I drove our 2008 Subaru WRX STI up to Willow Springs International Raceway and back with a load of equipment for our second-ever consumer comparison test. It handled the following test props and equipment without breaking a sweat:
One 85-pound, 3.5-ton floor jack
Two carry-on roller suitcases
One large international-sized roller suitcase
One Igloo ice chest
Two 15-gallon flip-top storage containers
A couple of the containers were empty, but some of them were loaded. The main point is that the STI had physical space for quite a bit more.
Try that with a last-gen STI or a Mitsubishi Evo.
To top it all off, I took Angeles Forest Highway back to LA, loaded like this, and still had a ton of fun. Simultaneous cake ownership and consumption, indeed.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 3,721 miles
dougtheeng says:
01:47 PM, 05/15/08
Hatchbacks rule, even though I like the new Evo looks better in and out.
I don't mean to change the subject, but we have had plenty of STI posts, but only a few G8 ones? Given the love/hate people seem to have for the G8, some posts would be great :)
daxtripper says:
02:14 PM, 05/15/08
There's lots of cars we don't hear enough about. The Benz, the CTS, the G8, accord and the X5 for exmple. But I always seem to be reading about the aura and the old diesel jetta.
zjev says:
04:35 PM, 05/15/08
They have had a lot of G8 posts lately, just check back a couple weeks. I personally like the STI, so I welcome the posts. However, I do agree that Insideline has so many vehicles that it is difficult to balance out the posts among their fleet. Maybe some vehicles are just too boring and there isn't anything to talk about right now. I say keep on posting the new updates but don't forget about some of the older cars.
blueguydotcom says:
05:47 PM, 05/15/08
Hatchbacks rule. Best of all worlds...
greenpony says:
05:56 PM, 05/15/08
Maybe infrequent posts are due to comparison testing, or lengthy trips, or sideswiping a car across the double yellows.
opfreak says:
05:48 AM, 05/16/08
I think the hatck back crowd is a bit to over the top.
if you have a decent trunk, you could fit a similar load in a 2 door coupe.
unless you are trying to fit very big items. I see nothing loaded in this trunk that I wouldn't be able to squeeze into a decent number of compact car trunks
felonious says:
08:02 AM, 05/16/08
Dan, quit hogging the keys to the STI! :)
firstwagon says:
08:20 AM, 05/16/08
"I see nothing loaded in this trunk that I wouldn't be able to squeeze into a decent number of compact car trunks"
Sure if you had a decent number of compact car trucks but could you put all of that stuff into just one compact car truck.
I'd be surprised if you could get more then the cooler and the 2 smaller suitcase into a compact cars truck.
I've owned sedans and hatches and it's true. Hatches rule.
(Unless you try to compare them to wagons)
felonious says:
11:01 AM, 05/16/08
Hatches and wagons are great - heck, I own "wagonfan.com" and "wagonfans.com" for that reason. However, I recently had a loaner Jetta and I have to say that trunk was amazing. I felt like my family of four could live inside of it!
actualsize says:
11:05 AM, 05/16/08
1) There is no way this load would have fit into the trunk of a similarly-sized compact--even with the seats flopped down. The STI above isn't even half-full, and I didn't have to do 3D Tetris to get the stuff in, like I would through a skinny trunk opening.
If you like, I'll try all of that stuff in the trunk of our Mitsu Lancer someday soon and post comparison photos.
2) The last STI didn't have flop-down seats. The main point here being that the new STI, while critisized for being made into a "wagon", is a now a two-in-one hauling-butt and hauling-stuff car, and therefore much more attractive to me.
rsholland says:
02:33 PM, 05/16/08
The main point here being that the new STI, while critisized for being made into a "wagon", is a now a two-in-one hauling-butt and hauling-stuff car, and therefore much more attractive to me.
Ditto that. Nothing like having a sports car that is also great at hauling a ton of stuff.
Also, this makes for a good argument with your significant other when you suggest to her/him that an STI would sure look good in your garage. :)
altimadude00 says:
01:37 AM, 05/17/08
The Trunk of my 2000 Altima has enough capacity to swallow the suitcases and the cooler, I'd have to flop down and pass through the jack lever, the floppy lid containers would have to go in the back seat, and the jack as well.
So in reality, you COULD put everything in a compact sedan with the seats folded down, just like the STI. The only thing is that a wagon makes it easier to load (not dealing with a bulkhead and trunk hinges) and getting to an individual piece of cargo is a cinch.
Hatchback is go.
blueguydotcom says:
02:28 AM, 05/17/08
However, I recently had a loaner Jetta and I have to say that trunk was amazing. I felt like my family of four could live inside of it!
Jetta wagon has crazy space compared to the sedan.
opfreak says:
07:46 PM, 05/18/08
first wagon. I didn't mean to impy just in my trunk.
But with the trunk and back seat just like the STI.
But unless you are loading big objects that wont fit through a door, or the trunk. Its not like the hatch back is gaining you any useable room.
Until you fill it up past the point of not being able to see out your review mirror.