full time AWD
turbocharged boxer engine layout that makes for easy driving in traffic when the boost is not available
Rally inspired engineering
It's a subaru!

the stock Bridestone RE92 tires. You got to get rid of them ASAP
No stock boost gauge? come on Subaru! it's got a turbo, what were they thinking?

I bought the WRX after getting a preview look at the WRX on the track. After watching the bone stock WRX "hang" with the modded Audi S4's, A4's, and the other porches on the track I immediately put down a deposit.

For the money, the WRX is the best bang for the buck. No other car on the market today (under $30000) has the same value. This is the definative modern muscle car of the decade.

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1995 eagle talon tsi AWD. Comparing the WRX to the "DSM" (eclipse, eagle Talon) I would have to say that the WRX wins in the fun factor. It does not understeer as much as the eagle talon, especially when pushed hard in a corner. As far as the turbo lag, the lag you will experiance in the WRX is nothing compared to what you have in the stock eagle talon. The WRX has at least 3 inches more head room than my eagle talon which has no sunroof to contend with. The ergonomic design of the WRX is far better than the eagle, it was far easier to setup the optimal seating position than it was in the talon. It's also lighter and has more horsepower than my 95 Talon.

Powerful turbo engine, Useful 5 door body, GREAT handling, Reasonable price, Good stereo, ZOOM, Great Seats, AWD, Fast, FUN!!!

No sunroof

Oh - what a wonderful car. I've been driving for 35 years and this is the best car for my life that I've ever found. Fast, great handling and a 5 door hatch body that will accomodate almost any load. My RX-7 and BMW 325 were nice, but lacked in space for trips and whatever - this is FASTER, better handling and has the space I sometimes need. And it's cute, very reasonable, All Wheel Drive, and FUN!

This is especially true for the 5 door (wagon) version which has the extra room, easier loading and is even $500 less than the sedan. And they come loaded with almost all the stuff you need, including 6 disc indash CD changer, air, keyless entry, tilt wheel, ABS, and load sensitive power steering. It's a sports car with a little wagon body. The ONLY other competetive car is the Audi S4 Avant - at $20,000 more!!

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RX-7, similar speed and handling, Legacy GT, needed the power

-Subaru full-time all-wheel drive.
-Looks.
-Fast as hell, especially when the turbo kicks in at 3000 RPM.
-Wagon has remarkable storage capacity for a car this size.
-Price.
-In-dash 6 disc CD changer.
-Subaru reliabilty and engineering.

um...I guess the plastic around the stereo could be a little more solid...but... I'm reaching here; there isn't much I don't like/love.

The fun factor in this car is completely off-the-hook. The driver seats are a pleasure to sit in even for long drives, (also the back seat is surprisingly roomy and comfortable for such a small car). The MOMO stearing wheel coupled with the full-time AWD gives the driver a great feel for the road. The AWD system holds a death grip on the road even in crap conditions, (I've been in heavy rains and snow at speeds and never slipped). Storage space in the wagon with the seat down is nearly comparable with the X-terra with its seat down!

0-60 in under 6 seconds! There aren't many cars under 40K that can do that. I absolutely love the look of the car. No other car looks like it in my opinion, and I like that. It seems at every stoplight I can count at least 2 or 3 BMW/AUDI/VW's, but you hardly ever see a WRX, (they only made 10,000). I get a lot of looks/smiles/thumbs-up in this car. The soccer moms will not like it cause it doesn't have leather heated seats adn fake wood. People who appreciate remarkable engineering and performance will have trouble sleeping the first few nights with this car in their driveway.

This is an enthusiasts' performance car plain and simple. Not everyone in the U.S. will recognize it as such, (not yet anyway), because it is a Subaru and only costs $23,000. But Automobile magazine called it a "rally-car in drag...with unearthly performance". It went on to say that the WRX is "without a doubt the greatest performance value of the past twenty-five years". I could not agree more!!

Take one for a test-drive and you will too.

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Audi A4 VW Passat Audi TT
Though these cars have more refined interiors, (leather seats/chrome and fake wood finishes, etc), none are as much fun to drive as the WRX. And all three are about 10-15K more expensive with the all-wheel drive options.

Unbreakable handling, strong acceleration, all wheel drive, limited production, amazing brakes.

No hydraulic motor mounts, lousy cup holders.

Let’s get to the point, this car is a blast to drive. Its like a four wheel motor cycle. It stops on a dime, pulls hard trough the turns and accelerates like a scalded monkey. This thing is about pure performance, there are few luxury amenities aboard. Sure it has all the important things: PS, ABS, PW, PL, AC, cruise, keyless entry, 6 disc CD and the like, just don’t expect walnut wood trim, leather heated seats and navigation, cause’ it ain’t happening.

The seats are firm and supportive with excellent lateral support yet comfortable enough to travel in. Interior ergonomics are good and the dash is efficient and attractive, especially if you opt for the carbon fiber interior package. The secondary gauge cluster is a must, which houses the turbo boost gauge.

Now for the not so good, interior noise is on the high side, the cup holders suck, the idle is a little on the rough side when cold and no automatic trunk release.

These are very minor issues compared to the price/performance value of this car. Overall you can’t go wrong if you are looking for high performance under $30K. If you want more luxury mated with your performance you better look at the 3 series BMW. Just be warned that the BMW 328 has about 45 less horsepower and the AWD is optional, not to mention about $10K more expensive. But hey, those leather seats sure are nice.

I really enjoy this vehicle, I highly recommend you pick one up.

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BMW 328 – better comfort fit and finish, drastically lower performance in all areas. VW VR6 Jetta – More gizmos, not even close in performance. Acura Integra GSR – Similar equipment offering inferior handling and acceleration. Audi A4 – Much more luxury and features, not up to the performance level of the WRX.

Speed, this car is fast, they said it would run 0-60 in 6 and the 1/4 mile in the mid 14's, well its faster than that. The all wheel drive makes it so when you hit the pedal your car WILL move. Steering is very good and responsive, this car will stay in line through tight corners.
The ergonomics in the car are also quite good. The seats are verry supportive (and comfy). The in dash 6 CD changer is nice...

...but the stereo is WEAK if I owned this I would have to put a system in it.

Overall I would say this Subaru is definitely worth the bargain price it is currently selling for. If you can find one go get it now, cuz they'll be gone soon!

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Cadillac Catera-not nearly as fun as the WRX, but nicer inside.
Audi A6- still not as fast, but its just as fun...a great car

Speed, power and the 6 speed gearbox, I've got the Version 7 STi sedan which has the 287bhp engine, 17" wheels, brembo brake package, carbon fibre strut and suspension arms. I beleive that the STi model is not sold in the USA as it won't meet emmissions controls. The little stronger than my version 6 sporthatch, as the STi has has the forged pistons and uprated engine bearings and turbo etc, it will be easy to upgrade to around the 350 bhp mark without having to rebuild the engine. 6 speed g/box is a gem close ratios for acceleration but good top gear allows unstressed cruising.

Still a bit concerned about the looks, but will ungrade to the WRC headlight surrounds.

Great car for the money, will probably go for the 287hp Twin turbo Legacy RSK B4 next time around, not quite as quick but is bigger and ride is for subtle..

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Mitsi Evo 7, great car but $76500 for a boyracer Jap car is getting a bit too steep, in NZ you can buy a Audi A4 MTM turbo, a BMW 323i or a used Porsche Boxster.

- 4 cyl, boxer turbo engine... horizontally opposed for lower center of gravity.
- viscous full-time AWD
- WRC WRX suspension inspiration
- functional hoodscoop :)
- looks REALLY mean with a j-spec bodykit

- you grow to love the looks... but it takes time :)
- I don't have one, yet

Sweeeeetttt car. Looks are a bit disturbing, but I love them now... I own a '93 Talon Tsi and a '96 Eclipse GS-T so I am well used to turbo performace cars... and to the guy who got spanked by a GSX with exhaust and mods... well, he was probably sporting close to 250 hp if no MAJOR work done... mine was a little above there, but the engines are tough to maintain (rebuilding the '96 right now)... I would BY FAR start off with the WRX next time... hell... take off that pre-turbo cat and replace it with a straight through, hiflow for the other 2 turbo back cats, intake, and wider exhaust piping and possibly an ECU mod, and I can guarantee the WRX will be close to the JSpec numbers of 276hp... The WRX is one bad-A machine... I will own one within a year... I just gotta sell some of my other turbo cars :) Costs less than a brand new Eclipse (even FWD) when new...

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'89-'99 Eclipse GSX / Talon TSi AWD - if both stock... no comparison, but aftermarket for eclipse is huge, and you can have a 240 hp eclipse for a little over $100 in *handyman* parts

Plenty of power, sometimes more than I can handle :). Phenomenal suspension, car feels like it was carved out of a solid chunk of granite (very solid, no flexing). Very good gas mileage, especially for a turbocharged engine. Great seats for agressive driving, yet comfy on long trips. Solid, relatively accurate shifter, nice notchy feel. The looks are good but look better each day. Great standard features, unbeatable price based on what you get.

The tires are lacking, but not bad for an all-season design. Suspension far exceeds the capabilities of the tires. Clutch feel could be better and clutch travel is a little more than I'd like. The stock radio has a 6-disc in dash changer which is very nice, but sound quality is lacking. Sometimes the speakers distort at higher volume. Very cheap manual antenna. Cheap vinyl sunvisors. Reverse is a little stubborn unless you go directly from first to reverse. Lack of torque below 2,000 rpms makes stop and go traffic a little bothersome. These are all minor quibbles. The positives far outweigh the negatives. It was very hard to come up with this short list of "weaknesses"

Purchasing the WRX has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life. It's changed the way I drive and the way I think about cars. It changed my perspective on what a real performance car should be. I can't imagine a more well-rounded car with as equal proportions of performance, comfort, style, and safety. Very difficult for the average driver to break the car loose in turns. I have so much fun with this car even on short trips its a blast to drive. Highway driving is great, it never feels like you are going fast so you have to pay attention to your speedometer or use cruise control. This is a good thing, I feel very secure at highway speeds. The harder I drive the better it feels. Everything works, nothing has broken in 1200 miles. I love the seats and the driving position. Visibility is excellent. I can drive it like an econobox or a sports car at my discretion. The car has all the amenities I need without any unneccesary frills that do nothing for performance. If you are looking for a fun to drive, blazingly fast rally-based car that can handle almost anything in any weather this is the car for you. If you are looking for luxury like leather/sunroof or lots of bells and whistles with a little pep you may want to focus on cars like the BMW 3 series or or Audi A4/S4. The WRX is a no-nonsense performance car. It's not for everybody. It's for those of us who want maximum performance (not just in a straight line) for the least amount of money. For the money this car cant be beat. There are cars that are faster in a straight line and some that are faster in the turns and some which are smoother, more cushy, but I feel none of them have a balance of form and function like the WRX. If you're planning to gripe about driving it in stop-and-go traffic buy a Camry with an automatic transmission. If you're planning to gripe about the lack of a sunroof or leather buy a C-class Benz. There's no sunroof for structural integrity reasons. If you want a car that you can put small amounts of money into and experience big performance gains this is the car for you. Very few cars offer such dratic inprovements with such minor modifications. And its perfectly appropriate to leave it all stock as well, it's lacking nothing in stock form, unlike some other "tuner" cars. And if you don't like the tires, it's easy to get a new set.

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1993 Legacy Turbo, feels very similar. But the WRX improves on all its qualities tenfold. WRX is much more solid, steering is much improved, everything is better from the seats, fit and finish, and design quality, as well as ergonomics. Less bottom end torque than the old Legacy but anywhere else in the powerband will walk all over it. Keep in mind I'm comparing an automatic Legacy vs. a manual WRX.
1999 Maxima SE automatic, maybe an unfair comparison, but the WRX suspension is far advanced, 4 wheel independant vs front wheel independant and solid rear axle on the Maxima (not good on bumpy roads). Much more power overall, but less bottom end torque than Maxima. Maxima is more spacious but it is in a different size class. WRX is a safer car. Much better in bad weather due to AWD vs. FWD.

Great AWD System
Very comfortable seats
Excellent suspension (minus body roll) - soaks up NJ potholes well
Powerful turbocharged engine with good aftermarket support
Sweet boxter engine noises :)

Heavy flywheel leads to slower shifts and 'thumps' into gear
Too many darn catalytic convertors :)
Mushy clutch pedal with clutch point set a little too high
More body roll than my Civic Si
Stock tires are horrible - lousy treadwear, terrible traction, too noisy

What else can I say, I love this car. Where else for 25k can you get a (more or less) fully loaded sedan with All-Wheel Drive, a 227 hp turbocharged Boxter Engine, extremely precise transmission, limited slip differential, and a 6 disc in-dash changer? Not to mention it's LEV status and 20/27 fuel economy (assuming you don't boost to your heart's galore).

I can't think of a better car in this class. It handles well, cruises very happily at 75 on the highway, soaks up bumps without ever shaking my fillings loose, and has more than enough power to merge or switch lanes with ease.

Bear in mind : this engine is not a replacement for an 8-cylinder. If you want stump-pulling torque the second you mash the accelerator, this is NOT your car. The turbo doesn't really spool well until 3000 RPM, with a noticable 'oh-my-god' factor coming in somewhere around 4K. This has never presented itself to be a problem, as I can just drop a gear or tap the throttle enough to go to 3500 and pick up speed. But for some this may seem like inadequate acceleration. Coming from a Civic this is more than I would ever expect in a stock 4-cylinder engine, so I have absolutely no complaints about the power output.

Is there a major downfall? I can only think of two : these cars are manufactured in Japan and must be shipped here therefore ordering in advance is a must. Expect a 6 week lead time. The only other complaint? If everyone reads this review, I may no longer have a unique car anymore!

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I recently turned in my worked-out Civic Si racer for this new sedan, as I'm looking for something a little more grownup and low-key. The only thing I miss about my Civic is the handling. The WRX handles better stock than most cars I have ever had the pleasure of driving, but the Civic felt much more relaxed at high speeds and harsh transitions. However, there wasn't a stock suspension piece left on the Civic so I have no worries when I begin working on the WRX it will be as good or better. The WRX does seem to be much less prone to understeering or plowing - a definite plus especially with an additional 400 pounds above the Civic.

"Fountain of Youth". Brings me back to my days driving the ole 5.0 Mustang. Love the engine's throaty rumble. Acceleration and handling are the best I've experienced. Tight to the road. Comfy, especially in front. (too bad kids, you'll be 18 soon!!!) Car watchers are like deer caught in the headlights with this one.

Can't find em yet. I dont fret over the cupholders and the sound system is just fine for me. Doesn't like traffic, but who does?

I've been grinning ever since I drove off the lot. All my expectation for performance were exceeded and the car's ammenities are a nice touch. Not the reason I bought the car, but plenty comfortable none the less.

As the kind of guy who will drive as fast as his car will go, the FHP better get ready. I wouldn't know "body roll" from a jelly roll, but the WRX handles wonderfully. Smooth, fast, and responsive enough to get there on time. Or just ahead of the crowd.

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5.0 Mustang LX had too much slip and slide, less room and feel for the road. Chevy Baretta Z26 like a cow put to pasture next to my REX.