundingly well, it's a blast to drive, and it's a lot more usable than you may think.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 33500
Condition: New Model Year: 2005 Model and Options: STI
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