DINNER BREAK!

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
2009 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.5GT AND WRX

by Ric Hawthorne

WE TOUR THE EAST COAST AND FIND A WHOLE NEW ANIMAL!

Already in Subaru showrooms, the 2009 Subaru Impreza has more to offer than last year. Subaru has expanded the Impreza lineup, adding features, power, and another model.

All new for the 2008 model year, Impreza 4- and 5-door models run the gamut from the economical 2.5i and Outback Sport, which support active lifestyles, to all-out performance WRX STI, with the WRX in between. Determining that Impreza needed more, Subaru added a new model – the 2.5GT – for 2009, and also punched up the performance in the WRX.

Read more about the 2009 Subaru Impreza with charts that compare the model line in Fall 2008 Drive magazine at www.drive.subaru.com.

STEPPING THROUGH THE IMPREZA LINE

The staff at Drive Performance always wants to learn more about new Subaru models, so we drove the 2009 2.5GT and WRX during a long weekend in New Jersey. The main reason for the journey was to follow the Subaru Road Racing Team to New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville. Time constraints dictated utilizing the cars as we would for daily commutes or touring, but we relished just having access to the preproduction vehicles.

Driving 11,000 miles in my own 2008 Impreza 2.5i developed a foundation for impressions of these two 2009 models. As you might expect from studying specifications and features, the Subaru Impreza models act like stepping stones. They grow in capability from 2.5i to 2.5GT to WRX – then, finally, to WRX STI. Each has its own personality.

The 2.5i performs well, and, if you were never exposed to the higher-performance models, you might be content with that. It’s trustworthy and a lot stronger than you’d expect. Its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive has me looking forward to driving this winter.

The 2.5GT noticeably kicks up the performance. Available in automatic only, its SPORTSHIFT manual control gives the driver the ability to interact with the powertrain. Having more legs than the 2.5i, the 2.5GT certainly won’t embarrass anyone.

But then there’s the WRX. If you love to drive and appreciate performance automobiles, it’ll make you cry if you can’t have one. The zero-60-mph times don’t tell the story – only actually driving it will.

At the pinnacle is the WRX STI. It’s not a car; it’s an experience. (See Version 4.3 at www.driveperformance.subaru.com for WRX STI coverage.)

STEPPING UP

We picked up the preproduction 2.5GT at Subaru of America, Inc. headquarters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Having three-and-a-half days to spend time with the two cars, we split the time as anyone would – 24 hours and approximately 100 miles with the 2.5GT and the rest of the time (and 540 miles) with the WRX.

The black 2.5GT waiting for me and those traveling with me to attend the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race near Millville, New Jersey, was a 4-door. Although the wheels are different from those on the 2.5i, the stance seemed similar. We were surprised at the space in the car’s trunk, in which we stored a large cooler along with other cargo.

Inside, we were met with different upholstery – smoother, enabling occupants to slide in and out easier. Other differences from my 2.5i included heated seats and a revised console tray. I’m also not used to having an automatic transmission in an Impreza, although my family Legacy has the same SPORTSHIFT shifter.

At first, the air temperature was only in the 70s. Cooling the air through the automatic climate control system made the black interior more comfortable, especially when the days grew hotter. Once set, there was no need to fiddle with system adjustments, and the three of us in the car were all well cooled.

I tend to use SPORTSHIFT only when downshifting to help slow the car. The shifter pops over to the left, then gears down the transmission by pulling back on the lever. The driver can keep track of the selected gear by a display in the instrument panel, under the center-mounted tachometer. (That was another difference from the 2.5i, in which the speedometer is mounted in the center of the panel.)

The most noticeable aspect of the interior is the quiet. There is little audible Subaru rumble from the 2.5GT engine – a lot less than from my 2.5i, for instance.

Driving the car, the suspension feels firmer than the 2.5i. But there’s still plenty of give over road bumps. Tight cornering is OK, but I wanted more.

The dominant impression from the 2.5GT is how spritely it felt – a light vehicle with a powerful engine. Excellent for long distances, it can squirt through traffic and corner with assurance. You know there’s a lot more under foot if you need it. The 2.5GT is a great travel car.

STEPPING OUT

Now build on that! You’ve heard that the 2009 WRX is “… a whole new animal.” It’s a delight – enough to turn any enthusiast’s head. Put a five-speed manual transmission in the 2.5GT and amplify all sensation – that’s what you have in the WRX.

The preproduction WRX that we drove was a black 4-door, like the 2.5GT. But the 2.5GT could easily melt into a crowd. Not the WRX.

In black, the WRX looks mean. The mesh grille, dark wheels, performance tires, lowered stance, and rear wing all contribute to that perception. These pieces distinguish it from the 2.5GT.

The WRX looks serious. It is serious. I knew that just starting up. The clutch has a heftier feel than the one in my 2.5i. It’s heavier, but not detrimentally so. It doesn’t hurt you when caught in stop-and-go traffic.

Inside, the WRX has some great touches. Different from the 2.5i and 2.5GT, the seats have one-piece seatbacks. The letters WRX are embroidered in red, complemented by red stitching on the seat seams and steering wheel. Although the upholstery is not the same as in the 2.5GT, it, too, allows easy entry and egress. Still, the seats hold snugly with more emphatic bottom and side bolsters.

The lightness of the 2.5GT proves to be an even stronger sensation in the WRX. It feels fleet-footed long before putting down the power. Some of that is aggressive rubber on the road, some is suspension and steering, some is low curb weight, and the rest is 265 horsepower. Altogether, this car will make you smile – day after day after day.

The WRX is extremely livable as a daily driver. Our commute to the track proved that. Cornering will make you ecstatic, yet it’s tractable enough to drive on trails of rock, sand, and dirt. On pavement, there’s no doubt when hitting road bumps. However, as noted in our first encounter with the all-new WRX last year, the car is relatively quiet. (See driving impressions in Winter 2008 Drive at www.drive.subaru.com.)

Plus, the WRX exhaust note is all Subaru – maybe not enough for some, but audible enough for a Subaru lover to love even more.

For those of us for whom a WRX STI might be unobtainable, the WRX is a possible dream. It may well replace the mid-1980s sports car that I’ve held as my personal benchmark since being involved in test-driving vehicles at that time.