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| 12/06/2006 I've driven this car over the past 8 months. I am quite happy with the whole vehicle from the perspective of quality, performance, and utility. The historical reliability has been above average for this type of vehicle. To date, I have not had any problems. 1) Performance: power is effortless. More than enough for commuter driving. Lots of reserve for passing and climbing grades even with a full load. 2) Handling: Extremely stable in all weather. Difficult to get into trouble so long as the driver is paying attention and driving according to the weather and traffic conditions. Handling at close to extremes of it's design is very stable. Initial understeer followed by power-on oversteer that responds well to throttle control. This is true in the rain and snow. 3) Braking: the stock Bridgestone RE92s have surprisingly good wet braking grip.... at least to my expectations. Some have complained about the feel of the brake pedal. I have no problems with it. Very secure. 4) Ride: firmer than most sedan, but softer than most econoboxes. It does not crash into it's bump-stops on rough roads or over train-tracks. I find it to be a perfect compromise between a sports car and a luxo-sedan especially since it has 45 series tires. 5) Cockpit: Excellent driving position for average sized adult. If you're over 6' or having a body mass index above 25, then you'll find the cockpit rather snug. Gauges are extremely legible. Major driving controls have a good secure feel. Steering gives good feedback without excessive vibration. Shifter is communicative... you can feel the gears synchronizing as they slide into place. The shifter does not have that light switch like feel of the Hondas. Clutch is heavier than Hondas but not necessarily what I would consider as heavy. A firm shifter and a heavier clutch is the price to pay for heavy-duty mechanicals. As for pedal placement, if you have extra-wide feet with a large size, you might find the pedals a little too closely set. For me, it's perfect. Visibility forward and to the sides are great. Rear and lateral-rear visibility are limited by the large head-restraints. 6) Utility: Good sized hatch space and with fold-down rear seats, it can swallow a good chunk of cargo for the size of the vehicle. 7) Sound levels: This is a good and bad thing depending on your expectations. I rarely turn on my stereo as I love to hear the engine and the mechanical sounds. Having said that, it's not an overwhelming mechanical sound. The interior is quieter than say my previous 1999 Honda Civic EX Sedan or my previous 1992 Honda Accord EX-R Sedan. The WRX Wagon is not as quiet as say, an Acura TSX or a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. It's comparable to a Forester. Having said that, several of my friends have commented on how amazingly quiet the engine is at idle especially given this is supposedly a sports car. 1) Price: $35000 for an econobox based car is a bit pricey. 2) Interior: although extremely functional, it lacks styling and lacks a sense of a quality finish especially given the price of the car. Some minor rattles. 3) Rear seat room: it will fit 2 average sized adults. However, leg room is limited. 4) Gas mileage: I get approximately 11L/100km of mixed city/hwy driving of 50/50 mix. I'm not particularly aggressive and I try to upshift as quickly as possible. 5) Exterior finish: likely a sample defect. However, there was significant clear-coat overspray in a rear quarter panel. Can't really see it... except for the rear bumper, but you can feel it along the quarter panel. I would encourage you to check the body work very very carefully prior to taking delievery of your vehicle if you're purchasing it new. Other than that, the paint looks quite durable. 6) Wind noise: pronounced wind noise around the A-pillar at highway speeds. And I think mine has a bit of a defect as the wind noise is pronounced at city speeds until I open the window slightly, then re-close it. It's as if it wasn't sealing properly with opening and closing of the door. 7) Looks: This is a good and bad thing. It looks aggressive but is subdued... except for the red-painted calipers. I have a Steel Grey Metallic finish which doesn't give a "look at me" World Rally Blue effect. However, despite it being a wagon, all kinds of punks still want to drag-race me at lights. Mostly teenage punks in their parent's cars. Being the usual responsible Subaru driver, I ignore them. But nonetheless, it's annoying. This is a drivers car. If you like driving (not just cruising), then this is your car. This car's ability exceeds the capability of 99% of the drivers out there. It's not a plush car. The bonus of the wagon body style is that it's also very practical. Everytime I drive the car, I can't wipe that silly grin from my face. My wife saw me grinning once while driving and she said "WHY ARE YOU SMILING?!?!"... as if it was wrong to smile. ;) Competition (in Canada): 1) Mazda3speed - front drive only, but more power; less expensive 2) Golf GTI - front drive only; questionable reliability; beautiful interior 3) Honda Civic Si - front drive only; great handling; power only in the upper RPM zone and less of it; less expensive; polarizing interior 4) Jetta GLI - front drive only; questionable reliability; beautiful interior 4) Audi A3 3.2 Quattro - more refined; beautiful interior; way more expensive. Auto123.com |