2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: 20,000 Miles

Oh no, now we'll have a week of Subaru bashing, I guess some things never change at edmunds

My commuter car just got to 300 000 km no pictures though.

If Subaru doesn't want to be bashed than they need to stop trying to make the ugliest and cheapest looking cars on the planet.

Up until 2002 it was all part of Subie's "charm" to be a little quirky/off-beat looking. But since then they've continuously taken the ugly thing to a new level; every year you think, "wow, they could not have screwed up the look of that car any worse"...BUT, then comes next year and your stunned all over again!

I have to pull over onto the shoulder and close my eyes to fight off nausea every time I pass a WRX, Forester, or God forbid I get a full-frontal look at a Tribeca.

Thanks coletrickle for such insightful and objective commentary... :(

The new WRX does look rather ... cheap... to me. Of course, the last-gen WRX just looked downright odd. I think the Legacy looks good and is a nice car, but it's really the only car in Subaru's lineup I'd consider.

That said, and I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this, is there any way the G8 GT could get to be Car of the Week before it goes bye-bye from the long-term fleet?

Subaru, like Jeep, appeals to a a certain kind of audience. It takes a little bit of quirkiness to understand Subaru.

I LIKE the look of the STI. That and the Mazdaspeed3 are good looking hatches.

Now, based on the long term test results, I'm not sure I'd buy one. But stylistically, it works for me.

Agreed on the Subaru appealing to a niche audience. However, as a former hardcore Jeep fan, Jeep no longer offers anything of interest to me. In an attempt to go mainstream, they lost their core customer base. In 2001, I'd take any Jeep. In 2009, you couldn't pay me to drive one. Even the Wrangler is so soft, you have to take some plastic pieces off to go off-road - and that includes the Rubicon model. Lame. I'll stick with the older models, thank you.

The original 2002 WRX was "quirky" but also "on the mark".

It wasn't for everybody but it was for an awful lot of people as Subaru sold more in the first year than they had even anticipated.

Unfortunately this success (for reasons which I don't understand) compelled Subaru to round off all the edges so it would appeal to the masses. Gone went the Momo steering wheel, bug-eye headlights, comfy stock seats with suede like bolsters and 2.0 litre engine.

Somewhere along the line they've managed to make it appeal to virtually nobody.

"Somewhere along the line they've managed to make it appeal to virtually nobody."

Wrong.

The new Impreza lineup has for the most part gotten good write-ups. Yes, the '08 WRX strayed away from its roots, but that has been corrected for 2009.

Sales of the redesigned Impreza worldwide have been quite a bit higher than those of the last generation model—so it must be appealing to some people.

This AN link was posted last August, before the updated '09 WRX hit the streets. It clearly shows that the ('08) Impreza sales have improved here in the USA.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20080811/ANA06/808110385

Here's a link from New Zealand. Same thing, Impreza sales are up.

http://www.subaru.co.nz/About_Subaru/News/index.php?article=1088

Same with Canada.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2007/02/c7682.html

Would it be possible to have a look at this car's instrument panel?

Thanks in advance!

I think the comments being seen in this post are to be expected.

Basically, many of those who claim to be hard-core Subaru fans aren't happy with the products going more mainstream. However, plainer/more boring/less quirky sells, so Subaru's numbers are up.

Its a debate that happens again and again - do we stay niche, or try to move more mainstream. Or can we move mainstream while still seeming niche?

From the company point of view, they just want to do whatever sells. For example, do the Cayenne and the Panamera destroy Porsche's image? Maybe....but they're also going to sell like hotcakes and ultimately, thats all the finance guys care about.

"as a former hardcore Jeep fan, Jeep no longer offers anything of interest to me. In an attempt to go mainstream, they lost their core customer base."

Seems to me I've heard that more then once over the years and it's always been wrong.

When the CJ-7 showed up in the 70's, the "hard core guys" whined the CJ-5 was the only true Jeep.

When the YJ showed up in the 80's, the CJ guys complained it was to soft and called it the Yuppie Jeep.

When the TJ showed up in the 90's, the true Jeep fans whined about the coil springs (that whining faded fast) and the full interior that don't belong on a true Jeep.

And now people complain about the JK.

The truth is each new Jeep has been better then the one before. It just needs some miles on it and a few used and bruised examples around before it gets some respect.

I'm confident that the 2008 WRX and WRX STI was deemed to be an unmitigated disaster for Subaru.

Enough that they decided to refresh the WRX unexpectedly for 2009.

And this STI will either get scrapped in near future or completely repositioned in the market because they can't sell these things.

Maybe they can in Australia - but I'm thinking of U.S.

I'm currently looking to buy a used 06-07 WRX wagon (or Saabaru 9-2x) or possibly a Mazdaspeed3. I find the design of the 06-07 'hawk eyed' WRX barely palatable though. I always thought that if Subaru could make its cars attractive, their sales would sky-rocket. The MS3 is a better handling car with a nicer interior, but I'm leaning towards the WRX for its larger cargo area and because I won't feel bad if I scratch it up and stuff.

It's too bad about the long term review of the STI. I want to like the WRX, which is the level I am considering, and I consider it to be far more reliable than any Mitsubishi offerings. Both cars, however, have a cheap feel to them, making it a tough sell.

Jederino, I have an '09 WRX 5-door Premium. I'm very happy with it. Yeah, there's too much hard plastic in the interior, and the gas mileage is down about 1 mpg over my '06 WRX, but no car is perfect. After 5K miles, I'd buy it again. No regrets whatsoever.

The past tense of seek should be sought not seeked.

Oh, I was just hoping the poor STi would just leave the Edmunds fleet without being bashed even more.

I agree no car is perfect. And if you want a near perfect car, it's so expensive it's not perfect! :)

I do wish there were some things Subaru did differently. The have Recaro seats in Japan that didn't make it over. I'm sure the suspension is tuned differently in the JDM cars which would have helped with the understeer (Consumer Reports complained a lot a few years ago about Subarus oversteering- now look what happened). Certainly could have come with better tires from the factory. Oh well, you get what you get.

It is a car that has tons of aftermarket stuff available so that each individual owner can make it what they want, which is nice. It is easy to squeeze more power out of it for not much money and still remain reasonably reliable. suspension mods are cheap and very effective at transforming this car.

Oh, and it's a hatchback (cool in Europe, not so cool here) and very practical- you can actually carry stuff in it. In rain, sleet or snow thanks to the AWD.

There's really not much else to compare it to, that can do everything this STi can for the price it comes in at.

But perhaps in trying to please everyone Subaru has now pleased no one. :(

Funny how opinions differ. I don't think Subaru has an unattractive vehicle in their lineup.

The 09 Forester is good looking, the Impreza is alright, but by no means ugly. The 2010 WRX is sexy, as is the STI. The Tribeca looks decent after its refresh and I've always liked the look of the Outback ever since its redesign.

The Legacy is a downright good looking car, especially in GT or SpecB trim. Better looking than any other family sedan, IMO (the 6 and Malibu come close). Every time I tell friends that I want a Legacy they tell me that they too think the Legacy is attractive.

As for Subaru's interiors, well, that's a different story. My Forester has developed a persistent rattle from the glovebox and a low-speed GROOOOAN from the rear hatch area at just 6,000 miles. The interior is functional, yes, but quite cheap. I'm mad that a $30k car has a cheaper interior than a $17k Mazda 3 or Civic. The interior quality is well below that of my MS6 and I didn't really appreciate the quality of my Mazda until I got the Forester.

Punch the gas in that puppy, though, or take a high speed turn on a dirt road, and all of that vanishes. I love my Forester.

As a owner of a 2005 WRX Wagon I can't totally disagree with you guys. The looks of 06 & 07 are down right awful and the new models only look respectable in the STI trim. Although it's worth noting the optional Gold BBS rims with the right color combination do a lot to improve the appearance (which are absent in the insideline test car).

The 2004 and 2005 model years are by far the best looking. It is nice having a car with a lot of available aftermarket parts that you don't see everyday (at least in Florida) and with the utility to stow my bike inside when I go riding.

I am sad there is no longer a wagon option.

Hmmm... Can anyone think of any car brand that has such a range of totally polarizing viewpoints than Subaru.

You eiterh love the car, or you hate it. There's no middle ground with this brand.

I kind of like the looks of the new STi, but then I drive a MS3- which features styling inspired by the Hostess Twinkie. I guess that's why Mazda didn't offer it in yellow...

JDM STI destroying the 135i at Tsukuba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=froT98RyeDk

For as much hate there is for this car, I can't wait to get mine!