[benbsb29]

I’ve never owned a fast car. Nope, never.

My Ford Ikon back in India gave the impression of being quick (a different joy in itself), but not in numbers. I’ve been attracted to big SUVs since childhood, after seeing my dad’s little car in Dubai be bullied by Arabs in their big Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols back in the days. Also, having being dropped to school as a little kid by dad in his Arab employer’s Pajero, I knew I had to get one when I could, and I did. As much as I love proper SUVs, there is always a part of me that’s wanted to drive fast, experience speed with great handling to boot. I’ve had opportunities to drive a few as part of events I participated in, but these are in a closed environment, and for limited time.. not the same as owing one and using it as part of normal family life yet having the power to have some fun while there.

Fast forward many years later, I regularly accompany kiku007 in his Subaru WRX for drives and events with a local driving club which has some rather prestigious company such as AMGs, M cars, Golf Type R, Porsches and Skylines to list a few. One thing that has stood out in these drives is how the WRX in kiku007’s capable hands stands tall in the company of the big boys. There have been many times where other folks have walked up to him, and appreciated the WRX. Goes to show the weapon it can be in the right hands. With AWD and rally heritage to boot, the 2L Boxer engine surely does pack a punch and exceptional handling that is super obvious on the twisties. Kiku007 has also accompanied me with family when we took the Pajero to the beach for some off-roading and enjoying some time away from the tarmac. The respect for either car is mutual, and it sure is horses for courses.

During one of our conversations, I mentioned on how I haven’t driven the WRX over a longer distance. Kiku007 had flicked me the keys to this car when it was barely a month old, IIRC when we met for the first time in Brisbane. I had a short drive along the nearby esplanade, but it was a new car then. It thereby came up, why not a weekend car swap? Use the car for regular chores and activities. What better way to evaluate a car, than living with it? And so the plan was made – A Weekend Car Swap!

[benbsb29]

So, what’s it like living with a WRX?



First impressions – I have travelled shotgun in this car so many times, it just feels at home. Ergonomics are spot on. Everything is where it should be, and it didn’t take long to get comfortable. Pairing my phone was super easy, although it took me a few moments to work out what I was looking for on the Head Unit.

Kiku007 showed an option to turn on the camera on the left side, super awesome when it comes to parking. I absolutely adore this feature. Helps place the wheel perfectly.

Dials are backlit in red, giving a hint of the sporty nature of this monster. The fuel gauge is visually so well integrated with the dials, I was actually searching for it. :LOL

Red backlit dials are pleasing and sporty to look at


Don't miss the WRX silhouette when entering the car


The suspension is stiff, which is expected in a car of this nature. I have seen how this, along with the AWD which allows it to achieve superior handling on our drives.
Later that evening I pick my wife from the railway station and after asking her to hold on, a quick burst and the push back into the seat was exhilarating.



The WRX purrs along like a tamed animal in normal drive conditions, however spot a gap and a quick dash later, it’s gone. The pace at which it dons it’s alternate avatar is amazing, despite the CVT transmission. Steering is perfectly weighted, and I must admit this is THE BEST steering I have steered in recent times, which also includes the Jaguar F-Type I drove around on track. In my extended use driving the car in urban conditions, as well as on the highway, it was pretty obvious the WRX feels at home on the highway, whereas it seemed reluctant at times in urban conditions. I sense the CVT may be the main contributor to this feeling.

Brakes are spot-on, and do a great job to rein in the horses on the move.



Activate S mode on the car from the Subaru Intelligent Drive, and you can feel the change in throttle response. I – Intelligent mode is the default mode when the car is turned on, but I found myself regularly switching to S - Sport mode. Suddenly, even a short dab of the accelerator sees you rocket ahead, closing gaps rather quick.

Toggle between the various drive modes


I sent this summary to my friends:

A day of living with the WRX, and I am stoked. I see myself flooring my way out of corners, dashing down the straights and roaring down the highways. This is a monster… and when the action calms down, purrs around on family duties.

[benbsb29]

Living with the WRX



The beauty of cars like the WRX and the Evo are practicality they provide. While most fast cars are just fast, these allow you to pretend to be a family man, what with the 4 doors, spacious boot and comparatively sleeper looks.. not to mention Japanese reliability.



Had to take my daughter to her Netball league games over the weekend. Throw in the camp chairs, and other gear into the generous 450L boot, and we are off. Space, no problem. Head to Costco for grocery shopping over the weekend to buy some essentials, and a whole lot of stuff we probably don’t need.. no problem. The spacious boot accepts it all, even with the Netball gear and chairs in there.



The generous boot was spacious to handle all our weekend sports and shopping requirements together


When I picked up the car from kiku007, the FE reading on the display showed 12.8 L/100 kms. On returning, it hovered around the 11.6L/100km mark, despite all the quick sprints and dabs I subjected it to. Clearly the longer drives and highways helped.



3 days went real quick and soon it was time to hand back the WRX, as I was sure kiku007 who is a true sedan guy would be looking forward to disembark from the diesel elephant, and hop back onto his car. To summarise, the WRX is a good mix of the practical with avenues to explore the boy racer hidden in you. It feels raw, helped in large measure by the stiff suspension, and precise steering. It does not pretend to hide its rally heritage, and is awesome fun when put through its paces as I have experienced.

Tank up with VPower before making its way back home


A big thank you to kiku007 for helping me experience the joy of the WRX.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[sandeepmohan]

Very nice.

The WRX STI is still my dream car. Trouble is, they cost a lot. 4 year old cars with 130,000km retail for $30,000 NZD! That is way more than what you'd pay for a 2013 BMW 328i and on par (on price) to a 2010 - 2011 C63 AMG. Such is the demand for these cars. The difference is that you stand out from a sea of cars on the road. When I see a WRX, my eyes are glued to it.

Its also a car that isn't too big. Inside a WRX, its no bigger than most modern hatchbacks. The size is also what makes it immense fun to drive. Compact dimensions, a superb chassis mated to a peppy turbo 4 boxer engine and all wheel drive make it perfection on 4 wheels. Its a dependable car too. Its not often where performance and dependability play together.

I would have bought one eyes closed had it not been for the price. I could not care less that the materials inside are your usual Japanese budget car grade. This car is all about driving. Nothing else matters.

I did own a Ford Ikon. I am not sure what your benchmark is for a car to be fast. The 1.6l I had was a hoot to drive. What went against it was after sales and brakes than needed you to stand on them.

Anyway, here is one WRX I took a look at. Had to let it go only due to that sticker price.

[Himanshu809]

I am green with envy that you got to drive such a proper sporty sedan.

Jokes apart. Subaru makes amazing sedans. Wish they were available in India. Too bad I've to get all the enjoyment from my Honda City. That's the best of Japanese we can get in India, in a decent budget i.e.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Very nice.

The WRX STI is still my dream car. Trouble is, they cost a lot. 4 year old cars with 130,000km retail for $30,000 NZD! That is way more than what you'd pay for a 2013 BMW 328i and on par (on price) to a 2010 - 2011 C63 AMG. Such is the demand for these cars. The difference is that you stand out from a sea of cars on the road. When I see a WRX, my eyes are glued to it.

Its also a car that isn't too big. Inside a WRX, its no bigger than most modern hatchbacks. The size is also what makes it immense fun to drive. Compact dimensions, a superb chassis mated to a peppy turbo 4 boxer engine and all wheel drive make it perfection on 4 wheels. Its a dependable car too. Its not often where performance and dependability play together.

I would have bought one eyes closed had it not been for the price. I could not care less that the materials inside are your usual Japanese budget car grade. This car is all about driving. Nothing else matters.

Totally agree with every point you mentioned! Performance from this car, even sans the STI version was obvious when i accompanied kiku007 on the local club drives. It sure held its place, and stood tall.

In the community i live in, there is a guy who had a white STi for a few years, same model as the WRX here. Recently, he replaced that with a ... grey STi, the facelifted version with the newer alloys. I suppose he wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I did own a Ford Ikon. I am not sure what your benchmark is for a car to be fast. The 1.6l I had was a hoot to drive. What went against it was after sales and brakes than needed you to stand on them.

I had an Ikon Flair. Some part of that josh, in a smaller package. Love it for what it offered in dynamics and that steering.

Originally Posted by Himanshu809

I am green with envy that you got to drive such a proper sporty sedan.

Jokes apart. Subaru makes amazing sedans. Wish they were available in India. Too bad I've to get all the enjoyment from my Honda City. That's the best of Japanese we can get in India, in a decent budget i.e.

Thanks Himanshu. I am quite happy i got to do this, but imagine the happiness of the one who owns it, and also takes it to track!

[WhiteKnight]

Awesome writeup @benbsb29. Between Evo and Wrx, my preference had always been Evo. However, have to admit that the latest WRX looks way too cool- a very well rounded sedan look, which was the Evo trait in the past. I love the dash, which looks traditional too.

My suggestion is, get one while it is there.

[n_aditya]

Enjoyed reading your experience Benny. And this shade of white looks so clean and docile compared to the "rally" blue that I've generally seen in pics and videos.

Loved the pics.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

So, what’s it like living with a WRX?

Attachment 2170247

So many buttons

[amol4184]

Incredibly desirable car! It has been on my mind for a while now but finding un-abused and stock examples is a chore.
I also wish they produced hatchback version of it just like the previous generation. The earlier gen WRX hatch was my favorite. With that said, my ideal version of WRX would be with current generation's front end and 2008-2011's hatch rear end. Great write up!

[Abbas]

I had once rented a Subaru in Dar us salaam (Tanzania) in 2016. Had an abosulte blast with it.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Awesome writeup @benbsb29. Between Evo and Wrx, my preference had always been Evo. However, have to admit that the latest WRX looks way too cool- a very well rounded sedan look, which was the Evo trait in the past. I love the dash, which looks traditional too.

My suggestion is, get one while it is there.

I have always preferred an Evo, but on Instagram i share my love for both the WRX as well as the Evo.

Not sure what my car plans are at the moment.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Enjoyed reading your experience Benny. And this shade of white looks so clean and docile compared to the "rally" blue that I've generally seen in pics and videos.

Loved the pics.

Thanks a lot, Adi. The blue shade with golden wheels is a STi trademark, and symbolises the STi in a rally heritage like no other.

So many buttons

Oh yeah, they include the Performance mode toggle, cruise control, phone controls, info display on the dash controls, and so on. All this just on the steering wheel.

Originally Posted by amol4184

Incredibly desirable car! It has been on my mind for a while now but finding un-abused and stock examples is a chore.
I also wish they produced hatchback version of it just like the previous generation. The earlier gen WRX hatch was my favorite. With that said, my ideal version of WRX would be with current generation's front end and 2008-2011's hatch rear end. Great write up!
Attachment 2170328

I do agree the hatch looked really sporty. However, glad to see they have reverted back to the having a sedan, so as to preserve what these cars started out as.

Originally Posted by Abbas

I had once rented a Subaru in Dar us salaam (Tanzania) in 2016. Had an abosulte blast with it.

Attachment 2170339

This version is quite popular with the P plater crowd here, ie youngsters on restricted plates looking to own a fast car.

[kiku007]

Give the car to a TBHP Moderator for 3 days and get spectacular pictures and a review in return. Now that’s a great deal. When do we do this again? I have another car too.

Thanks for the excellent and relatable write-up benbsb29. I haven’t done a thread on the WRX in the past five years of having it and you have done justice to it in a short time.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

3 days went real quick and soon it was time to hand back the WRX, as I was sure kiku007 who is a true sedan guy would be looking forward to disembark from the diesel elephant, and hop back onto his car.

I’m a true sedan guy indeed but I wouldn’t mind having a truck like the Pajero when I have the $ to have a 3rd car at home for trips to islands/beaches etc. where I truly enjoy them.

The trouble is my long list of requirements that will make it too expensive to even think about it.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

The WRX STI is still my dream car. Trouble is, they cost a lot. 4 year old cars with 130,000km retail for $30,000 NZD!

The used car market is insanely hot now. A 1998 WRX Subaru Impreza 22B STI sold for US$ 312,555 and it's just crazy out there. People have to calm down.

Give the market some time to cool off and I wish you the very best to make your dream come true.

Buying cars like the WRX/STI provides you the opportunity to connect with a car community/culture/brotherhood that is unique. This lets you see and do things that probably wasn’t accessible/visible to you earlier. I know this from experience and it’s worth it.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I did own a Ford Ikon. The 1.6l I had was a hoot to drive.

Lucky you. I had the Ikon 1.3L ROCAM which was fun indeed for the 70ish BHP it made. Your 1.6L was the legend.

Originally Posted by Himanshu809

Jokes apart. Subaru makes amazing sedans.

They do but unfortunately sedans don’t sell. Subaru makes three sedans which are Legacy/Liberty, Impreza and the WRX/STI.
The Liberty was killed off in Australia and the Legacy is Subaru America’s worst selling car. In fact the WRX-STI twins outsell the Legacy. It’s only time before the Legacy/Liberty goes to sunset.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Between Evo and Wrx, my preference had always been Evo. However, have to admit that the latest WRX looks way too cool- a very well rounded sedan look, which was the Evo trait in the past.

I like the Evo too. I haven't driven it but I go for drives with a friend who has the EVO-X TMR Edition. That car is in a different league compared to the WRX. It’s a brutal weapon. The EVO-X makes no effort to be civil or refined. The interiors for example are like from the 1990s. Here's a picture of his car.

I wish one day in the future the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is resurrected as a powerful SEDAN and restart the legendary EVO-WRX duel.

Originally Posted by amol4184

With that said, my ideal version of WRX would be with current generation's front end and 2008-2011's hatch rear end.

That’s an interesting take. The hatchback version is never going to come back though.

[maddy42]

Awesome writeup on a awesome car. The WRX makes more sense than the STI and also STIs are known to break the bank when you enter the modding territory.

I was in the new england area which is north east of boston and this area the subaru salesman doesnt have to put much effort to sell his car. The car clubs were predominently subaru and you got to see a lot of tasteful mods.

Best part of subaru was it held onto its value and was very good when you went to sell it. Atleast the WRXs.

Maddy

PS: Repent not having bought one

[SibiGeorge]

Spot-on review. After reading this, I immediately went to OLX to search for imported Subaru's in India. If by any chance sells at a cheap price.