Subaru Impreza Review
Published: 14th September 2006
Subaru Impreza
It takes just 5 seconds to get from 0-60mph and the top speed is a very precise, 158.4mph. But that is just numbers on a screen and can’t possibly portray the sensation from the driver’s seat. For instance, on the test route is a long slow hill, although not too steep. Just to see what the car would do, I put my foot down at 30mph in 3rd gear. At first, there was a gentle increase in forward momentum and then the turbo came in and heralded a ‘Wow!’ followed by an ‘Oh, my goodness’, which preceded an expletive and a huge grin. Hush my mouth.
On the motorway, there is no such delay in acceleration, which is made all the easier by the new 6-speed manual gearbox that has been tweaked for sharper acceleration and more comfortable cruising. The ‘fast’ pedal is more like a launch button and the result of pushing it is impressive, scary and totally mad.
It goes without saying that country roads are equally as much fun. The Impreza has a newly-revised permanent All-Wheel-Drive system with both front and rear limited-slip differentials. In the STI, the torque is split 41:59 in favour of the rear wheels. However, the addition of the Driver’s Control Centre Differential (DCCD) allows more control over the vehicle’s dynamics.
The DCCD system is operated through a switch and a small dial next to the handbrake and can be adjusted for a more stable straight line or sharper cornering turn-in. This, together with the revised suspension geometry means that the car stays glued to the road and the handling is impressive. It has to be said though, that even on the most innocuous of roads and at the slowest of speeds, the tyres to have a tendency to wander.
The turbocharger has an air-cooled water-spray, intercooler and there is also a manual ’squirt’ button on the dashboard to keep the power up during high temperatures or at altitude. Another handy feature is that as the driver will have his/her eyes on the road an alarm light and buzzer can preset to warn of reaching the rev limit.
Further aiding stability are the anti-roll bars, which are now beefier. On the subject of beefy, the WRX STI is fitted with Brembo a braking system, in combination with the usual ABS and EBD and that is it. The end result is a car that is not overburdened with electronic gizmology, leaving the driver to enjoy the dynamics and ride.
But not for too long. The fuel consumption figures, although improved, are still a penalty at 18.5mpg and 34.0mpg for the urban and extra-urban cycles. The combined figure works out as 25.9mpg and the CO2 emissions are an eco-unfriendly 257g/km.
