2009 Subaru Impreza in Pittsburgh

Vancouver, British Columbia
Changes in the automotive world tend to happen at a snail's pace. It often takes years for manufacturers to recognize and correct the problems that cause would-be customers to walk out of the dealership empty-handed. Not so at Subaru, which pulled the handbrake on its new-for-2008 Impreza WRX, flicked the steering wheel, and executed the quickest one-eighty this side of a rally stage.

Last year's WRX was known in Japan as the S-GT. Subaru thought the market for an enthusiast WRX had evaporated, so it designed the S-GT to be a cushy grand tourer. Subaru of America must have convinced its parent company otherwise, because last year's WRX gets a few extra interior goodies, loses it manual transmission, and wallows its way out of North American dealerships with a "2.5GT" badge on it.

Meanwhile, the rally-inspired, come-beat-me-up WRX is back with a profoundly enhanced suspension, more aggressive exterior styling, and a whole lot more power. Like before, it's available in two body styles: a vaguely Korean-looking four-door sedan and a four-door hatchback. All '09 WRXs receive an STI-like grille and a slathering of spoilers, splitters, and sill extensions. The hatchback gets a rear diffuser, while the sedan boasts a new dual-exhaust treatment. Standard seventeen-inch wheels are now painted gray for a more sinister look, and the cabin gets a few STI touches, too, including metal pedal covers and red stitching on the sport seats and the leather steering wheel.

Turning that steering wheel while cornering at speed no longer results in Buick-style body motions, and the WRX's overall grip has been greatly improved thanks to 225-series summer performance rubber in place of last year's 205-mm-wide all-season tires.... Read full article