- 1,579
Today I drove the 2008 WRX sedan. I should cut to the chase to say it is a disappointment to all pre-2008 Impreza lovers, but a happy surprise to all you Camry owners out there. Let's begin, shall we?
I have known this dealer for more than 10 years, so for him to let me have the car for an hour took no convincing. I looked it over, inside and out, and without touching it the car looks well made. Looks well made. Upon sitting down I realized that the seats are far cushier and despite the lack of side support (I had just exited a 2006 STI), they felt good for at least 4 hours of driving. That's something that I wouldn't want to do in any previous Impreza, but I do remember the ~2002 WRX having much more supportive seats. Not that they were deeper, but the sides on the 2008 had nothing but soft foam under them.
As YSSMAN mentioned earlier, all the plastics are cheap. Not Mustang-level cheap, but far less than what we're used to in an Impreza. The surfaces seemed easily scratched (and on this 3-day-old car, they already were), and just let down the whole Subaru experience most would expect. The navigation screen was a surprise (I forgot that it was a new addition), and while it wasn't at the best angle for the mid-day sunlight, it was intuitive to use and otherwise clearly legible. The GPS kept up well, and the controls were about as easy to use as the Pioneer AVIC's I've used in the past. The touchscreen also worked perfectly and accurately.
Not sure what this jack was for though. I can't imagine anyone mounting something on the armrest; certainly not while moving. Certainly not an iPod, unless they don't plan on using the stereo 1/8" jack everyone else has been using. A minor detail, I suppose, but it's just an unusual arrangement in an unusual location.
The glovebox revealed this oddity. That shiny stuff is the actual innards of the car. When closed, the back of the glovebox is open to this area, and thus I imagine many people will lose many small objects (maybe even children) to this missed detail.
The ride was strange. You feel completely disconnected from the road, that's for sure, but the tires had the same profile as my STI (50-R17). Where was the usual Subaru firm-but-comfortable ride? There was this front-to-back floating sensation that could only have been due to the change in suspension. This being a WRX (semi-sporty), I could only imagine how the regular Impreza must be. I expected light steering and a softer gearshift, but the car could have been steered by one finger and the gearknob was connected to what can only be considered hard rubber. It could be that the linkage was loose, but nothing was rattling.... I did some quick "lane changes" on a quiet stretch of highway and I actually feared the car might tip over. Three attempts were all I had the guts for. It may be because the seating position is abnomally high, but that's what I've come to expect in an Impreza: it's WRC-inspired, after all, right? But this was more like sitting in the Forester.
The engine has been of some debate here. I can honestly say that while you can hear the turbo spooling there's just about no lag to speak of. There's also no more sparkle to the top end. Basically, don't bother revving above 4,000. There's probably less power there. You can watch the speedometer's needle go round the dial with appreciable speed, but you don't feel any of that speed yourself. If I were to drive a purely electric car, I imagine this is what it would feel like. The WRX sound is there, but it's somehow more distant, even with the hood up, as if it's playing back on a recording.
The proportions of the car aren' terrible in sedan form. The front wheels are a bit more forward, but somehow there's too much space in between (obviously because there is more space in between). If the car were silver or black, it would have trouble being noticed in a crowded parking lot. The large hood scoop is actually very subtle from all views except head on. Head on is truly the worst view of the car. The hiccupy curvy lines around the headlights only make the grille seem even more melty-faced. It all works together in the way a garbage dump goes together: it's all garbage.
I returned the car and told my dealer that I wished him the best of luck, and that he'll need it. He said I should wait for the STI (naturally), but I told him it would have to be something truly special to win me over. He asked me about the hatchback model, and I stated that it looks even worse than the sedan. "That's the wrong thing to say around here", he joked. I didn't understand what he meant. I wished him luck again and walked out. Another salesman was eyeing my STI and asked me if I was trading it in. I said that I probably never will. He looked back at the STI and said that he'd really like to get one to sell again. Granted, mine will never be for sale, but if the salesforce longs for the pre-2006 cars, what will that say about the customers?
I have known this dealer for more than 10 years, so for him to let me have the car for an hour took no convincing. I looked it over, inside and out, and without touching it the car looks well made. Looks well made. Upon sitting down I realized that the seats are far cushier and despite the lack of side support (I had just exited a 2006 STI), they felt good for at least 4 hours of driving. That's something that I wouldn't want to do in any previous Impreza, but I do remember the ~2002 WRX having much more supportive seats. Not that they were deeper, but the sides on the 2008 had nothing but soft foam under them.
As YSSMAN mentioned earlier, all the plastics are cheap. Not Mustang-level cheap, but far less than what we're used to in an Impreza. The surfaces seemed easily scratched (and on this 3-day-old car, they already were), and just let down the whole Subaru experience most would expect. The navigation screen was a surprise (I forgot that it was a new addition), and while it wasn't at the best angle for the mid-day sunlight, it was intuitive to use and otherwise clearly legible. The GPS kept up well, and the controls were about as easy to use as the Pioneer AVIC's I've used in the past. The touchscreen also worked perfectly and accurately.
Not sure what this jack was for though. I can't imagine anyone mounting something on the armrest; certainly not while moving. Certainly not an iPod, unless they don't plan on using the stereo 1/8" jack everyone else has been using. A minor detail, I suppose, but it's just an unusual arrangement in an unusual location.
The glovebox revealed this oddity. That shiny stuff is the actual innards of the car. When closed, the back of the glovebox is open to this area, and thus I imagine many people will lose many small objects (maybe even children) to this missed detail.
The ride was strange. You feel completely disconnected from the road, that's for sure, but the tires had the same profile as my STI (50-R17). Where was the usual Subaru firm-but-comfortable ride? There was this front-to-back floating sensation that could only have been due to the change in suspension. This being a WRX (semi-sporty), I could only imagine how the regular Impreza must be. I expected light steering and a softer gearshift, but the car could have been steered by one finger and the gearknob was connected to what can only be considered hard rubber. It could be that the linkage was loose, but nothing was rattling.... I did some quick "lane changes" on a quiet stretch of highway and I actually feared the car might tip over. Three attempts were all I had the guts for. It may be because the seating position is abnomally high, but that's what I've come to expect in an Impreza: it's WRC-inspired, after all, right? But this was more like sitting in the Forester.
The engine has been of some debate here. I can honestly say that while you can hear the turbo spooling there's just about no lag to speak of. There's also no more sparkle to the top end. Basically, don't bother revving above 4,000. There's probably less power there. You can watch the speedometer's needle go round the dial with appreciable speed, but you don't feel any of that speed yourself. If I were to drive a purely electric car, I imagine this is what it would feel like. The WRX sound is there, but it's somehow more distant, even with the hood up, as if it's playing back on a recording.
The proportions of the car aren' terrible in sedan form. The front wheels are a bit more forward, but somehow there's too much space in between (obviously because there is more space in between). If the car were silver or black, it would have trouble being noticed in a crowded parking lot. The large hood scoop is actually very subtle from all views except head on. Head on is truly the worst view of the car. The hiccupy curvy lines around the headlights only make the grille seem even more melty-faced. It all works together in the way a garbage dump goes together: it's all garbage.
I returned the car and told my dealer that I wished him the best of luck, and that he'll need it. He said I should wait for the STI (naturally), but I told him it would have to be something truly special to win me over. He asked me about the hatchback model, and I stated that it looks even worse than the sedan. "That's the wrong thing to say around here", he joked. I didn't understand what he meant. I wished him luck again and walked out. Another salesman was eyeing my STI and asked me if I was trading it in. I said that I probably never will. He looked back at the STI and said that he'd really like to get one to sell again. Granted, mine will never be for sale, but if the salesforce longs for the pre-2006 cars, what will that say about the customers?
I just can't get over how ugly it is.
