On previous generation Imprezas, an STI badge pretty much meant a suspension tune as hard as an elbow to the jaw and a wing and hood scoop juiced with HGH.
The new Impreza STI, however, is much removed from this description. The ride quality is as comfortable as your average sport sedan's, and the hatchback bodystyle functions as a cloak of invisibility over those 305 horses. The black paint of our test car even hides the car's flared fenders...
Is it an Impreza WRX STI or a Toyota Matrix with flashy wheels and an aftermarket body kit? Who knows?
I've been driving our STI for almost two weeks now and it's gone completely unnoticed by other motorists.
The Air Force has its F-117 and B-2. We have our 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 5,241 miles
Anonymous says:
09:37 AM, 06/16/08
Its not a positive for the car that it can be confused with a Toyota Matrix. I liked the over the top styling cues of the previous STIs, so going unnoticed by motorists is a negative for me.
Anonymous says:
09:43 AM, 06/16/08
I disagree with doug wholeheartedly... if I can have a ridiculously fast car that blends in near-perfectly with the masses but is still distinguishable to enthusiasts, that's the perfect car.
Want to be flashy? Get a 'vette or a 'stang. This is for those who want to fit in, until of course you put the throttle down and blow everyone away.
Anonymous says:
10:39 AM, 06/16/08
Going stealth is one thing (good), but saying that the STi can be confused with a Matrix is another thing (bad).
Anonymous says:
10:45 AM, 06/16/08
Yeah, have to agree with doug and dodo2. I want a wolf in a sheep's skin but not a pig's skin...
Anonymous says:
11:04 AM, 06/16/08
I don't think it looks too much like a Matrix, but any styling cues it does share aren't the worst ones.
If you want to stand out more in an STI, you can get the gold BBS wheels from the factory for $2,000.
Anonymous says:
11:05 AM, 06/16/08
I guess I am one of the few people who thinks the new STI is vastly more attractive than the previous generation. The new design just seems more cohesive and polished, rather than some aftermarket homologation special. Then again, I have never been one for "look at me" styling so it really should come as no surprise.
Anonymous says:
12:01 PM, 06/16/08
I didn't really think that people bought the STI for sleeper status, and therefore I think this car is a little too generic.
Though honestly, I may be biased in my eyesight. I can differentiate between an STI and just about any other variation of hatchback with a .25 second glance. The front looks different. The side looks different. The rear looks different.
About the only boy-racer car I actually have to look closely at to tell is the MazdaSpeed3.
Joe
Anonymous says:
01:00 PM, 06/16/08
Sleeper means 'looks like any other family car'.
Not 'looks like a cheap car after a stop at JC Whitney'.
A supercharged Regal is a sleeper. A Matrix with flashy wheels and a body kit is a shame.
Anonymous says:
05:23 PM, 06/16/08
I guess I am one of the few people who thinks the new STI is vastly more attractive than the previous generation. The new design just seems more cohesive and polished, rather than some aftermarket homologation special.
You're not alone. I too think it's a MUCH better design than the previous generation model.
Also... Stealth = Good
Anonymous says:
07:22 PM, 06/16/08
Count me in the liking-the-new-design camp as well. It's a tight design that BMW wishes it had brought to the street. And it fits a golden retriever with room to spare...definitely a good thing.
Quick correction: The F-1117A Nighthawk has been retired by the Air Force. The only stealth-capable aircraft in the USAF inventory are currently the F-22A Raptor and the B-2 Spirit. The F-35 Lightning remains under development. I suspect a pilot of any of these aircraft would be right at home in this Scooby.
louiswei says:
12:28 PM, 06/17/08
Here's the correction to the correction:
1. It's now F/A-22A instead of F-22A
2. It's the F-35 Lightning "II"
Okay I duck now...