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Subaru Impreza 2007 review

EXPERT RATING
7.3

This is the last drive report until the arrival of the new model in the second half of the year.

The next-generation Impreza will be revealed next month at the New York Auto Show and Subaru is already planning its WRX attack on the World Rally championship from the start of next year.

We are not sure of the final timing for the new Impreza in Australia, particularly the WRX, which has to face off with the great-looking new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, but it can't come soon enough.

We have lived with and loved the original for almost longer than we can remember, and still love the turbo rush and the cornering grip, but the car is showing its age.

The dowdy body needs a change, quality needs an upgrade, and time has dulled performance.

It is all obvious in the newest and last of the current family, called the WRX tuned by STi.

Subaru Australia has dipped into the STi parts bin in Japan, added some local development work and created a last blast for the WRX.

It does have some good stuff, particularly a super-slick gearshift and more go from the engine room, but . . .

This is the latest in a series of limited-edition WRX models.

They have worked well to polish the halo over both the Impreza and WRX, as well as keeping young guys — the obvious target market — tickled at the prospect of putting a super-Suby in their garage.

The package spreads the love in a more general way than in the past.

There is a tweak in the turbo motor's electronic brain backed by a low-pressure muffler to liberate an extra 10kW and 20Nm.

Official figures are 179kW and 340Nm, a significant improvement over the basic WRX but not as edgy as the full-on STi model.

The car picks up lowered springs, tuned struts, a larger front stabiliser bar and changes to the rear stabiliser and suspension arms.

Inside, there is the short-shift gear change and a sunroof, and cosmetically there is an STi lip extension to the front spoiler and 18-inch STi alloy wheels.

The bottom line is up by $7000 to $46,990, but Subaru Australia says it is a $12,000 package.

"This locally tuned variant has put a priority on low-down engine performance," Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says.

"We've used specialised STi engine tuners from FHI (Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan) to tailor this car to suit Australian conditions."

But the WRX by STi still has to face the latest Evo IX from Mitsubishi, and there are other trendy hot-hatch contenders including the Renault Megane Sport, the Ford Focus XR5 and the raunchy Mazda3 MPS.

ON THE ROAD

THE latest WRX is still a fun drive. For a while. But the longer we drove the WRX by STi, the more we found ourselves complaining and comparing and wondering about the changes for the new car next month.

Yes, the car is a little punchier than a standard WRX but we have been spoiled for a lot of years.

The STi was a flat-out rocketship and the best of the local developments was the WRP10, which had a great balance of suspension upgrading and go-faster improvements.

This time, and after driving a lot of hot-hatch hopefuls over the past year, the WRX feels a bit flat.

It still has good go, and there is a little more from the bottom, but it does not give us the same buzz as in the past.

The gearshift is excellent, the car sits flatter in corners and has great grip, but we were distracted by other things.

The remote boot release did not work and that's a reflection of the age of the basic design, and a lightweight boot struggles against the latching with the extra weight of the WRX's wing. The rest of the car is light too, which is becoming more of an issue as things such as tinny doors and thin carpet grate against a near-$50,000 price.

The STi lip spoiler and big alloys look nice, but the reality is they are window dressing on an old car with a shape that never was particularly sexy.

"It looks like a nanna's car. It has a big butt," Miss Ali says after her first drive.

She complains about the touch-pad alarm system, which also shows the car's age. Added when the WRX was the most-stolen car in Australia, it has been overtaken by newer systems that use hi-tech keys. It is just plain annoying, even if it gives a visual deterrent.

Still, the sunroof is nice, the STi alloy knob on the gearlever feels good, and we still like the sports seats in the WRX and the feel of its leather-wrapped steering wheel.

But — and here we go again — the dash is far too basic and there is too much cabin noise.

The tuned-by-STi car also comes with a Kenwood sound system raunchier than in the past, but the buttons are tiny — difficult to use.

Nice for twentysomething drivers, but not worth the trouble for most of our testers.

So what is to like? A lot, of course. The WRX has always been one of the rare cars that is enjoyable to drive quickly, even without rattling a 100km/h speed limit.

It still slingshots out of corners, responds when you turn the wheel, and feels safe and secure despite the extra power.

It also looks good value, because the Evo comes in at almost $10,000 more. Even a topline Megane Sport is $44,490 and a 3MPS is knocking on $40,000. The WRX is feeling more like a $20,000 economy car with $20,000 of go-fast gear. We're over it. We can't wait to drive the new one.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

73/100

AN OLD friend in urgent need of a makeover.

Pricing guides

$7,725
Based on 65 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$4,500
Highest Price
$16,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
2.0i (AWD) 2.0L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $4,620 – 6,820 2007 Subaru Impreza 2007 2.0i (AWD) Pricing and Specs
RV (awd) 2.0L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $5,170 – 7,590 2007 Subaru Impreza 2007 RV (awd) Pricing and Specs
2.0i (AWD) 2.0L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $4,950 – 7,260 2007 Subaru Impreza 2007 2.0i (AWD) Pricing and Specs
2.0R (awd) 2.0L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $4,290 – 6,380 2007 Subaru Impreza 2007 2.0R (awd) Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
7.3
Pricing Guide

$4,500

Lowest price, based on 51 car listings in the last 6 months

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