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Subaru WRX still a wild child after reform school
BY LAWRENCE ULRICH
2014 SUBARU WRX
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
Let the other guys worry
about self-steering cars, blindspot beepers and onboard Wi-Fi
connections.
Even many German sport
sedans have become distracted
— along with their pilots — by
a technological arms race. But
the Subaru WRX reminds us of
what one special soldier can do
if he is focused on the mission
and unencumbered by digital
oversight.
If the mission is to deliver
unmitigated driving pleasure at
a relatively affordable price, the
2015 WRX deserves a medal.
High-speed reconnaissance
has been the WRX’s stock in
trade since its 2002 debut — its
U.S. debut, that is. The WRX had
been honing its legend in Japan
and elsewhere since 1992, driven by winners of multiple world
rally championships.
The 2015 version takes a
significant leap forward, even
if the gains have little to do
with brute strength. Instead,
Subaru focused on the WRX’s
more pressing deficiencies. The
interior, which used to scream
“econobox,” now announces
itself with just a whisper. And
while the WRX is still wild, its
woolier elements have been
tamed, including excess body
roll, a raucous cabin and middling steering.
However, the WRX fan base
must deal with some regrets.
There’s no longer a hatchback,
only a sedan. And while a higher-priced track-ready STI version remains available, it stands
pat on power with a carried-over
engine. The STI’s familiar
2.5-liter, 4-cylinder boxer makes
305 horses, just 37 more than the
base model.
Yet, Subaru conservatively
cites the STI’s 0-to-60 time at 5.2
seconds. Anyone who thinks a
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much more than an Impreza with a big motor, a firmer
suspension and all-wheel drive.
Subaru says the chassis is 40
percent more rigid than before,
a fine starting point for precise
handling and body control.
The new WRX also benefits
from a fresher cabin design.
Rear legroom grows by nearly
two inches, and trunk space is
up as well. The seats are more
stylish and better bolstered,
with leather-and-Alcantara
trim in the STI that I tested. A
flat-bottom, three-point steering
wheel looks and feels good, and
there are strips of faux carbon-fiber trim across the dash
and center console.
Buyers are welcome to skip
the WRX’s available navigation
and infotainment system, a maddening hodgepodge of Atari-level displays and tiny, hard-to-op-
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F-150
erate touch-screen buttons.
All models have a new, 4.3inch LCD display screen and
backup camera. But a real-time,
fuel-economy gauge serves up
nonstop distraction in direct
view of the driver.
The standard WRX gets the
all-new engine that fans of its
acclaimed BRZ sports car have
been dreaming of: a turbocharged version of the BRZ’s
2-liter boxer 4, with 268 horses
and 258 pound-feet of torque.
Its pistons are laid horizontally
in opposition — hence the boxer
name — in a balanced, distinctive-sounding layout that only
Subaru and Porsche continue to
use in cars. The regular WRX
scoots from 0 to 60 mph in about
5.4 seconds.
The brakes are larger and
stronger, though the pedal still
feels squishy when the brakes
first bite. A 6-speed manual
transmission replaces a 5-speed.
New, electric-assisted steering
ranks among the best of such
systems. Subaru credits its natural, lively feel to lessons learned
from the system in the BRZ.
It’s all hard to beat at a starting price of $27,090, or $29,290
for the Premium version I
tested. To me, that feels like the
sweet spot in price. The WRX
now performs so well that there
is less reason — except for track
drivers or those who live to
challenge Mitsubishi Evolutions
— to spend thousands extra on
the STI.
Leadfoots might not care,
but the standard model’s 2-liter
engine saves an estimated $650
a year on fuel, with a federal
rating of 21 mpg in town and 28
on the highway with the manual
gearbox, versus 17/23 mpg for
the thirsty STI. (The WRX automatic splits the difference at
19/25 mpg.)
I didn’t drive a car with Subaru’s new, continuously variable
automatic transmission, a type
of gearbox usually associated
more with saving fuel than posting lap times. But the Subaru
CVT does feature modes that let
drivers mimic the operation of
a conventional, paddle-shifted
automatic.
Making no concessions to
those wedded to automatics,
the STI comes with a 6-speed
manual, take it or leave it. The
STI’s base price has been held to
$35,290, the same as the depart-
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car that quick is underpowered
is welcome to tinker with it
himself. Indeed, many Subaru
owners are active in the tuner
hobby.
The bigger disappointment is
how little of the WRX concept
car’s muscular design made
it into the production vehicle.
The concept car, which Subaru
unveiled at the New York auto
show last year, was perhaps the
most physically attractive Subaru in history.
Though the new WRX has
dropped the Impreza name,
the physical connection to that
frumpy budget sedan remains
clear. But the Impreza’s gymrat cousin flexes some muscle.
There are slanted LED headlamps and a hood scoop that
sends fresh air to the turbo’s
intercooler.
Looks aside, this WRX is
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SUBARU
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Base price: $ $27,090
(WRX); $35,290 (WRX STI)
Engine: 2-liter, H-4 (268 h.p.)
EPA rating (city/highway):
21/28 mpg (WRX with
manual transmission)
ing version. I drove a $38,190
STI Launch Edition, limited
to 1,000 units. It comes in one
signature color, a screaming
metallic blue with gold-painted
18-inch BBS alloy wheels. The
STI Limited tops the charts at
$39,290, with features like an
eight-way power driver’s seat
and a premium audio system.
For the STI, Subaru further bolstered the chassis and
suspension and added Brembo
brakes. One caution: Both WRX
models ride more stiffly than
ever.
The STI’s sturdier, largely
handbuilt manual gearbox
rows smoothly through the
six forward speeds. A special
short-throw shifter, standard on
the Launch Edition and optional
otherwise, is the best yet on a
WRX.
A new torque-vectoring system blips individual front brakes
to help the car rotate through
turns. Drivers can toggle the
all-wheel-drive system to vary
power between front and rear
wheels and can lock the center
differential for a full-time 50-50
split.
In the interest of fingertip
sensation, the STI keeps a
traditional hydraulic steering
unit, but one with a quick 13.0:1
ratio, versus 14.5:1 for the
standard WRX. A rotary console
knob adjusts throttle mapping
through three modes, including
a maximum setting called Sport
Sharp.
Even on dry pavement with
Dunlop winter tires — not an
ideal combination —- the Subarus’ uncanny grip and control
make them fierce competitors
to BMW M cars or Mercedes
AMGs at twice the price. The
Subarus feel stirring and vital,
high-feedback analog cars in a
world of ghostly, digital appliances.
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