2015 Subaru Impreza WRX; One Year On, Many More to Come #blogpost

So I’m on holiday after my first semester in University, and I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, so better late than never; here we go.

Start it up in the morning, hear the tinny exhaust note; rev it up, hear the turbo spool. Cling on for dear life and enjoy yourself while you’re at it. These sentences somewhat describe what it’s like to own a 2015 Subaru WRX.

Last year, Subaru’s ultimate pocket rocket got a revamp, being launched on the new VA platform. And let’s face it, it didn’t blow over too well initially. It looks nothing like the sultry concept Subaru revealed in 2013, nor did it have the weird, idiotic look on its face that the “Bugeye” models had, back in the early 2000s. If anything, it’s just there. It’s not wailing like a lunatic around a business district, nor is it trying to seduce you into a one-night stand with it either. It’s just walking down the pavement, T-Shirt, pair of jeans and some Chuck Taylors. It’s normal. In fact, most people don't recognise it as the rally-bred machine that it is; and as much as I hate to admit it: yes, it looks like a Toyota Corolla with a bonnet scoop.

The front end starts off with this chiseled look, sharply accented wheel arches, with a smoother, more contoured bonnet. Hell, the scoop doesn’t stand out like it used to on the GDB model; it’s been massaged in for a cleaner, more refined look.

The back end finishes off with a bit of a kink in the rear-quarter window to ‘distinguish’ it from a base Impreza. Towards the boot lid, the rear lights warp over the rear wheel arches with an odd-looking contour that makes the light look like it’s been melted to conform to the lines. The rear bumper sports a subtle diffuser with the signature quad muffler tips.

But the amazing thing about the exterior is this: there are so many intricate details to notice up close for a car that ends up looking quite conservative. Now if you’re me, you’ll like this sort of refined vibe it gives off. But if you want the old lunacy of the car, you’d best get yourself the classifieds.

Inside, you get the cabin of the base Impreza, with a few touch ups here and there. The dash gets some soft padding across the top, but the bottom is riddled with stuff from the far end from the periodic table.

The seats are very good for daily use. They’re more comfortable and supportive than the old seats in the previous generation WRX. and it was quite easy for me to find a good position. If there’s any complaints for the seats, it’s the bolstering. They work well for everyday driving, but for spirited cornering, you tend to slide about just a little. If anything you’re better off swapping BRZ seats in, or going aftermarket if you plan on taking this to the circuit every other weekend.

The steering wheel has a very thick, meaty rim. Just holding it, you feel in good control. The bolsters at the 10/2 position are brilliantly executed and the flat bottom is a nice aesthetic touch. However, there is a tacky plastic bezel for a bottom spoke which does reduce the appeal of the wheel slightly. But once you’re driving; who cares anyways? Besides, if you want a luxo-barge interior, that’s what the Golf GTI’s for.

The second bit of this car that didn’t blow over too well was the powertrain. Partly because the Subaru ‘Boxer Rumble’ (which I wasn’t too much of a fan of in the first place) has gone due to a new engine, and the fact that an automatic is being offered for the first time since 2008.

Out went the 12-year old EJ255, and in comes a new FA20F Flat-4 engine. This is essentially a direct-injected, twin-scroll turbocharged version of the engine found in the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ. The engine pumps out 269 bhp and 258 lb-ft of torque; that’s 4 bhp and 14 lb-ft over that of the previous EJ255.

This engine can be mated to a 6-Speed Manual gearbox; all new for the 2015 model year. And for the first time in donkey’s years, an Automatic. But here comes the heresy; it’s a CVT.

Yep, in America you can buy a $26,000 performance saloon with the same sort of gearbox you’d find in a Nissan Micra. And I get why Subaru did this; for sales and to appeal to a wider market. But lets face it; if you’re an enthusiast, you’re going to aim for the 6-Speed by default. All this is mated to Subaru’s legendary Symmetrical AWD system, with a viscous coupling-type centre differential with a 50:50 torque split front-to-rear.

In comparison to the previous generation, Subaru has been flinging numbers at us like: 20 % less body roll, quicker 14.5:1 steering ratio, 40% more brake fade resistance, 39% stiffer front suspension, 62% stiffer rear suspension, 41% stiffer unibody, 29% body roll reduction. Now that’s all well and dandy, but to get what they’re on about, you really do need to drive the car.

As soon as you start it up, you get a familiar, more refined grumble from the engine on start up, with an exhaust that howls, more than bellows. You feel the interior vibrate slightly from the sound. The click-clack from the optional short throw shifter as you put it into first is one of the best feelings I’ve felt in most of the cars that I’ve driven .

The clutch is a little funny, it has a very far travel, yet the feel is nice and weighted and is really progressive; and as a result it doesn’t judder upon release. The shifter when I first got it felt like I was fighting a wall at the end of each gate to get it into gear. Obviously over time, it went and loosened up and felt a little better. All is still not well however, there is still WAY to much play in the gates for 1st and 5th, and despite the notched feel to it, it feels like you’re moving a metal pole around in a pile of gravel. Not ideal, but it still works rather well.

The engine pulls strong. Turbo lag is minimised thanks to the new Equal Length Exhaust Manifold, and bottom-mounted, twin-scroll turbocharger. Boost kicks in at 2400-2500 rpm, peaking at 22.1 psi in overboost phase, before settling back to 17.6 psi. The torque is meaty and works best in the mid-range (2000-5400 rpm). However past 5400 rpm all the way to redline at 6750 rpm, the power falls off and face-plants a little. But despite the top end, the mid-range is great for puttering about town and down a nice stretch of road, making it more usable down low than the previous generation.

The chassis is stiff, no doubt about that. Yet it’s not to say you’ll have to make a reservation with the chiropractor every other hour. The suspension deals fine with ordinary bumps, yet jolts you about on the really bumpy stuff. And this is where you know, feel and can see where all the research and development money into this car went.

This is the first WRX to use torque vectoring; well, when I say torque vectoring, I mean more of brake vectoring. Essentially braking the inside front wheel to help you round the corner, similar to how a rower changes direction on a boat. The body roll is still there, yet it’s very well controlled and kept to a minimum thanks to the stiffer front and rear ends.

The brakes, whilst quite small, provide rather good performance, yet they do tend to heat up quite quickly, yet brake fade is something I’ve not yet encountered with this car. The pedal feels ever slightly soft, yet it’s progressive in its action. 4-Pot front callipers and 2-pot rear mean that this really isn’t a car that you’d want to put in the 24hrs of the Nurburgring; that’s what the dudes at STi are for.

The steering feels alright. There’s not a boat load of feel but, it’s very direct and precise, and gives a good amount of confidence as you still know what those front tyres are up to. It can be a little heavy in car parks whilst manoeuvring but fares quite well at speed.

To say I’m privileged to own such a car is an understatement. It’s an absolute JOY this car. Sure it has its own niggles here and there, and it’s in no way perfect. So if you were to nitpick this car until sundown, you’d end up hating it; in fact you’d end up hating all cars. Because let’s face it, not all cars are perfect. This car won’t cater to all the fanboys, nor will it cater to Greenpeace ecomentalists, and Soccer Moms Against Cars. It’s the imperfections that make a car interesting and what bring out the character that lies within. It’s what make us love them and WANT to go for a drive on a day to day basis. To release the beast that lies under the metal coffin. To befriend it and take it on a journey with us, to have memories, laugh, cry and come home together. That’s what it means to be a petrolhead.

I’ve had this car for a year now, and I hope to God that I can eke out as many more as I can; perhaps even hand it down in the future.