2011 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited

I agree, Eric -- the Mitsubishi Lancer's high-performance variants have better steering and a better gearbox, so they get my vote every time. Nonetheless, this WRX is FAST, even though the boost doesn't really kick in until about 3000 rpm. You can pass briskly at will, so long as you're in the proper gear and don't get caught in no-boost no-man's land. During my weekend with the car, I achieved an indicated 24 mpg with no highway driving and frequent hard acceleration, which is pretty good for something with this kind of performance. The trunk and trunk opening are small, and although the rear seats seem more spacious than the previous-generation car's, I doubt that four six-footers would be comfortable for very long. I found the driver's seat to be a bit too soft, but the seats do look good, and the heated cloth is a nice availability. The wide-body kit looks nice, too; the base WRX has plenty of power to back up its racier new appearance, even if an STI has 40 more horsepower and is significantly quicker. Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor