The Garage: Your daily dose of automotive news, reviews and motorsports coverage
“Faster than Travis Pastrami and Sébastien Ear Lobe combined”
Forget pickup trucks, Canadian rednecks prefer to hoon in Subarus! At least the rally focused brand is the vehicle of choice for rural Ontario funny guy Randy Rod-Knock!
Taking over a property just a few minutes away from the historic Mosport circuit at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the guy shreds the lawn before taking flight off a berm in the yard.
Caution: NSFW language to follow.
In addition to organizing the Canadian Car of the Year awards testfest event last month, I had also been tasked by a print editor to evaluate the small car category. Doing double duty means that I typically don’t have time to actually write about the cars during the event.
Unlike some of the old guard, paper note pads aren’t my thing. Instead, I use Google Keep, which allows me to keep great notes. It occurred to me while writing the story yesterday that it also allows me to share my scribbles with you.
In no particular order, here are my roadside observations of the vehicles entered in small car this year.
The 2014 North American International Auto Show opened its doors to the media for day two of press days, and Subaru took the wraps off its range topping Impreza WRX STI. Built to be the baddest STI of all time, on paper the car seems to deliver. Yes, the requisite outrageous bodywork is present and accounted for, with a unique nose, ultra-wide fenders, LED lighting front and back, capped off with an absolute over the top rear wing. The look is convincing, yet not at all cheesy. Still, no one will confuse you for the stereotypical granola eating Impreza owner. For the full effect, make a run for your local Subie dealer to snatch up the limited edition Launch Edition, which gives you WR Blue paint and gold BBS wheels. Only 1,000 will be built for the US.
Of course, looks are nothing without performance to back it up. The WRX STI sports a new 2.5L turbocharged boxer four good for 305hp. With no apologies to posers, a six speed manual is the only transmission choice. As God intended. Other enhancements include firmer springs, a stiffer chassis, quicker steering, Active Torque Vectoring, Multi Mode Driver Controlled Center Differential and Brembo brakes. If some of that sounds like I am speaking a foreign language, my interpretation is the WRX STI will likely have incredible handling on tarmac, dirt, and gravel.
Inside, the STI features Alcantara seating with red and black leather bolsters, flat bottomed steering wheel and the obligatory STI badges. For the first time audiophiles can rejoice, as Subaru has put a premium Harmon Kardon audio system on the option sheet. Need more posh? Go for the WRX STI Limited, which adds full leather interior and a power moonroof. No pricing, performance, or when we expect to see the WRX STI in showrooms have been disclosed, but I think I speak for all of us when I say I cannot wait.
Welcome back to my story of leasing a new car for my wife. Part I detailed how, even though General Motors had cleared me for $2,500 off sticker price, two Chevy dealers did not honor the discount, with no explanation whatsoever. Our other consideration was a four door Subaru Impreza. Again, Subaru gave me employee pricing, and I approached Dan Perkins Subaru in Milford, CT. To his credit, our salesman honored the discount, but said he could do better, and he did. But, as I stated in my first post, I wanted no down payment apart from the first month’s installment. And Dan Perkins was having none of it. Even with exceptional credit, they demanded a substantial down payment.
Even accepting their terms, my largest hurdle was communication. The sales person I met gave me his card, and I e-mailed him the options and colors we were interested in. No response. I called the dealer, and spoke to him, but never got a call back. I visited the dealership in person, after my wife and I cruised the lot looking for cars we might be interested in. He wasn’t available, and the sales person who was available told me all the cars I looked at had been moved, and the dealership was closing soon, and I would have to come back. I again e-mailed my first sales person, specifying the Impreza we were interested in. No reply. And I know the e-mails were going through because I never received an undeliverable notice. But what burned me is Dan Perkins had me running around desperately around their lot looking for the car I wanted, and when I could not find it, told me to leave. When I sold Honda’s, the rule was as long as a customer was there, we stayed. Period. We never turned anyone way. Ever. With a complete lack of service from Dan Perkins Subaru, we threw up our hands and gave up. If they couldn’t be bothered to service and take care of us, they did not deserve our business.
During this awful process, it was Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, and the VW Beetle Convertible was the sponsored car. My wife has owned a ’92 VW Cabriolet and a ’95 VW Cabrio. Not to mention our romantic relationship started after watching Patrick Dempsey’s ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ movie, where his female interest drive a 1987 VW Cabriolet. It was serendipity, and although pricier than the Cruze and Impreza, I was determined to make it happen. I first called Curran Volkswagen in Stratford, CT. I was told they had one denim blue Convertible in stock, and they refused to discuss price over the phone.
So, we made a trip up to where we leased our 2010 Jetta, at Langan Volkswagen in Meriden, CT. Alexio, our sales person was very helpful, and for the first time in our shopping experience, was determined to find the exact car we wanted, not what was on the lot. It so happened my test car that week was a VW Beetle Convertible Turbo. On our way to and back from a family gathering in rural Connecticut, we were totally sold on the car, now it was a matter of price. I know my wife wanted the car badly, but it was a bit of a stretch from our Jetta. But I had to make it work.
We did get a discount off the sticker price. I then went to Truecar.com and got a slightly lower price than what I was quoted. Langan VW met that price. Then they also honored the discount I received from VW America. In buying a car, timing is everything. Since my wife was happy with the 2.5 inline five cylinder in her Jetta rated at 170hp, paired to a six-speed automatic, I had an ace up my sleeve. The five banger is going away for 2014, to be replaced with a more powerful and fuel efficient turbocharged four cylinder engine. With that in mind, VW wants to dump all remaining five cylinder Beetles.
Alex found us a gorgeous Reflex Silver 2013 VW Beetle Convertible, and my wife could not be happier. Yes, you might find it mad that for a family of three this is our family car, but may I remind you millions of families around the world had the Beetle as their sole car and it worked out just fine. The trunk can hold a week’s worth of groceries. The Beetle has so far worked out great for us, and again I thank Langan VW, and Alex personally for making the buying process as stress free as possible.
For a brand of car I have never personally owned, Subarus hold a place in my heart. Never afraid to march to the beat of their own drum, growing up reading car magazines, I was bemused a car company would simply call a car a DL or GL. Their funky boxer four cylinder engines sounded like nothing else, and of course, all-wheel drive was a given. It was my cousin Tommy’s 1976 blue Subaru station wagon that drove me, windows down in Spring on I-95 to my very first pizza at the famous Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven, CT when I was in first grade. When I was 15, it was this same Subaru Tommy taught me how to drive a stick shift. It broke my heart that beloved blue Subie’s frame was rotting and I could not own it myself.
Fast forward twenty five years, thanks to our friends at Subaru, the completely redesigned 2012 Impreza appeared on my driveway, ironically in blue, and blessed with a five-speed manual. The only thing missing was my cousin Tommy giving me pointers on working a clutch while nursing a Budweiser in the drug store parking lot near my Grandparent’s house.
Subaru has made strides in trying to mainstream themselves in hopes of greater sales and profits, but with the new Impreza it is best described as a Legacy in miniature, and just quirky enough to keep the Subaru faithful satisfied. During my week with the Impreza no one complimented or criticized the car. Style-wise, I think the Impreza falls short of far slicker offerings like the Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio. There’s not a bad line on the car, but the competition is sporting far more sophisticated duds.
If past Imprezas had a weak point, it was interior that bordered on crude. With the new Impreza, driver and passengers are treated to a comfortable, airy cabin with high quality plastics and soft touch materials. All gauges are easy to read, controls are a cinch to figure out. I found the seats fairly comfortable, and there was plenty of room for my 6’1″ frame. Lacking satellite radio, I used the CD player in our test car, and found the audio quality not quite on par with the competition.
In the engine room, Subaru has certainly reacted to the current economic climate. Typically when a car is redesigned, we talk of more power, but with the Impreza, it is the opposite. Subaru has opted for a smaller displacement 2.0L (from 2.5) boxer four rated at 148hp, which is also down on power from the larger engine. The good news is fuel economy, which is clearly what Subaru was after. Our Impreza shows EPA fuel economy figures of 25/34 MPG city/highway-pretty good numbers considering this car is all-wheel drive. The Subie gets off the line just fine, and I am still a sucker for the engine noise from that boxer four. The five-speed manual was a joy to use, and really added to the enjoyment of the Impreza. If you cannot, or do not want to shift for yourself, the Impreza is available with a CVT transmission, but I have read this drastically changes the character of the car, and not in a good way.
The Impreza is offered as a four door sedan or five door hatchback with five trim levels. Our test car was a 2.0i Premium, one step up from the base model. With 16″ alloys, Bluetooth, keyless entry and USB plug for your iPod. Fitted with the optional All-Weather package which adds heated seats and mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer, our Impreza rings in at a respectable $20,414USD, including destination.
Driving the Impreza, I kept thinking back to that quirky ’76 Subie wagon of my cousin that held so many memories for me. Obviously, the Impreza is light years ahead of that car, but Subaru, with its new Impreza, has managed to build a perfectly competent compact sedan without compromising its character. For us gearheads and rally fans, now we wait for the WRX…..stay tuned. Oh, and decades later, my cousin still has a Subie in his garage- a 2012 Outback.
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Subaru is introducing an all-new Impreza for 2012, and the good news is the base price remains the same as the outgoing 2011 model. A four door 2.0i with a 5-speed manual will start at $17,495USD. A new CVT equipped car will add an additional $1,000, while the same car in 5-door hatchback form will add another $500. Buyers can upgrade to Premium and Limited models in both body styles, while Sport Premium (available in 5-spd and CVT) and Sport Limited (CVT only) models are restricted to the five door topping out at $22,595. Options such as moonroof, alloy wheels, all-weather package and navigation can be bought separate or grouped together. Conspicuous by its absence is the availability of an Outback model.
The 2012 Impreza is endowed with an all-new 2.0L boxer four rated at 148hp, and as before, all Imprezas will be equipped with all wheel drive. EPA gas mileage is rated at 27/36 MPG when equipped with the CVT, and Subaru boasts this makes the Impreza the most fuel efficient all-wheel drive car in North America. Expect the new Impreza to hit the showroom floor this November. For enthusiasts hankering for the more powerful WRX and WRX STI versions, watch this space as we promise to keep you updated as soon as we get more details.
They are calling it the The Fastest WRX STI Ever. Subaru brought 4 time World Rally champion Tommi Makinen to the Nurburgring in a effort to show how much they’ve improved the breed in the past 10 years.
Political correctness aside, you just know they were gunning for a production car record.
While they’ve fallen 33 seconds short of the current Viper record and 29 seconds short of Corvette and GT-R, the 7:55 time that Makinen set is actually in line with a Caterham R500 Superlight and a Ferrari F430. That is some pretty darned impressive company, especially when you consider the difference between something race bred like the Caterham and a 4 door sedan.
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It’s been well documented here at The Garage that hardcore fans of the Subaru Impreza WRX were not exactly thrilled at the all new 2008 Impreza, and the concessions Subaru made to make their hero car appeal to a wider audience. While Subaru made substantial improvements to the 2009 car to win back fans, there was some unfinished business that Subaru is now addressing.
At the New York Auto Show, Subaru took the wraps off the four door Impreza WRX STI, which will sell alongside the five door model. The previous generation STI was sold as a four door only, but when the current car went on sale in 2008, the WRX STI was only available as a five door. The STI’s signature giant rear wing is back, and one can hear the purists rejoicing. The 2011 STI also features a heavily revised suspension, with some of the changes previewed on this year’s STI Special Edition. The new car also features lighter 18″ wheels. The WRX STI drivetrain remains unchanged, which means a boxer 2.5L turbo intercooled four rated at 305hp, coupled to a six-speed manual. The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI four door hits the showroom floor this summer.
When the then-new Impreza WRX debuted in 2008, Subie fans had a tough time accepting a slightly softer version of a car so many felt so passionate about. Quick to react, Subaru got the WRX back on track with a host of improvements for the 2009 model year.  2010 looks to be a quiet year for the WRX, with the only notable change being the addition of a Limited model.
Mechanically identical to the base and Premium WRX, the Limited adds HID headlights, Sirius satellite radio and leather seats. Pricing for the WRX Limited 4-door will be $28,495USD, and $28,995 for the 5-door. While some WRX diehards may consider these superfluous items, buyers want, and are willing to pay for them. I doubt it is accidental that a WRX Limited costs about the same as a similarly optioned VW GTI.
For those of you who feel the beloved Impreza WRX STI has gone a little soft, Subaru has responded with the Special Edition; a sportier, decontented STI. The Special Edition borrows suspension from the Japanese STI spec C, including a thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings, upgraded springs and JDM 18″ alloys. The drivetrain is untouched, meaning you get the standard STI 2.5L boxer four, good for 305hp and a six-speed manual.
What does the STI Special Edition owner give up? The HID headlights are replaced by halogens, auto climate control gives way to manual A/C, the 10 speaker, 6-disc CD stereo is replaced by a single disc 4 speaker unit, and no turn signals in the side mirrors. Even with the upgraded suspension, the Special Edition will sticker at $32,995USD, a full two grand less than a regular STI. A limited run of 125 cars will be offered in Spring of 2010 in Aspen White, then the car will be available in all STI colors.
